lube question

[Theditchman]

I bought a pound of gooey anhydrous lanolin and some alcohol from wallmart but they wouldn't seem to mix...the lanolin went even more gooey but no luck..what am I doing wrong?? should I heat up the lanolin to melting first? :!:

[MUSTANG]

Theditchman:

(1) Are you using Isopropyl alcohol? 90% to 99% Isopropyl Alcohol is what I use in my mix for aerosoling the lube in a squirt sprayer.

(2) I have never mixed my lube spray from a solid lanolin (although I am interested in your results). I use a liquid Lanolin:
Now Foods LANOLIN PURE - 8oz. You can find it on the Internet at:

http://www.amazon.com/Now-Foods-LANO...f=pd_sim_hpc_6

My mix is 8oz of the Pure Lanolin to 16 oz of Isopropyl alcohol.


Mustang

[fredj338]

You need to melt the lano & then pour in the alcohol. IT will have to be shaken well prior to using.

[DukeInFlorida]

Well, I have two types of lube I use, but they are for two different uses:

1) Full Length resizing lube. This is the lube that I use when doing normal metallic cartridge reloading. I make it from a combination of a few table spoons of anhydrous lanolin and a quart of 99% Isopropyl alcohol. The 99% is the key to success. The cheapo isopropyl that you get at the drug store is only 45% or so, and the rest is water. Water doesn't mix easily with lanolin. So, where does one get 99% Isopropyl? Get the RED "DRY GAS" at your auto parts store, or Walmart, or where ever you shop for car parts, etc. Make sure you get the RED type, and the label should say 99% isopropyl. The yellow kind is METHYL alchohol, and that's not the right kind. It takes a LOT of shaking to get the tablespoons of lanolin to dissolve in the 99%. When I use it for reloading, I put the brass to get lubed into a garbage bag, and spray the mix over the brass. You have to allow the alcohol to evaporate before trying to resize. Otherwise, you will get "grease dents" in the shoulder of the rifle brass.

2) The other type of lube is for swaging. That's a 50-50 blend of the same anhydrous lanolin, and Militec-1 gun lube. The Militec-1 is a synthetic gun lube. Wonderful stuff. However, some others use castor oil instead of the Militec-1. When mixed correctly, it should look like a version of vasoline. THICK! Put a small amount on your finger, and apply it to the brass to be swaged. A little goes a long way.

[Hawkeye45]

If I remember correctly lanolin USP is 20 to 25 percent water. It is the lighter colored lanolin and is not near as greasy an pure lanolin. The isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is 90 percent alcohol by definition, even tho you can find different concentrations. Lanolin has to be melted before mixing any more than 10 to 20 percent of any liquid in it. Solids are another matter. I did pharmaceutical compounding for more years than I care to think about.

Mr. Ed

[Theditchman]

Thanks all...I used over 90 percent alcohol but noluck....I will melt it down then add the dry gas from wallmart and see what happens...if no good I will keep the lanolin for swaging and get some lanolin oil and try that...I will let you all know the outcome

[Smokin7mm]

I use the 99% Isopropyl alcohol and it mixes by just shaking. I tried the rubbing alcohol (70% I think) and got the same results you did. I do the same as DukeInMaine using the alcohol mix for sizing cases and the anhydrous lanolin and castor oil for swaging
Bret

[Prospector Howard]

The best stuff I've found is "Home Health" brand liquid lanolin and castor oil. I buy them at my local Whole Foods grocery store.

[Cane_man]

i have been swaging for 4 months, it gets 105F in the garage where i swage and the Lanolin is nice and runny... what do you guys do in the winter time when it sets up harder? do you guys cut it with castor oil so it has a lower viscosity?

[Smokin7mm]

Yes, the castor oil is used to "thin" the mix. I was told by Richard Corbin (RCE) to use up to 50:50 mix as needed to thin.
Bret

[fredj338]

I also use the lanolin/castor oil mix for swaging. In the colder temps, not that it gets all that cold here, it feels a little more waxy, but doesn't affect the lube properties.
For the case lube, I melted the anhydrous & added 90%+ alcohol 20-1, shake well before using.