I hear a lot about Olive Oil and Beeswax mixed 60/40 or 40/60?? Since Beeswax is a solid and Oil is liquid, what is the process for mixing up a batch?

Using a double boiler technique you can melt beeswax in olive oil.

By weight:

1 part beeswax to 2 parts olive oil will yield something similar in consistency to bar soap.

1 part beeswax to 3 parts olive oil will yield something similar in consistency to hard Chapstick/Carmex, think Chapstick on a cold day.

1 part beeswax to 4 parts olive oil will yield something similar in consistency of soft Chapstick, think Chapstick on a mild day

1 part beeswax to 5 parts olive oil is no longer a solid and will yield something similar in consistency from very soft Chapstick to Vaseline depending on the temperature, think Chapstick on a hot day.

1 part beeswax to more than 5 parts olive oil will yield a liquid and/or separation of wax and oil may occur. [/QUOTE]

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I have made it and used it in various forms and like it fine. Maybe not as well as one of the synthetics I have fallen for but a close #2.

I rendered out the fat from a black bear I shot years ago, still using it. A lot of the OLD books/stories mentioned bear fat as the best. I don't know one way or the other, but it works.

What a waste of Bear fat, its 10 times better than Crisco or anything else to make biscuits, Tortillas, camp bread, pie crusts..and I liked it in my 54 Great Plains rifle..I had some put away in the shop, went bad should have frozen it. the can was open and was a mix of dead flys and bear tallow, I bet some of you dyed in the wool MLing Mountain men would kill for fly and Bear Tallow..

Im thinking I'll just go with Crisco, lots of folks like it best.

Hmmmm, my problem is what is one part beeswax its solid, how much oil is one part..solid to oil is my problem..Dp you weigth it,?????? very confusing for me to figure out just want one part oil is and one part a solid to match..

However I did heat up some oil in a can and used two bow string tubes of Beeswax in the can and it turned to about like Crisco or butter..So that should work,,I also mixed some Crisco with beeswax, and soaked some patches in pure Olive oil and rung'em out, looks like any of it will work..Im gett'en there it ain't rocket science Ive decided..

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Hmmmm, my problem is what is one part beeswax its solid, how much oil is one part..solid to oil is my problem..Dp you weigth it,?????? very confusing for me to figure out just want one part oil is and one part a solid to match..

From above:

quote:

Using a double boiler technique you can melt beeswax in olive oil.

By weight:

1 part beeswax to 2 parts olive oil will yield something similar in consistency to bar soap.

1 part beeswax to 3 parts olive oil will yield something similar in consistency to hard Chapstick/Carmex, think Chapstick on a cold day.

1 part beeswax to 4 parts olive oil will yield something similar in consistency of soft Chapstick, think Chapstick on a mild day

1 part beeswax to 5 parts olive oil is no longer a solid and will yield something similar in consistency from very soft Chapstick to Vaseline depending on the temperature, think Chapstick on a hot day.

1 part beeswax to more than 5 parts olive oil will yield a liquid and/or separation of wax and oil may occur.

When I started loading for my Trapdoor carbine, I followed Spence Wolf's advice and used 50/50 Beeswax and Olive oil. I used volume instead of weight.

I used to shoot silhouette matches with that Trapdoor. 40 rounds of BP without a cleaning. Never had an issue. I pan lubed the bullets. Did the same for BP .45 Colt loads.

He wants to make PATCH lube; not bullet lube. I use pure olive oil for patch lube.
Bullet lube is most any combination of beeswax and olive oil that you can get to stay on the bullet.

Ray,

You can use a double boiler to melt the beeswax. I also know people do it in the microwave in a pyrex measuring cup so it is easy to pour.

The melting point of beeswax is around 145 degrees. It is pretty flammable so be careful melting on an open flame.

Tom

quote:

Originally posted by z1r:
When I started loading for my Trapdoor carbine, I followed Spence Wolf's advice and used 50/50 Beeswax and Olive oil. I used volume instead of weight.

I used to shoot silhouette matches with that Trapdoor. 40 rounds of BP without a cleaning. Never had an issue. I pan lubed the bullets. Did the same for BP .45 Colt loads.

I just shot my vintage 1863 Sharps Carbine yesterday for it's first time in 140+ years and used the 50:50 mix. Bore stayed real clean. Powder fouling in the breech however was another issue. Breech block locked up after only 7 rds.

As a bee keeper I will tell you to keep your paws off the missis cooking measuring equipment when using bees wax. Bees wax melts at 140F and leaves a film on the idem you use to melt the wax in. I went to a good will shop and bought pans and made a double boiler I melt my wax in for sale.

Also I cut my pillow ticking in strips and do the mix but with cheaper Veggie cooking oil, once melted and mixed I dredge the strips of pillow ticking thru the mix, let them drip & dry over a tray I can scrape.

Place the ticking over the muzzle start the ball whack off the ticking with the patch knife and drive the ball home.
You can also pick up a used patch and have a size pattern if you want to precut the patches.


Al

I'm cheap and figure that olive oil is a vegetable oil so I use regular vegetable oil from the cupboard. I don't reckon the firearm will know the difference. I use an older crockpot for melting the beeswax and don't follow any set recipe mix, just when the end consistency is good.