Question for the lube guru’s

GSPguy

Member
About a week ago I cooked up some oil for for FWFL. I used 16 oz mineral oil and 8 oz castor oil an 32 tablespoons of ivory soap. I cooked and stirred for 2 hours here’s a couple pictures of what I ended up with. I was expecting a thick oil about like old STP but I got something more like grease. Is this going to work ok? Any suggestions?50A3F67A-687B-4EBF-A1E2-47B82C3C2B31.jpegEC208C9D-4B31-4DFD-8054-88A0B15EE593.jpeg
 
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Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
More like a grease is exactly what you want. Did you keep hearing until ALL the soap was melted? This means heating long enough to generate a huge amount of smoke. Takes in the range of 450-500 degrees.

That is an excellent lube
 

Ian

Notorious member
You just made sodium brick grease, normally we don't see that because it's made in the lube. If it is smooth and feathers between your fingers, you got it. If it still has tiny lumps of soap, you can heat it again until it turns completely liquid. Here in the first post of this thread is a photo sequence of melting soap, note the final stage of heating where the stuff is a translucent liquid, fully melted: https://www.artfulbullet.com/index.php?threads/cooking-with-geargnasher-a-soap-lube-tutorial.554/

When you add your beeswax, do small batches and put your grease in first. Add a little wax and melt while stirring constantly, you won't be remelting the soap or you will scorch the beeswax, so you have to dissolve the wax into the grease slowly. Watch your heat. Once the first little bit of wax is totally dissolved into the grease, add a little more, and so on until it's all blended. If you just melt the wax and plop your lump of grease into it it will take just about forever to get the grease to dissolve.

Be sure and lower the temperature down to about 160F before adding the lanolin or it will scorch and ruin.
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
I was thinking that the pics above looked just like Ians tutorial from a few years back.

I'm eagerly awaiting spring. I want to shoot outdoors regularly again. I can use the conventionally loaded cast ammo I already have loaded. I kind of like the smoke, except at indoor ranges. Powdercoatings okay, but I'll take a seat in the smoking section, please.
 

GSPguy

Member
Ian over the last month I had read ever post in the lube section here. I knew I had seen those pictures somewhere but I couldn’t remember where they were. Thank you for putting in the link back to them. I will check me grease later today and report back.
 

GSPguy

Member
Well I just got out to the garage to check the grease and it is not lumpy at all so i think it is good

Ian I reread your old post and the burn warning. Well I can attest to it because I got a big ole drop on my thumb and it made me say a couple bad words!

Here is a picture of my thumb a week after the burnFE2A3D34-798E-4637-8384-D8E739648364.jpeg
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
It is almost worst than the little lead splashed we all know. That lead cools off faster. The grease just sits there and burns and burns.