Good lube for 3/8" thick wads in a Whitworth.

[BobInAus]

Good afternoon gents, I have just received 200 hexagonal wads for my Paker Hale Whitworth from Peter Dyson in England. These wads are 3/8” thick. When I make up a dry trial cartridge with the felt wads and two sealing wads the cartridge end up at 5 1/4” long. Can anyone tell me what would be a good moist lube for these large wads, not too moist though so the wad and bullet lube melts through the cartridge paper.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Red River Rick]

Bob, where did you get the mould from, CBE?

I soak my hex wads in melted BP lube, and sandwich it between two hard card wads. One card wad over the powder, the lubricated felt wad and then one card over the felt wad.
The trick to the Whitworth is sealing the gases.

[BLAHUT]

When using a lube wad, I soak the felt wad in whatever lube, I plan on using for the load, I put a card wad over the powder then a plastic wad over that card wad, then the lube wad, then a plastic wad on top of lube wad, then set the bullet on top. Acts like a cleaner round, also keeps lube out of powder. You could try mutton tallow, parfin, bees wax, 2/2/1 by weight, harder/softer/ change amount of parifin ?

[BobInAus]

Red River Rick,

The mold I am using at present is a conical mold from CBE. I don't have a hex mold at present, I'm putting away the bucks until I end up with $585.00. What is the melted BP lube you mention? Is it commercial or home-made? The SPG on its own is too hard when it cools. So I was considering using a mix of SPG and small amount of lamb fat. That should keep it soft but not too soft.

Bob.

[Red River Rick]

Bob:

I make my own BP lube, equal parts of bee's wax, vegetable shortening and peanut oil. If you want a softer lube, reduce the amount of bee's wax.

[GregLaROCHE]

Just curious, is felt the original material used?

[Red River Rick]

Just curious, is felt the original material used?

I don't think so. They probably just used the paper that the cartridge was wrapped in and pushed it on top of the powder charge. The "Lubed Felt Wad" more than likely came in modern times.

[Outpost75]

IIRC 50-50 by melted volume of mutton tallow and beeswax was used by the British Army throughout the black powder era. US Army substituted beef tallow in same ratio, Confederate Army used hog lard, Italian Army olive oil. All work well. I use the olive oil-beeswax.

[Shawlerbrook]

Melted 50-50 mix of beeswax and Crisco.

[choctaw/creek]

Bob,
I've used beeswax and olive oil or lard, crisco, tallow, and had decent results with all of them. The nice thing about a beeswax lube is that the hardness can be adjusted for the weather conditions. A card wad of waxed milk carton or thin cardboard over and under the lubed wad will keep most of the lube out of the powder.

[choctaw/creek]

I've also read about something called a grease cookie that's used in place of the wad. From what I can see the cookie is sandwiched between a cardboard wad on top and bottom of the grease and the felt wad is left out.
I plan on trying both the felt wad and the grease cookie this fall when the oppressive heat has calmed down some.

[gwpercle]

Not knowing any better and living in 1960's Louisiana ... we would soak the wads in melted Crisco or ... Lard .
I have heard the Beeswax and Lard (or Crisco) 50 / 50 is the proper thing to use , but we didn't know any better and just used Crisco Shortening ...the white stuff as our black powder lube .
It worked !
Gary