Shelf life and storage for homemade lube ?

[mandoman]

Thinking of making my own black powder lube, beeswax, crisco and parafin. How to store and what is the shelf life before it goes rancid or grows mold ?

[ljutic SS]

I have several sticks of lube I made 8 years come this fall as good as when I poured them. I made a mold 13/16 OD. with a core pin 3/8 ID. I pour the mix in the mold and let cool, then push out for the RCBS lubrisizer. I make solid sticks for my Star sizer. Stay away from the parafin wax, its a byproduct of crude oil. I use bees wax, olive oil, and lanolin. I wrap my lube sticks with saran wrap to keep fresh.
 
                                                              George

[Will52100]

Nothing wrong with paraffin in the lube mix.  I use bee's wax, mutton tallow, and paraffin.  Works outstanding as a black powder lube and doesn't do bad for smokless eigther.  As good as any and better than most I've tried.  I prefere the mutton tallow, get it from Dixie gun works, it's got lanolin and seems a bit slicker than crisco or olive oil.  I've never had mine to go bad, this latest batch I've been using for over 5 years.  I do somtimes over heat it a bit I think and when it starts looking a little to stiff I add a little more mutton tallow to the mix.  Paraffin is one of the few petroleum products that won't turn to asphalt with black powder.

I forgot to mention that I pan lube and use the double broiler method and sometimes get it a bit hotter than I think I should.

[45454]

Might try the anti-jihad mix:beeswax and lard (pig fat).
Armour has bricks of the stuff.
Made some several days ago.Looks promising.