plumber's wax for revolvers???

[David Yossi Snellen]

Gentlemen,
With the cost of wonder wads being so expensive, and crisco melting out on the second or third shot,  what do y'all think about plumber's wax ( like the seal for toliets).  It seems like it wouldn't melt and would seal well.  What do y'all think?
David

[melsdad]

I think the wax ring for a toilet would be very hard to clean, not that it wouldn't work though. Maybe just experiment with it.

Give this a try it should do the trick for you. This recipe will lube hundreds of patches.

Stumpy's Moose Snot

A premium multi-shot between wiping (10+) patch lube stable over a wide temperature range.
SPECIFICALLY designed for use of patched round balls in a loading block

Beeswax 2 oz.
Castor Oil 8 oz.
Murphy's Oil Soap 1 oz.


Heat beeswax in a soup can set a pot of water. ( A double-boiler. I keep my beeswax in a one pound coffee can and measure out what I need by melting it and pouring it into measuring cups). Add just enough water so the inner can does not begin to float (should be just short of the lube level in the can). Heat the water to a low boil. In a separate can, add the castor oil and Murphy's oil soap (cold). Once the beeswax is melted, swap the castor oil can in the pot of water for the beeswax. Add the beeswax to the oils. It will clump up. Stir with an ice tea spoon as the mixture heats up. When it fully melts there will be a scum that floats to the top and just won't mix in. Be patient. DO NOT COOK THE MIXTURE. Once the solids are dissolved there is no need to heat further. Skim the scum off. Remove the mix from the heat and wipe the water off the outside (so it won't drip into the container when you pour it out). FINAL TOP SECRET STEP: Add a teaspoon of Murphy's Oil Soap and stir vigorously. This last step makes the lube frothy and smooth - really adds to the appearance; though it doesn't seem to matter to the function of the lube. Clamp the can in the jaws of a vice-grip pliers and pour into the waiting tins. Allow to cool a half hour.

Note: it if is a hinged tin - line the edge that has the hinges with a strip of aluminum foil so it doesn't ooze out before it cools.

[R.M.]

I've been buying felt in bulk, and cutting my own wads. Then I dip them into my home-brew lube. There's various methods of cutting wads. Automotive supply shops carry cheap simple gasket punches that work well. I get my felt on-line here.  http://www.durofelt.com/index.html
If you'd like more information, don't be afraid to ask.

[Voyageur]

[David Yossi Snellen]

Gentlemen,
Thanks for the help.
RM, what do you use on the wads?  Wonderwads are up past 5.00 per hundred!!
Thanks,
David

[R.M.]

Mostly I'll melt beeswax, bore-butter, and olive-oil together, then just dip one side of the wad to the surface of the melt. It'll suck up more than enough, then lay them out on some wax paper.
I've tried various mixtures, and I feel that one's as effective as the other for revolvers.

[David Yossi Snellen]

Dear R.M.,
Thanks for the help.  I have to do something to cut cost.
I really appreciate it.
David

[Gordon H.Kemp]

FWIW, as I understand it , the rings made for many years were mostly bees-wax, this is no longer the case. I would go with the home grown wads as RM says.

[Uncle Russ]

FWIW, as I understand it , the rings made for many years were mostly bees-wax, this is no longer the case. I would go with the home grown wads as RM says.

I think Gordy is dead on about "toilet rings" being made a bit differently today.
Many of today's rings have some kind of petroleum in them, and they will make a mess of things in short order, when used as a patch / bullet lube........I would be very careful in the selection of the rings I bought today, as I don't know how to differentiate between the good ones and the ones with a petroleum base.

Just a few thoughts on lube for those who may be interested;
A 1# block of Bees Wax is about $7 or $8 in my neck of the woods, if, and when I beat the Candle Makers to the supply.....and a full one pound block will last a Long time...if ya can keep your buddies out of it. :shock:

Many of the oils work great, such as mink oil.   And many of the rendered animal fats make some of the best lubes available for our uses.
I suspect the bottom line of all this is you don't have to go broke buying lube...it's all around us.

One of the best, most inexpensive lubes, I have ever used is a hand cleaner found at about every Auto Parts store.
It is made by Permatex, and cost about $2.00 for a large 1# can. It is lanolin based, and very user friendly when it comes time for clean up....to use this you melt it with a hair dryer, drop your patches in it, about 40 or 50 at a time, remove them and place the stack of patches between two wooden boards in a vise. Tighten the vise and squeeze the patches dry...put 'em in your patch can and they will last for years.
I know one old timer who has used nothing but this for the past 20 or so years, and anytime he is on the firing line he is a major threat! His name is Doc Crast, and some of you may know him from Friendship.

And of course there is the old reliable "spit-patch" that is readily available to all of us. The trick to using the spit patch is having it damp, not soaking wet.
Since I am a long time friend of Mr. Red Man, when I am outside, and away from Mama Bear...I have decided that spit patchin is just not for me, although there are times when I do use them.
However, They do work great!

[David Yossi Snellen]

Dear RussB,
Is that for pistols?
I use spit patch or crisco for my rifles, but I have used wonderwads for my revolvers.  I used to use crisco, but it melts after the 2nd or 3 shot, plus, I have misfires if I don't cap off inbetween cylinder reloadings.  The wonderwads work well, but are pricey.  Does your mixture work for revolvers?
David

[Uncle Russ]

I'm sorry, David.
You are right. It is for rifles, and your question was about revolvers.

It seems that the closer to age 70 I get, the more of these kinds of mistakes I make!

On my revolvers, and I only have a couple C&B, I shoot an oversize ball...one that shaves a nice "ring" on each ball as I load it. I load that over the powder, and if I am going to use a wad, I use a veggie wad from Walters that has been lubed with Mink Oil.

The only reason I choose Mink Oil over the other available lubes is because that is where I started, and that's what I lube the cylinder pin with, and if it ain't broke I don't like to go fix'n on it.
I'm of the opinion that any good lube on a OP wad would probably work just as well. I do think a lubed wad will allow you to shoot a bit more without cleaning.

I am not for any of the "over the ball" lubes, as they are said to prevent flash back, or chain fires, and that is not how a chain fire happens.

Chain fires, IMO, happen from the cap end...a loose cap comes off a spark gets back there, and that cylinder fires....
To prevent this I use only #10 caps. Caps that are nice and tight on the nipple, and a over-sized ball.

Back in my younger days I have had chain-fires...several of them. But, they were on inexpensive revolvers that I had bought from the Rod & Gun Clubs of Germany, revolvers that were made cheap, most were made in Spain, and normally sold back in the 1960's for $25 to $30....they were loose, poorly fitted, and made more for lookin than shootin.

Sorry about gettin off track with that lube business for rifles.

[David Yossi Snellen]

No problem at all.
So, for making your own cylinder wonder wad style wads....
full and explicit details would be appreciated- even the size of cutter.
Thanks again,
david

[R.M.]

For a cutter, I've devised several types. The shim punch is the cheapest and easiest, but slowest. I have taken an MT steel .45 ACP case, drilled the primer pocket out to 3/16, inserted a #10 screw from the inside, added a nut, then chucked it in the drill press and run it fairly fast and cut the felt that way. Trouble here is, you need to keep sharpening it somehow, and dig the wads out of the inside of the case. Still slow.
What I'm doing now is I bought a Lee .457 push-through sizing die, and cut/ground the lead-in off of the threaded end, so the hole is not tapered any more.  I ground the push-pin off flat and sharp across the face, and then use this in a single-stage reloading press to cut the felt. It helps if you can clamp the press upside-down (there's not a lot of stress) to your bench. This way, you can see the hole and line up your felt strip easier.
Clear as mud EH. Opps,  there's the Canuck coming out again.

Now, I'll take a fine set of tweezers, and lightly dip the wads into my melted concoction, and set them out to set up on a piece of wax paper.
You should have guessed by now that these wads are for a .44/45 cal revolver. If I could have got a larger Lee die, I would have. For .36, I'd go with something around .375 if I could find one. Felt will squash down very easily.
I think I bought the 1/8 medium hardness felt. I've wondered about the hard felt, but haven't tried that yet.

Hope this gets you steered in the right direction. Should I have you totally confused by now, don't be afraid to ask. That's what we're here for.

[David Yossi Snellen]

I appreciate that.  I figure anything to save some money these days....
Thanks for the detailed information!
David

[Uncle Russ]

A cartridge case is a wonderful little tool for cutting wads.

Like Bob, I use old cases quite a bit. I normally drill the primer pocket to fit the largest nail I have on hand. I reverse that nail, with the head facing the case mouth (to push out the wads once you fill the case.)  I use a flat piece of metal on the nail head, and just tap it with a hammer to cut the felt which is on a wooden surface.
I have one particular old 45-70 case that has cut no fewer than several thousand felt, and cardboard wads, and with the exception of being about 1/2" shorter, from sharpening the outside edges, it still looks pretty good. (I use cardboard, or Milk carton wads when shooting BPCR.)

You can normally buy a very "workable" old felt like hat at Garage Sales, Flea Markets, Thrift Shops, Goodwill, etc. for just pennies on the dollar, and you will be pleasantly surprised at just how many felt wads you can get from a old $2 hat!