mcawful

Howdy fellers,
I've read numerous posts on this forum discussing the merits and downfalls of various lubes and cleaning solutions.
I'm still new to the joys of muzzleloading and am eager to try variations of the tried and true storebought stuff.

So here's the thing, everyone that has a special recipe that works well for you, let's hear it.
Be concise and give the complete recipes and maybe, just maybe, we can get a compilation of these that work for you pinned to the top or something for others to enjoy and benefit from.
It really sucks trying to wade through all the past stuff trying to find Cayugad's recipe for moosemilk for example( which by the way I still can't find [:@]).
Don't worry that someone has posted something similar, maybe your's has an ingrediant or cooking step that others don't. So, lets hear them, from the complicated to the simplest recipes.
I eagerly await your input.

cayugad

Liquid Moosemilk[/b]
[ul][*]
3 ounces NAPA auto parts #765-1526 Soluble Cutting and Grinding Oil[/b][/align][*]
2 ounces Murphy's Oil soap[/b][/align][*]
1 ounce Witch Hazel[/b][/align][*]
8 ounces of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol[/b][/align][*]
16 ounces water[/b][/align][/ul]
this liquid patch lube is an excellent lube for patched roundball. I like to soak the strip of cloth and dry it on window screen. If you like more oil in your mix, simply increase the amount of cutting oil. Some like a lot of oil while others like very little. This is the mix I use.[/b]

[hr]
[/b]
[/b]
The following lubes are not mine, I make no claim to them but do use them. The liquid moosemilk and solid lube recipe are borrowed from a fellow named "Stumpkiller" off another forum. I tried them and liked the way they work, and have stuck with them until I find something I like better.[/b]
[/b]
Liquid Lube - Moose Milk[/b]
[/b]
[/b]
8 ounces of isopropyl alcohol
3 ounces of Castor Oil
4 ounces of Witch Hazel
16 ounces of tap water
1 ounce of Murphy’s Oil Soap

(make sure you mix the ingredients in the exact order they are listed)



[/b]
[/b]
Solid Lube Formula[/b]

2 ounces of Bees Wax
8 ounces of Castor Oil
1 ounce Murphy’s Oil Soap

Using a double boiler system, melt the bees wax. While keeping the wax liquid, heat the Castor oil with the double boiler also. Then mix the two together. Stir them together and while doing this a scum will form. You need to scrap the scum off the liquid. Once the scum is scraped off the mix, then add the Murphy’s Oil Soap and stir fast while it is melted. This will make a nice frothy appearance and very smooth. Pour the mix into containers and it will set up in a couple hours.

This mix will not break down in heat and is still usable in cold weather. It makes a great conical lube.

[hr]


Junior lube is a trademark lube I believe. The creator has a web site where he sells the lube for those that do not want the bother of making it. I have never used it but perhaps this week will make some up and try it out.

HOW TO MAKE JUNIOR LUBE[/b][/ul]
· exactly 3 fluid ozs of melted lard
· exactly 400 grs of solid beeswax [/b]
· exactly 100 grs of Alox solid bullet lube.[/b]

needed to keep the total volume of this new (and marvelous) Junior Lube to about 4 fluid ozs so it would fit in a medicine bottle [/b]
ought to use exactly 3 fluid ozs of liquid lard and the equivalent of about 1 fluid oz of liquid beeswax [/b]
should keep using exactly 100 grs of Alox bullet lube for consistency and because it's expensive. [/b][/ul]

[hr]


CLEANING SOLUTIONS

M.A.P. - is a mixture of;
20% Murphy's Oil Soap
40% Isopropyl Alcohol
40% Hydrogen Peroxide

The thing to remember anytime you use a solution with Hydrogen Peroxide is, it causes flash rusting in the barrel. It is a strong cleaner. You need to oil the bore ASAP after using it. I personally when I use it, then swab the barrel with a patch of something like Rusty Duck Black Off, just to remove the MAP. Then I oil the bore.

Swabbing Solution - 50/50 mix of isopropyl alcohol and car windshield washer fluid. It works great as a bore swab solution and a basic cleaning solution.

Isopropyl Alcohol - works as a swabbing solution when you experience problems with hangfires and misfires and also as a basic cleaner to remove oils and grim from the barrel. You can purchase large bottles of 71% solution at Wal Mart for around $1.00 and it works great.

Soap and Water - all too often we over look the most simple of cleaners and still to this day one of the most effective to remove black powder fowling. I like Dawn dish soap and water. Another is a cap full of liquid Spic & Span and a gallon of water.

lemoyne

For lubeing the gun I use synthic gun oil [the mechanism and the barrel clean with alk before shooting.
For conicals beeswax=1/3, tallow 1/3, alllox bullet lube 1/3.
as for sabots they say to use noting but I like to wipe them off with monofiliment lube, I put a little on a rag and just run it over them lightly befor I load or if for hunting before I put them in the quick loader. Lee

gleason.chapman

Wow, thanks for your wisdom Cayugad.I think it easier to just buy rusty duck or alcohol and Windshield Washer fluid. Why are these better than what you can buy? Chap Gleason

mcawful

I remember reading a post about a week ago concerning a neutrogena soap mixture as a lube. Can't find it now. Anyone remember that?
Anyone got it?
Lee, when you're talking tallow, do you just mean lard? Or something else?

cayugad

Rusty Duck Black Off is some good stuff. I bought out all Wal Mart had this season. I only got eight bottles, but it should last me a while. No, these other things are not better. They are cheaper probably, but not better. Actually my favorite store brand cleaners besides Rusty Duckare Butch's Black Powder Bore Shine and Birchwood Casey #77. They really work good.

nchawkeye

For cleaning between shots, I just run a couple of damp patches sprayed with rubbing alcohol...

A solution I used when I shot competition alot was rubbing alcohol, Murphy's Oil Soap and Hydrogen Peroxide...equal parts of each, don't store in a glass bottle, as it will build up pressure and bust it...I quit using after awhile because I heard (somewhere on the net) that the peroxide might promote rust...

For a lube, I just use SnoSeal for my patches.

SHills

TC#13 borecleaner between shots and @ the end of the day only in my inlines.

TC bore butter on my patches, though I haven't shot round ball in yrs., Natural lube on thehornady pa pellets. Also put on a dry patch and run thorough the bore @ the end of the season.

boiling hot water w/soap and for BP in my TC Hawken @ the end of the day.

I never tried alcohol but I will try it w/blue windshield fluid. I need something cheap and good. The snoseal is pretty neat too. Never thought of it. I believe it has lots of bees wax too.. Never tried Crisco but when i started out I lived in FL and 90 degree+ days would not have worked out...TC bore butter turned liquid @ times..
SHills

mcawful

Exactly the reason I wanted to get others recipes. I'm using BB right now on my patches and have tried it for a REAL bullet lube, but just the heat from my fingers seems to dissolve it, can't imagine when the weather turns warm.
Seems to work great as a patch lube, if a bit on the messy side while working it in.
I made some of the moose milk last night and have already seen how much easier of a patch lube it will be. I wet down 2 strips of ticking and left them to dry, checked them this morning and when you rub it between your fingers, you can feel the oil. But not wet enough to be a problem. Also went to the store and got 1/2 dozen little spritzer bottles and filled one with it for my shooting bag.
I also picked up a jar of SnoSeal, and a jar of Campdry Beeswax waterproofer. Has anyone tried the Campdry stuff? It says the ingredients are beeswax and lanolin. After rubbing a little on a patch, though, it may be just as messy as BB.
I also made some of the hard lube you posted, Cayugad, and have already converted. After casting about 50 of the 320 gr REAL bullets, I lubed them with that stuff after they had cooled and, man what a difference from the BB. I like this stuff. The only problem here is finding the castor oil. I hit 2 grocery stores and 2 drugstores before I found some. Bought all 4 bottles.
That was enough to make one batch of moosemilk and one batch of the hard lube.
The beeswax was easier to find tthan the castor oil, lol.

mcawful

Found this one on the web:

The following formula is from one of Paul A. Matthews’ book, How-To’s for the Black Powder Cartridge Rifle Shooter. He says it gives excellent results. Paul says “It will not melt in the sun, yet continues to give good performance when freezing temperatures are in the single digits. It is very soft and sticky and has a bad habit of sticking to your fingers instead of the bullet when you seat the bullet in the cartridge case. It also turns dark with exposure, but this in no way impairs its effectiveness. For my money, despite these few minor faults, it is one superb bullet lubricant for use in the black powder cartridge rifle.” This lubricant works great in a lubrisizer. It is not suitable for pan lubing. Probably the simplest way to make the lube is to mix an 8-ounce batch in a microwave oven.
Basic recipe:
Yellow beeswax 2 parts (ounces avdp.)
Pure neatsfoot oil 1 part (fluid ounces)
Murphy’s Oil Soap 1 part (fluid ounces)
1. Fully melt 4 ounces of beeswax in a Pyrex measuring cup.
2. Thoroughly stir in 2 fluid ounces of pure neatsfoot oil until there are no lumps. Do not use neatsfoot compound.
3. Add 2 fluid ounces of Murphy’s Oil Soap and continue to stir until all lumps are gone.
4. Pour into container and allow to harden.
5. For 8 lbs. of lubricant use 4 lbs. of beeswax, 1 qt. each of Neetsfoot oil and Murphy’s Oil Soap.
Note: You may notice that as soon as the Murphy’s Oil Soap is added, the mixture turns a light cream color. It may also boil up violently when the soap is first added. This is caused by a chemical reaction of caustic soda in the soap, an action known as saponification, which significantly raises the melting point of the mixture and gives it a smooth, soapy texture.