Caster oil: 2 cycle racing blend

JonB

Halcyon member
Soon, I'll be making a new batch of SL68B bullet lube.

5 years ago, I was given a 10 oz sample of "GREEN LABEL" Blendzall caster oil.
https://www.amazon.com/Blendzall-Racing-Castor-Lube-Cycle/dp/B005UGH016#customerReviews
I kind of forgot about it, til I found it yesterday, during some reloading room cleaning.
This morning I transfered this oil from the plastic soda-pop bottle is was shipped in, to better suited/labeled metal (Seafoam) container.
It is clear like the drug store caster oil, and has a same/similar viscosity.

I'm asking for opinions:
Do you think the additives in Blendzall will have a positive or negative or negligible effect, in comparison to Drug store caster oil, in a Soap lube?

from Blendzall's website:
A premium racing lubricant using only the finest degummed castor oil as its base, Blendzall's proprietary additives form chemical "hooks" that bond to metal surfaces. A special blending catalyst makes Blendzall the only racing castor to mix permanently and perfectly with gasoline and methanol
 

Ian

Notorious member
Probably better, but there's so little that a fraction of a percent "gum" in the drugstore stuff is no big deal. At a certain point we're discussing how many faeries can dance on the head of a pin.

The "special blending catalyst" is probably naptha, I'd let it evaporate out before using the Blendzall as a substitute. The "chemical hook" thing sounds like marketing wank, castor oil wets hot metal and clings extremely well on its own, which is why we use it.
 

Eutectic

Active Member
I've about quit with Castor Oil additions...... Even in small %'s. Cold starts are tougher to control and intermittent purge fliers seem more in the same exact load and components except for lube. And I'm not sure polybutene may not follow in its footsteps!

Pete
 

Ian

Notorious member
I'm pretty much done with polybutene too (one of the reasons I prefer to make my own metal soap grease component), but I haven't found anything like castor oil to handle the boundary conditions near the muzzle in full-power rifle loads, nor handle heat fade, so it stays in my formulas. I think Barn, Jon, and I are pretty happy with SL-68B and SL-71B for most sane weather usage, not sure we'll ever find a lube that suits us all from minus 20 to plus 120!
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
airc the poly was used to keep the castor from building up in the engines.
it acted as a scrubbing agent.
 

JonB

Halcyon member
SNIP...

The "special blending catalyst" is probably naptha, I'd let it evaporate out before using the Blendzall as a substitute.
Wouldn't Naptha get cooked out while getting the oils, wax and soap it up to 460º ?
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
it could also have been used as a solvent to break things down so they could mix together better.

it would be similar to when I use mineral spirits to break down other oils for a soap lube.
it just helps smooth everything out and then it acts as a temperature indicator by 'steaming' off at about 350-F.
when I see that happen I know everything is about to break down and i can get the other ingredients ready to mix together..