Author Topic: Patch Lube Ingredients (Read 14222 times)

John C IND · « **on:** November 22, 2013, 03:43:28 AM »

Greetings! I have acquired over the years a jar of lanolin, some beeswax, and some whale oil.
Can/should these items be blended in some way to make patch lube for my .28 caliber J.S. Burson caplock rifle that I just finished rebuilding the tumbler for? The bore passes a .288 gage pin through, and slugged with a larger lead ball it shows .311 over the grooves. I have .283 balls on their way from RCRB, and have .018 AND .011 ticking on hand.
I also need to find 1/4" hickory ramrod blanks, as the original hand-striped hickory rod is lacking about 6"...

As it has a decent bore, I'd like to get it shooting well enough to work over the squirrels on my place. It could be fun.
Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

Hungry Horse · « **Reply #1 on:** November 22, 2013, 04:00:37 AM »

My suggestion would be to go easy on the bee's wax. Maybe substitute venison, or mutton, tallow. Bee's wax can plug things up on some guns. I would think this might be particularly true on a gun of such a small caliber.

Hungry Horse

albert · « **Reply #2 on:** November 22, 2013, 04:09:15 AM »

I mixed up a batch of lube by using 50-50 beeswax & olive oil ,and have used it in my Bedford rifle , it is a .32 cal Bill Large bbl. and I use a .319 ball and Swiss B.P. , have had good luck with it.

Candle Snuffer · « **Reply #3 on:** November 22, 2013, 04:26:00 AM »

Lately I've been using the Mink Oil from Track of the Wolf, and find it far superior to the TC 1000+ lube I use to use before going to the spit patch - then to the Mink Oil. The TC 1000+ I believe has bees wax in it? I used it, but really didn't care for it as it always seemed harder to get a clean bore after a day's shooting.

Just a suggestion on the rod. Why not use a brass rod? Just a thought.

jamesthomas · « **Reply #4 on:** November 22, 2013, 04:53:03 AM »

I think I would save the Whale Oil, Who knows when you find any more?. I use Mink Oil also, and here this weekend I'm going see how Jojoba oil works, since I've have 2 bottles of it.

omark · « **Reply #5 on:** November 22, 2013, 07:02:47 AM »

another suggestion, i use and like a mixture of approximately 50-50 bees wax and vaseline. i like to melt it, dip patches, and lay them on a paper towel to drain and cool. fwiw. mark

Dphariss · « **Reply #6 on:** November 22, 2013, 07:44:26 AM »

Quote from: John C IND on November 22, 2013, 03:43:28 AM

Greetings! I have acquired over the years a jar of lanolin, some beeswax, and some whale oil.
Can/should these items be blended in some way to make patch lube for my .28 caliber J.S. Burson caplock rifle that I just finished rebuilding the tumbler for? The bore passes a .288 gage pin through, and slugged with a larger lead ball it shows .311 over the grooves. I have .283 balls on their way from RCRB, and have .018 AND .011 ticking on hand.
I also need to find 1/4" hickory ramrod blanks, as the original hand-striped hickory rod is lacking about 6"...

As it has a decent bore, I'd like to get it shooting well enough to work over the squirrels on my place. It could be fun.
Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

Use the whale oil straight. The lighter the oil on the patch the better it will likely shoot.
More oil should reduce the amount of wiping between shots, if any. Its a traditional lube that is higher in friction than Neatfoot Oil (in modern times this is Lard Oil or so I have read).
You can mix Sperm Whale oil with Beeswax and the old Sharps formula for bullet lube was 1 part oil to 2 parts beeswax by WEIGHT. Make SURE there is no remaining honey in the wax its makes it almost a non-lube. So it needs to be PURE Beeswax. Adding a little more oil makes a better patch lube but it takes experimentation.
Of course straight Pure Neatsfoot Oil works pretty good right out of the container with no cooking or mixing.

Dan

WadePatton · « **Reply #7 on:** November 24, 2013, 08:16:04 PM »

Quote from: Dphariss on November 22, 2013, 07:44:26 AM

Quote from: John C IND on November 22, 2013, 03:43:28 AM
Greetings! I have acquired over the years a jar of lanolin, some beeswax, and some whale oil.
Can/should these items be blended in some way to make patch lube for my .28 caliber J.S. Burson caplock rifle that I just finished rebuilding the tumbler for? The bore passes a .288 gage pin through, and slugged with a larger lead ball it shows .311 over the grooves. I have .283 balls on their way from RCRB, and have .018 AND .011 ticking on hand....
Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

Use the whale oil straight. ...
Of course straight Pure Neatsfoot Oil works pretty good right out of the container with no cooking or mixing.

Dan

My plan is to use what's simplest and most available. Simple, as in no mixing. Available, as in mink oil from corner market, NFO from the farm store, tallow-from all those jars i've filled. So far I like NFO best-easiest to handle pre-lubed/cut patches in tin.

Let us know what works out, i have a 30 to build (after next).

also here's a good PATCH LUBE thread:

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=24177.0
(Homemade Patch Lube Recipes)

and many more links to "lube" threads in "black powder shooting": go crazy:

WadePatton · « **Reply #8 on:** November 25, 2013, 09:07:21 PM »

Correction. I won't by trying the mink oil from the corner mkt. Too many other things in the mix. I did find some pure mink oil in liquid form online (as well as what TOW sells, as a solid). Will acquire some of each when dollas permit.

cheers and many deers!

Vomitus · « **Reply #9 on:** November 26, 2013, 07:57:53 AM »

Here's a real easy one. Buy a gallon of Winter Windshield Washer(-35) and a quart of Pure Neetsfoot oil. Two generous tablespoons NFO to the pint of WWW. Shake it good and pour on your pre-cuts.Works slick.When you hunt,straight neetsfoot oil. Cost: 12 to 15 bucks for a year or three. Remember to shake,it separates.

dickert54cal · « **Reply #10 on:** November 28, 2013, 05:40:19 AM »

Bear grease and bees wax. 60 40 mix

Daryl · « **Reply #11 on:** November 28, 2013, 09:27:26 PM »

I use almost an identical recipe to LB's for trail walks. I have both Neetsfoot Oil and Track's Mink oil as a hunting lube.

Long John · « **Reply #12 on:** December 07, 2013, 10:50:56 PM »

I've been using bees wax and bear oil mixed for over 20 years now, and have never seen anything better. Never had an issue with bees wax "plugging things up". I've shoot 50 rounds straight without wiping once. Works in the summer, works in the winter and works in between.

What I do is take bear oil and add some beeswax, about 25% by volume, and heat it until it melts in. Stir well. Let cool to room temperature. When at normal room temperature you should be able to push your thumb into the top surface of the mixture and see the lube spurt-out beneath your thumb - just like the old-time shoe polish in the round tins - remember? If it spurts too easy add a little more wax. If it takes too much pressure to get it to spurt add some more oil and remelt/mix.

My brother and I have about 30 pounds of bear fat to run this winter. Expect about 5 gallons of high-grade bear grease.

Best Regards,

John Cholin

rustyguns2 · « **Reply #13 on:** December 10, 2013, 06:49:37 AM »

Gentlemen....I have to ask a question along the same lines, I have been using Moose milk for 25 yrs, Flint and Percussion, then one day I decided I would try bore butter in my flint, Mind you, I cleaned the Pan and Frizzen between shots. After the 3 rd shot i had so much lube blown all over my lock it refused to spark, it looked like a tar bomb had gone off inside my pan, and I had never used anything paste like since.
Did I do something wrong, I sure liked the way it loaded, but what a mess. I would like to try Mink oil but I figured the same thing would happen. I didn't think I used too much, so I just thought I would run this by you guys, your combined knowledge is priceless.

jamesthomas · « **Reply #14 on:** December 10, 2013, 05:41:24 PM »

I've never had that problem using the Mink Oil from TOTW.

Michigan Flinter · « **Reply #15 on:** December 10, 2013, 05:57:18 PM »

I use straight bearfat greece summer and winter don't have to clean between shots I clean up the bore with tap water and lube bore with same greese. We shot last weekend up here in Michigan when it was about ten degrees with no trouble loading from my loading block with bear greese lubed patched balls. This is all that I have used with this rifle since I built it ten years ago and it has had many rounds shot through it.

t.caster · « **Reply #16 on:** December 11, 2013, 08:58:14 PM »

I've' been using Eric's bear fat on and off again for a couple years, and can vouch for what he says about it. I haven't used it for hunting yet because a am afraid it will harden up if loaded for a while.
Still trying to get the misses to bake a pie crust with it!!

BTW, Eric, do you use your bear fat or teflon patches for you chunkgun shooting???

blaksmth · « **Reply #17 on:** December 12, 2013, 09:08:21 AM »

For target shooting I have used water soluable oil mixed 2/3 oil-1/3 water and will shoot all day this way have used this my entire life, I have used this hunting but I put a piece of wax paper in the barrel over the powder so the patch lube don't get the powder wet.

Daryl · « **Reply #18 on:** December 12, 2013, 07:29:28 PM »

Whether it's my .32 squirrel rifle, the .40 1/2 stock, .45 full stock, .577 Musketoon or 14 bore moose smasher, they all load easily and shoot all day without wiping with the trail shooting WWWF/Neetsfoot oil mix, or hunting (or trail shooting)with straight Neestfoot Oil or Track's Mink Oil.

Please note that oils and greases may require further load development as they rarely shoot the same as a water based lube.

Vomitus · « **Reply #19 on:** December 12, 2013, 09:52:41 PM »

"Please note that oils and greases may require further load development as they rarely shoot the same as a water based lube."

This is so true.

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Author Topic: Patch Lube Ingredients (Read 14222 times)

John C IND

jamesthomas

omark

Vomitus

dickert54cal

rustyguns2

jamesthomas

blaksmth

Vomitus