Udder Balm?

[Boerrancher]

I tried something the other day just to see if it would work, as I knew Lanolin worked good as a patch lube for front stuffers. I had a tin of Udder Balm that I use on my lactating goats. I noticed that it was mostly lanolin so I lubed up a few 405gr boolits and loaded them on top of 70 grs of Goex 3F with about 3/8 in compression. I wasn't looking for accuracy as much as I was keeping the fouling soft. I was shooting off hand at my 12 in x 12 in Iron plate at 100 yards. After smacking it 10 times in a row, I went back in the house and pushed a couple of dry patches through the bore. I was impressed with the small amount of fouling left in the bore.

I pushed two moose milk patches through after the 2 dry patches, and the second moose milk patch came out almost clean. I ran 2 more dry patches through and the second one was clean, so I put a coat of light banana oil on it and pushed it back through the bore, and the gun was clean.

I don't think Udder Balm is the solution for warm weather shooting, as I think it is too soft and will melt, but I think it will work quite well for cold weather loads where the Temp is below freezing and the humidity is very low. Please let me know what your thoughts are. I was also thinking about mixing this udder balm with Bee's wax for a summer time lube.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[WickedGoodOutdoors]

It works great and keeps your hands silky smooth!

http://www.tomifobia.com/bagbalm/pix/test3.jpg


And it is great while deer hunting because they are used to the smell from Farms.





Also try Fluid Film it is almost pure lanolin and much thinner viscosity. Works well all year long. A little goes a long way so just spray a lint free cloth to wipe down your gun and when it gets saturated use it for patching.

If you spray your guns and put them in storage the fluid film will coat them to prevent rust.

http://www.eurekafluidfilm.com/applications/recreation/index.html

[felix]

Correct. Lanolin has considerable viscosity and should be limited in winter lubes for this reason. ... felix

[Hardcast416taylor]

Up here in Mich. dairy country we call that stuff bag balm. I already know it has a myriad of medicinal uses, but never thought to use it on my boolits! If I smear this all over my ingots before melting will it soften the lead far enough for me to then milk it?:groner:[smilie=1:Robert

[handyrandyrc]

That's the stuff! I need to get a tin of that -- my hands are taking a beating this winter!

We call it 'UNDER BLAM' in my house. When I was 4 years old, learning to read, I announced, "Don't forget the UNDER BLAM", when Dad went to milk the cows. We put that stuff on everything.

[montana_charlie]

When I saw the title of this thread I thought, "Oh, no. Not another hairbrained idea where the author is just trying to be more 'unusual' than everybody else." But, after some consideration, it isn't hairbrained after all. There may be some real potential for using bag balm in bullet lube, as case lube, and who knows what else.

Somebody should propose it to the guy (in that other thread) who wants information about greasing his mini-balls...

Dan Theodore (a bullet lube engineer) sometimes hints at the fact that waxes of any kind are not the optimal thing for bullet lubes. But, he never divulges what other substance can do the job we depend on beeswax for.

Most lubes start out with beeswax as the base material, then other things are added to make IT softer, and more like a lubricant.

If bag balm works pretty well by itself, this would be a good opportunity to look hard for that 'mystery substance' (perhaps something synthetic) to use in place of the various kinds of waxes that are normally used as lube ingredients.
In other words, let bag balm be the base, and find something to 'stiffen it' enough for lube use.

It would need to be something that resembles wax...like a hard/stiff grease(?)...that doesn't carbonize when fired (adding to the BP fouling), but will soften enough to mix with other things when heated to reasonable lube-making temperatures.

Or...how about a 'chemical reaction' that doesn't require heating? Perhaps there is a liquid out there that, when stirred into bag balm, will cause the lanolin to take on a wax-like consistency.
Add a lot for hard lube...a little for soft lube.
Nothing like that may exist, but it's something to wonder about (and search for?).

I'll leave this to the lube engineers because my Google button is busy with other hairbrained thoughts...



We put that stuff on everything.
It's great for chapped lips, too, but so is calf manure.

CM

[Boerrancher]

It works great and keeps your hands silky smooth!

http://www.tomifobia.com/bagbalm/pix/test3.jpg




That is the stuff I used. Same type can and all. And, yes, it works great on the hands in the cold dry weather.


I was thinking of adding bee's wax to it to harden it up some for summer time use.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[357maximum]

Petrolatum/stink/lanolin

Mostly petrolatum in that there product[smilie=1:

[Don McDowell]

Might try melting a couple of the wifes bayberry candles in with it to stiffen it up some.
Bayberry wax was the main ingredient of the government lube used in the springfield 45 calbre rifle and carbine.

[shotman]

got some good smelling boolits, They will be too soft if you leave it on to long

[cajun shooter]

Joe, Lanolin is one of the ingredients that I use in the making of my BP lube. Never a problem in Louisiana weather. Have shot a CAS match and left guns till next day. The bores have very little fouling. Later David

[Boerrancher]

Petrolatum/stink/lanolin

Mostly petrolatum in that there product[smilie=1:

I tried to take a couple of pics of the cleaning patches I used to show how little fouling there was with the bag balm, and how quickly it cleaned up, but my camera had other ideas. The petroleum must be hydrated enough that it doesn't carbonize and turn to tar in the bore. I just need to find some bees wax on the cheap.


Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[Gellot Wilde]

Petrolatum/stink/lanolin

Mostly petrolatum in that there product[smilie=1:


I must admit that I'd seen something similar to what you guys are calling 'Udder Balm' and I guess this was the same white coloured stuff with lanolin in it but it also had some petroleum product in it too...vaseline?

[montana_charlie]

I must admit that I'd seen something similar to what you guys are calling 'Udder Balm'
Hey, Wild Jello, haven't seen you around lately!

Although it's a cure for many ills, udder balm is most useful to soothe sunburned udders which make cows hesitant to let their calves suck. If you have seen a similar product, it was probably while you were still in England...where they have pink-skinned cattle like Herefords.

Sunny days and snow-covered fields make the combination that is most likely to cause sunburned udders...
CM

[martinibelgian]

FWIW,
The petroleum thing isn't all that accurate - whereas some petroleum compounds can cause problems, most will not. In my case, I use paraffin as a wax base for my BPCR lubes, and have yet to clean tar out of my barrel. I'll even affirm it works better than beeswax, as it allows to use more 'active ingredient' for the same quantity of lube. Heresy? maybe, but hey, if it works...
W. E. Metford used paraffin in his lube, and that's good enough a reference for me! Then again, my barrel doesn't know the lube is suppsoed to turn into tar, so ...

[Gellot Wilde]

Hey, Wild Jello, haven't seen you around lately!

Although it's a cure for many ills, udder balm is most useful to soothe sunburned udders which make cows hesitant to let their calves suck. If you have seen a similar product, it was probably while you were still in England...where they have pink-skinned cattle like Herefords.

Sunny days and snow-covered fields make the combination that is most likely to cause sunburned udders...
CM

:-D LOL

Ahh got ya, well I haven't bought any but it's tempting as it's cheap compared to lanolin. They had some other white lube which was very expensive and Japanese I believe for the same purpose. Mind you, it was probably something for when they attach them to the teets (oooer missus) I'm not an expert in this particular field you understand..... unless rubbing oils into 'the other type of sunburned udders' counts? :mrgreen:

Who's this W.E. Metford geezer then?

[Boz330]

The first BP lube that I used was recommended at the time by a newsletter that C-Shrarps used to put out. It was 50-50 Beeswax, Vasoline petroleum jelly. While it is not the best it worked ok and showed no tar build up.
My shooting buddy makes a lube that works as good as anything I've used and he include Lanolin in it. Your hands are really SMOOOOOOTH after a lubing and sizing session.
Joe, let me check my supply of beeswax, I might be able to spare you some.

Bob

[cajun shooter]

Joe, Have you tried Randyrat on this forum? He sells for $3.50 lb. I've bought and used his wax.

[Boerrancher]

David,

Thanks for the info that is cheap enough at $3.50 a lb. Two lbs would last me a long time, esp if I mixed it 50/50 with my bag balm. I also have another type of bag balm produced by a Local Farm and Home Co. It has no petroleum products in it at all I think I will give it a try today and see how it shoots. Since I know that it will work with 3F, for knocking out the fouling, I will try it with my 2F loads as they seem to shoot just a bit better. I will report back on how this new type works.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[NoDakJak]

Has anyone tried Bag Balm as a case lube? Since it incorporates lanolin it might be effective. Lacking any input I think that I just might give it a try. Neil

[357maximum]

I wasn't meaning any derogitory things..just letting you all know it had petroleum jelly (petrolatum) in it. I have used microcrystalline wax in my conical mix with no ill effects. It is simply petrolatum with some of the mineral oil refined out of it. The microcrystalline just gives lube flex without all the stickums/viscosity changes that alot of lanolin can induce to a lube. Micro's are less effected accuracy and handling wise by temp swings also..kind of important in a land where hunting may involve a parka/mukluccs one day and a t-shirt the next. I still used some beeswax in the mix....not because I had to neccessarily, but because it just seemed right when I made it. I could proably get by with just the micro and some castor oil/murphy's in the mix...have not tested that theory though. The only time we get extreme low humidity is in the dead of winter and in the summer when it is raining.:roll: The rest of the time prevailing westerlies and Lake Michigan sees to it we have plenty of hot sticky weather.

[gon2shoot]

This is a good idea, glad some folks aren't afraid to try somthing new.
I probably got 1/2 a can out in the shed. Wonder how it would work mixed with "corn huskers" lotion?

[martinibelgian]

For case lube, better try straight lanolin - works much better. After all, anything added is just that - not required.

[357maximum]

You can also buy "LIQUID LANOLIN" at the hippie store. Not sure if it is cut with another oil or just a different "cut layer" from the refining method, but it does work good and you can put it directly into your pad or into some 91% alcohol without heat for a sparay on lube. I keep some in an old moisterizer tin I stole from the wife.simply touch your finger to it and do about 5-10 cases..then repeat. Wipes right back of with a rag with some orange oil on it. I only do this for case crunching into another caliber.

I use the spray on 85% alcohol(91% type) and 15% liquid lanolin for normal full length resizing.

Lanolin is a brass crunchers best friend..makes your hands girly soft also[smilie=1:

[Boerrancher]

Well, I have 35 rounds loaded up and ready to go to, I thought I would get the chance to shoot some this weekend, but got busy getting my house in town ready to sell. Oh well, there is always tomorrow. I will report as soon as I get a chance to touch them off.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[Boerrancher]

Here is the report on Udder balm/Bag Balm. I didn't have time to go to the range so I thought I would stand on my back deck and shoot fist sized rocks sticking out of the opposite creek bank, which is about 75 yards away. The first 5 shots I expected no issues as I never have any with accuracy until further along. It was nice seeing plumes of gray smoke rising off of the black dirt bank each time my Sharps would make a rock vanish. I only had 15 rounds in the loading block that I took outside with me, so I was expecting to start missing somewhere between the 7th and the 12th shot. I did miss on the 11th round but it was all me. I have no idea what I was thinking when I pulled that trigger because the sights were no where near the rock I was going to shoot when I did pull it. The next four exploded the white lime rocks just like the first 10 did. I can't wait to see how the Bag Balm holds up to warm days, but I think I have found my deer hunting load anyway. Today the temps were in the low 40's and I didn't have lube running every where, so I know it will work for the month of November.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[northmn]

While I have not tried lanolin I have used parafin to harden lubes and found it works also. Another common lube ingredient I have seen in recipes is Kirks soap. If it works use it. As for case lube Crisco is cheaper.

Northmn

[R. Dupraz]

Check the ingredients on that Udder Balm. All the stuff I have seen has sodium in it.

RD

[35remington]

We work outdoors a lot, and in our office it isn't called udder balm.

We call it MOO GOO.

[Boerrancher]

We work outdoors a lot, and in our office it isn't called udder balm.

We call it MOO GOO.


Udder Balm, Bag Balm, Moo Goo, call it what you will but it sure makes one fine black powder lube. I fired those 15 rounds didn't use a blow tube or wipe between shots, and my accuracy didn't seem to fall off. When I went to clean it this evening the fouling was nice and soft when I pushed a dry patch through it. I may try and hunt down some bayberry wax to mix with it to firm it up. I have parafin that I could make a summer lube out of by mixing it with the Bag Balm. I was just concerned that the parifin would defeat the purpose because it is petrol based.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[Lead pot]

Mix lanolin/castor oil and soy wax.
Soy wax hydrates very good. Been using this mix for six years.

[cajun shooter]

Joe, If you use the parafin that's sold for canning jars you won't have a problem. Part of my lube mix is with parafin. I'm not in the least qualified as a chemist but have read where the purity of this parafin; it's not a problem with the BP. It's been discussed in a thread we had last year about different BP lubes. Later David

[Boz330]

If you can push a dry tight patch through on a jag without it hanging up or the jag pushing through then it is a pretty good lube. The difference between 40* and 90* is night and day though. This time of year I can't even warm my hands on the barrel after a sting of fire, in the summer you can't touch it without a rag to insulate your hands.

Bob

[1950Target]

Just IMHO I think you may be on to something with the idee about mixing LANOLIN with BEES WAX.

Does anyone knoe the formulation of TC Bore Butter? I've always thought that it was beeswax based, but I'm not sure. I just know its good stuff! I got a good deal on a huge amount a fe years ago and have a pile of it in the freezer.

[cajun shooter]

1950 target if you go to the lube receipe sticky, you will see where pure sheeps lanolin has been used in BP lubes for many years and I for one put it in all my lube mixes. Joe rasies goats and has this stuff on hand. I just made a funny; on hand. I choose to use the straight pure lanolin though. Lanolin does some nice things to a gun bore.

[1950Target]

Livingston Parish HUH? That place is full of my relatives. I'm in St. Charles. My GGPappy came here after the war of gross northern agression, he was a member of Carruther's Sharpshooters and was taken prisoner at Manchac Pass Rail Bridge and was brought here as forced labor. He learned the lay of the land and came back later and bought 9 arpents on the river, the big one.

He was from French Settlement. Thats my kin folks who established the Creole House and Museum.

I love Livingston Parish, it feels like home, I have often fantasized about retiring there.

[RMulhern]

Udder Balm!

"And it is great while deer hunting because they are used to the smell from Farms."

What also helps is to carry a 'buffalo chip' in ya back pocket!!

[RMulhern]

Check the ingredients on that Udder Balm. All the stuff I have seen has sodium in it.

RD

Ingredients
Water, Mineral Oil, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Lanolin, Triethanolamine, Lemon Fragrance, Methylparaben, Aloe Vera, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Propylparaben, PABA, Vitamin D, Artificial Color.

[shotman]

its better than KY jelly just has a after taste that is fishy rick