Trying to Understand Boolit Lube a Bit Better...

[Josh Smith]

Hello,

I'm attempting to understand a bit better what all the components in boolit lube do. I thought it was simply an anti-flux, but I seem to be wrong on that. I think...

Anyway, I'd like to pick your brains a bit. Using Felix lube, I'm going to write my guesses out on the side, and any correction would be much appreciated.

2 Tablespoons mineral oil -- not sure... lubricant???

1 Tablespoon castor oil -- not sure... lubricant again???

1 Tablespoon Ivory, or homemade soap (grated) -- glycerin? If so, why?

1 Tablespoon Lanolin -- makes it sticky, right?

Beeswax - Piece approximately 3 1/2" X 3 1/2" X 1 " -- Carrier, right?

Back to basics I guess. Help?

Thanks,

Josh

[btroj]

This is my understanding of the role of each ingredient.
Castor oil is the actual "lubricant".
Mineral oil is heated with the castor oil to undergo a chemical change that Reece's the tendency of the castor oil to bleed out of the lube.
Ivory soap is used as a pretty pure form of sodium stearate. This helps keep the oils mixed into the lube, again to reduce the tendency of the oil to bleed out.
Lanolin is to increase the stickiness.
Beeswax is the carrier.

This is a great lube. Easy to make, pretty cheap, and it just works.

[BulletFactory]

Is it a pan, or tumble lube?

Im thinking about trying it again. Its just hard to justify the expense of materials without a guaranteed result. I've tried it twice and it wouldnt work.

[Sonnypie]

I think I'm getting a headache. :coffee:

[geargnasher]

JMS, I highly recommend you read the entire sticky on Felix lube, all this has been cussed and discussed quite thorougly there, especially the last few pages.

I also recommend you find the Glen Fryxell articles on bullet lube on the Los Angeles Silhoutte Club website and read them, he has the best explanation and understanding of what lube really does that I've yet read.

Gear

[runfiverun]

glen does have a pretty good understanding/explanation of what lube does.
cooking the mineral oil and castor oil is the essential part of making felix lube it has to be at the smoking temperature for the polymerization to take place.
castor oil is the lubricant.
the ivory [stearate] is the binder. it is also a hardener. and also a lube.
the lanolin adds sticky to the lube [it also is a lube] but it also adds flexibility and some stretch to the b=wax.
it's the basics.
carrier.
lube[s]
binder and a modifier.

[Josh Smith]

Thanks folks.

Gear, there's a sticky on Felix Lube that I somehow missed? Wow, I feel dumb. Going to go find it now.

Guys, thank you for the input. That gent, Glen Fryxell, never kicked up in my Google results. I'll Google him directly, methinks.

Not looking to be spoon fed or anything, just couldn't find the answers. Looking in the wrong places, I bet!

Regards,

Josh

[geargnasher]

Here's the sticky, all fifteen pages of it or however you have your browser set to view:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=543

I "Googled" "glen fryxell" and got 185,000 hits, with the first one being an article at the LASC site that I mentioned above. Your search engine sucks, my friend. Once you get to the LASC site, find a link titled "index to all articles by Glen Fryxell" and find the ones with bullet lube in the title. You might want to read all Glen's articles while you're there, and also read From ingot to target by Fryxell/Applegate while you're at it, there's an undergrad degree in making, loading, and shooting cast boolits right there.

Gear

[Josh Smith]

Hi Gear,

I Google his name and he pops up just fine. I didn't know any names to search for until now!

Thanks,

Josh

[leftiye]

Lanolin is also an excellent high pressure anti galling lubricant.

[runfiverun]

yes it is.
i use it as case sizing lube,and mix it with castor oil as my swaging lube.
i think castor oil will bind with it.
i have used lanolin and castor oil [50-50] mixed into b-wax with ratios up to 25% and have never had any sweating.

[geargnasher]

Beeswax can absorb a surprising amount of castor oil withoug sweating or using stearate binders provided you don't add any sort of petroleum substance to it.

Gear

[Josh Smith]

Hey Gear, do you know if Castrol is still made from castor oil like it was in WWII? From what I understand it was made to perform in aircraft...

Josh

[geargnasher]

Because Castrol meets current API specifications.

Gear

[gwpercle]

Dont try and figure bullet lubricants out. Its useless... the mixing of the stuff has roots in alchemy, voo-doo and black magic more so than anything scientific or chemical.

I started looking into different reciepes starting with some from Elmer Keith ( he liked spring killed bear tallow as one ingredient ) on to all the ones listed at this site. Here's what you do...find one that has ingredients you can get readily and if it's got a satisfactory report by several shooters , go with it.

No use trying to make a lube that uses Sperm Whale oil or stuff thats expensive or no longer obtainable. If its cheap and you can get it then use it. I have a friend who is a beekeeper, commerically... I have an easy cheap supply of beeswax, so I use it as my base. Also use a recipe that does not stink to high heaven when mixing... some reek. Look at the recipe for Ben's Red lube, its in this section. easy ingredients and excellent reports .

There are some out there that use only a few ingredients and work well. I've seen some recipes that had 12 different ingredients but wonder if all of them were actually necessary...I don't really think they are.

Dont overthink...and keep it simple...... gary