So I tried my first go at making up a batch of Emmert's Lube for lubing cast .38 special bullets for black powder cartridges. It came out way too soft. I pan lubed 50 boolits and when I pushed them out of the (somewhat) hardened lube they still had the lube all over the boolit, not just the grooves. It basically had a consistency a bit more firm than crisco alone. I did load them anyway, though I made sure to wipe the base clean before seating, and wiped the finished rounds all clean afterwards (they buffed up very nice and shiny).
My question is this, are the ratios given in weight or volume? The recipe calls for 50% beeswax, 40% Crisco, and 10% cooking oil (lots of variations given here, and some split the last 10% 50-50 with lanolin). I used olive oil because it was what I had on hand. I went by volume and made up the ratio with 1 1/4 cup beeswax pellets, 1 cup crisco, and 1/4 cup olive oil.
Given the lower density of the beeswax it must have been heavy on the crisco and oil if the recipe was meaning weight. This seems right as the final product felt only a bit firmer than crisco alone. This morning I melted it again and added a couple more tablespoons of beeswax pellets. I also added a couple of tablespoons of flaked carnauba wax, which cools quite a bit harder than beeswax, and will still be petroleum free for black powder. Once cooled I found it to be considerably more firm. I can dent it by pushing my finger against the surface, where equal pressure on the first batch would have allowed me to bury my finger into it.
So am I correct in concluding that Emmert's recipe should be taken as weight ratios? It makes sense in retrospect given the variation in density I'll find in the various forms beeswax comes in.