First batch of Felix lube great -- may try a double batch

[ghh3rd]

Sadly, my batch of Felix lube a getting low. It sure goes fast when you manage to get to the range.

Has anyone tried making a double, or even triple batch of Felix lube? Any problems with making larger batches? I know that some food recipes don't work out too well when you try to double the recipe.

By the way, I cooked a large batch of Mineral/Castor oil so I wouldn't have to cook again for a while. We'll see how that idea works out too.

Randy

[Edubya]

You mean that you don't recycle you Felix lube?!

[waksupi]

Randy, last time I made a batch, I increased the amount. Ended up with a coffee can nearly full. I see no problems with it.

[ph4570]

The elves did a 5x batch last weekend -- came out fine. It was poured into 3.5" long PVC pipes for luber ready sticks. Half were solid and half were with the hole. They have been delivered to several boolit makers in our sportsman's club.

[geargnasher]

I almost always make double batches, actually my best recipe is 4T castor 4T mineral 2T Ivory 2T Jojoba 2lbs Beeswax 4T Lanolin paste 2T carnauba flakes for about 2-1/4 lbs of finished lube.

There has been mention of trouble controlling heat with big batches, but then again I recall talk of a hundred+ pound batch that was made once......

Get your castor oil polymerized properly, get the Ivory to melt in well, and you should have no problem making any size batch you desire.

Gear

[ghh3rd]

My 2x batch seems to have come out just right. Glad I pre cooked the castor/mineral oil, saved me some time there. I just had to cook in the soap for a couple of minutes, melt the wax and mix in the lanolin and it was ready to pour some onto boolits. I have a good supply of lube again.

Getting little to no leading using Felix lube. Good stuff!

Randy

[softpoint]

My first batch was a 4x batch. It came out fine. I'm almost out of that now, so I might try that recipe with 2# of bees wax.

[largom]

Glad I found this thread. My first batch is almost gone and I need to make more, larger batch. Please explain "pre-cooking the oil".

I did'nt make FWFL to save money, just wanted to try it. It is now the only lube I use. Lots of Car. Red and LBT Blue [and others] just laying in the cabinet. Felix lube is great stuff.

Larry

[Mugs]

Gear
In your batch in post #5, based on 2# of beeswax. Your total oils including the Jojoba is less than would be used in 4 x the the original mix. How was the larger mix for hardness?
Mugs
IHMSA 5940L

[ghh3rd]

Please explain "pre-cooking the oil".
Rather than cooking just 2 Tablespoons mineral oil and 1 Tablespoon castor oil, and and stirring continuously for 1/2 hour, I did a large quantity and put it into a container marked "Pre-cooked mineral/castor 2:1"

Now all I need to do is heat up the desired quantity until it's hot enough to melt the soap, and continue from that point. I figure it saves me about 1/2 hour of standing at the stove, stirring. I just used it in my second batch of Felix Lube and it worked well.

Heck, I should just "pre-cook" a huge batch of Felix lube, and get it over with :-)

Randy

[geargnasher]

Gear
In your batch in post #5, based on 2# of beeswax. Your total oils including the Jojoba is less than would be used in 4 x the the original mix. How was the larger mix for hardness?
Mugs
IHMSA 5940L

Mugs, I meant to say "Quadruple", not double. I used to make double batches so 2# IS double to me!

As for the oils: The original recipe calls for 3 T total oils for 1/2 lb (approx) wax. The mix I settled on contains 10 T oils for 2 lbs wax, less soap, and the Lanolin the same. The carnauba is negligable. I found that if I use equal amounts of castor and mineral oil and add some Jojoba, it takes a bit less total oil than the original version as far as my purposes are concerned. Had to add more wax to a couple of batches of finished lube before I got it right. It gets hot in Texas and I don't like lubes that run. The above mix is something that fits all of my smokeless applications and is about like Lar's BAC, plenty stiff enough to hold up to high-velocity and yet be easy to run through the sizer. I use a little bit of the 150-watt bulb trick on the sizer if the temps are below 60*.

I used to think the Jojoba was a waste but then I started pushing 2700 fps. in .30 caliber and wrung it out pretty well before looking at lube composition for why my accuracy and ES were falling apart suddenly. I tried more castor still, more soap, STP, more and less carnauba, more wax, all with no positive effect. I'm not sure what was going on, (I was thinking the viscosity was becoming inconsistent shot-to-shot) but I tried adding Jojoba to a small batch and it gave me the accuracy and ES akin to loads 150 fps slower. Now it may have been another factor like barrel seasoning, too, as I never went back and verified deterioration without the Jojoba and haven't tried pushing it to the limit like that in any other gun, so take that for what it is. I'll keep adding it for now.

Gear

[Mugs]

Gear
Thanks for the info. I'm playing with a 30 BR 200 grn. boolit and homemade gas checks. I've been using LBT Blue soft and BS Speed Green. Been wanting to try FWFL and like the idea of the addition of Jojoba oil. I'll give your mix a try.
Mugs
IHMSA 5940L

[Mugs]

Gear,

I finished a quadruple batch of FWFL using your mods to the formula. So far i'm impressed. My lubesizer is in the house, so maybe just a little hair drier first thing in the morning and i'm good to go. Only shot 30-40 rounds so far but it seems to be the equal of LBT or Speed Green. It seems to have better shot to shot barrel condition, Specially after a target brake. More later.
Mugs
IHMSA 5940L

[geargnasher]

Glad to know it's working for you, Mugs. Like I have said here many times about FWFL, I love it because it works for everything smokeless and can be tweaked easily to your particular enviroment and applications. Someone in Wisconsin probably wouldn't like my particular blend as much.

Gear