Alternative to Ballistol? - Page 2

Road_Clam · February 8, 2020, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dyl

Has anyone tried adding something to Ballistol to make it smell better or smell less?
Any alternatives?

There is no alternatives. Ballistol smells like 6 month old sweaty athletic socks that have never been washed .

Put the stuff in the very back of your chemical storage shelf, and make up a batch of Murph's Mix . Works awesome , smells good.

Catman42 · February 12, 2020, 03:44 PM

mix machinist cutting oil and antfreeze and water. will do anything ballistol will do and smell better.

rodwhaincamo · February 12, 2020, 08:02 PM

Doesn’t sound like it would be good for wood or leather. Is it?

dyl · February 13, 2020, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Doesn’t sound like it would be good for wood or leather. Is it?

The bottles of Ballistol all say it's "good for" leather and wood. But what I've found to be more accurate is that it doesn't penetrate leather or wood as much as some other oils. I could be wrong, but Ballistol doesn't seem to creep and seep into the nooks and crannies as much as some other thinner oils I have.

That being said, I've read that oil is unfinished leather's enemy. Same with wood. So maybe "can be used on" rather than "is good for" is more accurate. Please correct me if I'm wrong folks.

Carriertxv · February 13, 2020, 12:54 AM

I use Ballistol on my work boots all the time. It will darken them but any other boot protectors I have tried do the same thing.

gwpercle · February 13, 2020, 11:37 AM

Guy's Mike Venturino's formula for black powder cleaner is this :

1 - 22 oz. bottle Windex w/ Vinegar (it's clear in color)
1 - 1 gallon , clean , empty plastic jug with screw on cap.
Water as needed.

Pour the Windex Vinegar into the gallon jug and fill with water...shake a couple times to mix . Do not use Windex with ammonia in it (not sure why)

SC Johnson still makes the clear Windex w/ Vinegar , our wally mart stocks it sometimes but you can order it through wally mart and pick it up at the store ...no shipping charge .

This is the original version ...seems most people forget about the water and use it full strength . That's not correct .
I pour some back in the spay bottle and use it to spray on the outside to clean off BP grunge .
Oh....it doesn't have that funky wet dog smell either ! Mixed with water it has very little smell .
Gary

Driftwood Johnson · March 1, 2020, 10:39 AM

Quote:

That being said, I've read that oil is unfinished leather's enemy. Same with wood. So maybe "can be used on" rather than "is good for" is more accurate. Please correct me if I'm wrong folks.

Oil is bad for wood?

Wherever did you hear that?

In an earlier life I made my living as a woodworker.

I used oil finishes all the time.

Nodak1858 · March 1, 2020, 01:28 PM

I'm thinking he's meaning if a stock is soaked in petroleum oil, motor oil, gun oil, ect to the point of being saturated. Not an oil finish applied on the surface.
I have no issues using Ballistol on the metal, but I would avoid it on leather. Many products make the leather "too lubed" and they begin to stretch out or rots the stitches. A collector piece of leather I would leave as is, I wouldn't be using it if it had great value.

thallub · March 1, 2020, 03:05 PM

i've used Windex with vinegar to clean my black powder guns for many years.

Windex with vinegar contains about three percent vinegar and i use it full strength. It neutralizes black powder residue and residues from firing Triple Seven, Pyrodex and the APP powders, which are base material. Sometimes you can see it fizz.

1. At the range i swab the bore with a patch wet with Windex with vinegar.

2. At home the bore is dry patched followed with a patch wet with tap water.

3. The bore is dry patched .

4. The bore is swabbed with a patch moist with WD-40.

Windex with vinegar eats up the Triple Seven crud ring.

Old Stony · March 2, 2020, 09:52 AM

I always mix some Murphy's oil soap in with my Windex for patch lube and for cleaning. Been doing it for years and it works just fine....and sure doesn't smell like Ballistol !!

Pahoo · March 2, 2020, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Has anyone tried adding something to Ballistol to make it smell better or smell less? Any alternatives?

??????????

Pahoo · March 2, 2020, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Has anyone tried adding something to Ballistol to make it smell better or smell less? Any alternatives?

Ballistol serves me well and it looks like most folks are only taking exception, to the smell. If so, then don't use it; plain water works well. …..

Ballistol, has cleaning/preservative properties that I have not been able to equal with other products. Here is my use of Ballistol;
1) I only use it on my ML's and nothing else.
2) I mix it 50/50 with mineral spirits and does reduce the smell
3) I Only spray is in the field and let the M/L sit for a day or two.
4) On the bench, I dip a Q-Tip from a closed bottle Or dampen a patch.
5) Mixing it with water, does not reduce the smell. Save water for drinking?

Be Safe

maillemaker · March 2, 2020, 02:25 PM

Honestly if you don't like using Ballistol then you can just clean with soapy water and then follow up with the oil of your choice.

I happen to like Ballistol because it cuts black powder fouling and it is also an oil. I typically clean with soapy water, dry with compressed air, and then follow up with a wipe-down of Ballistol which gets anything I missed and oils the gun up.

In fact you can clean with plain old water and no soap if you are pressed.

Steve

Deltadart · March 3, 2020, 11:34 PM

Shot my 3rd model Dragoon today. Used a 25% Ballistol water mix to clean with, followed with straight Ballistol as a final wipe down. The mix was warmed on the wood burning stove in the shop, worked just fine, cleans quickly and the odor of the Ballistol still doesn't bother me. I am going to try the homemade mix and see how well that works.

March 1, 2020, 01:28 PM	#33
Nodak1858 Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2009 Location: N. Dakota Posts: 435	I'm thinking he's meaning if a stock is soaked in petroleum oil, motor oil, gun oil, ect to the point of being saturated. Not an oil finish applied on the surface. I have no issues using Ballistol on the metal, but I would avoid it on leather. Many products make the leather "too lubed" and they begin to stretch out or rots the stitches. A collector piece of leather I would leave as is, I wouldn't be using it if it had great value. __________________ We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.

February 12, 2020, 03:44 PM	#27
Catman42 Member Join Date: September 15, 2019 Posts: 78	mix machinist cutting oil and antfreeze and water. will do anything ballistol will do and smell better.

February 12, 2020, 08:02 PM	#28
rodwhaincamo Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,246	Doesn’t sound like it would be good for wood or leather. Is it?

February 13, 2020, 12:54 AM	#30
Carriertxv Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2013 Posts: 268	I use Ballistol on my work boots all the time. It will darken them but any other boot protectors I have tried do the same thing.

February 13, 2020, 11:37 AM	#31
gwpercle Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2012 Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana Posts: 1,752	Guy's Mike Venturino's formula for black powder cleaner is this : 1 - 22 oz. bottle Windex w/ Vinegar (it's clear in color) 1 - 1 gallon , clean , empty plastic jug with screw on cap. Water as needed. Pour the Windex Vinegar into the gallon jug and fill with water...shake a couple times to mix . Do not use Windex with ammonia in it (not sure why) SC Johnson still makes the clear Windex w/ Vinegar , our wally mart stocks it sometimes but you can order it through wally mart and pick it up at the store ...no shipping charge . This is the original version ...seems most people forget about the water and use it full strength . That's not correct . I pour some back in the spay bottle and use it to spray on the outside to clean off BP grunge . Oh....it doesn't have that funky wet dog smell either ! Mixed with water it has very little smell . Gary

March 1, 2020, 03:05 PM	#34
thallub Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Location: South Western OK Posts: 3,112	i've used Windex with vinegar to clean my black powder guns for many years. Windex with vinegar contains about three percent vinegar and i use it full strength. It neutralizes black powder residue and residues from firing Triple Seven, Pyrodex and the APP powders, which are base material. Sometimes you can see it fizz. 1. At the range i swab the bore with a patch wet with Windex with vinegar. 2. At home the bore is dry patched followed with a patch wet with tap water. 3. The bore is dry patched . 4. The bore is swabbed with a patch moist with WD-40. Windex with vinegar eats up the Triple Seven crud ring.

March 2, 2020, 09:52 AM	#35
Old Stony Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2013 Location: East Texas Posts: 1,705	I always mix some Murphy's oil soap in with my Windex for patch lube and for cleaning. Been doing it for years and it works just fine....and sure doesn't smell like Ballistol !!

March 2, 2020, 02:25 PM	#38
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	Honestly if you don't like using Ballistol then you can just clean with soapy water and then follow up with the oil of your choice. I happen to like Ballistol because it cuts black powder fouling and it is also an oil. I typically clean with soapy water, dry with compressed air, and then follow up with a wipe-down of Ballistol which gets anything I missed and oils the gun up. In fact you can clean with plain old water and no soap if you are pressed. Steve

March 3, 2020, 11:34 PM	#39
Deltadart Senior Member Join Date: April 26, 2015 Location: Washington State Posts: 286	Shot my 3rd model Dragoon today. Used a 25% Ballistol water mix to clean with, followed with straight Ballistol as a final wipe down. The mix was warmed on the wood burning stove in the shop, worked just fine, cleans quickly and the odor of the Ballistol still doesn't bother me. I am going to try the homemade mix and see how well that works.