Makin my own lube mold

[MOA]

With the cost of everything going up, and including the post office, its past time to start making my own lube and lube tubes too. Read the posts and started today with the mold base board. Tomorrow I will sand and seal the center post and the board on all sides. Think I might even put two or three coats of primer on that used Lyman 450 I got from ebay last week and get it safely sealed in paint. Here in the south not far from the ocean everything rusts quickly, more so if its bare metal.

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[RED BEAR]

I just use one inch id pvc pipe cut in half long ways with a 5/16 bolt running through with a washer on bolt to seal the end just tape pvc halfs together and tape the washer drill holes in 2x4 to hold pvc and stand pvc up in 2x4 and fill when hard just untape and pull out bolt and there you have it. I usually do ten a a time.

[MOA]

Red Bear, that's sound like a slick way to do it too.

[MOA]

Well today was the day to try out the design and my first lube cook off. Here are the results.

https://i.postimg.cc/YSjrvK5t/20190213-113054.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rdXXHbyH)

https://i.postimg.cc/GpNcYgRG/20190213-122845.jpg (https://postimg.cc/06YR1fby)

https://i.postimg.cc/7YcXFgqX/20190213-122926.jpg (https://postimg.cc/D8rqs4Jb)

https://i.postimg.cc/tC72vrGY/20190213-133646.jpg (https://postimg.cc/zVZCVFBr)

https://i.postimg.cc/FFTTxMqM/20190213-133507.jpg (https://postimg.cc/fk07zrMC)

https://i.postimg.cc/B6smh4J0/20190213-145031.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QB4gCLB4)

Of course the real proof of my efforts will be in the shooting. Just the basic lube 2 lbs of beesway, 1-1/2 pounds of salt free Crisco, and about a 1/2 cup of olive oil. The pvc molds for the most part just slid off of the sticks and the two or three that remained in the mold came out with just the push of my thumb. They felt very slippery too. Hope that is a good thing.

[trapper9260]

Years ago I made my own molds also for lube of the same 450 one you got and I use wax paper to wrap it up .You will be happy in the end for make your own lube.

[Yodogsandman]

Nice job! In case you need an idea to center the hole. I used 1" PVC, 1" PVC end caps. #2015 old arrows and an old cutting board.

[MOA]

I have not seen it mentioned, but then again I did not read every post that has been written on making lube, but I think you get a better fit with the stick in your machine if you use schedule 40 pvc. I opted to use schedule 200, and my sticks are a little fat, not much but they are not going to go into the lyman without a diameter adjustment. I opted for the schedule 200 because it is way cheaper for a full ten foot length than the schedule 40, but the wall thickness is thinner and since the outside diameter must be maintained for fitting the other parts used in most piping systems it ends up with a I.D. larger than schedule 40. I will most likely have to go back to home depot and purchase some of the more expensive, but correct I.D. pipe.

[jdfoxinc]

I just keep my lube in the candle making pot I mixed it in. Use a heat gun to melt it into the 450 reservoir. Eliminates air pockets and only takes 5min. Or less to fill.

[1Hawkeye]

Thanks for the information. Iv'e been thinking about making my own lube for sometime now but was stuck on what to use for a mold.

[MOA]

Well I went back to home depot to get a pre-cut length of schedule 40 pvc and used it to finish off the extra lube I made the other day. The schedule 40 pvc is the correct diameter to fit into the Lyman 450. The schedule 200 is to large and the I.D. will not allow it to go into the 450, so I will have to remelt all the sticks I made earlier using the schedule 200. Oh well, it will give me an excuse to maybe squeeze in a little LLA into the mix and a crayon or two for color to distinguish this batch with the LLA over the other that has none in it. Here are a few images of the stick using the schedule 40 next to a retail purchase from a LGS. Also, the tea pot I got from Walmart, it is the perfect one to use due to the spout design, so if your going to make lube either now or in the future I'd be gettin myself down to Wally and at least picking up the tea pot so you don't have to do a lot of running around later trying to find something to pour the lube without spilling it all over the place. I took one of our large griddles and place it on the stove and then turned the burner under it on a low setting just enough to keep the pot hot enough so that the wax in the long spout would not solidify and plug up. I also when finished pouring all of the molds full I would tip the pot up to drain the spout back into the pot before setting it back down on the warmed griddle.

https://i.postimg.cc/8kHJVYnk/20190216-090518.jpg (https://postimg.cc/kD2XQTmL)

https://i.postimg.cc/VkSdnks5/20190216-090231.jpg (https://postimg.cc/FY4rQmLQ)

https://i.postimg.cc/G2zc6W3Z/20190216-082339.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2bbRZXZw)

[MOA]

Well I liquified the out of size sticks made with the schedule 200 pvc and added some alox an a couple of green crayons and the fit is just fine in the 450'
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[1Hawkeye]

I was thinking about using a mix of liquid alox and paraffin would this work? Iv'e got beeswax but with a wife and two daughters I also have a LOT of yankee candle leftovers.

[MOA]

I was thinking about using a mix of liquid alox and paraffin would this work? Iv'e got beeswax but with a wife and two daughters I also have a LOT of yankee candle leftovers.

You might think about adding a bit of Vaseline to the mix. Are you planning on using this lube for BP???

If so, you might want to do some other mix, if not and your using it with smokeless powder you should be ok. You should look over as many lube formula's on the sticky's it's a great place to start.

[1Hawkeye]

Nope its just for smokeless I haven't gone over to the dark side yet even though I have all the stuff for it.