AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Black Powder Shooting => Topic started by: Scota4570 on January 16, 2025, 08:15:03 PM
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Any on line sources for less than a gallon? I use ballistol for moose milk. IT stinks, I don't like it, the wife complains. I'd like to try something else. Nobody local has any for sale.
Hmmm? I think there is an opportunity for someone. Add some oil of wintergreen to the water soluble oil oil and sell it as patch lube concentrate. ;)
Thanks
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NAPA auto parts used to carry it in qts. Other auto parts stores probably do also.
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Machine shops buy it in 55 gallon barrels, 55 gallons depending on what it is will be $1000-1800 to give you an idea what a quart costs. If you have a machine shop near you ask if they will sell you a quart.
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I just checked. NAPA has it in qts. and pts. Only a couple of bucks difference in the price. Like $13 for a qt. and $11 for a pt. Search "water soluble oil" on their site.
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Taylor gave me some of his 10:1 mix for plinking. I don't know what make it is, but it's white when mixed.
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Any link to the NAPA product? It shows unavailable for me. Maybe it is a California restriction.
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I found the perfect lube many years ago. Maybe 20 or so.... My wife bought it as an oil to treat her saddles. The info on the tub says "Harness Honey Leather Conditioner"....It is manufactured by Carousel Farm, Kearneysville, WV 25430 ....phone # 304-725-3909.
I have no idea if they still exist, or what it's composition is but I will say that I have never considered any lube since using it. I can literally reuse patches that have been shot....Hope this helps...Bill
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I will add that it came in a gallon jug, but would image it was sold in smaller sizes. All these years later there is a half gallon left. Also I can shoot in heat or cold without any type of cleaning between shots. ....Bill
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This is to my local NAPA store. I suppose you can order from them.
https://www.napaonline.com/en/search?text=water%20soluble%20oil&referer=v2
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Ballistol is about 90% miniral oil. Baby oil is about 97% mineral oil. I buy the unscented baby oil but you could buy the scented stuff. I clean my guns with windshield washer fluid without ammonia and lube them with unscented baby oil. I have no issues doing this. I shot my rifle off tonight at 5:45 PM and just finished cleaning it as described. Ballistol is about $9 for 6 ounces. Off-brand baby oil is about $4 for 20 ounces.
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When I click on the above link it shows the item is out of stock. A few years ago somebody local had a gallon, I do not need a gallon. I will call around and try to find it. I can share with my club members.
Baby oil is not soluble in water. There are emulsifiers in Ballistol and water soluble machinist oil that make it mix with water.
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Why do you require it to be soluble in water? I assume it is because water is an antidote to the hygroscopic nature of black powder, and to increase its amount by dilution. I used the windshield washer fluid because it evaporates and cleans. The Mineral oil to protect. Before I load I swab the bore and can clearly see the mineral oil remains on the circumference of the bore. I shine a flashlight down the bore and it reflects off the breech plug illuminating the clean bore rifling. I only offer this as an effective and economical way of cleaning a muzzleloader. It is easy and relatively quick too.
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I found the perfect lube many years ago. Maybe 20 or so.... My wife bought it as an oil to treat her saddles. The info on the tub says "Harness Honey Leather Conditioner"....It is manufactured by Carousel Farm, Kearneysville, WV 25430 ....phone # 304-725-3909.
I have no idea if they still exist, or what it's composition is but I will say that I have never considered any lube since using it. I can literally reuse patches that have been shot....Hope this helps...Bill
https://www.leatherhoney.com/collections/leather-care
Can you tell us which product you like? Is this the right page?
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if you type napa water soluable cutting oil the manufactor web site should come up they have oil in stock don't know if they sell anything smaller than gallon.
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Napa doesn't sell it anymore.
This is the company that made it for Napa
https://www.agscompany.com/products/cutting-and-grinding-oil-bottle-1-gal?srsltid=AfmBOorUgMVRR3dxf5NO1Iw6tWNcb7Xynr_9f7eecJVc9ZNTkMRXHmhh
A year ago I bought a gallon on sale from AGS FOR 12$ Shipped! I thought it was a scam,. But the gallon arrived safe and sound.
Pints too?. https://www.agscompany.com/products/cutting-grinding-oil-pint?variant=43873618264277&country=US¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&srsltid=AfmBOoqFlcvza6TbUKwxdr0npsI_ETVryEL2rgUKKRhUO0kbfWPwHkCOGU0&gQT=1
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Bill in MD,
Do you just use this product you mention neat as a patch lube?
Best,
R.
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I use ballistol and water, about 1:5 as moose milk for patch lube. I shoot damp but not sopping wet patches. I wet them in a container and wring them out. I get better accuracy from this than any oil or grease I have tried. Lubes that are mostly water also keep the bore clean. With a well finished bore, I do not have any reason to swab during a relay.
I also use it to clean the bore.
Since I have no opportunities to hunt with a ML drying out or contaminating the powder is not an issue.
Ballistol is very expensive and it stinks. That is why I am looking for an alternative.
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We've had quite good results with WWWF + a tich of Neetsfoot Oil.
About 1ounce of oil to 12 ounces of washer fluid. I do not use the WWWF that is pink with "other"
ice removing $#@* in it. The blue is mostly water with some alcohol in it.
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When I click on the above link it shows the item is out of stock. A few years ago somebody local had a gallon, I do not need a gallon. I will call around and try to find it. I can share with my club members.
Baby oil is not soluble in water. There are emulsifiers in Ballistol and water soluble machinist oil that make it mix with water.
Page down to this one. https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/WLD7651526 this was the one Dutch used to recommend but eventually he switched his recommendation to ballistol for some reason.
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Blacksolve is still available through DGW & contains a water solvable oil. Might simplify your search. Works well for me.
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Oh yeah - I tried black solve many years ago. I don't even remember where I bought it. Only saw it once.
It shot quite well, as good as spit or anything else I have ever tried. Seems to me it was somewhat slippery
and the recommended mix was 10:1, water to black solve.
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I drove around town and visited several places that had old guys who knew about soluble oil. None had any, none could get any. IT appears to be restricted in California. IF I order it there is a hazmat fee. I suspect that the restrictions will pop up for an internet source. The hazmat fees make it uneconomical anyway.
So, back to stinky old Ballistol. Next time I visit Nevada I will look for soluble oil.
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Surprised no chemist / black powder shooter has not weighed in with what ingredient would make oil soluble with water.
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There is plenty of it available if you do a search, but it is about all in 1 gallon jugs. $40-$70.
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I found the perfect lube many years ago. Maybe 20 or so.... My wife bought it as an oil to treat her saddles. The info on the tub says "Harness Honey Leather Conditioner"....It is manufactured by Carousel Farm, Kearneysville, WV 25430 ....phone # 304-725-3909.
I have no idea if they still exist, or what it's composition is but I will say that I have never considered any lube since using it. I can literally reuse patches that have been shot....Hope this helps...Bill
Leather Honey is still made. Sold on Amazon. Jerry
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Surprised no chemist / black powder shooter has not weighed in with what ingredient would make oil soluble with water.
Ammonium oleate and some obscure alcohols.
I have thought about making my own but the rabbit hole get pretty deep. Ballistol also contains animal fats. The stink is from anethole. Sometimes it is best to not over think simple things. If I had to I bet dish soap, olive oil and water would work about the same. There is also the windshield washing fluid mix.
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I tried some groups with Pinesol & windshield washer fluid mix, about 30:70. I find this particular rifle doesn't care and the POI is the same with all lubes, from plain spit to
LHV. Might be something to do with the bore size?
The group is actually 1.105", due to the smaller ball used.
(https://i.ibb.co/b6ZKhK7/675-ball.jpg) (https://ibb.co/K5krZrm)
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I tried some groups with Pinesol & windshield washer fluid mix, about 30:70. I find this particular rifle doesn't care and the POI is the same with all lubes, from plain spit to
LHV. Might be something to do with the bore size?
The group is actually 1.105", due to the smaller ball used.
(https://i.ibb.co/b6ZKhK7/675-ball.jpg) (https://ibb.co/K5krZrm)
Probably smells good too!
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As a matter of fact, it smelled quite heavily of pine needles, not an unpleasant odor at all, but like soluble oil with water, it is not a hunting lube. Targets only.