Another Bens Red

[DeadWoodDan]

Have read about this for some time and always wanting to make my own I finally had the time over the holidays to attempt it. Bees Wax purchased from Randy and other ingredients found locally. After spending hours re-reading ( good thing to do when your laid up sick as a dog ) most of the threads and current posts I ended up with a successful pan of lube. Now just need to cast some boolits and put it to the test!! Took less than 2hrs but I was cautious and careful.

1. heated a whole tube of Lucas R&T on hot plate. Started with low heat and worked my way up over a 45min period ( probably longer than I needed but my first time ). If smoke began I turned it down, then gradually back up and then down again keeping smoke to a minimum. I can't say it ever went to a liquid state but did go from its grease gel state to a more relaxed liquids state. picture 1. Once I felt it would not break down any further I turned the temp down and went to step 2 and 3.

2. At some point while the Lucas R&T was warming I placed what I thought would be the correct amount of JPW in a small pan and heated in the oven. This does not take long and I kept the oven at 200-250 degrees, 200 is plenty. Picture 2. Once melted I measured and poured into the LR&T pot and gave a good stir. Anything remaining went back into the JPW can.

3. I measured my Tranny Fluid ( Dextron II / III aproved ) and STP treatment and added it to the LR&T pot. Stirred again to make sure it mixed up good.

4. Once the JPW came out I place my Bees Was in the pan and had it in the oven to melt. I found it tool a little more heat to liquify it. Once it was liquid I measured and slowly stirred into the pot mixture. Picture four.

5. turned the heat up on the pot and stirred stirred, stirred for a good 10-15 minutes. Took pot off burner and placed on garage floor, let cool for 10 minutes and poured in my pan. picture 5 to set up. Its nice and cold in IL so I'm letting it cool with the weather.

THANK YOU Ben, and all the other whos names I know and see on this forum every day. I already have the other components to make improved T/L with JPW liquid and LLA so that should be ready after the first sizing.

126644126645126646126647126648

[Ben]

The " Finished Product " looks great.

Give us all a report on how it works for you at the range.

Ben

[geargnasher]

Good job! Only thing I could add is if you line your pan with aluminum foil it's a lot easier to get out, and a $5 garage-sale hand mixer is great for getting the lumps out at the picture 4 stage. Looks like you won't be needing those tips for a long time with all that lube made up.

Gear

[DeadWoodDan]

Picture 4 is deceiving, no lumps but started to foam the more i mixed by hand with wisk, I assumed I was putting too much air into it as i stirred. Got my 13yr old nephew shooting and starting on some simple chores in the loading room. Hes slow, but has been putting more lead down range than me, so a lead trap is the next project. Between him, my brother and myself we'll see how long it lasts.

[michiganmike]

Like Dan, I have now made my first batch of Ben's Red. For years I have always tumble lubed, with good results. First with LLA and now with Ben's Liquid Lube.

So, why try something other than a tumble lube? First and foremost is curiosity. I have no plans to buy any of the various lube-sizer machines. I'd rather spend my money elsewhere, usually alloy and components. Second, I want to see how my bullets shoot with highly acclaimed lube.

I will be pan lubing. And I have already prepared a bullet lube punch by altering a 7mm-08 case and lubed one bullet. My first test bullet looks real nice. It will be time consuming, but it worked well. I'm retired, so I have fewer time constraints.

NOTEWORTHY: I mixed this batch in my shop - in my basement. I had NO nasty smells. How you may ask. By using a make-shift double boiler and heating everything via water rather than direct contact with the hot plate element. The dominant smell was the nice honey-honeycomb odor of the bees wax.

This batch is the nice bright red I've seen in other posts and it appears to behave as others have described.

[Ben]

Congratulations ! !

You did it right !
A lot of people won't read the directions thoroughly and burn the lube when mixing the components , then they complain about the smell.

Some I can help, some I can't..................

Ben

[michiganmike]

Like Dan, I have now made my first batch of Ben's Red. For years I have always tumble lubed, with good results. First with LLA and now with Ben's Liquid Lube.

So, why try something other than a tumble lube? First and foremost is curiosity. I have no plans to buy any of the various lube-sizer machines. I'd rather spend my money elsewhere, usually alloy and components. Second, I want to see how my bullets shoot with highly acclaimed lube.

I will be pan lubing. And I have already prepared a bullet lube punch by altering a 7mm-08 case and lubed one bullet. My first test bullet looks real nice. It will be time consuming, but it worked well. I'm retired, so I have fewer time constraints.

NOTEWORTHY: I mixed this batch in my shop - in my basement. I had NO nasty smells. How you may ask. By using a make-shift double boiler and heating everything via water rather than direct contact with the hot plate element. The dominant smell was the nice honey-honeycomb odor of the bees wax.

This batch is the nice bright red I've seen in other posts and it appears to behave as others have described.

Making the lube turned out to be relatively simple. It is red. Sitting in an old bread pan it is solid and sticky to the touch. I believe it is the "real deal."

Actually lubing bullets turned out the be a different matter. To try it out, I made about 50 Lyman 7mm bullets - the Loverin design. They average 145 grains using wheel weights. My 7mm-08 loves these bullets. They shoot very well.

But, comparing length to diameter they are thin and unstable for the purposes of pan lubing. The method I tried was standing the bullets on their bases in a metal pan, melting the Ben's red in another pan, then pouring the lube into the pan containing the bullets.

The lube was about the viscosity of pancake syrup, maybe a little thicker. And yes, most of these tall, skinny bullets tipped over into the lube. So, what started out being a pan lube operation ended up being a messy hand lubing operation. They are done now, the next morning. I applied a coat of Ben's Liquid Lube and they are drying.

QUESTION: How does one pan lube rifle bullets that are tall for their diameter and keep the bullets standing upright in the lube? This began as an experiment fueled by curiosity. I would like to get it right.

I will post some pictures of the groups these bullets produce.

MichiganMike

[GRid.1569]

No experience of pan lube but how about making a lid with holes so you melt the lube and drop a bullet through the hole.... If the depth of the pan is less than the bullet height the nose will stay upright... Just a thought....

[Ben]

michiganmike (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?23529-michiganmike)

I get the bullets warm with a heat gun or hair dryer.
Get the lube molten.

Take a small set of needle nose pliers and set each bullet into the lube.

Cut the heat source off and wait.

Works for me , every time.

Ben

[s mac]

I made a batch a while back, looked good, red as I expected. The tightwad that I am I decided to throw a few odd and ends of some other lubes that I had in with it, blue and black in color. What I ended up with is OD green instead of red, still works great. Thanks for your work Ben.

[Ben]

You're very welcome.
Enjoy your lube.

Ben