Bullet making lube

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Ian_Owen

Member
I have been reading everything I can find about bullet making, when it comes to the lube people recommend I find most use Anhydrous Lanolin as one ingrediant.
While reading Warren Pages book I came across the following in "The Supremely Accurate Bullet" chapter, a write up on the niceties of bullet making by Mike Walker and Emory Tooley stated that the lanolin used should be "Hydrous Lanolin" as the Anhydrous type was much too stringy and difficult to use.

When I went looking for what the difference was I found that Anhydrous Lanolin contained less than 0.25% water and the Hydrous Lanolin contained from 25% to 30% sterile water, the advantages of the Hydrous type are "Hydration increases spreadability. Thus, whereas our anhydrous lanolin is ideal for small areas, this product is suitable for use on larger areas"

Can any bullet makers comment on this, has anyone used both types of lanolin?........Ian
 
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It was recommended to me to use Anhydrous Lanolin and Vaseline(die maker). Microwave and stir.
When my house dried out during the winter. And after several stuck bullets. I switched to Anhydrous Lanolin and castor oil.
I stayed with Anhydrous Lanolin and castor oil. Though the year. :)
I was told to use the Castor oil for making cores.
That is my experience.
Check with your die maker. He might have a different formula...............
 
Lube for bullet making

Ian_Owen said:
I have been reading everything I can find about bullet making, when it comes to the lube people recommend I find most use Anhydrous Lanolin as one ingrediant.
While reading Warren Pages book I came across the following in "The Supremely Accurate Bullet" chapter, a write up on the niceties of bullet making by Mike Walker and Emory Tooley stated that the lanolin used should be "Hydrous Lanolin" as the Anhydrous type was much too stringy and difficult to use.

When I went looking for what the difference was I found that Anhydrous Lanoline contained less than 0.25% water and the Hydrous Lanoline contained from 25% to 30% sterile water, the advantages of the Hydrous type are "Hydration increases spreadability. Thus, whereas our anhydrous lanolin is ideal for small areas, this product is suitable for use on larger areas"

Can any bullet makers comment on this, has anyone used both types of lanolin?........Ian
Click to expand...


Ian

I'm a beginner so take my mixtures cautiously.

Core Lube--if you lube cores---15 cc of Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) in 16 oz of Lacquer paint thinner.
Dip the cores in this solution and then let air/sun dry for 1-2 hours .
Jacket Lube--
Australian Golden Lanolin (Anhydrous pharmaceutical grade)---5 parts
Pure Neatsfoot oil (Not the Compound)-----------------------1 part
Heat (Microwave ok) above until their easily mixed, then store until ready to use in air tight container
I use 4 grain of this mixture per 2000 jackets (0.790---6mm---J4 Jackets) tumbled in a clean Thumblers Tumbler for 20-30 minutes.

****Sometimes the jackets need more lube after core seating and before pointing up especially if more than a couple days between core seating and pointing up..Be very carefully here a little goes a long way when applying lube for the 2nd time.

The above works for me,
stole the receipts from other bullet makers

CLP
PS It helps to heat the jackets until warm-hot to touch (Ladies hair drier works well for this) before tumbling starts.
I'm sure you are starting with clean-washed cores and Jackets.
 
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Lube for bullet making

Ian_Owen said:
I have been reading everything I can find about bullet making, when it comes to the lube people recommend I find most use Anhydrous Lanolin as one ingrediant.
While reading Warren Pages book I came across the following in "The Supremely Accurate Bullet" chapter, a write up on the niceties of bullet making by Mike Walker and Emory Tooley stated that the lanolin used should be "Hydrous Lanolin" as the Anhydrous type was much too stringy and difficult to use.

When I went looking for what the difference was I found that Anhydrous Lanoline contained less than 0.25% water and the Hydrous Lanoline contained from 25% to 30% sterile water, the advantages of the Hydrous type are "Hydration increases spreadability. Thus, whereas our anhydrous lanolin is ideal for small areas, this product is suitable for use on larger areas"

Can any bullet makers comment on this, has anyone used both types of lanolin?........Ian
Click to expand...


Ian

I'm a beginner so take my mixtures cautiously.

Core Lube--if you lube cores---15 cc of Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) in 16 oz of Lacquer paint thinner.
Dip the cores in this solution and then let air/sun dry for 1-2 hours .
Jacket Lube--
Australian Golden Lanolin (Anhydrous pharmaceutical grade)---5 parts
Pure Neatsfoot oil (Not the Compound)-----------------------1 part
Heat (Microwave ok) above until their easily mixed, then store until ready to use in air tight container
I use 4 grain of this mixture per 2000 jackets (0.790---6mm---J4 Jackets) tumbled in a clean Thumblers Tumbler for 20-30 minutes.

****Sometimes the jackets need more lube after core seating and before pointing up especially if more than a couple days between core seating and pointing up..Be very carefully here a little goes a long way when applying lube for the 2nd time.

The above works for me,
stole the receipts from other bullet makers

CLP
PS It helps to heat the jackets until warm-hot to touch before tumbling starts
 
It seems the recommendation to use Anhydrous Lanolin came after Warren Pages book was published back in 1973, I have some lube that came with my dies but after re reading The Accurate Rifle and checking the different properties between Hydrous and Anhydrous Lanolin I was wondering why the recommendation became Anhydrous. I was also wondering if someone had used both and what they found.

CLP do you just put the jackets inside the Thumbler drum? I have also heard of heating the container the jackets are tumbled in which makes it easier to evenly coat the inside with lube............Ian
 
I made a million bullets and quit. Bought a little bitty squeeze bottle of some kind of red liquid lube and it worked as well as anhydrous lanolin and vaseline. Never used anything else and didn't feel I needed to change. Made the lube and kept it in some small jars I bought from U-Line. Didn't need near as many jars as the minimum order.

That useless rambling to say this - Probably doesn't matter which kind of lanolin you use but it does matter how much. Make a lifetime supply for you and a few others while you're at it and proclaim to the others..."This stuff is the best"
 
Thumbler Tumbler Drum

CLP do you just put the jackets inside the Thumbler drum? I have also heard of heating the container the jackets are tumbled in which makes it easier to evenly coat the inside with lube............Ian[/QUOTE]

Ian:

I have a 1 gallon paint can & lid that I modified to fit inside the tumbler(Just takes some slight bending) that I tumble with.
I smear the lube mixture around the walls of the can then insert can in tumbler, dump in hot jackets, close lids and your good to go.
The advantage is it is very easy to remove this can and clean after each tumbling process.
I was taught to always start with a clean tumbling container, if you don't you may have a residue of lube in the container, which could/will make your jacket lube amounts higher than you desire resulting in too much lube on the jackets.
I do not heat the gallon can or tumbler just the jackets.
The jackets are still warm when the tumbling process is over tho.
If you screw up and get too much lube on the jackets just wash them 2-3 times and start over.
Keep very-very-very good records.-You will be referring back to these records, especially when you make your perfect batch of bullets
You will want to remember---'HOW DID I DO THAT'.
CLP
 
Ian, my jacket lube is 5:1 (volume, not weight) anhydrous lanolin (5 parts) and pure neats foot oil (1 part). I heat and mix it double boiler style. I got this recipe from Randy Robinett. Don't heat it too quickly. Many neats foot oils have different compounds added to them. A good source of pure neats foot oil is Tandy Leather. Here's a link:

http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/search/searchresults/21998-00.aspx

I put my jackets in glass jars with the lube wiped about finger width down the length of the jar. Then the jar is turned 180 degrees and jackets are put in so no lube gets scooped into the open mouths of any jackets when they go into the jar. The jar goes into my Thumblers Tumbler drum, which is a rubber hexagon shape. The jar just bounces around in there. If your drum isn't like this, epoxy a lengthwise fin onto your glass jars to accomplish the same thing....you need some method to keep the jackets tumbling to get an even coat of lube on all exposed jacket surfaces. I don't like heating the lube as I've found traces of lube inside the jackets after trying this. Bad ju-ju, for sure.

Just my method, for what it's worth. As we say here in the Forbidden Zone: "It doesn't never not work.". Triple negative intended. ;)......

Good shootin'. -Al
 
Hi Ian and all,

FWIW we use a 50:50 mixture of lab grade Lanolin and Petroleum jelly (AKA Vaseline) purchased from the local pharmacy. Label says to add water so must be anhydrous.(we do not add water).

The one-pound jars/tubs are placed in the microwave until liquid then mixed in a suitable vessel. Mixed liquid is then poured into the original containers for use.

Our Lortone tumbler drum will conveniently hold a J-4 jacket bucket and volume or jackets sufficient to leave space for the lube to cover all.

We tumble for 20 minutes and this has worked well for our 5 year stint in the bullet-making game.

We weigh all Lube on wax paper and a Dillon digital bullet scale. Though we have a digital analytical balance accurate to 4 decimal places, we find the Dillon adequate for our operation.

Hope this helps!

Bill Scheider

www.fowlerbullets.com
 
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Cheap tumbler

An electric ice cream freezer works very well for lots of 1000. Find one tall enough to accomodate a big Mason jar. Don't use the can itself as you'll end up with something ugly when the jackets scob off the can coating. Load it up, stuff a rag in to keep the jar turning and from bouncing around and plug it in. Lean it over on something to effect 45 degrees slant and come back later.

You can also use it to make ice cream so I've heard.
 
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