Bees Wax or Bees Topping Wax?

[Chris C]

I'm down to my last clump of Bees Topping wax so it's time for a trip to the Aviary. Do you gurus favor topping wax or the softer bees wax in your formulas?

 

[Maven]

Please explain the differences between them, Chris as I;m unaware of BTW. Thanks!

 

[KHornet]

That's two of us. Always thought beeswax was just beeswax period. Always learn
something on this forum.

 

[Chris C]

Topping wax is (supposedly) the premium part of beeswax. Beeswax is fairly soft and more yellow in color. (I have wiped wood screws on it to lube threads) Topping wax is kind of a dark yellow.......more towards brown and is much harder. Since joining this site, I've become aware that the idea isn't to have a harder wax that stays with the bullet, but one that "gives it's all" just as it leaves the barrel.............or at least that's what I think I'm reading. Hoping Ian or fiver will chime in on this.

 

[Rick]

Hoping Ian or fiver will chime in on this.

Or Brad. He is one of the three lube guru's.
.

 

[Chris C]

I forgot Brad, yes. Thanks, Rick.

 

[Ian]

That's two of us. Always thought beeswax was just beeswax period. Always learn
something on this forum.

That makes three of us.

There are grades of beeswax depending on level of refinement, and there's a chemically bleached variety, but it's all pretty much the same basic stuff.

Bee parts, pollen, honey, bee waste, and other hive contaminants make it brown. Purified wax is bright yellow. Cappings-grade wax is the cut cappings from the comb of the honey super where the queen is excluded, so no trash from the process of making new bees is in it. For bullet lube I don't think it matters much which you use.

 

[Brad]

I don't think it matters for our use. The capping wax may be "cleaner" or "pure" in comparison to regular old beeswax but my guns don't care. Just make sure the wax doesn't have floaters in it. Bee bits and dirt don't belong in lube.

 

[freebullet]

Mine comes straight from the bee keeper and we have to filter the caps & bee bits out through cheese cloth or pantyhose.

When you mentioned topping wax I thought you meant the purified white conditioner added paste that some folks use in their jerry curls.

 

[Chris C]

Okay, thanks guys. I won't be paying for Topping or Capping wax any more. I guess using my filter to clean out all the "bee stuff" is good enough. I

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B004F9IH0C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'll just buy the less expensive beeswax. Thanks.

 

[Brad]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?158-RandyRat

This is where mine comes from. I bought 10 pounds last time.

 

[Chris C]

Thanks, Brad. I've never bought it on-line before. The aviary I buy it from is just a 30 minute scooter ride away.

 

[Brad]

Ah, that is even better. I prefer to shop locally when possible.

 

[RicinYakima]

Here in the Yakima Valley we have 10,000's acres of irrigated orchards, and millions of bees. The honey folks here used the dripped honey from the comb as the primo stuff, then the steam separated honey for commercial production. The raw brown colored wax is heated during this process and strained through stainless steel screen that isn't all that fine. They tell me there are over 250 separate organic chemicals in bees wax. As it cools the lightest colored mixture sits on the top and darker is heavier and is on the bottom of the kettle. The lighter stuff is more expensive and used in furniture polishes, the darker is used to make tablets and time released medicines. It is one of the wonders of nature for its varied uses, like bullet lube.

 

[Chris C]

Always wanted to keep bees but the little lady of the house doesn't want them around. "Happy wife, happy life".