New lube.

[Britsmoothy]

Made a new batch of lube today.
Bees wax and olive oil.

That is a fouled gun now coated in the new lube and that will protect it for ages around the breech.
Next I rub a patch in the lube.

The bores get a good scrubbing.

The bores now have enough lube to absorb any salts and no damage will happen for ages with the gun in a warm dry environment.
I plan on using this shotgun again in a couple of days and this will be sufficient untill then.
It works for rifles too.
This may help some new folk worried about rusting.

B.

 

[William P Sepessy]

Just curious about your beeswax to olive oil ratio. Also, do you mix by weight or volume?

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Just curious about your beeswax to olive oil ratio. Also, do you mix by weight or volume?

I mix it 50:50 by volume ... using 2 identical containers, melt the beeswax and ‘see’ where it comes up to on container #1 and then fill container #2 up to same level and mix together. ... just make SURE both amounts can fit into the same container, i.e., making sure to melt beeswax to < half a container’s worth.

Works for me! I use it as a lube for paper cartridges and to lube minieballs for US Civil War-era arms and to lube fiber wads for shot loads (while 50:50 mix is liquid).

 

[Crewdawg445]

Made a new batch of lube today.
Bees wax and olive oil.
View attachment 2384
That is a fouled gun now coated in the new lube and that will protect it for ages around the breech.
Next I rub a patch in the lube.
View attachment 2385
The bores get a good scrubbing.
View attachment 2386
The bores now have enough lube to absorb any salts and no damage will happen for ages with the gun in a warm dry environment.
I plan on using this shotgun again in a couple of days and this will be sufficient untill then.
It works for rifles too.
This may help some new folk worried about rusting.

B.

Well done, a simple lube and grease definitely worth using!

 

[Black Hand]

Simple, easy and made of natural ingredients.

 

[Juice Jaws]

And the olive oil doesn't turn sour after a while?

 

[Britsmoothy]

And the olive oil doesn't turn sour after a while?

Don't think so, but I dont really know as I have resisted eating for decades now.

 

[Black Hand]

And the olive oil doesn't turn sour after a while?

Extra-virgin olive oil will go rancid after a while. Other grades will vary in longevity.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Just curious about your beeswax to olive oil ratio. Also, do you mix by weight or volume?

I mix untill I am happy with the consistency.
It's probably 25/75 beeswax/olive oil for my needs.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Extra-virgin olive oil will go rancid after a while. Other grades will vary in longevity.

Never found it an issue. Still offers plenty of advantages by absorbing salts.

 

[Black Hand]

Never found it an issue. Still offers plenty of advantages by absorbing salts.

In lube, the edibility factor is moot - even if rancid, should work.

 

[Juice Jaws]

In lube, the edibility factor is moot - even if rancid, should work.

Yes, I guess you are right, we are lubing our firearms not our stomachs.

PS: I see Black Hand you are a better speller than I am, could not spell rancid so I said sour. Learn another new thing today.

 

[dave61965]

And the olive oil doesn't turn sour after a while?

I’ve had the same mixture stored for several years now, even out in my workshop that’s un heated or cooled through the Texas summers it hasn’t gone bad so far.

 

[Juice Jaws]

Thanks dave

 

[Carbon 6]

In lube, the edibility factor is moot - even if rancid, should work.

I'm going to partially disagree with that. Here's why.
Rancidity is a function of oxidation, so is rust. If the lube becomes rancid then it is permeated or has been penetrated with oxygen. To me it's usefulness as an oxygen barrier is no longer.

It's just a theory, I haven't actually put it to a test, but it is something to consider.

Of course my beeswax olive oil lube has never gone rancid.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Britsmoothy, pretty much what I use but I also put Crisco in it. 50% bees was 25% olive oil (what ever kind is in the pantry) 25% Crisco, this can be temperature controlled by adding a bit more bees wax if it gets really hot out. BI would be interested in the elderflower cordial recipe. AN APPALICHIAN HUNTER

 

[Britsmoothy]

I'm going to partially disagree with that. Here's why.
Rancidity is a function of oxidation, so is rust. If the lube becomes rancid then it is permeated or has been penetrated with oxygen. To me it's usefulness as an oxygen barrier is no longer.

It's just a theory, I haven't actually put it to a test, but it is something to consider.

Of course my beeswax olive oil lube has never gone rancid.

Yeah but no but!
The nature of the substance means it can absorb salts and oxygen but the real neat thing is it traps them in suspension. Unlike mineral based oils which allows salts to escape and is in many products designed to not oxidize via additives causes black powder guns damage.

So what if it happens to go rancid! It is its ability to carry and absorb the many salts produced via combustion of black powder.
I have been using this stuff for decades. I don't have to clean my guns with water as soon as I return home if I don't wish to and I sleep like baby.

B.

 

[Ames]

Brit: Just curious. Have you ever shot for a day, swabbed it and left it, then shot again the next day? Then swab and leave it for a third days shoot before a final good cleaning?
There have been many a time I could shoot 3 days running but the though of 3 days of cleaning stopped me. You got me thinking of trying it now.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Brit: Just curious. Have you ever shot for a day, swabbed it and left it, then shot again the next day? Then swab and leave it for a third days shoot before a final good cleaning?
There have been many a time I could shoot 3 days running but the though of 3 days of cleaning stopped me. You got me thinking of trying it now.

All the time friend.
That same gun is propped up in the kitchen. Doubt I will use it today, maybe tomorrow, not worried at all.
I have left guns for weeks thus.

Said many times before, once a gun is dry the nasty salts can't do anything, that fact and combined with animal and or veg fats there is no need to fret at all.

B.

 

[Ames]

Got to give this a whirl.