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Technical Anyone processed your own tallow for lead paddle lube?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by hillbilly, May 10, 2020.

  1. I put this question under "technical" because I figured it's a "how-to" or DIY type thing...and if there's a certain process for rendering it specifically for this purpose that makes it any different than the stuff my grandma kept in the cabinet, ya know...like...is the stuff from "The East Woods" of a different composition than the fat from Elsie's kidneys that gets heated for hours and then strained into containers?

    I don't have any bee hives I can swipe wax from, and I hear trans fluid messes things up...I'm a habitual DIY kinda person and if I can make most of my stuff at home, that's money that can go elsewhere for things like go-fast goodies, or oxy/acetylene refills.

    My hesitation to post the process is because I haven't tried the homebrew stuff yet, with the vast amounts of knowledge in these HAMB pages and/or members' heads, if it CAN be tried, someone here has done it...hoping to find out before I wind up having to melt everything off and start over o_O
     
  2. Paulz
    Joined: Dec 30, 2018
    Posts: 126

    Paulz
    Member

    In my very limited and low dollar experience with lead, I found a quick shot of Fluid Film (aerosol) seemed to work well for what I was doing.
     
    hillbilly likes this.
  3. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,657

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    Tallow is rendered beef fat.You can make it yourself by getting some beef fat from the butcher, chop it or grind it up and cook it for 6 or 7 hours until the fat melts. Take your time you don't want it to overheat or burn. The easy way is to use a crock pot. Leave it on the back porch, it will stink a bit. When the fat is all melted and it stops bubbling leaving nothing but liquid fat and brown crackling strain off the fat. For your purpose you might want to melt in some beeswax and pour it in a flat cake pan so you can rub your paddles on it. You can get beeswax from a local bee keeper. It will last a long time, if it goes rancid you can sweeten it by melting and boiling.
     
  4. 270dodge
    Joined: Feb 11, 2012
    Posts: 742

    270dodge
    Member
    from Ohio

    I like the "do it yourself" idea but it's $34.00 a gallon on EPay free shipping, no fuss, no mess.
     
    gimpyshotrods and hillbilly like this.

  5. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,657

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    Some say mutton tallow is better than beef. Mutton comes from sheep. Where you would get sheep fat in north america I don't know.
     
    hillbilly likes this.
  6. oldolds
    Joined: Oct 18, 2010
    Posts: 3,407

    oldolds
    Member

    If you cook it off on your back porch be prepared for every meat eating animal within 10 miles to visit you. That includes bears, fox, and dogs ect.
     
    hillbilly likes this.
  7. Gearhead Graphics
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 3,890

    Gearhead Graphics
    Member
    from Denver Co

    As much as I get your DIY sense, this is one of those things Id buy
     
    hillbilly likes this.
  8. Flathead Dave
    Joined: Mar 21, 2014
    Posts: 3,959

    Flathead Dave
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from So. Cal.

    I grilled steaks for Mother's Day and let the grease drip into the fire...Nice flare ups for the char but not lead.
     
    hillbilly likes this.
  9. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    nochop, hillbilly and indyjps like this.
  10. spanners
    Joined: Feb 24, 2009
    Posts: 2,074

    spanners
    Member

    When I did my apprenticeship as a panelbeater 48 years ago, we were taught to just use clean engine oil.
     
    VANDENPLAS and hillbilly like this.
  11. Keither
    Joined: Nov 20, 2009
    Posts: 59

    Keither
    Member

    My experience matches Spanners above. I was taught to use fresh automatic trans fluid and it worked fine and that is still the way I do it.. Have to wash it down with Metal-Prep before priming though.
     
    hillbilly and VANDENPLAS like this.
  12. weps
    Joined: Aug 1, 2008
    Posts: 544

    weps
    Member
    from auburn,IN

    I got a beeswax toilet seal ring for like 1.99$
    Wood is cheap, I cut new paddles for lead work on the bandsaw
     
    abe lugo, hillbilly and stillrunners like this.
  13. I hear ya on the cutting new paddles, I've got piles of hardwood 2"x 4" pieces from a couple "palletcaster" builds, been eyeing those for just this purpose.
     

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