Making Beeswax Pliable

[dardascastbullets]

I am opening up my vault of secrets and will share a great one with y'all.

Ever wonder how the heck you can make beeswax pliable and not make it mushy? Well, wonder no longer! To one pound of melted beeswax add 200 grains of baking soda (it has to be baking soda like Arm & Hammer). Mix the baking soda into the melted beeswax thoroughly. Filter the melt prior to use. You will then have a very pliable beeswax that can be used for just about anything.

Enjoy making some pliable beeswax and you're welcome!

I should clarify my post - I didn't make any mention of using the pliable beeswax for bullet lube. I use it for carving miniatures (ducks, geese, etc.), and other fix-it projects that the wife doles out. I have even used it to temporarily plug a small hole in my duck boat - it worked in a pinch.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Thanks, Matt. I used to make my own bullet lube years ago with 50% beeswax and 50% AmsLube. It was a pain in the butt to make, since AmsLube melts at such a high temperature, and it really didn't work much better than any of the commercial lubes did, especially in pistol bullets.

One thing to warn people about is to melt the beeswax in a double boiler, so it doesn't catch fire. Also, with the recent die off of honey bees, beeswax seems to be getting harder to find.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[jjohnson]

To Dardas

Thanks for the tip!

You know, being willing to get out here and engage the handloading populace like that is likely to get you more business from us.... I know it makes a difference to me.

 

[rcmodel]

Ever done any rust tests with Baking Soda (Sodium bicarbonate)?

I know it is used in dry chemical fire extinguishers.
And I know it is very hygroscopic.

And I know spraying a dry-chem fire extinguisher off in a tool room will rust everything in sight bright red overnight!

Not so sure I want any of it in my bullet lube!

rcmodel