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Thinking out loud (I know, dangerous).
It’s the winter of 1886/87 and you are sitting around the bunkhouse, barn, or tack shed. The cattle are dying, you’re bored, and the foreman has told you to tend to the tools of the trade. You’re dealing with saddles, bridles and other leather; and wood and metal on wheels, axles, axes, shovels, picks, and other equipment; maybe some canvass.
You’ve got neatsfoot oil, kerosene, grease and . . .? What else do you have have laying around in your average ranch out west back then?
You see that 66 in the corner and it looks like it could use a quick rub down. What do the old guys tell you to use? On the wood? On the metal? Both?
Thoughts? Ideas?
Gun oil was a common item available in most hardware, gun shop and general stores, long before 1886. It would have been a necessary item on most any ranch of that ear, here in Montana.
Well this is something I’m somewhat currently researching along with the Reloading Tools.
The earliest I’ve found Winchester Brand “Gun Grease” is 1891.
But that maybe just a branding thing. The 1875 Catalog discusses using Beef Tallow & Japan Was for lubing bullets.
The 1878 Catalog lists Lubricants per 1,000 at $1.00 and Lubricating Material per LB at .50 cents.
Then next the 1879 Catalog list Lubricants per 1,000 at .35 cents and per LB at .35 cents.
So Winchester had been selling Lubricants for a while. Plus I’m sure there was a variety of things out there available that we no longer use.
Whale Oil comes to mind! 
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
What, of all those things (or any not yet mentioned), do think a man might have slopped on the wood when it got to looking dry or worn?
I would think for specifically wood they would of used the old type Wood Turpentine and not the modern petroluem based Turpentine. Also Tung Oil would / could have been used and has been around a very long time. China had been using Tung Oil for protecting wood and waterproofing wood for 2500 years.
Now I’m not sure if these would have specifically used for dry looking and or worn wood.
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
Hmmm. Thanks for the wood turpentine idea. Never heard of it.
I’ve heard that those old brown/black mining buildings that you see around that are not gray from the sun were actually painted with kerosene. Maybe it was wood turpentine too? Not sure which one dries out or if they both do. I know kerosene will not stay oily for long. Some things stay “wet”, like neatsfoot oil and that would not be good on wood. It’s mainly for leather. We used to do our saddles and tack with it and anything more than a light wipe would leave you with sloppy, stretchy leather.
I’m thinking they would have used anything they used on their regular hand tools that worked, and which was cheap.
Most any kind of oil will make dry wood look better. Years of over saturation can cause the wood to look black. A light coat then wipe off the excess won’t do this.
Found this interesting! Not specific to wood preservation, but it reminded me where I saw different types of lubrication of the period, after re-reading some old stuff I found it. Pages 284 & 285 of a book titled “Modern American Rifles” by A.C. Gould from 1892 discusses bullet lubrication.
Most use Beeswax & Tallow. I find the Sharp’s Rifle Company formula most interesting. 1 part beeswax to 2 parts SPERM OIL, by weight.
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
Maverick said
Found this interesting! Not specific to wood preservation, but it reminded me where I saw different types of lubrication of the period, after re-reading some old stuff I found it. Pages 284 & 285 of a book titled “Modern American Rifles” by A.C. Gould from 1892 discusses bullet lubrication.
Most use Beeswax & Tallow. I find the Sharp’s Rifle Company formula most interesting. 1 part beeswax to 2 parts SPERM OIL, by weight.
Sincerely,
Maverick
Good read, thanks for sharing. Amazing the depth of concern for ballistics they had. I remember in the Marines we had a hot weather (jungle) SLA and another oil (forgot what it was called) for cold weather. You’d think in the 1970s we’d have come up with a universal lubricant. Now, where did I put that sperm oil?
I would think the sperm oil would cause a issue with the powder. Back then they experimented with Vaseline for a lube and when it got warm it would seep into the powder and cause misfires.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
LSA = Lubricant, Semi Fluid oil
LAW = Lubricant, Arctic Weather
Semper Fi.
November 7, 2015
Offline
Variations of some of those lube recipes are still in use by many bullet casters today. The old recipes still work well with BP and lower velocity smokeless loads.
Mike
1873man said
I would think the sperm oil would cause a issue with the powder. Back then they experimented with Vaseline for a lube and when it got warm it would seep into the powder and cause misfires.Bob
Well they very likely would have used WADS when reloading and they weren’t using simply pure Sperm Oil or pure Vaseline. But I do wonder if there was a special formula for use in the southern states. As we’ve always enjoyed pretty hot summers, even way back in the 1800s (despite what climate changers may have one believe).
When I read back through again, the next thing I find interesting is the “Common Cylinder Oil” mentioned by Ideal. What Cylinder would they be talking about? As I find it highly unlikely it had anything to do with Automobiles or be automotive in nature. What would the Common Cylinder have been on? A water well or something the like?
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
November 7, 2015
Offline
I suspect wads kept the lube where it belonged, just as they do today. Also the lube grooves were separated from the powder by the base of the bullet which fit pretty snug against the cartridge case with most designs.
Cylinder oil may have been used in the steam engines used on farm or industrial machinery.
Mike
Maverick,
The vaseline was the early experimentation of a young kid who went on to write a book “Complete Guide to Handloading” in 1937
From this reloading book, Cylinder oil or caster oil was used to soften a mixture of equal parts of beeswax and japan wax. You would add just enough oil to get the right consistency. If the loads were stored for several months the oil would sweat out of the mixture.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Just spit-balling here but I wonder if there was a Common Cylinder Oil for revolvers? Probably not what they meant but it’s a thought.
When I Google it, I get: “Definition of cylinder oil. : a heavy grade of mineral lubricating oil especially : such an oil used for steam-engine cylinders and valves.”
1873man said
Maverick,The vaseline was the early experimentation of a young kid who went on to write a book “Complete Guide to Handloading” in 1937
Bob
I’m assuming your talking he was using “Pure Vaseline”, as you can see from the book page from 1892, that Ideal mentions using Vaseline. Then also the 2nd to the last paragraph discusses using strictly Vaseline with just enough paraffine to make it hard enough to handle. I also like the measurements used, “about the size of a duck egg”. I would doubt the average person today or even shooter today would actually right off hand know how big a duck egg is.
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
Maverick said
I’m assuming your talking he was using “Pure Vaseline”, as you can see from the book page from 1892, that Ideal mentions using Vaseline. Then also the 2nd to the last paragraph discusses using strictly Vaseline with just enough paraffine to make it hard enough to handle. I also like the measurements used, “about the size of a duck egg”. I would doubt the average person today or even shooter today would actually right off hand know how big a duck egg is.
Sincerely,
Maverick
Doesn’t egg size have to do with whether they are a puddler or a diver? Not an exact science though.
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