casting lube

It's cold outside, so I decided to do a little work in the garage. I been meaning to make up a little mold to cast my homemade lube into sticks, so I did. Cut some 1" thick wall PVC tubing to 5" length. Drilled a 2x4 to hold the tubing in place. All looked well until I tried to get the lube out of the tube. I can say for sure this is NOT the optimal way to do it. I tried freezing to get differential contraction, but physics wasn't on my side. Finally used the head gun to warm up the PVC (which is NOT an efficient heat conductor).

In the end, I got 8 nice sticks of lube, but it wasn't easy.

I'm thinking of trying 1" copper pipe next.

Anyone have useful experience in "casting" lube into sticks?

thanks
-john

I think there have been several discussions on this if you do a search. I think one was with copper. I suggested cutting the PVC in half and using hose clamps to secure it, but that was also poo poo'd as someone had tried it, and the lube leaked out. I am wondering if the PVC is thick enough to cut a groove down the seam and put a round rubber seal in it, like O-ring material.

Agree with 94Doug on doing a search. IIRC one of the threads mentioned using soapy dishwater to dip the PVC tubes in before pouring the melted lube. Same thread stated to use a piece of 3/8" or 1/2" PVC pipe for a center, using a jig made from a piece of wood for a holder/stand for the tubes while pouring lube.

The solution is actually quite easy. Purchase a spray can of silicon from your local hardware store and spray the inside of the PVC tubes prior to pouring. The sticks will slide out very easily once they have cooled. I have been doing this for decades with no fail.

I keep mine in a small bullion container, my wife gets the stuff at Costco. I microwave it when the sizer gets low and pour it in until the levels look right. It would not work for selling lube but it is great for filling a sizer.

I let mine sit for a few days, and they popped right out..But it's easier to buy the lube from Lar45..

I use this method all the time except that I use 6in PVC for my Star. I use foil on the bottom to hold the lube in place while it cools. Got in a hurry one day and left off the foil, turned around for more lube and then wondered why the pvc was empty! Ha! Ha! Next spray the inside of the pvc with a cheap cooking spray. The olive oil works great but the wife made me quit using hers. After waiting for the lube to set I use a 1 in wooden dowel rod to pop them out. They come right out, no problem.

Other than the satisfaction of seeing nice sticks of lube, I never saw the point; I keep mine in a tupperware tub, melt in the microwave and pour into the lubesizer as needed.

However I make my own candles and from that experience would say that most candle molds have a slight taper to them to allow them to release easily- the bottom of the mold is slightly narrower than the top. They are also made of acrylic plastic, not PVC.

I would guarantee that there are candle molds the proper diameter for a lube stick. That plus a plastic dowel down the center would sure do the trick, and no question of release then.

How about using silicone as a seal?

If you are making your own lube why cast it into sticks in the first place? I use a cheap second hand store small sauce pan on a hot plate to heat and melt the lube, then I use a funnel made from cutting off the top of a 2 liter pop bottle to pour it in the lubersizer. I toss the funnel after use and let the pan cool then put it in a gallon ziplock bag to protect it from dirt and dust until next time. You should be careful about using a hot plate to melt the lube, keep the heat way down so you don't over heat the lube or it could catch fire. I don't use a microwave anymore after it left a bad smell in it, and alox is toxic. Be sure to let the lube cool completely in your Star luberrsizer before putting in the plunger or you will squirt sticky lube out the vent hole! Ask me how I know!

I agree with the gentleman about the use of silcon spray which works great. I have also used liquid dishwashing soap on a 12 ga. shotgun mop to coated the inside of the PVC tubes. Both methods work very well.

I have my PVC tubes cut to 4.5" in length, put a 1 1/4 " washer on a 3/8" bolt that is 5" long followed by a 1" washer. The 1 " washer just makes a slip fit into the bottom of the tube when the bolt is inserted making a fairly good seal at the bottom. When I start to pour in the hot lube I only pour a small amount into each tube which will solidify immediately then wait 5 minutes to cool. At this point I fill all 16 tubes and about an hour later they slide out perfectly.

To answer Jonk, If I make my lube in sticks then when the Star runs out it's quick to change. No stopping to heat lube,pour into sizer, wait for lube to cool. Using the air cylinder on the Star takes less than about 4 minutes to refill and keep lubing. My wife also makes candles and has some metal molds that if not sprayed with a mold release will not give up the candles. She also uses beeswax as a base. Your method works for you and thats great but each one of us has a different way of getting the results needed. For me, the sticks are easier to use in a casting session. I also have a clamp over the hole on my Star so that I can use the longer 6 in sticks. The boolits that I cast have a huge lube groove for shooting the HOLY BLACK and use loads of lube. I picked up that trick from Springfield Slim on this site.

thinks CAJUN SHOOTER i to make 6 " sticks and wondered what to do about the vent hole. before i got the air cylinder i use to get air traped in the lube and it took a little while for it to get out. now i am using the magma air cylinder and do not get air in the lube. i can not see any difference in the lubing when i add a new stick. i am buying the com. 2x6" sticks then remelt them to make my 1x6" stick. it is a lots cheeper. thanks again for the pipe clamp idea.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cajun shooter

To answer Jonk, If I make my lube in sticks then when the Star runs out it's quick to change. No stopping to heat lube,pour into sizer, wait for lube to cool. Using the air cylinder on the Star takes less than about 4 minutes to refill and keep lubing. My wife also makes candles and has some metal molds that if not sprayed with a mold release will not give up the candles. She also uses beeswax as a base. Your method works for you and thats great but each one of us has a different way of getting the results needed. For me, the sticks are easier to use in a casting session. I also have a clamp over the hole on my Star so that I can use the longer 6 in sticks. The boolits that I cast have a huge lube groove for shooting the HOLY BLACK and use loads of lube. I picked up that trick from Springfield Slim on this site.

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Well with a star that woudl make a lot of sense. For my RCBS unit it would take a lot of time (and it does!) to empty the lube resevoir. Maybe need to fill it once every 3 months. I personally pan lube my BPCR so it isn't an issue with the sizer, but can easily imagine how quickly that would go through a tube of lube.

In any case, metal candle molds went out of style with... hmm. Well in the 60s anyhow. :-P Modern ones require no release agent but if you are talking about casting up tons of lube at a time, I might caution against the candle molds. Yes they would work great if you got one of the right diameter but it would get expensive to buy a bunch- or would be very slow with one- to cast the amoutn you need.

So if we're going with PVC, what I'd personally do is get a chunk of it and cut it into lube stick lengths, then do a taper bevel to one end to achieve the same idea as the candle mold. It will make release a whole lot easier. I'd also thread one end and have a plunger (a washer would work great) inserted under the thread cap- so when done you can unthread the end, then just press on the washer to force the stick out.

How about wax paper? Anybody tried that?

Thanks for your thoughts. I didn't intend to stir up a nest of dissention.

I will try the release agent route -- oil or soap -- next time round. And copper tubing.

This was an experiement using just what I had in the garage. I learned a little from it, and a little more from you more experienced folks. Learning and sharing is one of the better things about this hobby.

Thanks again
-john

I go the "other" route and pan lube. SO....I just cast mine into ingots with the muffin pans. When the pan starts getting a little low, I throw in an ingot or two.