Cost of making your own Lube.

[wv109323]

I have never ventured into making my own lube. I am curious as to your cost involved to produce your favorite lube and how much is produced in each batch. . It seems to me that for 20-30 bucks you can buy a whole lot of lube.

[JesterGrin_1]

From what I Gather there is not much of a cost difference between making your own and purchasing some from Lars (White Label Lubes) here on the forum. Some people have fun making there own lube.

[1Shirt]

I buy Lars because it is good and works for me. Made my own for many years, and it was satisfactory, but time consuming, and probably cost as much cash wise in the long run. Now, my time is worth more to me than the time involved in making lubes. Just my opinion.
1Shirt!

[Blammer]

for me, beeswax, free, my bees make it.
2cycle enging oil. .01 per quart. :) close out sale

so yea, it's cheap.

[btroj]

Sometimes cost isn't the overriding factor.....

[William Yanda]

Simply put:
Some people can't resist a challenge!

[357maximum]

Cost has never been a factor for me.........I simply cannot help myself........I must do it myself.

If one took a known good recipe, made it .......and was somehow able to resist the temptation to become a lube alchemist you might save a few pennies...MAYBE, but I have yet to personally meet a man that could follow a recipe without getting sucked down the rabbit hole of lube alchemy using the excuse of IMPROVING the recipe.

[trapper9260]

I make my own because the fact that I know I can and get it the way i like and it works for me.

[JesterGrin_1]

Well count me as the first lol. The mess I make might be equaled by an explosion lol. So now I order mine from Lars. :)

So now I am trying to figure out what to do with a block of Bees Wax the same size as a medium flat rate box lol.


Cost has never been a factor for me.........I simply cannot help myself........I must do it myself.

If one took a known good recipe, made it .......and was somehow able to resist the temptation to become a lube alchemist you might save a few pennies...MAYBE, but I have yet to personally meet a man that could follow a recipe without getting sucked down the rabbit hole of lube alchemy using the excuse of IMPROVING the recipe.

[JSnover]

You use such a small amount per boolit, I never thought much about the cost.

[357maximum]

Well count me as the first lol. The mess I make might be equaled by an explosion lol. So now I order mine from Lars. :)

So now I am trying to figure out what to do with a block of Bees Wax the same size as a medium flat rate box lol.


Well I am sure that person existed...just never met him :mrgreen:


I am sure if you priced it right here one of the JACKALS would scoop it up in no time flat. :lol:

[seanhagerty]

You could always send it to me......


Well count me as the first lol. The mess I make might be equaled by an explosion lol. So now I order mine from Lars. :)

So now I am trying to figure out what to do with a block of Bees Wax the same size as a medium flat rate box lol.

[fryboy]

So now I am trying to figure out what to do with a block of Bees Wax the same size as a medium flat rate box lol.


if reasonably priced it wont last long in the S&S section


as for cost of making lube ... vs. buying lube , there's alot of variables involved , figure it this way IF an average stick weighs around 1 oz. ( which is kind of close ) then 14 to 16 stix equals a pound , IF you buy from say midway @ around $5-7 a stick then indeed making it and even buying beeswax at premium prices makes sense , but ..if you buy from lars @white label it's a whole nother set of figures , also to consider is how much any of the ingredients add up to , one can salvage candle stubs for free add a equal amount of vaseline and you have a cheap low velocity lube
as stated for many it isnt a factor of cost but usage and pride in doing something themselfs - how can you put a price on that ???? let alone a comparison ?

[btroj]

Mike is right, some of us just can't control the need to make stuff.

Lube making can be cheap if you follow a proven recipe, it is expensive when you decide you know better.

Cheap? Nope. Fun? Oh yeah....

[Larry Gibson]

Yes the "challenge" is always there for those of us who like to do such. I've been making my own BP lube (beeswax & virgin olive oil) for my MLers and BPCR guns for many years. It is less expensive but unless you shoot a lot, a really lot, then it is much less expensive and time consuming to buy the commercial lubes.

For smokeless powder loads I have preferred the top end commercial NRA 50/50 lubes such as Javelina, Tamarac, Lyman's and Lar's. Those perform very well at about all velocity ranges from 300 fps to 2800 fps and perhaps higher. However, there are some that do not perform well above 2000 fps; the older RCBS "Rifle" lube being one. Unfortunately the original Alox that was used in Javelina and Tamarac was discontinued and they are no longer made.

A while back I was given a glob of Alox 606 which is used in some "50/50" lubes now days. The formula requires the Alox 606, beeswax and a tudge of microcrystalline wax (got some from 357maximum-much appreciated:-D). I proceeded to mix some up. It took a couple hours of figuring out that a lot of heat was needed for the double boiler to melt everything together and a bit more time to clean the kitchen stove back to the wife's specifications:( I ended up with probably 5 - 8 sticks of lube. I've used the lube in a couple handguns and 2 rifles and it is a good lube so far but I haven't pushed it past 1800 fps yet.

Given what Lar's charges for his excellent NRA 50/50 lube or the also excellent 2500+ lubes......was it worth it? I'll probably mix up the other half of that glob of Alox 606 just to use it....if the wife is gone some where for a couple days:wink: However, I think I'll just buy Lar's BAC, 50/50 and 2500+ lubes and not fuss with it. Those Lar's lubes work, aren't broke and don't need me trying to "fix" them........just my own opinion here on making my own...........

Larry Gibson

[D Crockett]

for me making lube is part of making bullets I have spent a lot of time in figuring out what works and what does not I like to make things so this is right up my ally D Crockett

[Bohica793]

Being the paranoid individual I am, I just want to make sure I can produce all I need without necessarily relying on outside supply.

[Eutectic]

The cost of making your own lube ?????

"PRICELESS !!"

Eutectic

[btroj]

Now go back and read what Larry posted.

Heed what he mentioned about the stove. Failure to keep the wife's kitchen clean can lead to the real cost of lube making.

I suggest you never make a grease from ATF and soap on the stove. Even with windows open and the exhaust fan on it was bad. The smoke dissipates fast enough but the odor lingered on. I am fortunate to have a very tolerant wife. She did mention that I have a hotplate and a perfectly good patio.....

[JSH]

Gathering alloy, smelting,casting,culling,lubing and sizing. Now a body is worried about cost and time for making lube? Above comments to the effect to a stick or two last quite a while, depends 45's eat lube fast.
If I wanted to save money I would just buy cast and go on. However I stand by what I have said since about the middle of the first year I started casting, store bought are made to sell nothing more or less. Ymmv of course and there are exceptions to the rule. Good, cast well with good lube cast bullets cost what jacketed do if not more.
I can kill, clean and cook most any edible critter. I can bake better than most women I have run across, all from scratch mind you. I eat out very little.
So for me making a double batch of lube that will last me about a year is a no brainer. I got in on the bees wax deal a few years back and am glad of it.
I have tried a few other commercial lubes. They will not even come close to what I have done with Felix lube in rifles and pistols.
Not knocking what anyone sells here, cause lord knows if it didn't work it wouldn't be brought up.
Jeff

[Good Cheer]

Married old school that thinks grinding her own is normal so I leave most of the baking to the better 2/3's, but making the boolit lube is my department.

[wv109323]

I can justify the time/cost savings of casting boolits as long as I have a low cost(free) in lead. I ordered my lube from White's. I thought I was missing something cost wise. I understand making your own if that is what you want to do.

[Boogieman]

I use 50-50 BW & molly grease from wally world. BW was free 14oz grease $3.50 =28oz lub. works better, for me, than Lee Lyman,or RCBS at $6.00+ per stick.

[oscarflytyer]

Buy my pan lube from Lars. Make my own 45/45/10, using Lars Xlox. I tumble lube most of my bullets - main reason I make my own 45/45/10. I hate pure Xlox/Alox, and love the 45/45/10 - plus it works well for me.

[waco]

Now go back and read what Larry posted.

Heed what he mentioned about the stove. Failure to keep the wife's kitchen clean can lead to the real cost of lube making.

I suggest you never make a grease from ATF and soap on the stove. Even with windows open and the exhaust fan on it was bad. The smoke dissipates fast enough but the odor lingered on. I am fortunate to have a very tolerant wife. She did mention that I have a hotplate and a perfectly good patio.....

LOLZ.....This man sounds like he speaks the truth....

[mpbarry1]

I made felix lube and 45-45-10 as a right of passage. Not to take anything from the good folks at white label. I thought u had to make some at least once in order to post here? ;)

[gon2shoot]

It's all about fine tuning, I normally start with a recipe that has worked well for me in the past, then fine tune it till it doesn't.[smilie=b:

[btroj]

It's all about fine tuning, I normally start with a recipe that has worked well for me in the past, then fine tune it till it doesn't.[smilie=b:


Odd, most people just start with something that they make up that doesn't work then just add more stuff to it to ensure it won't work.

[357maximum]

Odd, most people just start with something that they make up that doesn't work then just add more stuff to it to ensure it won't work.

The sad thing is that when you try to help prevent that tendency you get yelled at, ridiculed, hated and called names.......sometimes it is just best to let them flounder about I guess.

[Harter66]

I made a batch of Darrs lube about 5yr ago .I think I gave quarter for the paraffin at a yard sale and about $2 for the store brand vasoline and I put the leftover STP in the truck. X2 had a passion for candles,so there were pint candle ''glasses'' and warmers galore, turn the warmer on,glop the grease in, mash the wax down 3tbsp of STP, in about 30 min give it a stir and turn off the warmer. So 3-4000 rounds gone by and probably not over 8000 more outta that $5-6 that cooked up while I was warming the pots to pour.

[Ben]

If you can buy your " base components " for cheap or someone is giving them to you, then making bullet lube makes real good sense.

If you're are having to pay retail for the components ,you're most likely better off contacting White Label Lube and ordering it from Lars.

Ben

[wistlepig1]

I make Bullshop's speed green, it works for me, and when you figure in I enjoy making it the cost is small compared to mold, powder, primers, and oh the guns, so many guns = cheap!

[fredj338]

If you have to buy everything to make your own, it's probably going to cost you more than buying from WL. If you have access to free BW, then it would cost you less. Of course some like to tinker & make their own, cost isn't the issue then.

[myg30]

Im not sure which is worse ? Dealing with the wife inside or dealing with the bee's outside when melting bees wax in warmer weather ?

Making lube like BR is an outdoor only bake ! I have found the winter is better for outside melting anything with Bees wax in it as being stung is not relaxing nor fun ! When they cant find momma.... they be mad !!

Mike

[armorer59]

The only lube I've forayed into was for My BP Cartridge rifles. Tried SPG and had decent results but fouling didnt stay as soft as I thought it should. Next came My own BW, Crisco and camfor oil. Worked pretty well but was still not where I wanted it to be. Then I bought some tubs of Thompson Center Natural lube and melted it into lube sticks. I LOVE this stuff for BP cartridge loads! Rifle or pistol! The stuff will actually season the bore with use, much like seasoning a cast iron skillet. The key is not using any petroleum products while cleaning. Just clean with hot soapy water, patch dry then run a patch coated with the lube through the bore.