My shot at home hollow lube

[c.robertson]

Well, here is my stab at the homemade hollow core lube. The mix is 50% beeswax, 40% crisco, and 10% canola oil. (Measurements were guessed at.) Photos show how I 'cast' the tubes of lube. Works OK, still in first stage of developing the system. First thing learned, pour a little in base BEFORE putting the plastic pipe into the wood block and let it set up to seal before filling the pipe with melted lube. Second thing, don't forget to put the washer in place to cneter the 3/8th rod.
Otherwise, photos are explanatory.

[Dale53]

Your lube mix is "Emmert's" home mix and is great for this job as it shrinks as it cools. This allows you to easily remove the tubes. Depending on the lube, it can be a real problem.

I pan lube with Emmert's for black powder cartridge rifles and revolvers and it works beautifully for that job. It also works well for standard velocity handgun loads and Schuetzen rifle bullets.

Nice work on the moulds. I use a chop saw to cut the pipe so that they are consistent and square. I suggest that you bevel the inner corners of the pipe so that they slip easily over the lube.

FWIW
Dale53

[c.robertson]

Yes, I know Buck Emmert and his son Steve Emmert. They both sometimes shoot in Pioneer Gun Club .22 bench rest matches and frequently set up tables at MVACA Summer & Winter Gun Shows.
It was not untill reading posts here in Cast Boolits that I knew Buck had developed the lube formula.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Thanks c.robertson.

New to the site, but hae been intending to make a tube system, so thanks for sharing.

Keep em comng!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Spudgunr]

It looks like a funnel would help you out. It would be best to get one that the spout would fit nicely inside your pipe (take a piece to the store). Other than that, great idea, may have to give it a try some time! What about putting silicone sealant in the bottom of the wood, then slightly pressing the PVC into it when almost dry so it makes an indentation. That would hold up to the heat no problem and may keep it from leaking even when molten (MAY being the key word).

[Recluse]

It looks like a funnel would help you out.

Like fellow Texan and ZZ Top frontman, Billy Gibbons says, "The Dollar Store, man. The Dollar Store is cool. Everything's a dollar."

I got my funnels for making and pouring lube at The Dollar Store.

:coffee:

[geargnasher]

Like fellow Texan and ZZ Top frontman, Billy Gibbons says, "The Dollar Store, man. The Dollar Store is cool. Everything's a dollar."

I got my funnels for making and pouring lube at The Dollar Store.

:coffee:

For some unknown reason, melted boolit lube is dang near impossible pour where you want it. I think the difficulty in pouring is proportional to the mess is makes when spilled, I think that will be added to Gear's Rules soon.

....you know whadime talkin' about....Just lemme know, when you wanna go....

Gear

[c.robertson]

I am going to adjust the process a bit when 'redoing' it. Will still hold the PVC pipe in wood, but will plug the bottom with a rubber stopper and melt the lube in a hot pot / cup. Somewhere here that was suggested by anoter member. The hot cups only cost about $20.00, or less, hold 32 oz, and the lube can poured directly into the PVC pipe. It will be MUCH more efficient. Can also pour it directly into the Luber-A-Sizer also. But that will not be for a while, have 10 tubes already made.

[Calamity Jake]

"For some unknown reason, melted boolit lube is dang near impossible pour where you want it. I think the difficulty in pouring is proportional to the mess is makes when spilled, I think that will be added to Gear's Rules soon."

I make my lube in an old metal purculator type coffee pot, it has a pour spout but I still spill some, wouldn't be lube making if you didn't!!

[Southern Son]

I have found that if my missus is not yelling at me about spilt lube, then I feel like I have not got the whole experience.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

:x:xNOW YOU TELL ME!!!!!!

And after I've made two trips over the carpet with a pot of melted bullet lube.

If'n I'd spilt some, I'd probably had to come to live at one of your houses!!!!!:kidding:

Keep em coming!!:lovebooli

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Recluse]

For some unknown reason, melted boolit lube is dang near impossible pour where you want it. I think the difficulty in pouring is proportional to the mess is makes when spilled, I think that will be added to Gear's Rules soon.

Gear

If I DON'T make a mess when brewing up a new batch of lube, I get real shaky and paranoid and immediately throw the whole damned batch away. I then strip down buck nekkid and run the water hose over me while scrubbing with a bar of Lava soap and Goop hand-cleaner, washing away whatever evil spirits may have contaminated me.

Thank goodness Randyrat understands and keeps spare beeswax on hand just for this sort of occasion.

When the lube pours directly into the molds with ye little spillage or mess, I take that as a very bad sign.

:coffee:

[wiersy111]

I'm in the process of making pretty much the same operation. How long is a stick of lube?

[c.robertson]

Four inches seems to be the norm. Mine are a bit longer at 5" and fit the RCBS Lube-A-Sizer just fine.
As mentioned in previous post, future effort(s) will entail the use of rubber stoppers to seal the bottom of the tubes to reduce spillage.
Good luck.

[wiersy111]

I'm going to use pvc caps to seal the end (except for that nice 3/8" hole). I am going to go down to the man cave and see what I can come up with tonight.

[Recluse]

I'm going to use pvc caps to seal the end (except for that nice 3/8" hole). I am going to go down to the man cave and see what I can come up with tonight.

First lube mold setup I made, I tried just drilling holes in the plywood base, wrapping a little duct tape around the end of the PVC to get a snug fit in the hole, then pouring the molten lube in.

The result was a plethora of profanity as my molten lube went everywhere.

Someone else suggested the endcaps, so I bought some, drilled holes in them for the dowels and it worked quite a bit better.

I still feel obligated to make a mess, though. Just wouldn't be proper lube-making if I didn't and I certainly wouldn't trust the boolits to shoot right as a result.

:coffee:

[wiersy111]

Well it works pretty good! I had to sand the tubes to make them slide in and out of the caps easier. While the lube is still liquid I put a washer and nut on to so that when it cools I can just pull the tube off the fresh lube stick. I have high hopes for this little set up.http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz93/wiersy111/S6300370.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz93/wiersy111/S6300373.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz93/wiersy111/S6300375.jpg

[Recluse]

While the lube is still liquid I put a washer and nut on to so that when it cools I can just pull the tube off the fresh lube stick.

Looks excellent!

One question: Where do you put your washer and nut and when? That part is what I was trying to figure out from looking at your pictures. (It's too early and I'm still working on my a.m. caffeine "heart-jumpstart" liquids).

I use a cut off broom handle and flat washer to push my lube out of the tubes, but it looks like you have a MUCH better idea and method, which is why I'm curious.

Again, great job.

:coffee:

[wiersy111]

The cap stays bolted to the base, I put a a washer at the bottom to close the bottom. Some leaks into the cap but not much. After I fill the tubes and it starts to set is when I put the washer and nut on. I made some sticks of Carnuba Red last night that stuff was sticky. But it still pulled out nicely.

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz93/wiersy111/S6300376.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz93/wiersy111/S6300377.jpg

[Kskybroom]

Good idea Very Nice

[Greenhorn44]

why make it in that shape. doesnt a brick work just as well. dont understand the tube

[wiersy111]

Making sticks for lubrisizers.

[Ben]

c.robertson :

You get an " A " for effort here. Pretty ingenious how you've done this.

However, I've been melting lube and pouring into my lubesizers for many years. For my use, I can't see all the extra effort to get the lube into these hollow sticks.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=29088

Each has his own perception of how this sport should be done. There is plenty of room for all of our views.

[Recluse]

The cap stays bolted to the base, I put a a washer at the bottom to close the bottom. Some leaks into the cap but not much. After I fill the tubes and it starts to set is when I put the washer and nut on.

OK, gotcha now.

I was wondering how the in the world you got your washer to stay put "floating" on the freshly poured lube.

We tell people there IS magic involved in lube-making, and I was sure you'd taken that magic to the next level. :)

:coffee:

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Well, we all develop our own prefered method of getting from point "A" to point "B" but pouring the lube into the sizer is not my personal choice.

I have been doing that for the last while, but only because I haven't gotton a "lube stick" mold set up.

Poured the sticks in old plastic Lyman tubes until they gave up, and just haven't taken time to put my new parts together for pouring sticks.

However, I do not like taking the time to melt lube when it is so quick to open the luber and droping a stick down the hole.

Faster, less chance of mess, just my prefered way.:-D

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Dale53]

Crusty Deary Ol' "Coot;
I admit that I am now using Lars' White Label Carnauba Lube in stick form for my lube. It is SO good and the cost is SO LITTLE that I have deemed it no longer worth my while to make my own lube.

However, If I were using bulk lube (Lars sells bulk lube at quite a saving over the stick lube), there is a method that pretty much solves the time problem when just melting lube to add to your lube/sizer. I got it from Spence Wolf's book on the Trapdoor. He suggested a small, cup size, coffee warmer used in offices to keep the worker's coffee warm. I put a Pyrex cup on the coffee warmer, fill it with lube (I always start with sizer full of lube) and by the time I have used the lube in the sizer the lube in the cup has melted and is ready to pour. The Pyrex cup has a lip that allows nice pouring with no spilling. You do NOT want to overfill the lube/sizer as you won't be able to get the piston started. There is a weep hole in the rear of my sizer lube cavity - fill until just under that "weep hole".

The low wattage of the cup warmer allows you to keep lube in the cup all day long without overheating it and degrading the lube qualities. After I tried this method, I quit trying to make sticks. It saves a TON of time and aggravation.

The drill goes like this - whenever I plan to quit sizing for the day, I refill the sizer reservoir. Then, the next session, I fill the Pyrex cup with solid lube and start sizing. The low wattage heats the lube VERY slowly. However, way before you need it the lube has melted and is ready to add whenever you are. I fill the now empty sizer reservoir, refill the Pyrex cup, and continue sizing. It actually takes less time than using sticks (and you don't have the aggravation of a too long stick not allowing you to get the top back on the reservoir).

The cup warmer costs only a few dollars:

http://www.kohls.com/upgrade/webstore/product_page.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=8455248925678 43&pfx=pfx_shopcompare&cid=shopping2&mr:referralID=fcbecafe-31dc-11df-9944-000423bb4e95

You can google for a better price (maybe).

YMMV
Dale53

[wiersy111]

I never really gave pouring directly into the lubrisizer, I actually just bought it and haven't even used it yet. I am getting ready to go full throttle when my dies get here. I was bored the other night and new I would need sticks so I just started playing and that is what I ended up with. My intention is to pour sticks as I make the lube. I like the idea of pouring direct but I can just see myself with a perfectly good batch of lube all over the place, and myself.

[geargnasher]

. I like the idea of pouring direct but I can just see myself with a perfectly good batch of lube all over the place, and myself.

Heh Heh Heh. You haven't lived till you do, young Padawan.

BTW, I think that hollow stick mould setup both of you have is pretty slick, good execution of the idea. Mr. Robertson, can see some pics of your new/improved setup?

Gear

[prickett]

Do you folks who pour melted lube into their sizer have any issues with doing so? I thought about doing this before discovering this thread and am wondering whether there are any downsides.

Also, how many bullets does the typical stick lube?

[Dale53]

The ONLY problem I have had is the first time I did it I overfilled the reservoir. There is a weep hole and it ran out. Then I had to dig out the excess. Anyone with half a brain (obviously that left me out:veryconfu) would have seen the hole and just filled it up to just below the hole.

Other than that it is all positive. You DO have to be careful to not overheat the lube as that WILL damage it. The coffee warmer has so low wattage that it doesn't generate enough heat to damage the lube. You can hold the temperature all day long without problems. Normally, I only size about an RCBS pot full of bullets at a time. However, on occasion, I have done two or three pots full (sixty pounds of cast bullets) and had to re-charge the lube sizer several times. It is really not a problem as the lube has plenty of time to melt while you are sizing bullets. It's really a continuous operation if you wish.

I don't make my own lube anymore (Lars White Label lube is so good and so inexpensive that I don't make mine anymore) so I just pop in a stick of Lars' lube when needed.

You could save even more if you were a mind to. Buy Lars' bulk packed lube and melt it...

YMMV
Dale53

[geargnasher]

Do you folks who pour melted lube into their sizer have any issues with doing so? I thought about doing this before discovering this thread and am wondering whether there are any downsides.

Also, how many bullets does the typical stick lube?

As Dale said the only downside is if you overfill it or overcook it. Wait 3-5 minutes for the lube to shrink, fill the cavities formed by the shrinkage with more liquid lube, then screw the piston down onto it, resume lubing. No air pockets, no fuss, IMO.

Gear

[Mk42gunner]

The only problem I have had with pouring directly into the sizer is waiting for the lube to cool. I don't normally use a heater with my lubamatic, so using warm lube takes a little adjustment on how much pressure it takes to fill the lube grooves.

Robert

[Dale53]

Robert;
There is "warm" and there is "WARM". When I use the coffee cup warmer, it is just barely above the melting point. It cools quickly after it goes in the sizer.

FWIW
Dale53

[c.robertson]

Bump up to read

[prickett]

wiersy111,
I'm getting ready to try my hand at making lube tubes and love your setup. A couple of questions:

1) how long do you wait until you remove the lube sticks? while still warm or fully cooled?

2) when removing the PVC tube from the end caps, does the lube remain behind (stuck to the inner threaded rod or does it come out still inside the tube? If stuck to the rod, what is your method for removing the lube stick?

TIA

[wiersy111]

They weren't fully cooled but I allowed them to become stiff.

With a washer and nut on top I work the pvc until it comes loose from the stick.

[Pitmaster]

Anyone measured the volume of lube to pour in a Star. I did the overfill once and poured less lube in the next time. Still a little too much. I'm thinking around 1/4 - 1/2 cup of lube. I was thinking of getting a large syringe to fill mine.