Another lube question, toilet bowl seal....

[Hammerdown77]

Fellers,

I've seen the recipe for "Pearl Lube" on a couple of forums and it calls for the use of a sticky wax toilet bowl seal. I've been trying to come up with something readily available at local stores that will improve my lube's "stickiness", so it clings to the lube grooves better when pan lubing. The last wax toilet seal I messed with (bathroom remodel) was VERY sticky, as in I had a heck of time getting it off my hands and clothes with the harshest of paint thinners and strippers. So it seems like it will fit the "sticky" requirement.

However, I think most of these things are now fully synthetic and don't contain real beeswax, although I didn't know whether that actually mattered, or whether or not that would ruin the recipe. I already add beeswax to my current lube recipe.

Have any of you folks made up Pearl Lube lately using one of these new rings?

 

[arcticap]

Some folks have posted about how they use bowl wax or toilet wax rings as an ingredient when making lube.
But that's not to say that all bowl wax rings are the same, and that may be partly why some think that they're not as desirable.
Some folks have said that because it's a stickier wax, that they mix a combination of canning paraffin and bowl wax.
There's various ingredients added to bowl wax to help keep it from drying out that canning paraffin doesn't contain.

 

[Hammerdown77]

Guess I'll just have to mosey on down to my friendly Lowe's/Home Depot and peruse the various offerings. Make up a batch and see what happens. Considering how sticky that last ring I got was....I'm having second thoughts about whether I really want that on/inside my gun.

 

[Hammerdown77]

And for those who are wondering what is in "Pearl Lube", it's:

(measured by weight)
1 part toilet bowl ring
1 part shortening (Crisco)
1 part soy wax (used in candlemaking)

 

[dprice3844444]

http://www.bulkapothecary.com/beeswax.htm?gclid=CP--28jSqLACFQc4nAodWWdDUA

 

[Hammerdown77]

See, that's one thing I'm not sure about in this recipe. Is the TB ring for the beeswax, or is it for that and whatever makes it sticky? Many of the TB rings aren't made with real beeswax anymore, and have petroleum products in them, which would cause problems.

I'm already using beeswax and Crisco, and it usually takes me a couple of tries pan lubing to get all the lube grooves filled. Some press out and the lube does not stay in the groove. I could try making it softer by reducing the beeswax, or maybe adding some olive oil, but it seems like what I really need is more sticky. Or a lubrisizer. Either one.

Vaseline would make the lube more "clingy", but then you have that petrol product issue again.

 

[Mike OTDP]

I'm shaking my head...

My general-purpose bullet lube is the N-SSA standby, Len's Lube. Which is reputed to be a 50/50 blend of beeswax and Mobil 1 motor oil.

 

[arcticap]

Vaseline would make the lube more "clingy", but then you have that petrol product issue again.

There isn't a petro product issue with Vaseline.
It's closely related to mineral oil which is also perfectly fine to use with black powder, as are many paraffins.
Every petroleum product has a different number of carbon atoms and each interacts differently with black powder.
For instance, Ballistol mostly contains mineral oil. And both Bore Butter and Wonderlube mostly contain mineral oil and micro-crystallized paraffin waxes. These are petroleum based products that are compatible for use with black powder and in black powder lubes.
Candle wax and crayons may or may not be the exact same as canning paraffin wax that's food grade. Some waxes are easier to identify as being safer than others for using with black powder.
Natural beeswax is well known for its bullet lubricating benefits but it's also the most expensive. Modern science offers us many petro chemical products that are affordable replacements for the more expensive natural ones.

 

[Jaymo]

Which weight Mobil 1 motor oil should I use?
I've wondered about Lucas Oil Stabilizer for added tackiness. May have to mix up some beeswax/Lucas Oil Stabilizer and give it a try.

Or, maybe I'll lube some patches with Lucas and fire 10 rounds from the Howdah.
Then, when I clean it, I'll find out if it's compatible.

 

[mackg]

Hammerdown77, try warming your bullets and pan before pouring the lube (hot sun in Texas, heater anywhere else ) The bullets should be a little too hot to grab. It helps the filling a lot.

Some bullets with shallow grooves might still not cooperate.

Last time I bought toilet rings around here they were all yellowish (A buddy gave me a tackier brown one, ...haven't tried it yet).

I reload mostly for smokeless pistols, and only resize bullets in 44-40; ... don't know about minies.

I mixed some of the ring with about 20 and 40% of beeswax candle and hand lubed, which makes less mess than pan lubing.
Actually I hardly had to wipe most finished cartridge with the "soft" version. I use a little hobby cutter blade (square end) to paste it in the grooves.

edit: I had a doubt and checked my notes. What I am using now has petroleum jelly in it, made from a previous blend which was too hard. Jelly makes the wiping easier.

 

[mykeal]

Natural beeswax is well known for its bullet lubricating benefits but it's also the most expensive.

Natural beeswax is free.

Look up your county agricultural extension service. Call them and ask for the names and numbers of local beekeepers. Most will give away their honeycombs, which are, after all, natural beeswax. All you need to do is melt it down, strain out the bits and pour it into molds.

 

[Jaymo]

Mykeal, there is a beekeeper near me, and I've been meaning to talk to him/her about getting honeycombs. Beeswax is very useful.
My homemade beeswax/lanolin/canola oil patch lube also makes a good lip balm.
Though, the best lip balm I've used is straight lanolin.

 

[Pancho]

I've toyed with the idea of using a Beeswax/Ballistol mix.

 

[Hammerdown77]

Straight mineral oil from the pharmacy or grocery store is probably a lot cheaper than Ballistol, I would think. Unless you just really like that sweaty socks smell

 

[Pancho]

There is more to ballistol than just mineral oil it also has some emulsifiers that make one of the tightest water/oil emulsion I've ever seen. As for cheap, anyone that gets into muzzleloading thinking that it is cheap will be disappointed.

 

[towboat_er]

I like SG's lube pills for my BP revolvers.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=398669

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=354926

 

[Noz]

I am a bee keeper and I sell or reuse my beeswax. It's not for free.

 

[Hammerdown77]

I may try to find some lanolin. By all accounts this seems to be THE ingredient to use if you are wanting to make the lube stickier. The stuff I've seen in stores sure is pricey though. Need to hunt around on Amazon/eBay I suppose.

 

[Sol]

Sperm oil? Just kidding...

 

[Jaymo]

I had my local pharmacy order a can of lanolin for me.
It wasn't cheap, but I've gotten a lot of use out of it.

It's a one pound can of Paddock Laboratories Anhydrous Lanolin


http://www.nuscentscandle.com/LNOLN.html?source=google&gclid=CNXUxqC0rrACFQKCnQodv1XnUw

It's $15.60 for a pound. Not Paddock brand, but it's 100% natural anhydrous.

There is no better lip balm available. Provided you're not allergic or sensitive to lanolin.

 

[alsask]

I tried the toilet bowl seal for a lube once on some Miniballs I casted. Worst experience I ever had. I strongly suspect that the seal was not true bees wax. Anyway it took about an hour of scrubbing to clean the rifle after. The stuff that came out reminded me of tree sap.

 

[Hammerdown77]

That's what I was afraid of.

 

[red rick]

I just made a lube y'all might have seen it before Gatofeo No. 1 Lubricant.

1 part mutton tallow ( Dixie Gunworks $ 5.75 )

1 part canning paraffin ( Walmart )

1/2 part beeswax ( Ebay 8oz. $ 6.00 )

All parts measured by weight.

The hardest part was cutting that block of beeswax. If I need any more I will buy the beeswax in pellets if the price is similar to the block.

 

[Gatofeo]

I haven't found REAL beeswax used in toilet seals for at least 10 years, perhaps more. Today's toilet seals are a petroleum product.
I tried it, and got a lubricant that was lumpy and wouldn't mix with canning paraffin and mutton tallow (the classic Gatofeo No. 1 Black Powder Lubricant).
It takes more effort, but find REAL beeswax. County Extension Agents know beekeepers in the area. That may be one good source.
Other sources are Mountain Man Rendezvous and Renaissance Fairs. Be wary of "Beeswax candles" because they're usually diluted with regular paraffin.
Years ago I found a big hunk of beeswax at a thrift store, in the candle section. No wick in it, but I guess the store-stockers didn't quite know where to place it.
Beeswax may found online but it's almost always expensive for what little you get.
Hobby shops may have it, but it's a small cake for a high price.
I'd suggest you avoid toilet seals if they don't specifically say beeswax. Contact a beekeeper or visit a Renaissance Fair or Mountain Man Rendezvous (my best sources).

 

[tinman080]

For it to be really smooth and slippery you gotta use an OLD wax ring, well used....