Homemade Cast Bullet Lubricant

[Reverend Recoil]

I mixed up four pounds of cast bullet lubricant in the kitchen today. I did not invent this mixture. It has been around a long time. The formula is:

 

1 lb of Gulf paraffin wax

13 oz of Vaseline petroleum jelly

2 tbs of STP Oil Treatment

1 of my favorite crayons

 

The Gulf paraffin wax is available at most grocery stores. It is used for canning fruit preserves and candle making. I also use small chunks of it for fluxing molten lead.

 

Melt and blend everything while heated in a double boiler. I used a cheap sauce pan set in an iron skillet of boiling water. Do not heat this mixture directly. If over heated it will produce a cloud of smoke and can quickly flash into huge flame.

 

Pour directly into your lube/sizing press reservoir or into quart plastic containers.

 

This lubricant works well for 45 ACP and 38 Special. If it is too soft for your summer climate, add a little more wax to the mixture. I have not tried it with gas checked rifle bullets yet but I expect it to work at the 1800-2000 fps range.

 

An interesting discussion occurred during this process.

 

Wife: What are you doing?

Reverend Recoil: Uh, nothing.

W: You’re making that bullet stuff again.

RR: Yes, its bullet lubricant and I bought my own sauce pan.

W: I don’t think I want that stuff in my kitchen.

RR: What’s the problem? It’s just wax and Vaseline.

W: I don’t care. I just don’t like that kind of stuff in my kitchen.

RR: It’s not as scary as that pot of hot wax you keep in the bathroom.

W: Alright, tough guy! You win!

 

[tinkerfive]

just curious....

 

once you have homogenized the mixture at temperature, what is

the consistency once it has cooled to room temp or for that matter

the prospective usable temp range of -10 to 110F?

 

you have about equal amounts of stuff that is solid at those

temps and equal amounts that is a gel or liquid.

 

Tinker

[Dr.Hess]

How does it flow in the sizer/luber? How does it shoot?

 

I looked at rolling my own for lube. While I'm very big on DIY, after researching it, I found that the "secret ingredient" for the best regarded lubes is bee's wax. Parafin is not thought of as highly. I have no experience here, just relating what I've found on teh 1ntr4w3b, yo. Anyway, Az sent me a stick or two of some stuff a guy makes and sells on his own site. It's made from bee's wax. It is so cheap that he has to have his own bees because I have not found a source of bee's wax cheaper than I could buy the stuff already made and ready to drop in the luber from him.

 

Oh, I have my own stove in the shop. It eliminates all those "not in my kitchen" issues. If I want to preheat/post cool some cast iron, no problem. If you look around, you can usually find one for a bill or less. I did suggest that we try to wash my wife's bike's drag pipes in the dishwasher yesterday. She was game until I figgered we would have to remove the top rack and "messing with her dishwasher" didn't go over too well then.

 

[karlunity]

"messing with her dishwasher" didn't go over too well then.

 

 

yes, the Hippy is easygoing about most stuff I do, but .....leave her kitchen alone,...if you know what is good for you.

 

karl

[Reverend Recoil]

The consistency is about the same as Alox/beeswax lube and flows well through my Lyman 450 press. The temperature during the day in my garage has been 95 degrees. It shoots well in 45 pistols and revolvers. The paraffin/Vaseline lube has not been any more of a mess then Alox/beeswax lube. Ammo made with Alox/beeswax lube is probably better for long term storage than petroleum based lubes.

 

I will try it with 30 caliber rifle bullets next month. I am thinking about getting into wrapping and loading 30 cal and 9.3mm paper patched rifle bullets. High velocity, less lube to mess with and no gas checks keep on hand.