# Comprehensive Grease and Lube Thread



## Tekno_Cowboy

*Comprehensive Grease and Lube Thread*


Due to the dozens of grease and lube threads that pop up on an almost daily basis, some of us came up with an idea for a comprehensive grease thread to help ease the confusion surrounding the topic.

*Rules*

Please keep the thread on topic, and be courteous.

There will be no advertising allowed. Members may respond to a post that asks where a product can be purchased, but nothing more than that will be allowed, as it would be a violation of forum rules. 

Moderation will be strict in this thread. Shills, and dealers who violate Rule 6 and CPF Advertising Policies, will be suspended. Offending posts will be deleted.

More rules may be added later, if problems develop.


*Cleaning*

*Please wear proper safety equipment when cleaning and lubing your lights.
Recommended equipment includes safety glasses and latex/nitrile gloves.

* Even more important than the lube you use is the prep work you do before lubing your light. If you don't have clean threads, the best lube in the world isn't going to make them feel smooth.

The easiest way I have found to clean threads is with a microfiber towel and isopropyl alcohol. I also use cotton swabs for internal threads, being careful not to leave any fibers behind, as they can cause problems down the road.

Do not use paper products to clean any part of your lights. Paper is more abrasive than you think.

While cleaning is important, you usually only need to do it 2-3 times per year with normal use. Of course if you're using it in the mud or sand, you'll want to clean it more often, but here's where common sense is put to good use.


*Lubing*

The amount of lube you use is pretty important too. I try to stick with a “less is more” approach. There is usually no need to slather the threads with lube. A small bit of lube usually goes quite a long way.

The first thing I do is put a tiny amount of grease under the o-ring, and then twist the o-ring. I then spread a tiny amount of lube on the surface of the o-ring. This makes the twisting action of the light much smoother in most cases.

Next up is a small amount of grease spread evenly along the leading edge of the inside threads. I use a nitrile glove to spread the lube, but a well-washed finger usually does the trick too.

Last, but not least is to assemble the light and work the lube into the threads. Different lubes will take a different amount of working to get evenly spread.


*Lubes*

Now on to the list of lubes. It will be divided into 4 sections: Very Good lubes, Good Lubes, Poor Lubes, and Bad Lubes.

Very Good Lubes will hold the best of the best, lubes you can use without hesitation on any light. A lube will only be added to this section if several members agree that it belongs there. All candidates will first be added to the Good Lubes section.

Good Lubes will hold lubes that are safe for use, and will perform well, but may not be ideal for all applications.

Poor Lubes will hold lubes that would work in a pinch, but should generally not be used on flashlights. These lubes may be lubes that are excellent for other applications, just not the ones relevant to this thread.

Bad Lubes will hold the lubes that should never be used. This section will also act as a “Wall of Shame” Any suggestions that get added to this section will also have the username of the poster listed with it.

*Something to note: *When using PTFE(teflon) or silicone lubes, the quality can vary greatly dependent on the quality of the thickener used, and the quality of the base oil. One can work very well, while another of the same type can perform horribly. 

*O-Ring Compatibility

* Use caution when using petroleum products, as they can damage some types of o-rings.
 Don't use silicone lubes on silicone o-rings. The o-rings can swell and make your light almost impossible to get open.

O-Ring Material Guide


*Very Good Lubes*

*Nyogel:* This lube is used by Surefire, and can be purchased from *Lighthound*. This lube tends to change color slightly, but that should not affect it's lubrication properties. 759G/760G is tuned more for threads, 779ZC is tuned more for o-rings. Here's a good review.

*Super-Lube: *A cost-effective teflon-based lube that provides very smooth action. Both the grease and the oil perform well. It can be purchased from many hardware stores and online retailers, such as *MSC*. 

*NO-OX-ID: *A wax-based lube with excellent anti-oxidation properties. It's been around for about 50 years.

*Krytox: *One of the best lubes out there. This is a fluorinated grease that is very non-reactive and is safe for just about any application. This lube works exceptionally well on Ti lights. It is available in many different varieties, and has several re-branded names. It has been discovered that the sodium nitrate additive in the anti-oxidation varieties of Krytox can reduce the wear-resistance of Krytox on Ti and bare Al. The difference is small, but it is something to make a note of. It can be purchased from Amazon or directly from a DuPont distributor.*Krytox Variations and Re-Brands: **Finish Line Extreme Flouro*, *Loctite PFPE Grease*, *Chris Reeve Knifes Flourinated Grease, Sandwich Shoppe 50/50 mix*​*Nano-Oil: *A highly-recommended lube by forum members. The lube uses oil as a carrier for nano-particles that are designed to act as a bearing surface. Also comes in a grease.
*Mobil-1 Red Synthetic Grease:* Highly recommended by several forum members. Performs well, and is very cost effective, but has a noticeable odor.

*Good Lubes*

*Pure Silicone grease: *This is a very common lube that can be found just about anywhere. It is generally safe for use, with the only exception being use on silicone o-rings.

*Tri-Flow Clear Synthetic Grease: *Similar to Super Lube. Will be moved to the Very Good section if there are more positive responses.

*Deoxit ProGold: *Anti-Oxidation electrical contact conditioner. While not a lube, it can be a good addition to electrical contact points on lights.

*Parker Super O Lube: *Silicone oil formulated to be used on o-rings. It would be a bad idea to use it on silicone o-rings though.

*Sil-Glyde: *Grease designed for use on rubber or plastic seals.


*Poor Lubes*

*Motor Oil: *It may work, but it can damage o-rings. A full synthetic like AMSOil might be safe, but why take the chance when there are better lubes out there.

*Petroleum Jelly/Vaseline: *Contains petroleum distillates, which can damage some types of o-rings.

*Moly Grease: *While very useful for other applications, Molybdenum is toxic, and should not be used for handheld applications, such as flashlights.

*Lithium Grease: *Contains petroleum distillates, which can damage some types of o-rings.


*Bad Lubes*

*WD-40:* It is a solvent, not a lube. It actually increases friction on the threads.

*Gatsby Moving Rubber Hair Wax: *It's a hair wax, not a light lube.


*Other Lubes
*Loctite ViperLube
FrogLube CLP
Militec-1
TiTi Twister


----------



## sygyzy

How is NanoLube?


----------



## DimeRazorback

Great post!

This will be helpful to alot of people.

:thumbsup:


----------



## berry580

ain't most o-rings made of silicone? *confused*
I'm using pure silicone differential oil, its 5000cps, how does that sounds? Would it damage the o-rings?

What about Vaseline, would it damage the o-rings?

thank you heaps.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

sygyzy said:


> How is NanoLube?



I've used NanoLube and Nano-Oil, and it seems to work OK on Steel, but it didn't seem to work as well on Aluminum for me. IIRC it also uses a petroleum product base. These two things make me tend to lean toward the Poor category.

Would anyone like to recommend it for a different section?


----------



## post tenebras

Awesome OP! It would be great to finally have one lube thread to rule them all.

Vaseline should be in the poor lube category as it's petroleum base will damage o-rings.

Nano-oil belongs in a "questionable lube" category whether or not it contains petroleum. It's a very effective lubricant, but the nano-particles are a potential serious health risk; conclusive medical research is pending.

From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanoparticle

*Safety issues* 

*Nanoparticles present possible dangers, both medically and environmentally*.[20] Most of these are due to the high surface to volume ratio, which can make the particles very reactive or catalytic.[21] *They are also able to pass through **cell membranes** in organisms, and their interactions with biological systems are relatively unknown*.[22] However, free nanoparticles in the environment quickly tend to agglomerate and thus leave the nano-regime, and nature itself presents many nanoparticles to which organisms on earth may have evolved immunity (such as salt particulates from oceanaerosols, terpenes from plants, or dust from volcanic eruptions)[_citation needed_]. A fuller analysis is provided in the article on nanotechnology.

According to the _San Francisco Chronicle_,* "Animal studies have shown that some nanoparticles can penetrate cells and tissues, move through the body and brain and cause biochemical damage they also have shown to cause a risk factor in men for **testicular cancer**. *But whether cosmetics and sunscreens containing nanomaterials pose health risks remains largely unknown, pending completion of long-range studies recently begun by the FDA and other agencies."[23] *Diesel nanoparticles have been found to damage the cardiovascular system *in a mouse model.[24]


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

berry580 said:


> ain't most o-rings made of silicone? *confused*
> I'm using pure silicone differential oil, its 5000cps, how does that sounds? Would it damage the o-rings?
> 
> What about Vaseline, would it damage the o-rings?
> 
> thank you heaps.



There are many different types of material used for o-rings. You'd have to check with the manufacturer to determine which are used on your lights.

Vaseline is not something your should be putting on your lights.


----------



## post tenebras

Tri-Flow Clear Synthetic Grease belongs in the Very Good category. It's a teflon grease akin to Super Lube.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

post tenebras said:


> Tri-Flow Clear Synthetic Grease belongs in the Very Good category. It's a teflon grease akin to Super Lube.


Could you provide a link with more information on the lube?


----------



## EngrPaul

I like to use *Deoxit Gold* for twisty lights, or lights with a button yet change mode by twisting, which have metal-metal conductive threads. It's nice and slippery and prevents flickering. It doesn't smell much and stays where it should, for as thin as it is.

For twisties with anodized threads, I use *silicone grease*.

Just about everything else I use *Krytox*, but what I have is rather thick and probably isn't as slippery as *50/50*.


----------



## Pekka

How about adding this? http://www.sanchem.com/aSpecialE.html

Gary has it for sale, but as far as I know it can't be obtained in any reasonably small quantities elsewhere (so would I count as advertising?)

If any worth it's the "best thing i've come across since the sliced bread" be it o-rings, threads made of plastic, aluminum or steel


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

I'm thinking Deoxit Gold should go in the Good section. To my understanding though, it's not really a grease, so perhaps there should be a note with it?


----------



## RichS

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> Could you provide a link with more information on the lube?


 
http://www.triflowlubricants.com/products/syntheticgrease.html

*Description:*
Tri-Flow® Clear Synthetic Grease is a premium quality, extreme pressure, non-melting, waterproof formula that seals out water contaminants. It is available in handy squeeze tube for easy application and fits nicely in a grease gun. Our grease is compatible with most rubbers and plastic and stands up to extreme temperatures (-10° - +400° F). Guaranteed to optimize the performance of your equipment's moving parts, such as bearings and tracks, and will allow them to last longer and run quieter and smoother. Prevents rusting even when exposed to salt water! Formulated with P.T.F.E.


----------



## EngrPaul

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> I'm thinking Deoxit Gold should go in the Good section. To my understanding though, it's not really a grease, so perhaps there should be a note with it?


 

It's a lubricant, though not a "grease".

http://deoxitgold.com/?progold_info=1

I recommend the little tubes, not the spray.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Pekka said:


> How about adding this? http://www.sanchem.com/aSpecialE.html
> 
> Gary has it for sale, but as far as I know it can't be obtained in any reasonably small quantities elsewhere (so would I count as advertising?)
> 
> If any worth it's the "best thing i've come across since the sliced bread" be it o-rings, threads made of plastic, aluminum or steel



I've heard good things about this lube, and have been meaning to try it. I'll add it to the good section as a candidate for very good.



RichS said:


> http://www.triflowlubricants.com/products/syntheticgrease.html
> 
> *Description:*
> Tri-Flow® Clear Synthetic Grease is a premium quality, extreme pressure, non-melting, waterproof formula that seals out water contaminants. It is available in handy squeeze tube for easy application and fits nicely in a grease gun. Our grease is compatible with most rubbers and plastic and stands up to extreme temperatures (-10° - +400° F). Guaranteed to optimize the performance of your equipment's moving parts, such as bearings and tracks, and will allow them to last longer and run quieter and smoother. Prevents rusting even when exposed to salt water! Formulated with P.T.F.E.



I'll add it to the good section, it can always be moved later if it needs to be.



EngrPaul said:


> It's a lubricant, though not a "grease".
> 
> http://deoxitgold.com/?progold_info=1
> 
> I recommend the little tubes, not the spray.



I stand corrected. I'll add it to the Good section.


----------



## csshih

No-ox-id is indeed a nice lube.

about nano-oil...odd, it seems to work well, if not better than the no-ox-id I've used. petroleum? is there a easy to to check if that's true?

Then again, I haven't ever had a chance to try out lubes in the "very good" section.


----------



## EngrPaul

Make sure you put smelly ones in the bad list. 

You can include whatever blue stuff comes on a nitecore PD


----------



## jabe1

+1 for the No-ox-id!


----------



## darkzero

Aside from Nyogel (I've got loads of it so I might as well put good use to it)...
I mainly use Parker Super O Lube. I even use it on theads on certain lights.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

darkzero said:


> Aside from Nyogel (I've got loads of it so I might as well put good use to it)...
> I mainly use Parker Super O Lube. I even use it on theads on certain lights.


Can you provide a link to information on the lube?


----------



## darkzero

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> Can you provide a link to information on the lube?


 
It's mainly for orings/seals.

http://www.wainbee.com/msds1/parker_SuperLube.pdf

http://www.anchorrubber.com/specialty/parker_o-lube.pdf


----------



## elwood

+1 for NO-OX-ID, it's great stuff!


----------



## hyperloop

Great thread, thanks for the pointers to places where i can get the lubes, spent some time in a local hardware shop, couldnt find any  that's singapore for you (when it comes to flashaholicism)

anyway, to chip in a bit here, i bought a set of these microfiber cloths for my wife to polish her patent leather shoes, it's cheap, not too big a size and free shipping too. You could just use one of the cloths to clean a whole load of lights and just chuck it, instead of having one of those huge microfiber cloths and have to store it and look for clean spots to use etc. For $1.80 its a steal.

*EDIT: *technically this post isnt about grease or lubes but i'm thinking its ancillary to it, to be used in the cleaning process so that's why i think its relevant but feel free to delete it if you're of a different opinion


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

darkzero said:


> It's mainly for orings/seals.
> 
> http://www.wainbee.com/msds1/parker_SuperLube.pdf
> 
> http://www.anchorrubber.com/specialty/parker_o-lube.pdf


I'll add it with a side-note that it's mainly for o-rings.


----------



## ivanchek

csshih said:


> No-ox-id is indeed a nice lube.
> 
> about nano-oil...odd, it seems to work well, if not better than the no-ox-id I've used. petroleum? is there a easy to to check if that's true?


 
how do you know that nano-oil it is petroleum based? i just bought some and want to know whether i should be cautious using it, especially on expensive lights.
thanks.


----------



## DM51

This thread has predictably taken off like a rocket, and many thanks are due to Tekno_Cowboy for shouldering this task, and others (Unforgiven, StarHalo, chmsam, McGizmo and others) for their input.

I'm sticking it at the top of the page. Post #1 will obviously be updated from time to time, and it should eventually become the definitive lube reference thread here on CPF.

It will take time to sort out the wheat from the chaff, and some posts may need to be removed, but so far it is looking good.


----------



## DM51

berry580 said:


> ain't most o-rings made of silicone ? *confused*


Very understandable confusion. The answer is NO - silicone rubber is unsuitable for any application where friction might be a factor, i.e. flashlight O-rings. It is used in static (non-moving) sealing applications only. You therefore won't find any silicone O-rings in your flashlights. It is therefore OK to use silicone grease. 



> What about Vaseline, would it damage the o-rings?


Vaseline has a petroleum base, which will damage (eat) some O-rings. It is therefore NOT recommended.


----------



## DM51

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> I've used NanoLube and Nano-Oil, and it seems to work OK on Steel, but it didn't seem to work as well on Aluminum for me. IIRC it also uses a petroleum product base. These two things make me tend to lean toward the Poor category.
> 
> Would anyone like to recommend it for a different section?


 Two of our most highly respected and experienced CPFers are firm supporters of NanoLube - Milkyspit and LuxLuthor. You don't get much better than a recommendation from those 2 guys.

I use it myself for some applications, and my Nanolube applicator pen is one of the most useful items in my tool-kit. Please note for the record that there is a very deliberate space between the words "pen" and "is" above, lol.

I do not know whether or not Nanolube contains any petroleum derivatives. An authoritative post would be helpful in this regard; an uninformed debate would not.


----------



## [email protected]

How do lithium grease and moly grease fare? Blue lithium boating grease about the only grease that's available locally and comes in a ridiculously large tub. Is it the blue stuff on the Nitecore PD lights?


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

ivanchek said:


> how do you know that nano-oil it is petroleum based? i just bought some and want to know whether i should be cautious using it, especially on expensive lights.
> thanks.



IIRC it was stated in a thread discussing nano-oil a while back that got closed.



DM51 said:


> Very understandable confusion. The answer is NO - silicone rubber is unsuitable for any application where friction might be a factor, i.e. flashlight O-rings. It is used in static (non-moving) sealing applications only. You therefore won't find any silicone O-rings in your flashlights. It is therefore OK to use silicone grease.



I agree that silicone o-rings should not be used in lights, but I've gotten several lights made in China with silicone o-rings.



DM51 said:


> Two of our most highly respected and experienced CPFers are firm supporters of NanoLube - Milkyspit and LuxLuthor. You don't get much better than a recommendation from those 2 guys.
> 
> I use it myself for some applications, and my Nanolube applicator pen is one of the most useful items in my tool-kit. Please note for the record that there is a very deliberate space between the words "pen" and "is" above, lol.
> 
> I do not know whether or not Nanolube contains any petroleum derivatives. An authoritative post would be helpful in this regard; an uninformed debate would not.



+1 for an authoritative post.

While there are some prominent members that use it, I can't give it a go-ahead for the good section without more recommendations, and knowing that it does not contain petroleum derivatives.

I've personally had good luck with it on steel, but my results on Aluminum have been mixed. On annodized Al, I didn't have too many issues, but it didn't work too well for me on bare Al.



[email protected] said:


> How do lithium grease and moly grease fare? Blue lithium boating grease about the only grease that's available locally and comes in a ridiculously large tub. Is it the blue stuff on the Nitecore PD lights?



I doubt that that is what Nitecore uses, but it could be. :shrug:

I've used lithium and moly grease before. They'll do the job, but I've noticed they tend to be messy, staining, and they don't perform as well as many other greases. You should be able to find some silicone grease locally, and several places will ship internationally.


----------



## fixitman

how about "dielectric tune-up grease"?
I have some Permatex brand, and it seems ok so far....


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

fixitman said:


> how about "dielectric tune-up grease"?
> I have some Permatex brand, and it seems ok so far....


That's a silicone grease.


----------



## post tenebras

[email protected] said:


> How do lithium grease and moly grease fare? Blue lithium boating grease about the only grease that's available locally and comes in a ridiculously large tub. Is it the blue stuff on the Nitecore PD lights?


 
Molybdenum is toxic and moly grease should be avoided on handheld instruments such as flashlights.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Thanks for that bit of info. Moly grease is going on the Poor list.


----------



## ejot

I use straight Krytox grease on all my lights and see no reason to consider anything else. This way I can play Lego--carefree--with any parts I want, and without ANY worries as to lubricant compatibility or strange, icky mixtures from lube choices of previous owners all over the world. 

All the Krytox properties are ideal: chemical stability and inertness, wide temperature range, highly lubricating, not sticky but viscous enough to stay in place, gorgeous "feel" on threads, non-offensive/non-changing color, neutral smell. Compared to the money spent on lights, it is not expensive. A little bit goes a long way. 

Over the course of two nights I first cleaned and then relubed the collection. For cleaning, I grabbed IPA, a few microfiber cloths, a tiny mirror, some dentist picks, and various other blunt probing tools. I avoided Q-tips or paper towels as they leave their shredded remains on threads. On external threads, I usually just ran the IPA-wetted cloth along the thread path with my fingernail. Also took the opportunity to very carefully file away nicks or damage on threads. O-rings were, of course, removed before cleaning and then went into a plastic baggie along with their respective light.

For lubing, i put two or three very thin lines of grease perpendicular to the thread grooves and spread it evenly with my finger. The excess left on my finger went on the o-rings.


----------



## arcel1t

I've had very good result's with nano-lube. I used weight 10 on titanium and anodized alu threads and it get's very smooth. 
I use weight 85 on knived with good result's, I also use a drop og 5 ore 10 
to rech the pivot without taking the knife appart. 

I only used it for 2 weeks so I can't tell if it eats O-rings ore not, but 
if it does I'l report back.


----------



## [email protected]

Got some teflon/PTPE tape. Works wonders on my SS light. Haven't tried it on Al lights yet but people are reporting good results with it on Ti Lights


----------



## csshih

arcel1t said:


> I only used it for 2 weeks so I can't tell if it eats O-rings ore not, but if it does I'l report back.



my orings show no sign of degradation.

regardless, protecting the thread is more important than protecting the cheap oring. one his website, christian states that the lubrication is to reduce wear of metal on metal..


----------



## Dave H

This is a great thread. I'm a newbie and didn't know what to use. I picked up this white lithium grease at my local hardware store. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...S4K7_nid=35PF5GKCP5gs4JS4WF0WC6gl8F6TXC8SBHbl
It is a spray which I spray a small amount on a rag then wipe on the threads. It seems to be very clean and works well, doesn't smell. I wonder which category this falls in?


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Dave H said:


> This is a great thread. I'm a newbie and didn't know what to use. I picked up this white lithium grease at my local hardware store. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...gl8F6TXC8SBHbl
> It is a spray which I spray a small amount on a rag then wipe on the threads. It seems to be very clean and works well, doesn't smell. I wonder which category this falls in?



As it contains petroleum distillates (according to the MSDS) it should go in the poor category.


----------



## csshih

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> As it contains petroleum distillates (according to the MSDS) it should go in the poor category.



I was under the impression that the most common oring material was Buna-N..(nitrile)

in that case, if you look up information about those orings,
http://www.marcorubber.com/buna.htm

"Excellent resistance to petroleum-based oils and fuels, water and alcohols"


in the thread, you said, "Try to avoid petroleum-based lubricants, as they can cause o-ring damage".. but if they don't really effect the most common oring material, does it matter? Using that logic, wouldn't silicone based lubrication be bad because it messes up silicone orings?

here is a bit more information regarding orings and materials that are good/bad for them:
http://www.sealingdevices.com/orings/oring_chemicalcompatibility.pdf



> COMPOUND COMPATIBILITY RATING
> 1 - Satisfactory
> 2 - Fair (usually OK for static seal)
> 3 - Doubtful (sometimes OK for static seal)
> 4 - Unsatisfactory
> x - Insufficient Data



for Nitrile orings
Petrolatum 1
Petrolatum Ether 1
Petroleum Oil, Above 250°F 4 (I hope we don't brings our lights to those temperatures....)
Petroleum Oil, Below 250°F 1
Petroleum Oil, Crude 1


----------



## csshih

also, I emailed Christian regarding nano-oil's msds

it does indeed have those petroleum distillates:
http://www.nano-oil.com/Nano-Oil_MSDS_NLNA-5-10-85_20070415_.pdf

...but, does that matter?

please correct me if I'm wrong or I may end up making a fool of myself..
..unless I already have..


----------



## LuxLuthor

My personal opinion is a list should not be started and categorized with Krytox in the #1 position, when the OP is selling it in his sig. Even if some regard it as the best, with respect to Tekno_Cowboy, I have to question the objectivity. It also does not make sense to have Super Lube and Tri-Flow in different categories if they are stated to be similar.

I do not agree that as soon as you hear there is some petroleum based vehicle that it belongs in the "poor" category. That is your decision, but based on my use of Nano-Oil, I do not support it since I am not seeing any significant breakdown of my O-rings in about 2 years of use.

I have not used Krytox, but have used Nyogel 759G & 779. 

I have well over a hundred lights, mostly Aluminum, but also a number in stainless & Ti. I started using Nyogel because SF uses it. However, I was always irritated by the messy black/gray grease that would get on my fingers and anywhere I rested the lubed parts. This happened no matter if I meticulously cleaned the threads, and reapplied Nyogel (mostly 759 on threads). There were some threads that had some degree of a grit or tight feeling, but I just dealt with it.

I switched to St. Claire's Nano-Oil when hearing about it from Milkyspit. I was astonished at how well a couple drops of an oil worked better than Nyogel on every thread I used it on. It gave considerable improvement especially when I used it on threads that were not well cut. The lights that had a slight scraping sensation were transformed--as if their threads were cut by a master craftsman.

My understanding on Krytox, and I believe similarly with Nyogel is that they do not provide the same level of metal on metal friction protection, where Nano-Oil excels. My observations of the black/gray wearing discoloration of Nyogel is happening because the metal on metal friction is causing breakdown. Black is from the O-rings, and gray from the aluminum. With Nano-Oil, I have not noticed any of the discoloration. In addition, so little is required for adequate lubrication, there is no mess when opening the lights.

I'm sure that Krytox and Nyogel are wonderful on highly polished (frictionless) surfaces such as pistons or O-Ring lubrication, but soft aluminum threads--especially tightened under a tailcap spring-tension are a totally different application. I think Krytox/Nyogel would be fine in a harder Ti type application where threads are well made and the metal is hard. I won't use those grease lubes on my Aluminum lights.

It is true that Nano-Oil has a petroleum based vehicle, so it is recommended to use BUNA if you are worried about your O-ring health. Personally, I can replace O-rings, but once your threads are galled or microscopically broken down, that is lost forever. Christian has told me that his goal with Nano-Lube was to protect metal on metal friction, not the O-rings. Despite that, in the almost 2 years I have been using Nano-Oil, I have not had to replace any O-Rings.

For those who have not seen it, St. Claire has posted the MSDS pdf here for his Nano-Oil.


----------



## darkzero

Curious, what are the basis for the ratings of these lubes, directed towards threads or orings or an all purpose lube for both?

As you know, there are different types of Nyogel lubes that are designed for different purposes.


----------



## OfficerCamp

Probably not the best idea, but I've been using Break Free CLP from my firearm cleaning kit on most of my lights (threads and o-rings). It works very well, and even if it reacts with the o-rings, they can be replaced when they degrade. Any thoughts? Anyone use CLP?


----------



## nfetterly

From my signature you can tell I recommend Krytox 50/50 - I use that on my Ti lights. 

For my aluminum lights I use one of the nyogel products (759g) I got from lighthound (yes it does get black stuff on your fingers later)


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

LuxLuthor said:


> My personal opinion is a list should not be started and categorized with Krytox in the #1 position, when the OP is selling it in his sig. Even if some regard it as the best, with respect to Tekno_Cowboy, I have to question the objectivity. It also does not make sense to have Super Lube and Tri-Flow in different categories if they are stated to be similar.
> 
> I do not agree that as soon as you hear there is some petroleum based vehicle that it belongs in the "poor" category. That is your decision, but based on my use of Nano-Oil, I do not support it since I am not seeing any significant breakdown of my O-rings in about 2 years of use.
> 
> I have not used Krytox, but have used Nyogel 759G & 779.
> 
> I have well over a hundred lights, mostly Aluminum, but also a number in stainless & Ti. I started using Nyogel because SF uses it. However, I was always irritated by the messy black/gray grease that would get on my fingers and anywhere I rested the lubed parts. This happened no matter if I meticulously cleaned the threads, and reapplied Nyogel (mostly 759 on threads). There were some threads that had some degree of a grit or tight feeling, but I just dealt with it.
> 
> I switched to St. Claire's Nano-Oil when hearing about it from Milkyspit. I was astonished at how well a couple drops of an oil worked better than Nyogel on every thread I used it on. It gave considerable improvement especially when I used it on threads that were not well cut. The lights that had a slight scraping sensation were transformed--as if their threads were cut by a master craftsman.
> 
> My understanding on Krytox, and I believe similarly with Nyogel is that they do not provide the same level of metal on metal friction protection, where Nano-Oil excels. My observations of the black/gray wearing discoloration of Nyogel is happening because the metal on metal friction is causing breakdown. Black is from the O-rings, and gray from the aluminum. With Nano-Oil, I have not noticed any of the discoloration. In addition, so little is required for adequate lubrication, there is no mess when opening the lights.
> 
> I'm sure that Krytox and Nyogel are wonderful on highly polished (frictionless) surfaces such as pistons or O-Ring lubrication, but soft aluminum threads--especially tightened under a tailcap spring-tension are a totally different application. I think Krytox/Nyogel would be fine in a harder Ti type application where threads are well made and the metal is hard. I won't use those grease lubes on my Aluminum lights.
> 
> It is true that Nano-Oil has a petroleum based vehicle, so it is recommended to use BUNA if you are worried about your O-ring health. Personally, I can replace O-rings, but once your threads are galled or microscopically broken down, that is lost forever. Christian has told me that his goal with Nano-Lube was to protect metal on metal friction, not the O-rings. Despite that, in the almost 2 years I have been using Nano-Oil, I have not had to replace any O-Rings.
> 
> For those who have not seen it, St. Claire has posted the MSDS pdf here for his Nano-Oil.



Krytox is only in the #1 position because it was the first thing that came to mind. If it makes you feel better I can move it to the last position in the Very Good category. :shrug:

As far as my selling Krytox, the only reason I sell it is because I havn't found anyone selling small amounts of it. I do it mainly because I really love the lube myself, and I want to give other people the chance to try it without spending $40-50 for the smallest size from the manufacturer. If you can find someone else who sells it in small sizes, I will be more than happy to put their link in the post instead of mine.

The reason Tri-flow is in a different category is that it's the first time I've heard of it. If a couple more people recommend it, it will go to the Very Good section.

I've put the petroleum-based products in the Poor category because in past threads, they have been discouraged. If the consensus in this thread says that they should be moved to the Good section (barring any other reason to not have them there), then they'll be moved.

While I can respect your opinion of Nano-oil, in my experience I have the opposite opinion when comparing it to Krytox. In my opinion, the Krytox performs far better than the Nano-oil, especially on poor threads.

Nano-oil is a touchy subject. Opinions of it range from "it's the greatest stuff ever" to "it's no better than 3-in-1 oil". Because of this, it's very difficult to place in any specific category, not just because it has petroleum distilates in it. That is why it was removed from the list: for further input. I will keep an eye on how it fares in this thread, and if most responses are good, I will put it in the Good cateogory.



darkzero said:


> Curious, what are the basis for the ratings of these lubes, directed towards threads or orings or an all purpose lube for both?
> 
> As you know, there are different types of Nyogel lubes that are designed for different purposes.



Mostly, I'm looking at the all-purpose effectiveness, but, like the Parker O-ring lube, if there's a lube that excells at one or the other, it will be stated in the thread. If someone could shed light on the more flashlight-related varieties of Nyogel, I'd be happy to list the varieties with more specific information regarding what purpose they are best suited to.

As far as original ranking goes, it's mostly based on my opinion, and the opinion of the person who suggested it. Once it's on the list, it can always be moved if people agree that it belongs in a different category. The category I put it in is by no means the final word on it. It's just a starting point.

A good point to note is that the numbers do not denote any sort of order. They could just as easily be dashes as numbers, if this will reduce confusion.



OfficerCamp said:


> Probably not the best idea, but I've been using Break Free CLP from my firearm cleaning kit on most of my lights (threads and o-rings). It works very well, and even if it reacts with the o-rings, they can be replaced when they degrade. Any thoughts? Anyone use CLP?



I checked out their website, and it seems interesting. I have been unable to find an MSDS so far, so I'm not sure where it should be ranked. Can anyone recommend a category?


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Removed the numbers to reduce confusion in the OP.

Moved Krytox to end of Very Good section, and NO-OX-ID to Very Good section.


----------



## elwood

D'OH! Maybe i should read before posting.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Thanks for the info on O-rings Craig :thumbsup:

I'm adding a link to an o-ring material comparison.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

I've been thinking about the category placement of the lubes, and came to the conclusion that the thread might benefit from adding a fifth category for nominated lubes.

As lubes would be nominated, they would go into this category, and then be moved based on the recommendations of forum members.

Does anyone have any suggestions regarding this idea?


----------



## fyrstormer

I've been using moly/lithium wheel bearing grease on my flashlights since 2001, and the O-rings are still fine. The threads on my oldest aluminum light are so polished and smooth I can't even take a picture of them to show it off because the flash reflection burns-out all the detail of the threads in the photo. I've recently switched to a homemade mixture that works better on my new titanium lights and seems to work better on aluminum as well, but it too is petroleum-based.

I could care less about the O-rings. They can be replaced; threads can't be. As far as I know, nothing but nothing lubricates metal-on-metal as well as petroleum distillates, which among other reasons is why motor oil is still a petroleum-based product when there are so many other options available.


----------



## darkzero

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> If someone could shed light on the more flashlight-related varieties of Nyogel, I'd be happy to list the varieties with more specific information regarding what purpose they are best suited to.


 
On flashlights I use 759G for threads & 779ZC for orings. 759G has been replaced by 760G. I have enough of both 759G & 779ZC to last me more years so I haven't made the switch to 760G despite it's few improvements. No idea if 760G discolors as well.

Their descriptions can imply that both can be used for threads. 759G/760G is good for electrical contacts & aluminum threads. 779ZC is also formulated to reduce wear on aluminum surfaces.

Nyogel works great but not always & depends on the application. I find that Nyogel does not perform well on Ti threads. It also does not perform well for pistons on PD driven lights. Makes them "sticky". In some cases where Nyogel has been applied to threads like on a twisy tailcap for example, if it's not used for a while it tends to stick & must be "worked in" to get smooth again. Excessive amounts of Nyogel can also make threads feel sticky.

Here's some well documented info on Nyogel


----------



## KiwiMark

nfetterly said:


> From my signature you can tell I recommend Krytox 50/50 - I use that on my Ti lights.
> 
> For my aluminum lights I use one of the nyogel products (759g) I got from lighthound (yes it does get black stuff on your fingers later)



So, why not use Krytox 50/50 on the Aluminium lights as well? I am using the Krytox that I got from you on both Ti & Al and it is working well on each.


----------



## glockboy

I like the Dieelectric grease, work great, like nyogel and Deoxit gold in one.


----------



## LuxLuthor

TC, thanks for your follow up note, and please don't over-react to my comments, as I made sure to say that Krytox may even deserve to be in the top position, and that I have not used it...so technically I am not even qualified to comment on it. I would feel the same about any ranking system for anything where the person assigning the rank is also selling it--the point being that it's not personal towards you. 

I can only compare Nano-lube to Nyogel, and *my main criteria is seeing the progressive discoloration of Nyogel mainly in aluminum threads. * 

As far as I am concerned, that discoloration is only coming from one thing, and it is the color of the aluminum. If Krytox has the same discoloration over time, that alone would be an adequate criteria for me not to use it on my aluminum threads. 

We will have to see if those using it note a similar metal discoloration--assuming they cleaned their threads before applying it. If they do, then I would not regard it any better than Nyogel in aluminum lights.

My personal observation over 2 years with over a hundred flashlights is that Nano-Oil is far superior to Nyogel. Amazingly, I have never needed to reapply it. I have not used the remainder of my two tubes of Nyogel since I started with it. In all this time, my threads remain clean which is the acid test I look for.

Honestly, I don't care if anyone else likes it or not, nor if St. Claire sells a lot of it or not. The other Arnold guy's Quicken brand also worked well, but he was an obnoxious twit, and I never bought from him again.

If the petroleum vehicle is harming my lights or O-rings, I should be seeing some discoloration when I open my lights to charge batteries. I don't, and I have not gone to the trouble of replacing O-Rings with BUNA...so that is why I feel it is not correct to assume petroleum vehicle automatically means bad.

If a lube makes the threads feel smooth, that is an important sign. If you later find discoloration of the lube, that is a more important indication that metal on metal abrasion is occurring.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

darkzero said:


> On flashlights I use 759G for threads & 779ZC for orings. 759G has been replaced by 760G. I have enough of both 759G & 779ZC to last me more years so I haven't made the switch to 760G despite it's few improvements. No idea if 760G discolors as well.
> 
> Their descriptions can imply that both can be used for threads. 759G/760G is good for electrical contacts & aluminum threads. 779ZC is also formulated to reduce wear on aluminum surfaces.
> 
> Nyogel works great but not always & depends on the application. I find that Nyogel does not perform well on Ti threads. It also does not perform well for pistons on PD driven lights. Makes them "sticky". In some cases where Nyogel has been applied to threads like on a twisy tailcap for example, if it's not used for a while it tends to stick & must be "worked in" to get smooth again. Excessive amounts of Nyogel can also make threads feel sticky.
> 
> Here's some well documented info on Nyogel



Thanks for the info. I added a little info to the list, and I'll add more specific info once I get around to reading the link you provided.



LuxLuthor said:


> TC, thanks for your follow up note, and please don't over-react to my comments, as I made sure to say that Krytox may even deserve to be in the top position, and that I have not used it...so technically I am not even qualified to comment on it. I would feel the same about any ranking system for anything where the person assigning the rank is also selling it--the point being that it's not personal towards you.
> 
> I can only compare Nano-lube to Nyogel, and *my main criteria is seeing the progressive discoloration of Nyogel mainly in aluminum threads. *
> 
> As far as I am concerned, that discoloration is only coming from one thing, and it is the color of the aluminum. If Krytox has the same discoloration over time, that alone would be an adequate criteria for me not to use it on my aluminum threads.
> 
> We will have to see if those using it note a similar metal discoloration--assuming they cleaned their threads before applying it. If they do, then I would not regard it any better than Nyogel in aluminum lights.
> 
> My personal observation over 2 years with over a hundred flashlights is that Nano-Oil is far superior to Nyogel. Amazingly, I have never needed to reapply it. I have not used the remainder of my two tubes of Nyogel since I started with it. In all this time, my threads remain clean which is the acid test I look for.
> 
> Honestly, I don't care if anyone else likes it or not, nor if St. Claire sells a lot of it or not. The other Arnold guy's Quicken brand also worked well, but he was an obnoxious twit, and I never bought from him again.
> 
> If the petroleum vehicle is harming my lights or O-rings, I should be seeing some discoloration when I open my lights to charge batteries. I don't, and I have not gone to the trouble of replacing O-Rings with BUNA...so that is why I feel it is not correct to assume petroleum vehicle automatically means bad.
> 
> If a lube makes the threads feel smooth, that is an important sign. If you later find discoloration of the lube, that is a more important indication that metal on metal abrasion is occurring.



I have not noticed any discoloration in Kytox when the threads are properly cleaned first. That's really the sticking point too. If the threads aren't clean, you'll notice whatever you didn't get off changing the color of the grease.

You say a lube that makes the threads feel smooth is a sign of wear, but isn't that the point of adding a lube?

I would really like to hear you thoughts when comparing Krytox to Nano-oil and Nyogel. I know my own opinions comparing it to Nano-oil, but I gave away my Nyogel before I got the Krytox. Would you be willing to try it if I sent you a small amount?

While I share your opinion of Mr St. Claire's competitor, let's try to keep the Nano-oil/Nanolube war out of this thread. It has shut down enough threads already.


On Petroleum Products:

So far it's looking like they aren't as much of a problem as they have been made out to be. If it still looks like this in a couple of days, I'll move the products that have been added to the Poor category simply for that fact to the good category.


----------



## Ny0ng1

DM51 said:


> Very understandable confusion. The answer is NO - silicone rubber is unsuitable for any application where friction might be a factor, i.e. flashlight O-rings. It is used in static (non-moving) sealing applications only. You therefore won't find any silicone O-rings in your flashlights. It is therefore OK to use silicone grease.



IIRC McGizmo uses mixes of silicone and epdm rings on his lights.

wait, i found the FAQ: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/93471&highlight=silicone



> XR-19 Head:
> Window seal - #019 EPDM (or the GID silicone)
> Head to pak seal - #017 Silicone (red)
> .....





csshih said:


> I was under the impression that the most common oring material was Buna-N..(nitrile)
> 
> in that case, if you look up information about those orings,
> http://www.marcorubber.com/buna.htm
> 
> "Excellent resistance to petroleum-based oils and fuels, water and alcohols"



The above post by csshih reminds me of sale thread by rockettomato for EPDM and silicone o-rings http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=191738 , where i read about comparisons between Buna-N, EPDM, and Silicone. No I'm not related with RocketTomato other than i bought 1 set of silicone rings from him .



> Buna-N: Nitrile Rubber
> -20 to 212 F
> -30 to 100 C
> Good compressibility
> Advantage- cheap, widely used
> Disadvantage- poor resistance to sunlight, ozone and weathering
> 
> EPDM: Ethylene Propylene
> -40 to 212 F
> -40 to 100 C
> Good compressibility
> Advantage- water, steam, ozone and weather resistant
> Disadvantage- Not recommended for use with use synthetic lubricants
> 
> Silicone:
> -80 to 400 F
> -62 to 204 C
> Typically used in static seals, not recommended for dynamic seals.
> Advantage- Increased temperature range. Resistant to sun damage, ozone, fungal and biological attack
> Disadvantage- Poor tear and abrasion strength.



Having said that may I suggest a tabulated form of brands or category of lubricants indicating of its best application for each material. 
something like...






Anyway, thanks TS for initiating this thread :thumbsup:
Eric


----------



## LuxLuthor

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> I have not noticed any discoloration in Kytox when the threads are properly cleaned first. That's really the sticking point too. If the threads aren't clean, you'll notice whatever you didn't get off changing the color of the grease.


I did notice discoloration with Nyogel. I saw it as soon as I got my L2 from SF, and again with my M4, M6, and E2D. They all have filthy discoloration out of the box. I want to emphasize again that the repeated discoloration after cleaning and reapplication of Nyogel was primarily noticed with soft aluminum, and especially the tailcap where the spring tension would tend to force metal on metal abrasion.



Tekno_Cowboy said:


> You say a lube that makes the threads feel smooth is a sign of wear, but isn't that the point of adding a lube?


I don't believe I said that, or meant to imply it. I was trying to draw a distinction between the Nyogel (& perhaps other top tier category lubes) being more oriented towards working with highly polished metal surfaces and O-Ring rubber surfaces sliding on metal...vs. Nano-Lube nano particles theoretically acting as tiny ball bearings to keep metal from scraping against metal. 

Feeling a smooth threading is one important feature. However, no matter how smooth a lube feels does not mean it is preventing metal scraping against metal. This is going to be more of a problem with softer metals like aluminum, and especially if threads are not precisely made and matched between parts.

I don't think you can judge the value of a lube by using harder metals, or lights made with meticulous thread craftsmanship by McGizmo, Mac, Milky, Modamag, etc. Here is an example of my first "real" light that started my flashaholism, SF L2. The damage to the outer threads when viewed with magnifier shows actual metal scraping/scratch damage that correlated with using Nyogel. I can capture it with my digital microscope, but even this macro view shows some of it. 

Since using the Nano-Lube, I have seen no progression of wear, additional scratching, or dirty threads. (click for larger view)








Tekno_Cowboy said:


> I would really like to hear you thoughts when comparing Krytox to Nano-oil and Nyogel. I know my own opinions comparing it to Nano-oil, but I gave away my Nyogel before I got the Krytox. Would you be willing to try it if I sent you a small amount?



Sure. I would always be willing to try new things. I'm not absolute about Nano-Oil, only that it has worked best on my aluminum lights.



Tekno_Cowboy said:


> While I share your opinion of Mr St. Claire's competitor, let's try to keep the Nano-oil/Nanolube war out of this thread. It has shut down enough threads already.


I only mentioned that to verify that I am not beholden to the one dealer, rather to the technology of the product.



Tekno_Cowboy said:


> On Petroleum Products:
> 
> So far it's looking like they aren't as much of a problem as they have been made out to be. If it still looks like this in a couple of days, I'll move the products that have been added to the Poor category simply for that fact to the good category.



Well there are petroleum products of different compositions. I have no doubt that some are more harmful to certain O-ring types than others. I think the discoloration and condition of your O-rings is the best way to judge that.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

LuxLuthor said:


> Sure. I would always be willing to try new things. I'm not absolute about Nano-Oil, only that it has worked best on my aluminum lights.



Shoot me a PM with an address, and I'll get some on it's way to you.


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

LuxLuthor said:


> I did notice discoloration with Nyogel. I saw it as soon as I got my L2 from SF, and again with my M4, M6, and E2D. They all have filthy discoloration out of the box. I want to emphasize again that the repeated discoloration after cleaning and reapplication of Nyogel was primarily noticed with soft aluminum, and especially the tailcap where the spring tension would tend to force metal on metal abrasion.
> 
> 
> I don't believe I said that, or meant to imply it. I was trying to draw a distinction between the Nyogel (& perhaps other top tier category lubes) being more oriented towards working with highly polished metal surfaces and O-Ring rubber surfaces sliding on metal...vs. Nano-Lube nano particles theoretically acting as tiny ball bearings to keep metal from scraping against metal.
> 
> Feeling a smooth threading is one important feature. However, no matter how smooth a lube feels does not mean it is preventing metal scraping against metal. This is going to be more of a problem with softer metals like aluminum, and especially if threads are not precisely made and matched between parts.
> 
> I don't think you can judge the value of a lube by using harder metals, or lights made with meticulous thread craftsmanship by McGizmo, Mac, Milky, Modamag, etc. Here is an example of my first "real" light that started my flashaholism, SF L2. The damage to the outer threads when viewed with magnifier shows actual metal scraping/scratch damage that correlated with using Nyogel. I can capture it with my digital microscope, but even this macro view shows some of it.
> 
> Since using the Nano-Lube, I have seen no progression of wear, additional scratching, or dirty threads. (click for larger view)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sure. I would always be willing to try new things. I'm not absolute about Nano-Oil, only that it has worked best on my aluminum lights.
> 
> 
> I only mentioned that to verify that I am not beholden to the one dealer, rather to the technology of the product.
> 
> 
> 
> Well there are petroleum products of different compositions. I have no doubt that some are more harmful to certain O-ring types than others. I think the discoloration and condition of your O-rings is the best way to judge that.


 
Thank you Luxluthor for posting your observations / appreciation of Nano-Oil, you have had plenty of time, it has been 2 years and 2 months since your first order in 2007.

*To be fair about comparing lubes, anyone testing a new one should not do so on top of Nano-Oil by StClaire, since once you have treated a component with such, the active ingredient Nano-Bearings will be embedded into the metal, performing its anti friction duty, only sanding or recutting would remove it all.*

*Doing so would make the test inconclusive.*

as mention by some members earlier on this and other threads, once treated with Nano-Oil the action has been reported to remain smooth and reapplication needed was infrequent.


----------



## csshih

thank you Tekno_Cowboy for adding the information about different orings.. seems this lube stuff is getting more complicated by the day!

This thread was a good idea.. allot of good discussion without references to... say, spit. or KY...


anyways, do we have to factor grade of aluminum/type of anodizing on threads too? I believe anodizing would change something at least.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

I suppose that since Aluminum Oxide is much harder than Aluminum, Any anodized aluminum would be more resistant to wear than non-anodized.

This thread is more about lubes though, so unless a lube works poorly or exceptionally on any particular surface, I see no need to go into detail on the flashlight materials. A good example would be a lube that eats away at plastic lights, or a lube especially good on Ti.


----------



## KiwiMark

LuxLuthor said:


> Sure. I would always be willing to try new things. I'm not absolute about Nano-Oil, only that it has worked best on my aluminum lights.




I am also willing to try new things - I have already used Nyogel & Krytox, I now have some Nano-Oil on the way. Lux has much experience, so I am happy to try something on his recommendation.

Since I have used Nyogel & Krytox I should be able to offer a useful opinion of the comparison once I get to try some Nano-Oil. I'll let everyone know once I have tried it out.


----------



## LuxLuthor

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> Shoot me a PM with an address, and I'll get some on it's way to you.



TC, I very much appreciate your generosity, but don't mind paying for this, so I will just go to your marketplace thread and order some now. Thanks for your dedication and hard work in putting this all together.

I do have many lights that I have not gotten around to cleaning and treating with Nanolube. This is the SF M4 top as I received it, and a light wipe with a Kleenex. This is typical from SF & with Nyogel. 


​Depending on being able to remove rubber/plastic parts, my cleanin procedure includes using cotton cloths digging into both thread spaces until clean, then go over with dish soap on a toothbrush, rinse, repeat, then several passes with Isopropyl, & several more passes with Acetone. I separately clean O-rings, plastic parts with wiping, dish soap, a quick wipe with Isopropyl rinsing immediately with water.


----------



## elwood

Has anyone tried NO-OX-ID on a D10? I may be getting one soon and was wondering if it makes the piston "sticky"?


----------



## csshih

elwood said:


> Has anyone tried NO-OX-ID on a D10? I may be getting one soon and was wondering if it makes the piston "sticky"?



a very light coat makes it nice and smooth 

though I don't have that d10 anymore .. but my friend reports it's working well.


----------



## darkzero

LuxLuthor, ok, you've got me sold. I'm going to get me some of this NanoLube for myself. I've been so tired of Nyogel turning my threads black that I've resorted to using the Parker Super O Lube on threads. I have total four film canisters of Nyogel that I've had for years & haven't even put a dent in them. Wonder what I'm going to do with it all. I'll continue to use the Parker Super O Lube on my orings. What do you recommend for threads, the 10 or 85?

Thanks


----------



## csshih

darkzero said:


> LuxLuthor, ok, you've got me sold. I'm going to get me some of this NanoLube for myself. I've been so tired of Nyogel turning my threads black that I've resorted to using the Parker Super O Lube on threads. I have total four film canisters of Nyogel that I've had for years & haven't even put a dent in them. Wonder what I'm going to do with it all. I'll continue to use the Parker Super O Lube on my orings. What do you recommend for threads, the 10 or 85?



I like using the 10 on normal flashlight threads, and the 85 on twisties.. 
let's see what lux thinks.

hey.. can I take that nyogel off your hands? I've never tried that stuff before.. :nana:


----------



## LuxLuthor

darkzero said:


> LuxLuthor, ok, you've got me sold. I'm going to get me some of this NanoLube for myself. I've been so tired of Nyogel turning my threads black that I've resorted to using the Parker Super O Lube on threads. I have total four film canisters of Nyogel that I've had for years & haven't even put a dent in them. Wonder what I'm going to do with it all. I'll continue to use the Parker Super O Lube on my orings. What do you recommend for threads, the 10 or 85?
> 
> Thanks



I mostly use the 10W which seems to have the viscosity of olive oil. The 85W has the comparable viscosity of honey. I have used the 85W with some of my scissors, tin-snips, other hand tools, door hinges. I'm not exactly sure when to use the 85.

Try to find your worse performing threads. At least do a cursory wiping down with a paper towel or cotton rag, trying to get the threads relatively clean with your fingernail behind the rag cleaning the thread channels. Then, I apply 2-3 drops around the top of the male threads, and maybe another 1-2 in middle of threads. Distribute oil by screwing on/off at least 5 times.

I'm going to use the Krytox when I get it on that M4 head. 

One other use I found for the 10W is the threads of some expensive fountain pens (Omas, Parker, Montblanc, Visconti, Waterman). I use the tiniest amount, work threads several times, and wipe off any remaining with lint free cloth. I tested it on a number of cheaper pens for over a year first.


----------



## darkzero

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> *Parker O-Ring Lube: *Pretty self-explanatory. It's a silicon oil formulated to be used on o-rings. It would be a bad idea to use it on silicone o-rings though.


 
I think you have the two products mixed up. Parker O Lube is barium petroleum based lube that is not recommended for use on silicone. Parker Super O Lube is the silicone based lube that can be used on pretty much any rubber polymer. The Super O Lube is the product that I was recommending (for orings only).


----------



## darkzero

LuxLuthor said:


> I mostly use the 10W which seems to have the viscosity of olive oil. The 85W has the comparable viscosity of honey. I have used the 85W with some of my scissors, tin-snips, other hand tools, door hinges. I'm not exactly sure when to use the 85.
> 
> Try to find your worse performing threads. At least do a cursory wiping down with a paper towel or cotton rag, trying to get the threads relatively clean with your fingernail behind the rag cleaning the thread channels. Then, I apply 2-3 drops around the top of the male threads, and maybe another 1-2 in middle of threads. Distribute oil by screwing on/off at least 5 times.
> 
> I'm going to use the Krytox when I get it on that M4 head.
> 
> One other use I found for the 10W is the threads of some expensive fountain pens (Omas, Parker, Montblanc, Visconti, Waterman). I use the tiniest amount, work threads several times, and wipe off any remaining with lint free cloth. I tested it on a number of cheaper pens for over a year first.


 
Thanks. Just ordered some 10W. I'll be trying some on knives too. Any experience with Nano Grease?


----------



## KiwiMark

LuxLuthor said:


> Try to find your worse performing threads. At least do a cursory wiping down with a paper towel or cotton rag, trying to get the threads relatively clean with your fingernail behind the rag cleaning the thread channels. Then, I apply 2-3 drops around the top of the male threads, and maybe another 1-2 in middle of threads. Distribute oil by screwing on/off at least 5 times.



When mine arrives I'll use it on my Maglite D-cell torches - the non-anodised threads are definitely the worst performing ones I have. I'll follow your instructions and report back how it goes with Nano-oil vs Krytox vs Nyogel. I think they are currently mostly Nyogel so I'll clean a couple and lube with Krytox, then when the Nano-Oil arrives I'll clean a couple more and use the Nano-Oil on them.

Why do I:
Read a thread, buy a light
Read a thread, buy some batteries
Read a thread, buy a regulated driver (well, 2 actually)
Read a thread, buy a new charger
Read a thread, buy some Nano-Oil
Bloody CPF threads are costing me a fortune! I gotta give up reading before I'm broke!


----------



## LuxLuthor

darkzero said:


> Thanks. Just ordered some 10W. I'll be trying some on knives too. Any experience with Nano Grease?



I have a small container of the pretty red grease, but I'm not a big grease user. Other than grease gun nipples on cars or inside gearboxes, I never think about using grease. If I thought about it more, I would probably find some uses, but thus far I just admire its pretty color.


----------



## LuxLuthor

KiwiMark said:


> When mine arrives I'll use it on my Maglite D-cell torches - the non-anodised threads are definitely the worst performing ones I have. I'll follow your instructions and report back how it goes with Nano-oil vs Krytox vs Nyogel. I think they are currently mostly Nyogel so I'll clean a couple and lube with Krytox, then when the Nano-Oil arrives I'll clean a couple more and use the Nano-Oil on them.
> 
> Why do I:
> Read a thread, buy a light
> Read a thread, buy some batteries
> Read a thread, buy a regulated driver (well, 2 actually)
> Read a thread, buy a new charger
> Read a thread, buy some Nano-Oil
> Bloody CPF threads are costing me a fortune! I gotta give up reading before I'm broke!



I have an answer for you that will resolve this, but you are not going to like it.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

darkzero said:


> ...I've been so tired of Nyogel turning my threads black...



One thing to remember with Nyogel is that part of the discoloration is due to oxidation of a component in Nyogel. I'm not saying that it's the only reason, but it may explain why it's black from the factory. Nye Lubricants claims that the discoloration doesn't affect the protection of the lube.



darkzero said:


> I think you have the two products mixed up. Parker O Lube is barium petroleum based lube that is not recommended for use on silicone. Parker Super O Lube is the silicone based lube that can be used on pretty much any rubber polymer. The Super O Lube is the product that I was recommending (for orings only).



Name will be changed to Super O Lube. Thanks for the heads-up :thumbsup:


----------



## CaseyS

Thanks for the great thread. After reading this, I went to my local Ace Hardware and picked up a tube of Super Lube to use on my Quark and MD2. Great stuff, especially for $6. The twist action on the Quark is much smoother now.


----------



## darkzero

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> *Parker Super O Lube: *Silicone oil formulated to be used on o-rings. It would be a bad idea to use it on silicone o-rings though.


 


Tekno_Cowboy said:


> Name will be changed to Super O Lube. Thanks for the heads-up :thumbsup:


 
Thanks but the comentary is still mixed up. Wouldn't make sense that a silicone lube could not be used on silicone.



darkzero said:


> I think you have the two products mixed up. Parker *O Lube* is barium *petroleum based* lube that is *not recommended for use on silicone*.
> 
> Parker *Super O Lube* is the *silicone based* lube that *can be used on pretty much any rubber* polymer. The Super O Lube is the product that I was recommending (for orings only).


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

darkzero said:


> Thanks but the comentary is still mixed up. Wouldn't make sense that a silicone lube could not be used on silicone.


Actually, silicone lube causes silicone o-rings to swell. I had this happen on a canister I had, and I had to cut it open to get the camping kit inside.


----------



## darkzero

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> Actually, silicone lube causes silicone o-rings to swell. I had this happen on a canister I had, and I had to cut it open to get the camping kit inside.


 
I see, never had that happen to me & would never have thought that. Wonder why that is? :thinking:

I suppose I should stop using it on my PD lights but I've been using the Super O Lube on them for awhile now & haven't noticed any different.


----------



## KiwiMark

darkzero said:


> Wouldn't make sense that a silicone lube could not be used on silicone.




Like affects like.

Oil based paint can be soften with oil based thinners (like turpentine) whereas acrylic based paint is softened by alcohol based thinners like methylated spirits.
Similarly silicone O-rings will be softened and weakened by silicone based lubricants. From what I understand the Nyogel should be fine with all types of O-rings other than silicone ones.


----------



## darkzero

KiwiMark said:


> Like affects like.
> 
> Oil based paint can be soften with oil based thinners (like turpentine) whereas acrylic based paint is softened by alcohol based thinners like methylated spirits.
> Similarly silicone O-rings will be softened and weakened by silicone based lubricants. From what I understand the Nyogel should be fine with all types of O-rings other than silicone ones.


 
Got it, thankfully noted.

I've been using Parker Super O Lube on all orings for about a year now. Not knowing the affects of silicone on silicone, I've been using it on my PD lights for just as long. The only silicone orings I recall having that are in use are on my PDs. I haven't noticed any swelling & they still been smooth as ever to this day. I EDC a PD-S. I would assume if they swelled the piston would be very tight but mine are not.

Super O Lube is silicone based but could it be formulated differently to prevent damage to silicone orings? I wonder because of these two statements:

_Parker Super-O-Lube can be used as an assembly lubricant_
_on all rubber polymers, including silicones. (Note: Silicones_​_require special consideration.)_

_Use only a thin film of Super-O-Lube on silicone rubber if the temperature will exceed 149°C (300°F)._


I'm assuming the "special consideration" is to use a thim film? Perhaps the key words here are "used as an assembly lubricant" & "a thin film"? So the use of silicone lubricant on silicone orings in thin applications & not continually does not have a drastic affect? 

Again I've been using it for quite some time on silicone orings without any noticeable difference whatsoever. I do use it sparingly though as I don't like lubes that require excessive amounts to perform. Generally how long does it take for a silicone oring to swell when exposed to a silicone lubricant? Just trying to decide whether I should continue to use it on silicone orings despite the affects as I have not experienced it. :thinking:


----------



## donn_

Great thread, TC! :thanks:

Another Nano-fan here. I've been using it for nearly as long as Lux, and have had it from both sources. I've got it on at least a hundred lights, and a few dozen fishing reels, several boat parts and garden tools. In my opinion, it outperforms both Nyogel and Krytox as a lube, and has the added feature of being a great penetrating oil. That's a very useful attribute for me, as I live beside salt water.

As to its use on lights, it's all I use now. It goes on threads and o-rings as well as some of my older clicky boots. I still can't get over how little it takes to do its job.


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

donn_ said:


> Great thread, TC! :thanks:
> 
> Another Nano-fan here. I've been using it for nearly as long as Lux, and have had it from both sources. I've got it on at least a hundred lights, and a few dozen fishing reels, several boat parts and garden tools. In my opinion, it outperforms both Nyogel and Krytox as a lube, and has the added feature of being a great penetrating oil. That's a very useful attribute for me, as I live beside salt water.
> 
> As to its use on lights, it's all I use now. It goes on threads and o-rings as well as some of my older clicky boots. I still can't get over how little it takes to do its job.



Hello Don,
Indeed only a little Nano-Oil is necessary to attain anti friction results and we have run dry at times after treating.

Actually we have run close tolerances components where we had to pressure fit a stainless shaft onto a brass bushing it was so tight that we had to use a press, subsequently we fitted the assembly onto a Bridgeport lathe and locked the bushing, then we ran very slowly for one minute, 
The bushing got so hot that we just could not touch it without being burnt,
after a minute, the temperature dropped very quickly and remained relatively cool,
Then we moved it to another jig and ran it upwards of 20,000 RPMs again the temperature was relatively cool and very little vibration was recorded.
Needless to say that there was no play what so ever in the assembly, I described it as metal turning onto itself if that makes sense.


----------



## darkzero

Just received my Nano-Oil today. WOW! I think I must have just lubed 15 lights cause it works so great. Can't believe I've been missing out on this for so long, that's what I get for not paying attention to lubes. Damn, first the Nyogel, now what am I going to do with this big tube of Parker Super O Lube? :laughing: Thank you for showing me the light! Off to do some knives & measurement tools.....


----------



## LuxLuthor

Darkzero, that was my first response when I got some of it also.

OK, now to be fair, I just got some Krytox today that I ordered. So, I'll try this in an aluminum light after cleaning....and not one that I already used nano-oil on.


----------



## LuxLuthor

I have used the Krytox on 4 lights. 3 of which had whatever FiveMega uses--typical dark gray messy crap that gets all over everything. Other was an unlubed Delghi 3" head. I got a good feel for the lube that was on the lights, and I still have a few others that have Nyogel 759.

I do agree that it gives a nicer, smoother lube than the Nyogel 759, and so far I am not seeing the typical gray discoloration, but it's early. Having gotten used to the Nano-Oil, I find this Krytox to be heavier/stickier than Nyogel, and way more than Nano-Oil. I need to really get a handgrip on the tailcaps to work them on/off with Krytox, whereas the Nano-Oil allows fingertip control.

I notice the Krytox still gets on things, but being white is less irritating (in terms of stains). You can see it on the threads, and if your fingers inevitably touch the thread, you are going to spread grease on everything you touch. 

That reminded me of another reason I prefer the Nano-Oil because so little of it is needed to work the threads, it appears nearly invisible and doesn't give a "greasy coat" your fingers.

One of the threads was not well cut, and the thicker Krytox did appear to do a good job of eliminating that coarse metal scraping feel. I don't know if it did a better job than Nano-Oil, and frankly it is hard to compare the metal on metal insulation of the two lubes because one is a light oil, and the other is a thicker type of grease. I suspect that if the Krytox wears thin that metal on metal damage will occur, but I cannot say it feels that way yet.

So I guess my initial impressions are that Krytox has impressed me as being better than Nyogel, but has not won me over from the lighter, cleaner, effective lubrication of Nano-Oil. If I had not found and been using Nano-Oil for the last couple of years, I would probably be very happy to have found Krytox instead of Nyogel. I'll see how the treatments hold up over time.


----------



## KiwiMark

LuxLuthor said:


> I find this Krytox to be heavier/stickier than Nyogel, and way more than Nano-Oil. I need to really get a handgrip on the tailcaps to work them on/off with Krytox, whereas the Nano-Oil allows fingertip control.



This sounds like a case of Krytox being better than Nano-Oil or vice versa depending on what you are wanting. If you want better water proofing and the threads to not move on their own then Krytox might be the better option. If you want the movement to be more free & easy for one handed turning then the Nano-Oil might be the better lubricant to use.


Once my Nano-Oil arrives I'll have both options - I think that will be good!


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Glad to hear that the lube got to you.

I really like how the grease is fairly heavy, it's exactly what I like in a flashlight lube. I have noticed that it can be a bit much with tight-fitting o-rings though, so when I lube a light with a tight fit, I add a drop of Krytox oil to the o-ring, and it cuts the resistance considerably. The 50/50 Krytox works well for this too.

As far as metal-on-metal, the heavier Krytox grease is the only thing I've found that keeps one of my favorite Ti lights from galling, especially since there is already damage on the threads from using a different lube that didn't do the trick.

I look forward to hearing how it fares for you over time.


----------



## Glenn7

Just to throw another lube in the air :tinfoil:
I only use Nano-Oil on all my lights - first clean threads apply nano-oil - screw off & on 20-30 times wipe off excess grey junk off the threads then reapply nano-oil then the threads don't really get that grey from there out - but for lights that I have that need that extra water proofing I use NO-OX-ID over the nano-oiled threads - double the protection - lube for lights is only the start of what nano-oil is best for.

BTW they have found tubs of over 50 year old NO-OX-ID that are as good as the day it was made. http://www.sanchem.com/ox.html there have been group buys on CPF for this stuff.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

If you read the OP, you'll find NO-OX-ID on the list.


----------



## Glenn7

ooooops!! - just keep going as if I'm not here 


mental note: read threads before you open your mouth


.


----------



## LuxLuthor

KiwiMark, and TC, I think that is exactly how I would portray the dichotomy between the "top" grease/paste consistency lubes and Nano-Oil. There are indications for both...but at this point, if I could only have one it would clearly be the Nano-Oil. But we don't have to have one, do we? 

I can understand why you (TC) prefer the Krytox as soon as you said you like that thicker/sticky feel in a flashlight lube. I'm not going to want to combine Krytox grease with Krytox oil to get a lighter feel, when in my experience Nano-Oil has already accomplished what I want.

So I think we should be clear in your rankings that there are both:


1) Objective applications _(such as waterproofing, or metal-on-metal, or where lighter coating protection is ideal)_ where one "style" of lube is better indicated, perhaps with some crossover _(i.e. I am not yet willing to say that Krytox is less effective than Nano-Oil for metal-on-metal...but I have ruled out Nyogel on that issue--based upon thread feel and discoloration)_.


2) Subjective preferences for a thicker or lighter feel. I suspect this is amplified in colder weather. I would add the issue of grease vs. oil messiness/discoloration as another preference. You likely don't mind getting the grease on your fingers or contact surfaces, where I dislike that. I further detest the gray/black discoloration staining of Nyogel.
IMHO you are *seriously remiss* to have not yet even listed Nano-Oil in your rankings, given all the comments...especially seeing you have DeoxIT Gold listed. Despite your *preference *for the thicker/greasy feel of Krytox, there are too many users promoting Nano-Oil to ignore it if you want this to be a somewhat useful and objective list. Obviously, I feel it should be in the top category.

I don't believe DeoxIT Gold even has a place on this list. Not only does it contain mineral spirits, but it is primarily an electrical contact enhancer. It is not something that flashlight users should remotely consider using as a thread lube. If you read the instructions on using DeoxIT Gold, it clearly says to apply and wipe clean with a lint free cloth _(thereby further reducing any lube effect)_, and which I have found very few people using CAIG's products understand.


----------



## darkzero

I didn't even notice DeoxIT in the list. Pro Gold should not be in the list as it is not be used as a lubricant for flashlight threads or orings. I've used Pro Gold for numerous of things over the years. Quite expensive (the pen I have was $15-$20 IIRC) & a great product but it's really a protectant for electrical contacts. I mainly use it on relays & switch contacts, really does good job at preventing corrosion but the contact must be deoxidized first. I sometimes use it on battery contacts for flashlights but that's about it.

I was very skeptical of Nano Oil of working as a good lube for flashlight threads & orings because it's such a lightweight oil that doesn't seem to fit here. I'm sold as it does perform exactly as the others have described. Going to order some Nano grease to try as well.


----------



## KiwiMark

LuxLuthor said:


> KiwiMark, and TC, I think that is exactly how I would portray the dichotomy between the "top" grease/paste consistency lubes and Nano-Oil. There are indications for both...but at this point, if I could only have one it would clearly be the Nano-Oil. But we don't have to have one, do we?



On this forum we are decidedly ANTI only having one! (we are Pro having every option available)
Quick question Lux:
If you could only have one flashlight - would your head explode or implode? 

Techno_Cowboy:
I would suggest adding Nano-Oil to the 'Very Good Lubes' section, even though I haven't got mine yet I think there has been more than enough positive recommendations from respected members to warrant it being there.

I would also suggest a note on the Deoxit Pro Gold - it is not a lube for threads or O-rings and it really shouldn't be on the list without a note as to its application. I love that lube, but it is a lube for contacts, not threads or O-rings.


----------



## Barbarian

Great thread guys. Very informative!


----------



## Glenn7

Has anyone used the 85 weight nano-oil? - its really quite thick and sticky much like everybody seems to want in a grease - it is not quite like grease but I would say its half way in between grease and oil.

I just put a drop on my finger between my thumb and pointer and when I pull them apart I got a string of viscosity about 10mm long if thats any help. 

I have noticed that using the 85 weight on threads/orings makes it hard to screw on the tail cap the first time you screw it on because you can hear/feel the back pressure of trapped air from a tight seal that the 85 weight gives.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

LuxLuthor said:


> KiwiMark, and TC, I think that is exactly how I would portray the dichotomy between the "top" grease/paste consistency lubes and Nano-Oil. There are indications for both...but at this point, if I could only have one it would clearly be the Nano-Oil. But we don't have to have one, do we?
> 
> I can understand why you (TC) prefer the Krytox as soon as you said you like that thicker/sticky feel in a flashlight lube. I'm not going to want to combine Krytox grease with Krytox oil to get a lighter feel, when in my experience Nano-Oil has already accomplished what I want.
> 
> So I think we should be clear in your rankings that there are both:
> 
> 
> 1) Objective applications _(such as waterproofing, or metal-on-metal, or where lighter coating protection is ideal)_ where one "style" of lube is better indicated, perhaps with some crossover _(i.e. I am not yet willing to say that Krytox is less effective than Nano-Oil for metal-on-metal...but I have ruled out Nyogel on that issue--based upon thread feel and discoloration)_.
> 
> 
> 2) Subjective preferences for a thicker or lighter feel. I suspect this is amplified in colder weather. I would add the issue of grease vs. oil messiness/discoloration as another preference. You likely don't mind getting the grease on your fingers or contact surfaces, where I dislike that. I further detest the gray/black discoloration staining of Nyogel.
> IMHO you are *seriously remiss* to have not yet even listed Nano-Oil in your rankings, given all the comments...especially seeing you have DeoxIT Gold listed. Despite your *preference *for the thicker/greasy feel of Krytox, there are too many users promoting Nano-Oil to ignore it if you want this to be a somewhat useful and objective list. Obviously, I feel it should be in the top category.
> 
> I don't believe DeoxIT Gold even has a place on this list. Not only does it contain mineral spirits, but it is primarily an electrical contact enhancer. It is not something that flashlight users should remotely consider using as a thread lube. If you read the instructions on using DeoxIT Gold, it clearly says to apply and wipe clean with a lint free cloth _(thereby further reducing any lube effect)_, and which I have found very few people using CAIG's products understand.



You're quite right about several things there.

I definitely agree that it's very good to have several choices :thumbsup:

I have no issues with getting grease on anything. Threads and o-rings are concealed, and unless you frequently take your light apart, I don't see how you could be spreading the lube all over.

I wholeheartedly agree that there should be both objective and subjective ratings on the lubes. If people will let me know what they are, I will be happy to add them.

I actually did add Nano-oil to the list, but it was removed by a mod. I agree that my personal preferences have affected the amount of time it has taken for me to put it back on the list, and for this I apologize. Just because I will never use it on my lights for reasons I won't go into, it doesn't mean that it is not an effective lube.

I also agree that Deoxit Pro Gold shouldn't be on the list without an explanation of it's proper use. I will try to fix this within the next couple of days.


----------



## Glenn7

why could/would you not use it?? can you share here - or maybe you could PM me - from my experience this nano-oil is one of the best lubes out there IMHO :thinking: and it would be a shame if you don't use it from a bad experience? or a misunderstanding of how to use it.


----------



## McGizmo

DM51 said:


> Very understandable confusion. The answer is NO - silicone rubber is unsuitable for any application where friction might be a factor, i.e. flashlight O-rings. It is used in static (non-moving) sealing applications only. You therefore won't find any silicone O-rings in your flashlights. It is therefore OK to use silicone grease.
> 
> ......



I need to disagree with some of this for the simple reason that most of my lights do have silicone O-rings in them and specifically in areas where there is some dynamic motion; twisting or sliding (piston). Silicone is poor on abrasion resistance and for that reason, a good lube is a serious consideration if you want to get good service our of the O-ring which sould be considered a normal wear item in any dynamic application. I have gotten years of service from some lights with the original silicone O-ring in them but YMMV.

Not all silicone greases are created equal and I am no chemist and can't explain what the difference might be.

My initial and continued exposure to silicone O-rings comes from the under water camera's and housings arena. To my limited knowledge the primary material in O-rings for this gear is silicone. Silicone grease is also recommended for lubing the O-rings but it is always by an identified brand or even offered by the manufacturer. I have seen silicone O-rings swell but never as a result of using a recommended silicone grease. Travaco (sp) makes a silicone grease called GLY if memory serves and I never had an O-ring swell using that grease. I used to use it and preferred it over the Nyogel that was recommended by SureFire when I first got into these lights. However, I found the stiction with the silicone grease a nuisance and sought a better solution. I was real happy with the Krytox once I found a blend that seemed to work well. I won't get into my opinions of the various snake oils here, including the Krytox. There is always something better out there, certainly claimed anyway, and often in reality.

When I was involved in the marine industry, I became aware of real problems with buna and nitril (sp) O-rings and especially if they were dry and exposed to ozone. When I was doing a lot of mods and taking apart various SureFire lights, I came across some static internal seals and O-rings I presume to be of buna and some were cracked and compromised. These were not maintenance or user accessible seals. :green: EPDM seems to be a much better choice of material provided it is not subjected to petroleum based products. (its achiles heel if I remember correctly).

I got pretty excited about using urethane O-rings a couple years back because it is a most hardy material and great on abrassion resistance and impervious to most chemicals. I found I didn't like its action in any of the dynamic applications and I think the silicone does a better job of forming to the seal surfaces and providing a seal.

On the subject of dynamic applications, I think there is a big difference between twisting a light on and off compared to a shaft O-ring spinning at thousands of RPM or a piston seal O-ring hammering up and down hundreds of cycles per minute. It is the fact that we are moving metal parts that I prefer the silicone even if it is subject to wear. Properly lubed, it has a nice give and seems to be less prone to stiction than other materials. :shrug:


----------



## McGizmo

I wanted to add a couple comments. First and foremost, I don't consider myself to be an expert on the various O-ring materials or lubes. I have done some experimenting and have some experience in use which has biased and become the basis for my opinions. I am always open and willing to stand corrected on these issues.

Another consideration regarding some of these lights is that of the electrical conductivity across some of the metal components and how or to what extent various lubes may impact this. In many lights, the ground path is caried through the threads and these are threads which are often getting lubricated. As I recall, SureFire recommended two versions of the nyogel and this was based on whether there was an electrical path involved in the lube joint.


----------



## LuxLuthor

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> I have no issues with getting grease on anything. Threads and o-rings are concealed, and unless you frequently take your light apart, I don't see how you could be spreading the lube all over.



TC, to answer your valid question, with most my lights I am removing the tailcap to replace/recharge batteries. As you may know, many SF lights do not run long on primary cells. I would typically open the tailcap once a day if heavy use, or every couple days. That is a repeated exposure to the threads and their grease. If dirty, it is also a concern of staining tables, and also indicating metal and/or rubber breakdown.



McGizmo said:


> *I won't get into my opinions of the various snake oils here, including the Krytox. There is always something better out there, certainly claimed anyway, and often in reality.*
> 
> I wanted to add a couple comments. First and foremost, I don't consider myself to be an expert on the various O-ring materials or lubes. I have done some experimenting and have some experience in use which has biased and become the basis for my opinions. I am always open and willing to stand corrected on these issues.
> 
> Another consideration regarding some of these lights is that of the electrical conductivity across some of the metal components and how or to what extent various lubes may impact this. In many lights, the ground path is caried through the threads and these are threads which are often getting lubricated. As I recall, SureFire recommended two versions of the nyogel and this was based on whether there was an electrical path involved in the lube joint.



McG !!! Your craftsmanship is an example of being of such high quality that your products almost don't need any lube. :bow: 

Your posts seem to be more concerned with various O-Ring issues, which for me personally is almost irrelevant in flashlights. Obviously for underwater waterproofing of cameras, scuba equipment, etc. that is crucial. In any case, you may wish to clarify your "snake oil" comment which casts aspersions with a wide net.

My comments have been mostly directed at the protection of the metal on metal threads, especially the softer aluminum lights that are not machined well.

Here was the post from 2002 quoting a SF engineer as to why they used Nyogel 779ZC on O-Rings, & 759G on Aluminum threads. Note that when I read the original Nye source documents, it appears the SF Engineer reversed the application of the two items:


Their 779ZC data sheet
 

Their 759G data sheet
 Quite interesting to see this confusion from the engineer, and paucity of information on their data sheets is the foundation we have relied upon. :thinking:

Here is a much better description by Lighthound of the two lubes which is worth reading. I love the first photo showing the dirty threads, and note how it is dismissed despite brand new lights from SF arrive looking like that. It is a more helpful presentation, but I am still not left with a clear understanding of the proper use and different applications between them.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Glenn7 said:


> why could/would you not use it?? can you share here - or maybe you could PM me - from my experience this nano-oil is one of the best lubes out there IMHO :thinking: and it would be a shame if you don't use it from a bad experience? or a misunderstanding of how to use it.



I'm not saying I won't use it. I'm just saying I won't use it on anything I place a high value on. Lets just say I've had a couple of _very_ unpleasant experiences, and leave it at that. I would rather not turn this thread into an argument over Nano-Oil, as there are already closed threads that do just that.

As I have stated before, I have found several uses for Nano-oil, I will just never use it on my lights, or any of the lights that pass through my shop.


----------



## Glenn7

OK - sorry no flaming intended  I defiantly respect your opinion - the world would be a boring place if we all had the same opinion and used the same things IMO


----------



## McGizmo

LuxLuthor said:


> ..... In any case, you may wish to clarify your "snake oil" comment which casts aspersions with a wide net.
> 
> ......



Lux,

Perhaps I shouldn't have used the term but even though I personally have found that the Krytox 50-50 blend that I came up with has been the best lube for my applications (silicone O-rings and titanium metal) I don't know for a fact it is the best lube or why it might be the case. I read numbers of great testimonials here on CPF about the nano-lube and ended up purchasing a number of bottles thinking it would be a lot easier to apply than the krytox. Unfortunately it didn't live up to my hopes or succeed as a successor to the krytox. Someone mentioned Tri-Flow above and for years, that was my lube of choice and when I ran a moped store with my brother and I did all of the mechanics, I used that stuff like water. It would not surprise me that it would be ideal for some of the flashlights. I digress. I used the term snake oil because few of us if any actually know what the chemistry is in these lubes or what we ideally wish to gain from their use in terms of mechanical and electrical support or aid. There is no clear or widely accepted superior product here and there have been varied successes reported by users on the same lights with the same lube.

On the SF lube recommendations, I recall looking into the data sheets and being confused by what SF recommended compared to what the manufacturer recommended.

Beyond some users liking the "float" they experience with a grease suspended between the threads, to my knowledge, excessive grease can impede the performance and certainly is a ready host to suspended grit and foreign particles which may be abrasive in themselves. I would guess that with any of these lubes, there is an optimal amount to be applied and the performance under optimal conditions may well be noticeably different than the performance if too little or too much is used. Perhaps this accounts for the varying degrees of success reported by different users?

The requirements of a lube/ protectant in the case of raw aluminum to raw aluminum where the metal is also part of the ground path could be a completely different situation than one where you have anodized aluminum in contact with anodized aluminum and no electrical path involved. Mix your metals or go to different metals and the situation may be different again.

I have read of real concern of some users when it comes to titanium that galling might occur and what can be done to avoid this. I have never encountered a case of galling in a Ti flashlight. I do have a prototype SF weapon light somewhere where two of the components (aluminum) have galled and there is no way you are going to get them apart. For all I know, a grease may have held an aluminum burr suspended between the threads until it got wedged in compression in the threads and welded the threads together. Had the threads been dry and this chip dropped out...... I recall one or two other situations where I had some aluminum components gall and I had a couple chrome plated aluminum lights that never got built out because the head and power pak ended up welded together. Some components really need to break in prior to a lube that will impede further abrasion and some are prime for use immediately and the hope of a proper lube is that of extending the life and duty cycle.

In some threaded components, stiction is a non issue because these threads are static except for battery change. In others, these threads are part of the activation process and you want smooth and consistent performance.

I am not sure what point or points I am trying to make here but in the spirit of this thread being a "comprehensive grease and lube thread" there should at least be some examples of sincere confusion expressed and I willingly offer that up! :nana:

I think the materials involved (metals and O-rings) as well as the specific application or function of these materials need to be considered when it comes to lubrication and protection. Lubrication and protection may be in conflict to some extent. Case in point. If I were using a classic SF type aluminum light where the threads are static and not anodized, I would use lanocote on these threads. I don't consider lanocote as a lube but I have not seen anything come close to it in terms of protecting the aluminum from corrosion and especially when current is passing through.


----------



## LuxLuthor

McGizmo said:


> The requirements of a lube/ protectant in the case of raw aluminum to raw aluminum where the metal is also part of the ground path could be a completely different situation than one where you have anodized aluminum in contact with anodized aluminum and no electrical path involved. Mix your metals or go to different metals and the situation may be different again.



You did seem to cover many bases--LOL! I agree that we are making decisions without a comprehensive list of lube components to make accurate statements. I also doubt any who have posted thus far have adequate expertise in chemical/mechanical/electrical engineering to speak conclusively on what is happening with a given lube at the microscopic, electrical, or molecular level.

We are making comments based upon incomplete product compositions, a variety of metal compositions (& surface treatments such as HA, plating, etc.) thread applications, a plethora of plastic and flexible O-ring parts, and unknown scenarios & degrees of electrical conduction.

I'm categorizing my comments and recommendations as how various lubes look, feel, & perform...rather than providing real science.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

It would be nice if we could figure out a way to test the various lubes, with a quantifiable result. I have no idea how to go about this, but it would be great if there could be some suggestions thrown out there.


----------



## LuxLuthor

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> It would be nice if we could figure out a way to test the various lubes, with a quantifiable result. I have no idea how to go about this, but it would be great if there could be some suggestions thrown out there.



It is a good thought. It seems hard to do objectively if you don't know the exact trade secret lube compositions. Then treating a given set of threads with a specific lube would result in chemical/structural changes that would alter subsequent lubes.

It would require a sophisticated level of calibrated testing equipment, and chemical/microscopic analysis equipment.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

I don't think it really needs to be overly specific. It's not like we need the results to be good enough for lab use.


----------



## js-lots

darkzero said:


> I didn't even notice DeoxIT in the list. Pro Gold should not be in the list as it is not be used as a lubricant for flashlight threads or orings. I've used Pro Gold for numerous of things over the years. Quite expensive (the pen I have was $15-$20 IIRC) & a great product but it's really a protectant for electrical contacts. I mainly use it on relays & switch contacts, really does good job at preventing corrosion but the contact must be deoxidized first. I sometimes use it on battery contacts for flashlights but that's about it.
> 
> I was very skeptical of Nano Oil of working as a good lube for flashlight threads & orings because it's such a lightweight oil that doesn't seem to fit here. I'm sold as it does perform exactly as the others have described. Going to order some Nano grease to try as well.



I too was using deoxit gold on all of my flashlights. However, I did notice that this seem to leave a discolored film on my threads and o rings. Also, I was using dielectric grease as well and this was getting the job done but it seemed to be a little thick and slightly sticky. After scouring this thread I ordered the nano oil. I received it today and after a thorough cleaning, I used it on a few of my flashlights. I am very pleased with it. It is clean, no odd smell and made my threads as smooth as butter. I bought the $16.00 pen type applicator and it appears to have enough to last me a very long time.


----------



## ejot

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> It would be nice if we could figure out a way to test the various lubes, with a quantifiable result. I have no idea how to go about this, but it would be great if there could be some suggestions thrown out there.





Tekno_Cowboy said:


> I don't think it really needs to be overly specific. It's not like we need the results to be good enough for lab use.




As an R&D engineer with a physical sciences background, you would be hard-pressed to find someone more generally supportive of carefully-planned, well-documented quantitative assessment. However, in this case, I'm not sure how much there is to be gained from casual performance tests, and not sure how useful more exhaustive performance tests would be. 

Reason being, we're dealing in many cases with classes of lubricants whose capabilities _far_ exceed the demands placed on them in flashlight use. There are ASTM scientists who have spent their careers pushing lubricants to their extremes in multi-thousand hour tests exploring a vast spectrum of properties. 

As I've made known, my personal preference is Krytox -- and this is due to my familiarity with it from the semiconductor industry. We use it for seals that see hundreds of degrees and highly corrosive chemistries, bearings that see tens of thousands of rpms, pumps that maintain ultra high vacuum protecting high-dollar cassettes of wafers. It's used where lubricant failure can result in tens of millions of dollars of damage and injury/death to an equipment operator. My point here is not to plug the product further, or even to suggest that its greatest capabilities are particularly relevant for flashlight use. 

Quite the opposite in fact: There are *many *products that are *more* than capable of doing what we need them too. A flashlight-use-based comparison test between the top contenders would be nearly akin to pitting Schrödinger against Einstein against Bohr with a Physics 101 exam; they're all going to do quite well. 

Certainly there is room for opinions, preferences, and discussion. But with respect to quantiative performance evaluation; we're pushing these top products to exactly 0.00054% of their capability. (I just measured it ).


----------



## electromage

I'd like to know if anyone has experience using XF-7 on flashlight threads. I see that Maxpedition carries it in their online store, and it looks like it would work very well as a flashlight lube.


----------



## ejot

LuxLuthor said:


> I do agree that it gives a nicer, smoother lube than the Nyogel 759, and so far I am not seeing the typical gray discoloration, but it's early. Having gotten used to the Nano-Oil, *I find this Krytox to be heavier/stickier than Nyogel*, and way more than Nano-Oil. *I need to really get a handgrip on the tailcaps* to work them on/off with Krytox, whereas the Nano-Oil allows fingertip control.



I apologize for the double post, and I hope quoting an excerpt is OK. I don't believe I'm removing any context here.

With regards to the viscosity of Krytox: Krytox greases all start from a base of clear, liquid Krytox oil. The viscosity of a particular version is dependent on the amount and exact type of fluoropolymer thickeners that are added, specifically for the reason of creating a grease instead of a liquid. As such, there is a great variety of available thicknesses, and the thickness of one sample is not indicative of what's available. 

I selected a version with what I find to be a perfect viscosity, and from this description it is *much* thinner than what you used. I find it to be the least sticky grease I've ever handled (test method: the good 'ol rub-between-index-finger-and-thumb-test). It results in a smoother threading action than anything else I've tried, in many cases turning a "two-hander" into a "one-hander".


----------



## darkzero

I just received som Krytox 50/50 mix from nfetterly to try on Ti threads. I applied some on my Ti "PD-K" & it doesn't seem to feel any better from the Parker Super O lube I had on it previously. In fact I feel the Parker Super O lube felt better than this Krytox mix. It doesn't seem to coat the threads evenly after some twisting. It will "bead" up in clumps in areas & does not seem to cover well. Not sure if there's a considerable difference in ratio mix between this one & the mix offered from the Shoppe or what Don uses if any different. I shook the bottle pretty well just in case the two compounds seperated & reapplied but had the same results. It doesn't seem to be the same mix as what comes on Ti PDs from Don. I'll keep it on there for a few days to see if it "breaks in" but I don't see that it should need a break in period.

Just for kicks I added a couple drops of nano oil to it & it then turned into a greasier consistency & now covers well. More like a greasy mess. Maybe the bottle I have does not have enough GPL101 oil mixed in or so I feel.

Perhaps I will try some GPL226 from Tekno next and/or 50/50 from the Shoppe.


----------



## Russel

Wow, this is a very long thread! Very interesting subject.

I use a gasket lubricator with silicon grease to lubricate o-rings in flashlights (and watches.) But, I use superlube to lubricate the threads on flashlights. 

No claims as to what is best, this is just what I use.

I tried lubricating the threads of my modified 2C Mag-Lite with an Philips LUXEON III emitter with thermal grease to enhance thermal conductivity. But, determined that there was no advantage after running the flashlight for an hour with dry threads, then with thermal grease on the threads, while monitoring the temp.


----------



## LuxLuthor

ejot said:


> I apologize for the double post, and I hope quoting an excerpt is OK. I don't believe I'm removing any context here.
> 
> With regards to the viscosity of Krytox: Krytox greases all start from a base of clear, liquid Krytox oil. The viscosity of a particular version is dependent on the amount and exact type of fluoropolymer thickeners that are added, specifically for the reason of creating a grease instead of a liquid. As such, there is a great variety of available thicknesses, and the thickness of one sample is not indicative of what's available.
> 
> I selected a version with what I find to be a perfect viscosity, and from this description it is *much* thinner than what you used. I find it to be the least sticky grease I've ever handled (test method: the good 'ol rub-between-index-finger-and-thumb-test). It results in a smoother threading action than anything else I've tried, in many cases turning a "two-hander" into a "one-hander".



ejot, I appreciate and enjoy reading your responses. It does sound like an apt comparison between the physicists taking the test in terms of our demands not remotely pushing the limits of various lube capabilities....and I agree having a casual analysis will be more likely devolve into a differing set of preferences.

You definitely are describing a thinner viscosity than the syringe I got from TC (GPL-226). I personally am interested in something that protects threads from metal on metal under tailcap spring tension (i.e. a Maglite D as example), more than the uses you described in your previous post #111. Krytox may also be doing this, but the 4 lights I have put this GPL-226 on are too thick for my preference. 

As you say, most of the quality lube companies are custom designing for a specific application. I was just surprised with a company of SureFire's reputation, that all six of the lights I have ordered from them to date arrive with the messy, aluminum-gray discolored lube, which I believe are the Nyogel blends. I find a similar discoloration from all the Maglite Mods on arrival I have ordered from FiveMega, who says he uses "Sil-Glyde 765-1351"

If I thoroughly clean and re-apply fresh, clean Nyogel, in short order it is "crapped up" again, and I notice wearing off of the thread metal, mostly at the starting edges.

I don't know if the blends of Krytox being discussed here are designed for the metal on metal--under spring tension--protection, but it seems intuitive that a lube made for gasket/rubber/O-ring seals under pressure, and/or with chemical/heat/waterproof protection may not be ideal for flashlight threads. 

Again, I don't know enough about the specifics and hard science of all these lubes, other than my practical observations and tactile feel to say anything profoundly objective. I know I don't like Nyogel for the above listed reasons, and despite the apparent overwhelming endorsements and use by SureFire. I also know I am glad I found Nano-Oil. Perhaps if I had a thinner batch of Krytox I would like the feel better...but I'm not that motivated to mix and store custom batches of a lube when I found one that is preventing metal damage.


----------



## DM51

LuxLuthor's point about Nyogel quickly becoming discolored is a good one. I'd like to comment on it from a particular viewpoint - that of scuba diving. Please note that I am not a qualified chemist or anything of that kind.

To divers, O-rings are a matter of life or death. We have them in our regulators, lights, camera housings, etc, etc. An O-ring failure at depth can kill you. 

That is why we always use silicone grease, as it is compatible with all O-rings used in all diving equipment. Nyogel is a silicone grease, and AFAIK perfectly OK for diving applications, although I don't know any divers who use it - most just use the little tubes you get in dive shops which cost a few $s but last a long time.

For specialist applications such as rebreathers, where high partial pressures of oxygen are present, we move from plain silicone grease to Krytox. Krytox is Oxygen safe - in other words, it won't oxidise or cause problems in O2-rich environments.

Krytox is therefore the ultimate safe grease for scuba divers to use. It is more expensive than regular silicone grease, but again, a little goes a very long way.

I make no comment about the consistency/viscosity of either Nyogel or Krytox here - for diving, you don't want something that is too thin, but for out-of-water use a really good thin lubricant is definitely preferable. 

Going back to LuxLuthor's point about the Nyogel discoloration, the reason for this is very probably the same reason why rebreather divers would not use it - it is oxidising on the threads of the lights. Whether or not (or how much) this affects its performance as a lubricant I don't know. I suspect not much, but it is none the less unattractive and messy.

Incidentally, members have mentioned SF lights arriving ready-lubed with Nyogel. In my experience, new SF lights usually arrive bone dry, with no lube on them at all. Obviously, that is easily remedied with the lube of your choice; but it is a little strange IMO.


----------



## fiftycalibre

I currently use the 50/50 krytox blend, however I find that its not so effective on the threads on larger flashlights.

I find them great on smaller lights, but on my modamag collossus, I can still feel the metal grinding on metal. I believe this is due to the much higher amount of metal on metal contact, as opposed to the smaller lights. With my smaller lights, the krytox is excellent and provides nice and smooth threads and O rings.

I have ordered some nanolube, and I will be using it on the threads of all my flashlights. I will probably stick with krytox for the Orings though. Also going to use it on some of my tools :twothumbs


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

darkzero said:


> I just received som Krytox 50/50 mix from nfetterly to try on Ti threads. I applied some on my Ti "PD-K" & it doesn't seem to feel any better from the Parker Super O lube I had on it previously. In fact I feel the Parker Super O lube felt better than this Krytox mix. It doesn't seem to coat the threads evenly after some twisting. It will "bead" up in clumps in areas & does not seem to cover well. Not sure if there's a considerable difference in ratio mix between this one & the mix offered from the Shoppe or what Don uses if any different. I shook the bottle pretty well just in case the two compounds seperated & reapplied but had the same results. It doesn't seem to be the same mix as what comes on Ti PDs from Don. I'll keep it on there for a few days to see if it "breaks in" but I don't see that it should need a break in period.
> 
> Just for kicks I added a couple drops of nano oil to it & it then turned into a greasier consistency & now covers well. More like a greasy mess. Maybe the bottle I have does not have enough GPL101 oil mixed in or so I feel.
> 
> Perhaps I will try some GPL226 from Tekno next and/or 50/50 from the Shoppe.




That's kind of strange that it wouldn't spread out well. The only time I've ever had that issue is when I didn't get the threads clean before applying the Krytox.


----------



## ejot

LuxLuthor said:


> Again, I don't know enough about the specifics and hard science of all these lubes, other than my practical observations and tactile feel to say anything profoundly objective. I know I don't like Nyogel for the above listed reasons, and despite the apparent overwhelming endorsements and use by SureFire. I also know I am glad I found Nano-Oil. Perhaps if I had a thinner batch of Krytox I would like the feel better...but I'm not that motivated to mix and store custom batches of a lube when I found one that is preventing metal damage.



It's refreshing to see someone try other solutions despite already having one you're very satisfied with. Were you still interested in experimenting further with Krytox, there is one consumer-available/small quantity product that I would recommend: Finish Line Extreme Fluoro. It's marketed as a bicycle bearing grease, but it is just a relatively low-viscosity straight Krytox nearly identical to the one I use (I have tried it). I think it's also available in 15g syringe instead of 20g, if you search a bit. 

Of course, I have no affiliation with the product or company. I just thought I would throw it out there, as seems thinner than the description you gave, and doesn't require any blending or home-cookin'. 

And we are definitely in agreement about the drawbacks of Nyogel. :green:


----------



## LuxLuthor

ejot said:


> It's refreshing to see someone try other solutions despite already having one you're very satisfied with. Were you still interested in experimenting further with Krytox, there is one consumer-available/small quantity product that I would recommend: Finish Line Extreme Fluoro. It's marketed as a bicycle bearing grease, but it is just a relatively low-viscosity straight Krytox nearly identical to the one I use (I have tried it).



I ordered this 20g one you linked. In part because of your suggestion, but also after looking at the link on that page to: http://www.sandsmachine.com/ac_greas.htm which in turn has another very intersting link with photos and a well thought out testing process of turning a nut on screw under pressure. 

Specifically note the topics of:


*What properties do we look for in a lubricant?*


*How do we test lubricants?* (Note caveat in red)


*Comparison to other lubes* (Didn't see Nyogel represented for testing)
Thanks!

Edit: I updated my post above to reflect the actual lube after asking FiveMega what he uses (Sil-Glyde--see I shouldn't have assumed he used NyoGel). Interesting that even in the testing results of that Sil-Glyde link and the Sandsmachine link, they do not test with softer aluminum type threads, so it is hard to know how (or "if") steel stress testing has any relevance on aluminum threads.


----------



## Gordo

electromage,
I've been using XF-7 for about three years now. Good stuff. I like it because non-toxic, non-staining, action seems a bit slow (too much grease) but very smooth. It stays in place regardless of how hot it is. Does not effect rubber or silicone. No problems with any O-rings. 
Becareful though, I got some on the parts of the flashlight body that are best left ungreased and there was no electrical connection. It was so small I couldn't figure out why the light wasn't coming on. It didn't even feel greasy.
Dawn soap and acetone to clean the threads. Q-Tip to apply a small amount to o-ring and threads. And you're good to go. Less is more but use enough. 

Note: You can suspend it in 90% or greated Isopropyl Alcohol if the grease is too thick for your tastes.


----------



## Gordo

Add on:
Dawn soap and acetone may not be the best way to clean every part. I used it on the body but not the head or tail. There are a number of ways to get clean. Proceed at you own discression.


----------



## LuxLuthor

Gordo said:


> Dawn soap and acetone may not be the best way to clean every part.


 LOL! That sounds like a wonderful combination to splash into your eyes. oo:


----------



## csshih

I gotta get more acetone.. anyone know where to get that stuff?

I've actually been using CRC heavy duty silicone spray as a cleaner -- the carrier for the silicone is acetone, and it helps get the grime off, and leave a tiny bit ofl lubricant. I then coat it with my lube of choice.


----------



## darkzero

csshih said:


> I gotta get more acetone.. anyone know where to get that stuff?



Any good sized hardware store should carry it, in the paint section by the paint thinners, mineral spirits, denatured alcohol, etc. And of course the standard nail polish remover is acetone based which can be found at most grocery & drug stores.


----------



## Gordo

Lux,
lol...I hope no one tries to use acetone for personal hygine. 
I've washed my hands with acetone to remove goo but only on very tenacious goo. 
For those that have experienced a prolonged oxygen deficit...Nitrile gloves under silicone over mitts and scuba mask under a full face shield. In fact, wear a silicone apron over a bullet-proof vest when attempting to clean your flashlight. 


Really do you need to use acetone for cleaning something that only sees dust, dirt, sweat, mud, rain and occationally packing grease/oil. No. If you use clickies then theoretically the unwanted stuff should not make it past the o-rings. Twisties (in my opinion) can aggrevate migration of crud deeper into the light. No hard core research, just an observation. The crud in the threads can pass the o-ring. Crud on top of the threads get pushed back or into the threads. 

*If anyone is a total spaz just stick to Dawn soap (the original)or Simple Green (or the like). Make sure that whatever soap you use does not have additives like scent, anti-bacterial, aloe, etc. They can leave a residue. [Warning Purple Power (and the like) are much more aggressive. They can damage plastic, rubber and discolor aluminum. Read your labels] 

*Go to the Dollar Store and buy a handful of toothbrushes use them to get crud out of the threads. Inside threads (female threads) Turn the brush counter-clockwise (anti-clockwise for European torch owners) to encourage the crud to exit. Crud can follow the threads so out not in. 


Then wipe with Iso-Alcohol to get that last bit of whatever and help the mositure evaporate. Use the least amount of oil/grease that is needed. How much is that you ask? Halfway between "not enough" and "too much". 

I forgot to mention, if you don't know for sure the type of o-ring do not use acetone on it. It can be very damaging to some rubber, latex and plastic. Even plastic lens can be damaged. Unless you work in a very industrial/chemical enviroment you don't (probably) need it. 

I've got shelves ($$) of stuff that I wanted to try and maybe I use twice a year. Typically I use a few items weekly/monthly for just about anything. The rest sit there waiting.

For flashlights you'll need to adapt your choices to your uses.
My Preferences:
Frequent Cleaning: Dawn Soap outside only. Do not take apart. Unscrew head and tail a couple of turns and Q-tip out any leftover crud. 

Deep Occational Cleaning: Disassembled -- Dawn soap, 91% Iso-Alcohol, cheap toothbrushes, Q-tips, cotton rags (tee-shirt). Do not soap and water the electronics. Iso-Alcohol the contact points only. 

Dielectric/anti-seize grease on the rarely moving parts. [screw-in pills, non-focusing heads]. If my understanding of dielectric/anti seize is right it was not made for moving parts. High temp tolerance, waterproof, doesn't interfere with electrical conduction on touching parts, chemically inert. 
XF-7 (personal preference) on the frequently moving parts (battery access, focusable heads). 
O-rings around the lens and other parts: either, leaning towards dielectric/anti-seize.
Years worth of cleaning and lube for $25. Not counting shipping or tax.

XF-7 $12.99
DiElectric/Anti-Seize $ 5.99-$8.99
Iso-Alcohol $ 1.89
Q-Tips $2.49 
cheap toothbrush two for a $1.00


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Does anyone have a link to the manufacturer's website for the XF-7?


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> Does anyone have a link to the manufacturer's website for the XF-7?


Hello Tekno_Cowboy,
I have spoken to them in the past, they are in Arizona, but as far as I know they do not have a website unless something has changed,
Their phone number is (928) 772-3021
Thanks a lot, what a great thread you started.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Thanks for the info Christian :thumbsup:

On a different note, I'm looking to pick up a 2oz tube of GPL223 grease on Monday for comparison against GPL226, and was wondering if anyone would be interested in splitting it with me. The only condition would be that you'd need to post your opinion of it in this thread.

IIRC I can get about 4 syringes out of it, so up to 3 people would be welcome. I would be happy to pay the shipping.

PM me if you're interested.


----------



## Gordo

Website links modified.
I think that this is permissable judging by other posts. If not let me know. 
for information: http://www.mdtactical.com/mdlabs/XF7.htm


----------



## Gordo

Text removed. Apologies all.


----------



## LuxLuthor

Gordo, you may want to edit your post, as you seem to have missed *BOLD Texting* all occurrences of " XF7"...ya know....in case we didn't pick up its name from your sparse mentions. 

_ps) Maybe go for subtlety next time to imply a hint of objectivity. _


----------



## Gordo

Oops. I missed a few. 

Actually I copied and pasted from the makers post on another website, so I claim no credit or blame for highlights, bolds, typos, over the top salemanship, or the assination of JFK.  
Next time I'll underline and italicize. Yeah, that would be more subtile. 

But the stuff does work. Is it the right stuff for what you do? You'll have to judge for yourself. 

Seriously, I would like to see a objective testing of products. Oil and greases. Kinda curious how one stacks up against the another. All of the friction tests I've seen don't apply to flashlights IMO. There is metal to metal contact but 1000rpm wheel and unscrewing the tail cap of a flashlight are very far apart. 

For flashlights I see
Smoothness of the moving parts. bare metal vs. treated metal. Work needed to turn end cap one revolution difference Forcexdistance. 
Water resistance (proofness) Put them on the bottom of a pool for a week.
Wash out. Run it through the dishwasher with no detergent. Water jets and heat only. 
Migration (does it run out when exposed to heat. you could apply to the outside of a pipe or inside of a flashlight body and see how far down it slides in heat. Put in oven for an hour at 200 degrees. See how far down it moved.
Bake off. Turn up to 400 degrees for an hour. (Why 400? Purely ancedotal, someone said they measured their trunk temp on an AZ summers day and it was 400'ish. 
Merely suggestions to provoke thought. 

Oh and one more thing. *XF-7. *


----------



## burntoshine

does anyone know where i can buy some straight krytox grease?

thanks in advance!


----------



## DM51

Gordo, your recent posts contravene Rule 6 with the detailed content you have reproduced from a manufacturer's website. *Please* *remove all of it. *A link to the manufacturer's product information page will suffice.


----------



## darkzero

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> That's kind of strange that it wouldn't spread out well. The only time I've ever had that issue is when I didn't get the threads clean before applying the Krytox.


 
Before applying any new lube I scrub & clean until I can't see anything on the threads then clean again. After my experiment with adding a bit of nano oil to it I cleaned & reapplied again wiithout the nano oil. This time went on a bit better but was similar to my previous result. It's better now after working it in. I thought it could have been a film of left over nano oil on the threads as that's what I had on it right before but when I added a drop of nano oil for my experiment it helped it spread out. 

I definitelt like the Krytox better than nano oil on McGizmo Ti threads. I still would like to try something a bit thicker though. I'd be interested in some GPL223 to try if you're still getting it. PM on the way.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

I wasn't able to pick up a 2oz of GPL223, so I'm just going to pick up an 8oz in a few days.

The dealer I go through was pretty interested in the forums, and I invited him to take a look at this thread. You never know, he might peek his head in :shrug:


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

I picked up some Krytox GPL223 today.

From what my distributor tells me, the GPL223 is smack dab in between the GPL226 I've been using, and GPL221 as far as base oil viscosity at room temperature goes. 

I tried the GPL221 about 6 months ago, and found that it was a bit too thin for my tastes at 17 cSt. It does work well on o-rings though, and especially well on piston o-rings.

I've been using GPL226 for a while now, and I've been getting feedback that it's a bit thicker than many people like it at 822 cSt. I like the stiff action and "float" feeling it gives. It's one of the few lubes that makes my Ti lights as smooth as HA Al. It does get a bit thick for o-rings though.

The GPL223 I just picked up seems to be a nice compromise, at 82 cSt. It does a pretty good job on both threads and o-rings, and still retains a little of that "float" that I like with the GPL226. I've got a couple of other people that are going to try it, and hopefully share their opinions of it here.


----------



## Haz

I just bought a tube of Nano-Oil (Light 10 weight). The purpose of purchasing Nano-Oil is to try and find an alternative to the lubricant that doesn't gunk up on the threads.

From a quick observation, the oil reminds me of motor oil in colour and viscosity. I have used Nyogel, Molycote silicon grease, even petroluem jelly in the past, which generally appear clear or cloudy and has a gel like consistency. 

After applying Nyogel, silicon grease or petroluem jelly on lights with exposed aluminium/titanium thread, the threads eventually gunk up with a greyish paste after multiple twisting and turning. The twisting action get's rougher over time and I normally need to clean the threads thoroughly before re-applying. 

Yesterday, I cleaned the threads on a Fenix L1D and applied the nano-oil. The dispenser has a tiny metal nozzle which perfectly controls the amount of liquid coming out (I also bought the metal applicator as well!). The oil runs smoothly between the grooves of the thread making lubrication very easy. After lubricating all the threads, I screwed the parts together. To my surprise the twisting action has become much more smoother, without any resistance typically found when using the gels or grease. I tried the twisting action many times, but there are no signs of the grey paste developing or grittiness when turning.

To sum it up, i'm very pleased with the oil. It has exceeded the requirements I was looking for and performed exceptionally well on the flashlight threads. Although I think it resembles motor oil, I was tempted but I didn't try using my cars Castrol oil as a comparison. I assume the normal oil will not have the lasting lubricating properties and the smoothness of the nano-oil that many have observed from regular use.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

LuxLuthor said:


> I ordered this 20g one you linked. In part because of your suggestion, but also after looking at the link on that page to: http://www.sandsmachine.com/ac_greas.htm which in turn has another very intersting link with photos and a well thought out testing process of turning a nut on screw under pressure.



I'd like to know how the GPL223 Krytox I just got compares to the Finish Line rebranded Krytox. Would you be willing to do a comparison if I sent you a mL or two of the GPL223?


----------



## LuxLuthor

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> I'd like to know how the GPL223 Krytox I just got compares to the Finish Line rebranded Krytox. Would you be willing to do a comparison if I sent you a mL or two of the GPL223?



Sure will. I don't know what the Finish Line compares to in terms of the thicker GPL226 (which is not yet "graying up" my threads on test lights.), and the GPL223.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Thanks, I'll send it out in the next day or two.

I'm guessing that the reason you don't know how they compare yet is that the Finish Line you ordered hasn't shown up yet?


----------



## LuxLuthor

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> Thanks, I'll send it out in the next day or two.
> 
> I'm guessing that the reason you don't know how they compare yet is that the Finish Line you ordered hasn't shown up yet?




Correctomundo! I just ordered it as of that post on Sat evening 10/3...but now that you mention it, have not received email of shipment yet. I'll check with them today.


----------



## bansuri

Thanks for a great Sticky Thread! Got some SuperLube from the local hardware store, it's exactly what I've been looking for. Slippery, scent-free for a pretty good price. Loaded up a medicine type syringe for easy application and I'm good to go. Now my lights won't smell like a wheel bearing or ball joint.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

I'm glad to hear you found something that works well for you. :thumbsup:


----------



## fiftycalibre

Got my Nanolube today, and I am VERY impressed. I have only cleaned and lubed my L0D and TK40, and the threads are so much smoother.

I had krytox on them before, but nanolube will replace it for sure


----------



## darkzero

Got my Krytox from Travis today. Of the four lubes GPL223, GPL226, 50/50 blend, & Nano Oil I like the GPL223 the best on my Ti PD. GPL226 feels too thick on most lights that I've tried so far. I think it may work great for very loose threads. I do have a use in mind for it though (not related to lights) so it will come in handy (Thanks Travis).

I don't like Nano Oil on any Ti threads I've tried, just seems too thin. The 50/50 blend works the best on my TB Ti "C" light. I pretty much narrowed it down & only used Nano Oil on anodized threads. The 50/50 works great there too. 

With my preferences I've decided only to use the 50/50 blend & GPL223 on my flashlights (until something else might come along). Nano Oil won't be used on my lights anymore, only tools & knives. Parker Super O Lube is still my preference for use on orings even on silicone. Nano Oil works great on orings too but I have some applications where it makes it too "slippery" & this is unwanted.


----------



## Search

Which SuperLube product would be recommended. When I go to their website I have absolutely no idea where to begin.

You guys recommended the brand and I see over 20 different lubes


----------



## bansuri

Search said:


> Which SuperLube product would be recommended. When I go to their website I have absolutely no idea where to begin.
> 
> You guys recommended the brand and I see over 20 different lubes


The tube I got from Ace Hardware is:
SuperLube synthetic grease.
Item No. 21030

3 oz tube


----------



## Search

Just bought some Nano-Oil.


----------



## Scott Packard

One lube I've been using for 6 months is Permatex Ceramic Extreme Brake Lubricant.
It has a synthetic grease with what I believe to be hexagonal Boron Nitride, a ceramic that is suited for lubrication. It says on the container it is safe for O-rings and that has been my experience. I wanted to use it for several months before I posted anything, to verify it continued to work well without side effects.
What I've noticed is, with aluminum-aluminum tailcap threads, the amount of black aluminum that builds up over time in the threads has decreased a lot. The lower black aluminum buildup along with the tenacity of the lube means I don't feel the need to remove, clean, and reapply it. I haven't had any conductivity issues with it.
I wrote a longer review of my impression of it on Amazon, if you search for Permatex 24125 you'll find it. Permatex 24124 is a smaller quantity version of 24125.


----------



## clintb

Minor correction to the first post: Finish Line Extreme Flouro is not Krytox. Check the following vid: Link. It's pure Teflon.


----------



## LuxLuthor

OK, TC, I got your 223 sample and the Finish Line tube today. I'm trying to think about how to give a fair evaluation.

It seems I would need to test each of them in the same light that is vigorously cleaned. I think I'll try cotton wipes until clean, then Dawn, Isopropyl, Acetone (after O-ring removed) with toothbrush & followup clean cotton cloths should be good. I'll try to get some photos before, during, and after. LOL! I hate how anal I am.


----------



## berry580

Just wondering how come the black stuff is coming from the o-rings?


LuxLuthor said:


> My personal opinion is a list should not be started and categorized with Krytox in the #1 position, when the OP is selling it in his sig. Even if some regard it as the best, with respect to Tekno_Cowboy, I have to question the objectivity. It also does not make sense to have Super Lube and Tri-Flow in different categories if they are stated to be similar.
> 
> [...]
> My understanding on Krytox, and I believe similarly with Nyogel is that they do not provide the same level of metal on metal friction protection, where Nano-Oil excels. My observations of the black/gray wearing discoloration of Nyogel is happening because the metal on metal friction is causing breakdown. * Black is from the O-rings*, and gray from the aluminum. With Nano-Oil, I have not noticed any of the discoloration. In addition, so little is required for adequate lubrication, there is no mess when opening the lights.
> 
> [....]
> For those who have not seen it, St. Claire has posted the MSDS pdf here for his Nano-Oil.


----------



## turbodog

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> [/B]Try to avoid petroleum-based lubricants, as they can cause o-ring damage
> 
> *Petroleum Jelly/Vaseline: *This lube can damage o-rings, and should not be used on lights.



Quote edited...

Most decent orings should be resistant to petroleum lubes/oil/etc. Otherwise, what good are they when working on your car, cleaning your gun, etc.

Also... don't knock vaseline. I've got some maglites that are over 20 years old. They have the original o-rings. O-rings show no sign of softening, wear, etc.

Even my cheap china-made lights are working fine with vaseline.

*I think it has a place in the excellent category. It's cheap, available with a short walk to the bathroom cabinet, and I haven't found a light YET that it does damage in any way.*


----------



## turbodog

post tenebras said:


> ...
> 
> Vaseline should be in the poor lube category as it's petroleum base *will *damage o-rings.



This should be 'can' or 'rumoured', at best. I have not found an o-ring, gasket, piece of composite of plastic that it does damage. I would like to see an example to the contrary.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Search said:


> Which SuperLube product would be recommended. When I go to their website I have absolutely no idea where to begin.
> 
> You guys recommended the brand and I see over 20 different lubes



I would use this oil or this grease


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

turbodog said:


> Quote edited...
> 
> Most decent orings should be resistant to petroleum lubes/oil/etc. Otherwise, what good are they when working on your car, cleaning your gun, etc.
> 
> Also... don't knock vaseline. I've got some maglites that are over 20 years old. They have the original o-rings. O-rings show no sign of softening, wear, etc.
> 
> Even my cheap china-made lights are working fine with vaseline.
> 
> *I think it has a place in the excellent category. It's cheap, available with a short walk to the bathroom cabinet, and I haven't found a light YET that it does damage in any way.*





turbodog said:


> This should be 'can' or 'rumoured', at best. I have not found an o-ring, gasket, piece of composite of plastic that it does damage. I would like to see an example to the contrary.



How about I change it to: " Use caution when using petroleum products, as they can damage some types of o-rings"

I think vaseline could possibly be put in the "good" category. I do not think that it should be in the "very good" category. Do others agree?

As far as an example of something it damages: condoms 
I've seen it make one holier than swiss cheese.


----------



## turbodog

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> How about I change it to: " Use caution when using petroleum products, as they can damage some types of o-rings"
> 
> I think vaseline could possibly be put in the "good" category. I do not think that it should be in the "very good" category. Do others agree?
> 
> As far as an example of something it damages: condoms
> I've seen it make one holier than swiss cheese.



But really. I have yet to see any o-ring/plastic/etc damage from any petroleum lube.

The only thing I have ever seen was lithium grease destroying elstomers (bumpers) in a shock on a mountain bike.

So, vaseline damages latex. Lots of things damage latex. I know of no latex applications in lights.

Like the other guy said, you're thinking too hard. These lubes are designed for motorized equipment/high temps/acids/bases/etc. They do fine in lights.

Also, be aware. Surefire (yes I am picking on them) may select their lube not for the purposes you think...


----------



## KiwiMark

I just received my NiteCore D10 today. In the instruction booklet there is a 'Maintenance' section which advises to clean and lube with silicon-based lubricant every 6 months. Clearly the O-Rings in this light are fine with silicon lube.

Then there is written:


> Note: DO NOT use petroleum-based lubricant on the waterproof O-rings, which may cause damages to the o-rings.


Now it is hard to know if they are being overly cautious with that warning or if we should pay close attention and ensure we never use petroleum-based lubricant any where near the O-rings.

Of course Lux made a good point when he said that the O-rings are easily replaced so there is no need to panic over whether your lube may harm them or not. But since this note is interesting and relevant to this thread I thought I would share it here.

Maybe the simplest solution is to either:
1. Use Silicon-based lube or Krytox or other non-petroleum based lubes that wont hurt your O-rings.
or
2. Use whatever lube you prefer but check the O-rings every now and then and replace them if they show signs of deterioration or swelling. When replacing them choose O-rings made of a material that is not affected by the lube you use.

Since many here have reported no noticeable O-ring degradation with petroleum based lubes that would suggest that only some O-rings are likely to be affected. Maybe someone should write to the manufacturers and ask what the O-ring material is - then we just need a link to a chart on the first post.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

clintb said:


> Minor correction to the first post: Finish Line Extreme Flouro is not Krytox. Check the following vid: Link. It's pure Teflon.



It says on the Finish Line website that the grease is a fluorinated(PFPE) grease by Dupont(Krytox).

Teflon is a PTFE, not a PFPE.


----------



## Pekka

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> How about I change it to: " Use caution when using petroleum products, as they can damage some types of o-rings"
> 
> I think vaseline could possibly be put in the "good" category. I do not think that it should be in the "very good" category. Do others agree?
> 
> As far as an example of something it damages: condoms
> I've seen it make one holier than swiss cheese.



The caution sounds appropriate.

Categories on the other hand... they're defined as pretty lax atm so I think sharper line between wouldn't hurt. IMHO the first one should be something along the lines of "The best of the best, when you don't wish to settle for less and care not much of the cost." while the secondmost would be more of a "Good for the job, if you're cost impaired or just seeking for a product that does the thing it's supposted to."
By that definition, vaseline would definitely NOT be in the first category. Good maybe, maybe poor, for that I can't tell for sure as I lack enough to compare it against.

And don't tell me how you got to know about the latex compatibility. :naughty:

Edit: as an afterthought, read before you type:


> Very Good Lubes will hold the best of the best, lubes you can use without hesitation on any light.
> 
> Good Lubes will hold lubes that are safe for use, and will perform well, but may not be ideal for all applications.


Think that pretty much does it? No petroleum on the 'Very Good' -list.


----------



## snakyjake

Does anyone have a good link or book that talks about all the different lubrication options? Curious to know the applications, advantages, disadvantages, etc. 

Finish Line talks about ceramics, boron nitride, fluorinated. Sounds like "nano" technology. I'm also hearing about teflon, lithium, lithium/calcium complex, thickeners, soaps, moly, zinc, silicone, silica, nano, and so much more. Also hear about wet and dry, and wax lubricants.

I've heard good things about Eezox and WeaponShield when it comes to lubricating and preserving firearms. A similar application can probably be made for our flashlights.


----------



## turbodog

vaseline/petroleum jelly from wikipedia:


melting-point in the range of ranging a few degrees above 167°F

devoid of taste and smell when pure

does not oxidize on exposure to the air

is not readily acted on by chemical reagents

insoluble in water

*****

Sounds like desirable properties for a flashlight lube. Nice to know it's edible. Won't have to worry about accidental transfer from my hands to my mouth.


----------



## ejot

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> It says on the Finish Line website that the grease is a fluorinated(PFPE) grease by Dupont(Krytox).
> 
> Teflon is a PTFE, not a PFPE.



Right ... this video is a poor source for accurate technical description. The statement there: "100% pure Teflon in a grease form" is nonsensical. Pure Teflon- PTFE - is a white solid that becomes useless if heated near its melting point. It cannot be a grease. 


However, it's slippery as all hell!

DuPont notice this and says, "Yo! We should make a chemically-similar oil/grease with this slipperiness." 

So they did, and they named it Krytox. That's what the Finish Line grease is- 100% flurocarbon-based polymer/telomer blend designed to have Teflon properties in grease form, not Teflon itself.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

turbodog said:


> vaseline/petroleum jelly from wikipedia:
> 
> 
> melting-point in the range of ranging a few degrees above 167°F
> 
> devoid of taste and smell when pure
> 
> does not oxidize on exposure to the air
> 
> is not readily acted on by chemical reagents
> 
> insoluble in water
> 
> *****
> 
> Sounds like desirable properties for a flashlight lube. Nice to know it's edible. Won't have to worry about accidental transfer from my hands to my mouth.



Nothing in your quote suggests that it is edible. Did you find that from a different source?

That 167 degree melting point worries me a bit. I think I'll dig around for some vaseline, and see what happens when I let it run on my Wolf-Eyes for an hour or two. I have a suspicion that it's going to thin out considerably and run down the sides of the light after about 45 minutes. Depending on the room temperature, my WE Raider gets to around 150 degrees. That should be close enough to the melting point to cause a fairly large change in the properties of the vaseline. I'll post my findings, providing I can find some vaseline.



ejot said:


> Right ... this video is a poor source for accurate technical description. The statement there: "100% pure Teflon in a grease form" is nonsensical. Pure Teflon- PTFE - is a white solid that becomes useless if heated near its melting point. It cannot be a grease.
> 
> 
> However, it's slippery as all hell!
> 
> DuPont notice this and says, "Yo! We should make a chemically-similar oil/grease with this slipperiness."
> 
> So they did, and they named it Krytox. That's what the Finish Line grease is- 100% flurocarbon-based polymer/telomer blend designed to have Teflon properties in grease form, not Teflon itself.



Exactly what I would have said had I not driven 8 hours prior to posting. And if I was clever...


----------



## Pekka

turbodog said:


> vaseline/petroleum jelly from wikipedia:
> 
> melting-point in the range of ranging a few degrees above 167°F



Wikipedia, the knowledgebase of "I heard from someone" 
All the MSDS:s and the like I've seen suggest the melting point to be more around 100°F. Would sure like to know where the guy who wrote that got his temperature from...


----------



## LuxLuthor

Initial impressions based on using the various lubes on about 15 lights (2 Ti Jetbeams, 2 Stainless Steel JetBeams, 2 SF, and 8 Mag C & D's are that the Finish Line brand is the perfect viscosity for my tastes, working very well on Jetbeam Ti, and a Mag C tail cap that made a metal scraping sound before hand. I believe it is very similar to the GPL223 you recently sent.

As long as it doesn't discolor over time, and I'm more careful not to set tailcap on counter surface, I think I could be perfectly content with using either the 223 or Finish Line brand.

It occurs to me that it is very hard to be objective in comparing these, including with NanoLube, because every set of threads is different. I am not feeling the metal on metal with any of these three choices (NL, 223, FL brand) in lights that had it beforehand.

I completely cleaned 3 tailcap threads (Mag D, C, and Stainless Jetbeam), starting with FL, cleaned again, then 223, cleaned again, then NL) and with the time it takes to do that, I could no longer remember exactly how the threads felt from the previous lube...so I had to judge by if it felt velvety-smooth, no metal scraping, and if I had a "happy" feeling with how the threads turned.

My gut instinct on short term use is that the 223 & FL are probably giving the best all around performance, with NL a close runner up. That is saying a lot for me to give a slight nod to these Krytox brands in thread feel, but I can't deny how nice these versions work. There is still the benefit of NL with regards to cleaner, less volume, nearly invisible protection.

The 226 would likely be fine if you don't mind heavy (thicker) resistance, but as it is getting colder here in New England, I don't like how much resistance there is with it. That tube from Finish Line probably has about 15cc's in it, so it will last a very long time.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Pekka said:


> Wikipedia, the knowledgebase of "I heard from someone"
> All the MSDS:s and the like I've seen suggest the melting point to be more around 100°F. Would sure like to know where the guy who wrote that got his temperature from...





With that low a melting point, it really shouldn't be used on any light that gets warm to the touch. I think this fact alone should be enough to solidify it in the "poor" category.



LuxLuthor said:


> Initial impressions based on using the various lubes on about 15 lights (2 Ti Jetbeams, 2 Stainless Steel JetBeams, 2 SF, and 8 Mag C & D's are that the Finish Line brand is the perfect viscosity for my tastes, working very well on Jetbeam Ti, and a Mag C tail cap that made a metal scraping sound before hand. I believe it is very similar to the GPL223 you recently sent.
> 
> As long as it doesn't discolor over time, and I'm more careful not to set tailcap on counter surface, I think I could be perfectly content with using either the 223 or Finish Line brand.
> 
> It occurs to me that it is very hard to be objective in comparing these, including with NanoLube, because every set of threads is different. I am not feeling the metal on metal with any of these three choices (NL, 223, FL brand) in lights that had it beforehand.
> 
> I completely cleaned 3 tailcap threads (Mag D, C, and Stainless Jetbeam), starting with FL, cleaned again, then 223, cleaned again, then NL) and with the time it takes to do that, I could no longer remember exactly how the threads felt from the previous lube...so I had to judge by if it felt velvety-smooth, no metal scraping, and if I had a "happy" feeling with how the threads turned.
> 
> My gut instinct on short term use is that the 223 & FL are probably giving the best all around performance, with NL a close runner up. That is saying a lot for me to give a slight nod to these Krytox brands in thread feel, but I can't deny how nice these versions work. There is still the benefit of NL with regards to cleaner, less volume, nearly invisible protection.
> 
> The 226 would likely be fine if you don't mind heavy (thicker) resistance, but as it is getting colder here in New England, I don't like how much resistance there is with it. That tube from Finish Line probably has about 15cc's in it, so it will last a very long time.



Thanks for sharing your opinions. They carry a lot of weight here.

I have to say I'm surprised that your give the slight nod to the Krytox/FL. 

My guess is that the GPL223 and the Finish Line Extreme Fluoro are very similar. I sent an email to FInish Line asking what grade of Krytox the FLEF is. My guess is that their reply will be GPL203 or GPL204. It will be interesting to see what they say.

I have to say that since I got the GPL223, I'm using the GPL226 less and less on my lights. (though I still use it the most for other applications) I'm really liking the feel it gives on my aluminum lights. On my Ti lights, the 226 is still king of the treads, but the 223 is showing up on the o-rings.


----------



## turbodog

Dude. You never had your mom put it on you for chapped lips as a kid? I remember the commercials where they are listing that as an official use.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Nope. I remember that there was a jar that just sat there collecting dust for as long as I could remember.

Getting a small amount in you probably isn't going to hurt, same as most of the products discussed in this thread. None of them (AFAIK) are intended as a food-grade edible grease.

It says right on the container: "For external use only."


----------



## Kestrel

I've had something strange happen twice now, the first time was 'whatever', but now I think I'm going . I have a tube of DOW-Corning high-vacuum grease, an extremely pure 100% silicone grease that we use in our research labs. For the second time, I have used a moderate amount on (very smooth & clean) SureFire tailcap threads, and they immediately feel rougher and slightly gritty.

I clean it off as much as possible, and the twistie action still feels rough. At this point I’m going to try to clean all of it off with a solvent and try a light oil on the threads. And yes, this is extremely clean silicone grease that has not been contaminated. I’m certain I haven’t introduced any dirt or grit into the threads when doing this, I was extremely careful the second time around (on a different SureFire).
I know this sounds crazy, but has anybody else had this experience??


----------



## kwkarth

Kestrel said:


> I've had something strange happen twice now, the first time was 'whatever', but now I think I'm going . I have a tube of DOW-Corning high-vacuum grease, an extremely pure 100% silicone grease that we use in our research labs. For the second time, I have used a moderate amount on (very smooth & clean) SureFire tailcap threads, and they immediately feel rougher and slightly gritty.
> 
> I clean it off as much as possible, and the twistie action still feels rough. At this point I’m going to try to clean all of it off with a solvent and try a light oil on the threads. And yes, this is extremely clean silicone grease that has not been contaminated. I’m certain I haven’t introduced any dirt or grit into the threads when doing this, I was extremely careful the second time around (on a different SureFire).
> I know this sounds crazy, but has anybody else had this experience??


Interesting observation. I have used a high viscosity silicone grease whose original formulation was for thread damping/lubrication and o-ring protection for camera lenses and watch back/crown applications. Over the years it has always seemed to work fairly well for flashlight threads & o-rings, but... One thing I have noticed regularly is that it fairly quickly turns sort of a dirty grey (aluminum oxide?) 

The stuff is supposed to be purely silicone grease. Why would it promote oxidation of the aluminum that it covers? One would assume that it is completely anhydrous, and is indeed hydrophobic. Maybe the threads of my lights feel smooth because of the high viscosity of the grease, but are actually galling on a minute level??? Hmmm.... You might be on to something here.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

I havn't had that issue with a silicone grease before, but I did have that issue with Magnalube-G.

Some greases simply don't work well on metal/metal, even though they may excel at another application.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

kwkarth said:


> Interesting observation. I have used a high viscosity silicone grease whose original formulation was for thread damping/lubrication and o-ring protection for camera lenses and watch back/crown applications. Over the years it has always seemed to work fairly well for flashlight threads & o-rings, but... One thing I have noticed regularly is that it fairly quickly turns sort of a dirty grey (aluminum oxide?)
> 
> The stuff is supposed to be purely silicone grease. Why would it promote oxidation of the aluminum that it covers? One would assume that it is completely anhydrous, and is indeed hydrophobic. Maybe the threads of my lights feel smooth because of the high viscosity of the grease, but are actually galling on a minute level??? Hmmm.... You might be on to something here.


Grease turning grey is generally understood to be caused by metal suspended in the grease. IIRC, there are several posts on the subject earlier in this thread.


----------



## Kestrel

kwkarth said:


> Interesting observation. I have used a high viscosity silicone grease whose original formulation was for thread damping/lubrication and o-ring protection for camera lenses and watch back/crown applications. Over the years it has always seemed to work fairly well for flashlight threads & o-rings, but... One thing I have noticed regularly is that it fairly quickly turns sort of a dirty grey (aluminum oxide?)
> 
> The stuff is supposed to be purely silicone grease. Why would it promote oxidation of the aluminum that it covers? One would assume that it is completely anhydrous, and is indeed hydrophobic. Maybe the threads of my lights feel smooth because of the high viscosity of the grease, but are actually galling on a minute level??? Hmmm.... You might be on to something here.


 
OK. This is interesting. Yes, in this case the grease & threads turn grey immediately, unlike other lubes I've used ... More to follow...

BTW I have already found that this high-viscosity silicone grease is great for the nitrolon SF's, I have found that IMO their twisties turn way too easily when stock, and this gives them a nice solid twistie action like the aluminum SF's have.



Tekno_Cowboy said:


> I havn't had that issue with a silicone grease before, but I did have that issue with Magnalube-G.
> 
> Some greases simply don't work well on metal/metal, even though they may excel at another application
> 
> Grease turning grey is generally understood to be caused by metal suspended in the grease. IIRC, there are several posts on the subject earlier in this thread.


 
OK, I cleaned everything off with solvent and used a light oil. Instantly silky smooth again, and instead of turning black immediately, the lubed threads are staying extremely clean...

I think you folks are right (BTW, my apologies but I haven't read the earlier posts (long thread!), but I will when I get more spare time...), maybe this just isn't a good combination. This grease works very well for me in other uses, but perhaps aluminum on aluminum just isn't a good match for this.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Does the grease change color on the nitrolon light too?

Nyogel, IIRC will change color due to one of it's components oxidizing. Perhaps you have a similar issue?


----------



## neninja

I use Red Rubber Grease - it's specifically formulated to be non-reactive with rubber. It's main appication is for lubricating the pistons on brake calipers without eroding, hardening or swelling the o-rings and dust seals.

These properties make it a perfect flashlight lubricant as it will help preserve the o-rings whilst not swelling them which would make operation on twisties more difficult.


----------



## Kestrel

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> Does the grease change color on the nitrolon light too?
> 
> Nyogel, IIRC will change color due to one of it's components oxidizing. Perhaps you have a similar issue?


No, the (clear) silicone grease on the nitrolon surfaces has stayed far cleaner, and it's been on that light for about six months. Must be the aluminum / aluminum.

I'm just a little surprised that for all the talk about silicone grease that this hasn't come up? - yes I still need to read this thread though...


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

neninja said:


> I use Red Rubber Grease - it's specifically formulated to be non-reactive with rubber. It's main appication is for lubricating the pistons on brake calipers without eroding, hardening or swelling the o-rings and dust seals.
> 
> These properties make it a perfect flashlight lubricant as it will help preserve the o-rings whilst not swelling them which would make operation on twisties more difficult.


Could you provide a link to more information on this lube?

@Kestrel- pay special attention to LuxLuthor's posts, he says alot about the subject, though not specifically about straight silicone grease.


----------



## CaseyS

I've read on some automotive forums that Krytox is popular and highly recommended for conditioning the weather stripping. However, there were a few cautions from people about how hard it is to get off of painted surfaces since it's impervious to all common solvents. For you guys who use Krytox regularly, has this ever been a problem for you? Just how careful do you have to be with it?


----------



## Kestrel

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> @Kestrel- pay special attention to LuxLuthor's posts, he says alot about the subject, though not specifically about straight silicone grease.


Thanks, some of what he said corresponded with my limited experience with this pure silicone grease very accurately. In addition:


Haz said:


> After applying Nyogel, silicon grease or petroluem jelly on lights with exposed aluminium/titanium thread, the threads eventually gunk up with a greyish paste after multiple twisting and turning. The twisting action get's rougher over time and I normally need to clean the threads thoroughly before re-applying.


This was my experience almost exactly, except that I got the horribly-gritty feel after only 2-3 rotations.

OK, no more silicone grease for me. Just this simple light oil I just tried is a HUGE improvement over the instantly-gritty feel I got from the silicone grease for these two SF's. Also, I had the exact same experience with a couple of Mag85's that I had once - the clear silicone grease immediately became grey and felt like I actually had a fine abrasive slurry in the threads.

Thanks for all the help in this thread. I know my current choice of a basic light oil is probably not ideal, but this is a quantum leap from my recent experience with this silicone grease. :sick2:


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

kwkarth said:


> Interesting observation. I have used a high viscosity silicone grease whose original formulation was for thread damping/lubrication and o-ring protection for camera lenses and watch back/crown applications. Over the years it has always seemed to work fairly well for flashlight threads & o-rings, but... One thing I have noticed regularly is that it fairly quickly turns sort of a dirty grey (aluminum oxide?)
> 
> The stuff is supposed to be purely silicone grease. Why would it promote oxidation of the aluminum that it covers? One would assume that it is completely anhydrous, and is indeed hydrophobic. Maybe the threads of my lights feel smooth because of the high viscosity of the grease, but are actually galling on a minute level??? Hmmm.... You might be on to something here.



Hello KwKarth,

Your last statement is right to a degree when you say, quote¨Maybe the threads of my lights feel smooth because of the high viscosity of the grease, but are actually galling on a minute level??? Hmmm...¨
The viscosity will dampen both vibration and noise level while not necessarily providing a good anti friction lubrication for any given device.

The galling that you mention can be observed as mild (device in question loosing mass on its dynamic contact point over and over in other words, never ending until the inevitable (extreme, the threads do not mesh together)) 
or as severe as fusing,

It is my educated guess and conviction that the black sludge you find on specially aluminium thread is the carry away of the metal`s friction.

Just take a piece of cloth or kitchen paper and drag it across a bare sheet of aluminium and look at the colour deposited on the cloth 

to accentuate, now take a sharp instrument and drag the cloth with it it over it, now within an inch of travel you will have a very black spot.

As you can see on Luxluthor`s pictures on page 2 response #59 of this thread, it does not have to be.

Moral of my post, use the highest anti friction lube that you can find out there, and if you have to, supplement it with another one of your choice (if you are after a special feel for your dynamic action) :
like: just plain smoothe or 
firmer action on say your end cap switch since it has been an issue with Twisties somewhere on this forum, some members wanted to firm those up.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

@CaseyS - I've had a couple of people ask me this question on Ebay. From what I got out of it, it's the oil that works the best for weather stripping. I'll have to give the grease a try. The weatherstripping on my clunker needs it, so I'll let you know how it works.


----------



## CaseyS

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> @CaseyS - I've had a couple of people ask me this question on Ebay. From what I got out of it, it's the oil that works the best for weather stripping. I'll have to give the grease a try. The weatherstripping on my clunker needs it, so I'll let you know how it works.


 
Thanks, Tekno_Cowboy. I think my question was badly worded. What I meant was, it sounds like Krytox is very difficult to clean up. It doesn't disolve in alcohol, acetone, soap and water or paint thinner. In using it on my flashlights, I'd be a little concerned that if I accidentally got it anywhere but on the threads, I'd have a permanent mess on my hands.

That didn't stop me from ordering Finish Line Extreme Fluoro on Amazon. I just want to make sure I don't make too big a mess with it when I get it. Thanks again for a great thread.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

As far as flashlight use goes, excess can be wiped off. Sure, you might not get all of it, but you'll get enough you won't be able to tell it's there.


----------



## Crescendo

Is Finish Line Extreme Fluoro the same as the 50/50 Krytox blend available at the Sandwhich Shoppe?

I know they are both Krytox, but are the blends the same?


----------



## LuxLuthor

CaseyS said:


> That didn't stop me from ordering Finish Line Extreme Fluoro on Amazon. I just want to make sure I don't make too big a mess with it when I get it. Thanks again for a great thread.



Damn, that would have saved me $8 from Amazon, even with shipping. Good tip for others, and speaking of tips...that tube has a very fine tip so you can control micro amounts very easily.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Finish Line Extreme Fluoro is most likely GPL203 or GPL204 Krytox. The dealer I get my Krytox from sells to Finish Line, and that was what he figured it was. GPL223 is pretty much the same thing, but with an anti-oxidation additive.

Krytox 50/50 is half GPL101 oil and half GPL201 grease. It is much thinner than a straight krytox grease.


----------



## Crescendo

Thanks. I might have to buy some GPL223.


----------



## CaseyS

For anybody who has Amazon Prime service and is interested in Extreme Fluoro, they just got 3 units in - $10.29 delivered.


----------



## LuxLuthor

I am really liking that Extreme Fluoro that as CaseyS said, you can get at Amazon for cheaper.

However, I just found a perfect purpose for TC's thicker Krytox 226. Namely my Fenix P1D where with the twisting tailcap interface, you do want some more resistance than I was getting with the Nano-Oil or the thinner Extreme Fluoro/Krytox 223.

I think it pays to be open minded in terms of one idea/solution not fitting all scenarios.


----------



## Luminescent

*Titanium Lubrication 101 ... Krytox + sodium nitrite - BAD COMBINATION*

I have been experiencing some thread grittiness, galling, and metal shedding issues with my Olight/ITP A3 EOS Titanium.

This was not due to poorly cut threads, or any fault of the ITP A3 light, but due to the lubricant that I was using.

With stainless steel or titanium some grittiness is inevitable until the threads break in on most lights, and I experienced some of this on my stainless steel A3, but the titanium version of the A3 seemed to be taking forever to break in, and there was more metal shedding than I thought should be normal.

I have found out that these thread galling and metal shedding issues with my EOS titanium light were related to the use of Krytox containing sodium nitrite corrosion inhibitor. (Loctite Krytox RFE "High Performance Lubricant" P/N 29711)

Now I have switched to Krytox RFE Lubricant P/N 29710 (which does not contain sodium nitrite) and the problems seem to have cleared up.

Now the light works very smoothly and I am not seeing thread wear issues.

This Krytox stuff costs an arm and a leg, and I know there aren’t a lot of folks who can do A-B comparisons, between the two.

I have done this comparison, and it trust me, Krytox with sodium nitrite is bad news for both titanium and aluminum.

If you think about it this makes perfect sense. 

This sodium nitrate stuff was designed to keep the iron or steel parts from rusting (oxidizing).

For reactive self protecting metals like titanium and aluminum, you don’t want to use a grease with a reducing agent anticorrosion additive like sodium nitrite that prevents oxidation. 

With titanium or aluminum, you WANT it’s surface to ‘rust’ (oxidize), THAT’S HOW THE METAL PROTECTS ITSELF.

 If you are using Krytox with your titanium light, and are experiencing some grittiness and metal shedding (as indicated by the grease turning black after only a few dozen twisting cycles under moderate load), then check to see if the Krytox you purchased has sodium nitrite. If so, you might want to replace it with pure Krytox with no sodium nitrite and you should see an improvement. 
Note: Krytox can not be easily removed with common solvents, but can be purged with more Krytox, so clean the threads with a rag, re-lube the light with no-nitrite Krytox, clean them again, re-lube a second time with no-nitrite Krytox, clean them again with a rag, and re-lube one last time. This should purge nearly all of the sodium nitrite.


- Luminescent


----------



## Saint_Dogbert

*Re: Titanium Lubrication 101 ... Krytox + sodium nitrite - BAD COMBINATION*

Maybe post this in the comprehensive grease and lubes sticky in the general flashlights section. Good to know, thanks.


----------



## tsmith35

*Re: Titanium Lubrication 101 ... Krytox + sodium nitrite - BAD COMBINATION*



Luminescent said:


> This Krytox stuff costs an arm and a leg, and I know there aren’t a lot of folks who can do A-B comparisons, between the two.



Krytox is expensive. We did quite a bit of research on similar o-ring lubricants and found a product called Christo-Lube. It's quite popular in the diving community, since it's O2 safe and works great. And the price is quite a bit lower than that of Krytox.

The Lubrication Technology Inc site (makers of Christo-Lube) list this information in their product description:

_CHRISTO-LUBE® MCG 111 is qualified to MIL-PRF-27617F, Types I, II, and III. CHRISTO-LUBE® MCG 111 is a chemically inert, oxygen compatible, perfluoropolyether (PFPE) grease lubricant. MCG 111 has an operating temperature range of -100° F to 450°F. Uses for CHRISTO-LUBE® MCG 111 include all types of life support systems, including open and closed circuit diving, aviation oxygen, hyperbaric chambers and medical gas regulators. Other uses for MCG 111 include instrumentation, pneumatic cylinders and electrical contacts and switches.

_It's available on Amazon at about $40 per 2 oz tube.

I use it on dozens of pneumatic cylinders at work and have yet to see it fail. No diving applications, though!


----------



## Luminescent

*Re: Titanium Lubrication 101 ... Krytox + sodium nitrite - BAD COMBINATION*



tsmith35 said:


> Krytox is expensive. We did quite a bit of research on similar o-ring lubricants and found a product called Christo-Lube.
> 
> ... [/I]It's available on Amazon at about $40 per 2 oz tube.
> 
> I use it on dozens of pneumatic cylinders at work and have yet to see it fail. No diving applications, though!



40 dollars is about what a 2 oz tube of the Loctite Krytox RFE Lubricant P/N 29710 (which does not contain sodium nitrite) cost me.

From the description you posted, indicating that this Christo-Lube stuff is a PFPE (the generic term for Dupont Krytox) and that it is "oxygen compatible", it sounds like it may be the same stuff as Loctite Krytox RFE Lubricant P/N 29710 (which does not contain sodium nitrite).

I say this because the MDS data for Loctite Krytox says that their P/N29710 product is oxygen compatible because it contains no sodium nitrite, where there is a warning on the P/N29711 products data sheet saying that it should not be used in system carrying pure oxygen because of the sodium nitrite.

So the fact that the Christo-Lube stuff is "oxygen compatible" is almost certainly an indication that it is most likely some of the 'good stuff' (flashlight wise) that contains no sodium nitrite.

As far as the price goes, sorry but I think that even at $40 for a two oz tube most folks will still think that it is overpriced.

You will sometimes see the Loctite stuff listed for 50, 60, or 70 dollars for a 2 oz tube (which shows that greed is alive and well in the world), but it's not too hard to find it for around 40 odd dollars on Amazon

The similarity in the price and packaging (2 oz tube at just over $40) etc would seem to indicate that they are the same Dupont PFPE OEM product packaged for sale from different retail suppliers, but I couldn't say for sure. 

I am surprised that PFPE would be approved for breathing equipment. Having worked with the stuff, I sure as hell wouldn't want to risk atomized Krytox being blasted into my lungs, so if you do use it for breathing gear, use it VERY sparingly.

I can vouch for the fact that the Loctite P/N29710 is real 100% PFPE based grease (real Dupont Krytox) and that it doesn't have sodium nitrite (says so on the MDS and I verified this with Loctite).

I can also verify that the Loctite stuff really works (my titainium light is working smoothly), so perhaps someone who is a scuba diver and also a flashlight buff, and who has some Christo-Lube laying around, can verify how well it works on tough chalenges like stainless steel and titanium. 

Also, there are retailers in the marketplace selling custom greases made from blends of other Dupont PFPE base materials that are thicker or thinner (but some of them include sodium nitrite, so be careful)

The Loctite P/N29710 stuff is about like a thin to medium axal grease, and I find that this meets the majority of my flashlight needs. 

I hated Krytox when I first ran into problems with it (the sodium nitrite based Krytox basically destroyed one of my lights). 

Now that I have figured out what the issues were, I have made a 180 turn around, because I never thought I would EVER see my titanium light working buttery smooth. Never. (titanium is just to subject to galling) So any lubricant that can do that, deserves a second chance.

- Luminescent


----------



## jchoo

*Re: Titanium Lubrication 101 ... Krytox + sodium nitrite - BAD COMBINATION*

Anyone ever give consideration to a lubricant such as Dow 55 or 33? I use Dow 55 on the orings of my paintball marker and have begun experimenting with it on my Nitecore D10 and Ra Clicky. Apparently, Dow 55 promotes swelling of the o-rings, creating a better seal, and it is also quite thick - it stays where you put it, and does not break down after thousands of cycles. The best part? I think I spent about $10 on a 2oz tub including shipping.

Those of you on the quest for the ultimate grease may want to give it some consideration...


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

*Re: Titanium Lubrication 101 ... Krytox + sodium nitrite - BAD COMBINATION*

Interesting. I wasn't aware Loctite is rebranding Krytox.

I'm surprised that you've had problems with the sodium nitrate version on Ti. I've been using it (GPL223/GPL226) on ti for several months with no issues of metal wear. I've also never seen anything even close to as good for bare Al.

Just for the heck of it, I took a Ti mini-canister I've been working on, and lubed it with GPL203 (non anti-oxidation) and twisted it on and off 20 times. Then I cleaned it off, lubed it with GPL223 (anti-oxidation) and did the same 20 passes. This piece is still breaking in, but both times the grease was about the same shade of grey after 20 passes.

Both are better than most lubes I've tried though. After 20 passes with most of the lubes I've tried, the grease would be darn near black.

While this thread is pretty interesting, the proper place for this discussion is the Comprehensive grease and lube thread, stickied in the general section.


----------



## Luminescent

*Re: Titanium Lubrication 101 ... Krytox + sodium nitrite - BAD COMBINATION*



Tekno_Cowboy said:


> Interesting. I wasn't aware Loctite is rebranding Krytox.
> 
> I'm surprised that you've had problems with the sodium nitrate version on Ti. I've been using it (GPL223/GPL226) on ti for several months with no issues of metal wear. I've also never seen anything even close to as good for bare Al.
> 
> Just for the heck of it, I took a Ti mini-canister I've been working on, and lubed it with GPL203 (non anti-oxidation) and twisted it on and off 20 times. Then I cleaned it off, lubed it with GPL223 (anti-oxidation) and did the same 20 passes. This piece is still breaking in, but both times the grease was about the same shade of grey after 20 passes.
> 
> Both are better than most lubes I've tried though. After 20 passes with most of the lubes I've tried, the grease would be darn near black.
> 
> While this thread is pretty interesting, the proper place for this discussion is the Comprehensive grease and lube thread, stickied in the general section.




I think there may be two or three reasons you saw less of an effect - 

You may have a grease with a lower sodium nitrite content, or may not have gotten enough of the old grease off. 

If I just do one quick relube using the alternate version I don't see as much difference either but it does build up over time with sucessive re-lubes until the difference in wear and thread binding is very noticeable. 

It may take a few relubes before the new grease flushes out the old grease (you know how hard it is to get Krytox off without the special solvent).

Second, I think the grease has to be in contact with the surface for a certain time before it will react chemically. Once it does react there is a new surface layer present (titanium nitride?) but one that is fragile so that as you put the threads under heavy load, it gets stripped away, then reforms, then gets stripped away again, causing erosion.

If it is titanium nitride, that's a really hard compound (they coat cutting tools with it), but if it forms in a thin layer and forms less than perfectly uniformly, it will just chip away at the other surface increasing galling and fretting.

A third factor that may have caused you to see less of an effect is the thread loading you were using. The threads on my Olight/ITP AAA titanium light are very fine pitch, and my tail spring has a lot of tension, so the forces are multiplied. 

There may be a critical surface loading, above which the nitride layer (or whatever it is) is stripped away, and below which, it is not.

I know that in the case of aluminum, there are two corrosion treatments available, alodine and anodize, first one forms a chromate passivation layer that attempts to prevent oxidation, the other forms a deliberate protective oxide layer. The first is quite fragile, the second much more durable.

If you were to take one of your aluminum lights and strip off the anodized finish on the threads, and re-apply an alodine coating, it wouldn't hold up ten minutes.

My understanding is that when sodium nitrite is added to grease, it's purpose is to form this kind of anti-oxidation passivation layer similar to the idea behind alodine.

In any case, though I am not sure about the exact low level chemistry, I have double checked several times, and my empirical testing shows that whatever the sodium nitrite is doing to the surface, it is increasing both that skritch, skritchy galling feeling, and metal shedding over time when subjected to the moderatly high surface loading cause by cranking on the fine pitch threads on my light.

I also did some early testing of Krytox on a Jetbeam light with bare aluminum threads, and saw catastrophic thread wear with the Krytox containing sodium nitrite. While it is true that aluminum is orders of magnatude softer than titanium, it is a similarly reactive metal that forms a natural self protective oxide layer. On the Jetbeam light, Krytox with sodium nitrite was definitely worse than without. How bad? In one afternoon of testing, the treads on the C-LE were completely destroyed to the point where the head of the light would fall out of the body.

As to why I posted here - I think that this will be of critical interest to owners of titanium lights, not all of whom my follow the general thread you mentioned.

Ultimately, one of the moderators may chose to move this thread, but I would hope that they would leave a link, or at least wait a few days until interested parties have had a chance to see the thread, so they can follow it to the new location.

If others can confirm my results, everyone with an expensive titanium light is going to want to know about this.

- Luminescent


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

*Re: Titanium Lubrication 101 ... Krytox + sodium nitrite - BAD COMBINATION*

I thought of the problems with the quick test I did shortly after I posted. I've spent much of the morning performing a more thorough test.

To "clean" the threads of the previous lube, I made 25 passes with the lube I was replacing it with. I then made 300 passes with both GPL203 and GPL223, cleaning with alcohol every 50 passes.

After that test, I have to give the slight nod to the GPL203. The color of the grease after the 300th pass was slightly less gray than the GPL223.

While I do have to agree after that that the lube without anti-oxidation additive worked better on Ti, it's not the dramatic difference you've described.

I am using the straight from DuPont Krytox, perhaps there's something added to it when Loctite re-brands it? I was also not using much pressure, that could affect it as well.

As far as bare Al goes, I've used GPL223 and GPL226 on a couple of Jetbeams and the few custom lights I've made, and I have yet to have any issues with it. The only issue I had with the Jetbeam was that the grease liked to migrate to the end of the threads, where it didn't do as much good, and was a pain to remove.

All that said, I'll probably still switch to GPL203 when I order next, as it does seem to have a slight edge over the same grease with sodium nitrate additive.


----------



## DM51

*Re: Titanium Lubrication 101 ... Krytox + sodium nitrite - BAD COMBINATION*

Luminescent... it was not necessary to start a new thread on this. I'm merging it with the main sticky.


----------



## kimck99

Hi,

First, great thread. As always, it is incredible how much information is shared on this forum.

After reading a bit, I had a few questions I hope some of you can answer.

1) I was thinking of purchasing the Finish Line Extreme Fluoro from Amazon. It is stated at 20g syringe. How many applications can I get out this amount?

2) What is a typical shelf life of this product?

3) From reading the thread, it would appear that this product is great for lubing the threads and o-rings. I have alway read from other threads that one should clean the contacts on the head with products such as Deoxit. Can one use the Finish Line product as a contact cleaner?

These may be newbie type questions but then again I am certainly new to the "lube and clean" world of flashlight maintenance so your input is appreciated.

Thanks!


----------



## Luminescent

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> I thought of the problems with the quick test I did shortly after I posted. I've spent much of the morning performing a more thorough test. . .
> 
> As far as bare Al goes, I've used GPL223 and GPL226 on a couple of Jetbeams and the few custom lights I've made, and I have yet to have any issues with it. The only issue I had with the Jetbeam was that the grease liked to migrate to the end of the threads, where it didn't do as much good, and was a pain to remove.
> 
> All that said, I'll probably still switch to GPL203 when I order next, as it does seem to have a slight edge over the same grease with sodium nitrate additive.




I repeated the Krytox w/wo sodium nitrite test after cutting about 1/8 inch out of my tail spring on my light to lessen the tension on the threads. 

The result is that now I see less of a difference between the sodium nitrite and non sodium nitrite Krytox compositions as well. The Krytox with sodium nitrite still seems to cause a little more wear and fretting, but the difference is smaller, with less tension on the joint. 

So I think that we are on the same page now as far as results go.

I was kind of disappointed that the wear didn't quite drop down to zero when I lowered the spring tension, but I guess that never happens with titanium.

I think the Krytox with sodium nitrite is great for high carbon steel and some of the harder stainless steel alloys (that are not quite as completely stainless) and for the stainless alloys used in flashlights, it doesn't seem to make much difference one way or the other. So anyone who has Krytox with the sodium nitrite anti-corrosion additive, can take comfort in the fact that they can continue to use it on thier stainless steel lights (or lightly loaded titanium applications).

However, since more heavily loaded titanium and aluminum bearing surfaces seem to be happier with no sodium nitrite, and stainless steel does not seem to care whether the Krytox has sodium nitrite or not (both work incredibly well), I think your decision to try to shift towards a single non sodium nitrite composition is a good one. 

Most folks will not want to keep track of two different types, and the stuff is expensive, so they will feel better knowing that purchasing a single small quantity (not two different types) is all they will need for a long time.

- Luminescent


P.S. thanks to the mods for moving my thread.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Out of a syringe that size, you'll get quite a few applications. I'd say easily around 75-100, depending on how much you use per application.

The finish line is rebranded krytox, which has a very long shelf life. My dealer keeps telling me that if I buy a tube now, twenty years from now I could open it and it would still be just the way I bought it.

I wouldn't recommend a lube for cleaning anything. For cleaning, you'll want a solvent.


----------



## kimck99

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> Out of a syringe that size, you'll get quite a few applications. I'd say easily around 75-100, depending on how much you use per application.
> 
> The finish line is rebranded krytox, which has a very long shelf life. My dealer keeps telling me that if I buy a tube now, twenty years from now I could open it and it would still be just the way I bought it.
> 
> I wouldn't recommend a lube for cleaning anything. For cleaning, you'll want a solvent.


 
Thanks Cowboy. Much appreciated.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Luminescent said:


> I repeated the test after cutting about 1/8 inch out of my tail spring to lessen the tension on the threads.
> 
> 
> The result is that now I see less difference of a difference between the sodium nitrite and non sodium nitrite Krytox compositions as well. The Krytox with sodium nitrite is seems to cause a little more wear and fretting, but the difference is smaller, with less tension on the joint.
> 
> 
> So I think that we are on the same page now as far as results go.
> 
> 
> I was kind of disappointed that the wear didn't quite drop down to zero, but I guess that never happens with titanium.
> 
> For high carbon steel and some of the harder stainless steel alloys (that are not quite as completely stainless) the Krytox with sodium nitrite still seems to be just the ticket. For the stainless alloys used in flashlights, it doesn't seem to make much difference one way or the other. So anyone who has Krytox with the sodium nitrite anti-corrosion additive, can take comfort in the fact that they can continue to use it on thier stainless steel lights, or lightly loaded titanium applications.
> 
> However, since Titanium and Aluminum, seem to be happier with no sodium nitrite, and stainless steel does not seem to care whether the Krytox has sodium nitrite or not (both work incredibly well), I think your decision to try to shift towards a single non sodium nitrite composition is a good one.
> 
> Most folks will not want to keep track of two different types, and the stuff is expensive, so they will feel better knowing that purchasing a single small quantity (not two different types) is all they will need for a long time.
> 
> 
> - Luminescent
> 
> 
> P.S. thanks to the mods for moving my thread.



I'm glad to hear that removing a bit of the spring helped.

I'll admit that I'm not as knowledgeable about Ti as I'd like to be, but from the few Ti items I have, I've found it's just about impossible to completely stop the wear. Not one of the dozens of lubes I've tried can do it anyways. The Krytox is simply the best I've found so far.

I did a little more testing myself, this time with some completely bare Al. I came up with similar results to the Ti. As far as bare aluminum goes, I think I'll still stick with GPL223, as the threads tend to carry current with the bare lights I have ATM.

With coated threads (anodized Al and surefire chemkote), which most of my lights are, I have seen no change in color at all. I have used GPL226 and more recently GPL223 on them for months, with no discoloration on any of them.

As far as switching to a single thickness, I think I'll keep 2 available, and just recommend the GPL203. The GPL206 has some very useful applications, and it's nice to have plenty of choices :twothumbs:


----------



## tygger

Just to be clear. GPL203 is better for Ti because is does not contain sodium nitrite? And the Loctite lube 29710 is the same product?


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

tygger said:


> Just to be clear. GPL203 is better for Ti because is does not contain sodium nitrite? And the Loctite lube 29710 is the same product?


GPL203 should be slightly better on Ti.

They should be similar, but are not necessarily the same product. Krytox has several varieties, and Loctite could have rebranded any one of them. From the density, you can gather that it should be around the same consistency as GPL203 or GPL223.


----------



## ryball

I got some of the NanoLube. This stuff is awesome. I put it on everything I could think of this weekend. I thought I used a ton, but the little bottle still looks full. 

I almost regret sticking it on a couple of things that could use a bit more resistance than now with the nanolube... if that makes any sense.


----------



## KiwiMark

ryball said:


> I almost regret sticking it on a couple of things that could use a bit more resistance than now with the nanolube... if that makes any sense.



The nano particles should still work to lower friction and wear, even if you add some thicker grease later to increase the resistance.


----------



## Luminescent

Tekno_Cowboy, 

Do you have any of the clear Krytox base oils (GPL100 - GPL107)?

The reason that I ask is that on my lights where bare aluminum threads are part of the twisty switch, and therefore get used frequently (with moderately high tension as the head is cinched down), I have found that ALL greases with PTFE thickeners are at least mildly abrasive.

Doesn't matter if they are low cost petroleum based compositions, or high end PFPE compositions, there is still metal shedding with these greases when bare aluminum threads are turning frequently under load.

I hate to say it, since you are a fan of the high end Krytox greases, but based on the Krytox compositions that I have available, plain Mobil 1 red synthetic automotive grease at 12 dollars for a one pound can, works better than Krytox at 20 dollars an ounce when lubricating bare aluminum threads.

Mobil-1 is a smooth synthetic lithium soap grease with no PTFE.

I wonder if it is the PTFE particals, and not the Krytox PFPE base oil, that is actually aggravating fretting on reactive metals like aluminum and titanium?

Here is the logic behind this -

Simple Mobil-1 Synthetic Grease ---> Almost no Fretting or grittiness (grease turns grey very slowly over several weeks)

PTFE ‘teflon lube’ with Petrolium Base Oil -> Some Fretting and grittiness (grease turns black quickly)

Krytox Grease (PTFE with PFPE Base Oil) -> Still Moderate Fretting and grittiness (grease still turns black, in only a slightly longer time than cheap petrolium 'teflon lube')

In other words, it looks like the PTFE particles in the grease may be the culprit, not the PFPE Krytox base oil. Otherwise, why can a less advanced lithium soap based synthetic grease like Mobil-1 that is MINUS PTFE work better than an ultra high tech PFPE lubricant that HAS PTFE?

So I am wondering how a nice high viscosity PFPE base oil by itself (GPL107 for example) would work on bare unanodized aluminum and titanium threads under a moderate load?

I am guessing that on titanium, some PTFE may be helpful in preventing galling (but that a small amount would be better than too much - thus the 50/50 blends of grease and oil).

On non-anodized bare aluminum, I am wondering if perhaps the PFPE oil alone, with no PTFE at all, might possibly work better?

- Luminescent


----------



## LuxLuthor

Interesting additional information, and more evidence that anyone fixating on any one lube is not ideal for all lights.


----------



## Luminescent

LuxLuthor said:


> Interesting additional information, and more evidence that anyone fixating on any one lube is not ideal for all lights.



Truer words were never spoken. At the present time at least, if you want a single lubricant solution, you should only buy a single type of light.

That said, I think the search for more effective flashlight lubricants is worthwhile, as long as it doesn't degrade into "my tinyoil can kick your megagrease's butt!" 

Tekno_Cowboy,

Found something very interesting on the Krytox sodium nitrite on titanium issue.

Now that I have reduced the thread loading on my titanium twisty light, I wondered if the krytox with sodium nitrite might work much better if I allowed more time for the titanium nitride passivation layer to form.

I reasoned that right after the grease was applied this nitride layer was very thin and not very uniform, allowing it to be more easily stripped away.

Subjecting it to high thread loading right away under these conditions was pretty clearly stripping and re-forming this layer aggravating wear.

I wondered what would happen if I allowed more time for the layer to form and then applied less of a load. 

In theory, if a reasonably thick smooth uniform layer of titanium nitride on each of the turning surfaces can be built up over time, and if it can then survive light loading, in theory at least, it could actually reduce the friction, galling, and fretting.

This light may remain a shelf queen for a few weeks, as I slowly lap in the threads, and try to investigate this further.

I wanted to report some early results however . . .

Last night I lubed up my titanium light with the Krytox formulation that includes sodium nitrite corrosion inhibitor. Every hour or so, I would run the threads through a few gental unloaded rotation cycles to redistribute the grease. Every few cycles of this, I clean away as much of the Krytox as possible and re-lube the light with the same Krytox sodium nitrite formulation (even though it wasn't turning black). 

The idea was to expose the threads to the sodium nitrite as much as possible, before applying any load, to allow the thickest, most uniform, layer of protective titanium nitride to form.

My preliminary results show that all is well, in fact the light is turning more smoothly than ever.

So if you don't allow the sodium nitrite stuff time to work, then expose the threads to a larger load than the fragile layer can sustain, it gets stripped and in the process does more damage than not having any sodium nitrite at all.

See this Wikipedia link about nitrite corrosion inhibitors - 

"If anodic inhibitors are used at too low concentration, they can actually aggravate pitting corrosion"

This seems to confirm that these additives, if not allowed to build up an adaquate protective layer, can actually aggravate problems.

When I let the grease have more time to work, and subjected it to light loads, the Krytox with sodium nitrite actually did seem to have a slight beneficial effect.

In LuxLuthor's words, no need to "fixate" over this because the effect is fairly subtle. 

So for Titanium here is a summary of my results -

Low to moderate loads with occasional use => Krytox with Sodium Nitrite may be beneficial

High loads with heavy use => Krytox without Sodium Nitrite prefered.

On my stainless lights, both types of Krytox work incredibly well (though the stuff with sodium nitrite may have a slight edge) the threads turn like butter, and you can rotate them through hundreds of cycles with no noticeable wear at all.

- Luminescent


----------



## Julian Holtz

Hi!

This is what I wrote in a Quarks-related thread some time ago:

"I have been a fan of teflon grease a long time, but I recently came to use molybdenum grease with Lithium-something in it, which I purchased for my bike bearings. This grease works even better.
The same improvement I saw when I used Teflon grease instead of Silicon grease, I see now when using the molybdenum grease.

Anyhow, this grease in combination with the modified 16mm o-rings works perfect. I can easily turn the head now using one hand at the light, and its a real pleasure, as smooth as it is :twothumbs.
Now, I am 100% satisfied with my Quarks."

I learned in the meantime, that Molybdenum is mildly toxic, so skin contact should be avoided. In regular use, I found that I never need to touch the threads anyways, as everything works just perfect now, so it's a moot point for me.

Cheers,

Julez


----------



## Mike The Original

Hello everybody!

On the back label of the Tri-Flow® Superior Lubricant Drip Bottle (6 oz) is wrote:

'WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer. DO NOT TAKE INTERNALLY.'

What do you think about this?

Mike


----------



## amuk

Is WD-40 really that bad? 

Someone has done an experiment in which an O-ring was soaked into a pool of WD-40 for a whole month and the ring was just fine:

http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-619424.html

And I've also used WD-40 on my torch too. One of my newly bought thread (EDI-T T12) has some strange "geek" sound when it twisted, and it seems to be smooth and easy to twist after applying WD-40.

So, anybody here has really try WD-40 on your torch?


----------



## Dontsleeponit

*My experience with Tri-Flow clear synthetic grease*

...overall, not good.

I tried it out on about 4 different lights. First I cleaned all of the threads with clean solve and a microfiber towel. Spread a small amount of the tri-flow on the surface of the o-rings and a few small dabs on the threads. Spread it out evenly and reassembled the lights. Well at first it seemed to take away the slight "grind" some of the lights had when twisting, and although they were smooth operating, they seemed to get tight.

That was yesterday, today I I played with them all again, and all of the lights were damn near stuck together. With enough force they all separated, but damn was it it tough. I also used it on the battery sleeve of my Nitecore EX10, and the light almost wouldn't even operate. This stuff definitely gums up the works. 

Not what I expected at all. 

Whats everyone's take on this stuff? Did I do something wrong?


----------



## Billy Ram

*Re: My experience with Tri-Flow clear synthetic grease*

Be careful what you grease your O-rings with. Some greases will swell the O-rings. I've had good luck with Super lube on some O-rings in metal lights. The Pelican plastic lights were very picky of what grease was used and I only had luck using silicon grease in these.
Billy


----------



## lebox97

*Re: My experience with Tri-Flow clear synthetic grease*

you might want to take a look at the Greese/Lube sticky at top of this section?

Tri-flow is good for metal to metal things (like gun parts and cables), but _*super-lube*_ is best stuff I have ever used for everything else (including gun parts and cables)
Tri-flow otherwise has some pretty nasty stuff in it... (first clue is the several "Warning" messages on bottle?) 

:wave:


----------



## DM51

*Re: My experience with Tri-Flow clear synthetic grease*

I'm merging this with the sticky Lube thread. 

LOL, sticky lube doesn't sound quite right, but I hope you know what I mean.


----------



## Dontsleeponit

*Re: My experience with Tri-Flow clear synthetic grease*



lebox97 said:


> you might want to take a look at the Greese/Lube sticky at top of this section?
> 
> Tri-flow is good for metal to metal things (like gun parts and cables)



Well from reading the sticky I thought Tri-Flow sounded like a good all around product, and I happen to find it locally. 

I guess I'll try and pick up some super lube.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

*Re: My experience with Tri-Flow clear synthetic grease*



lebox97 said:


> *snip* _*super-lube*_ is best stuff I have ever used for everything else (including gun parts and cables)
> *snip*



I've been using the super-lube oil on all my guns. It's made them smoother than they've ever been :thumbsup:




DM51 said:


> I'm merging this with the sticky Lube thread.
> 
> LOL, sticky lube doesn't sound quite right, but I hope you know what I mean.



:lolsign: "Sticky Lube"


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

From what I'm reading, maybe tri-flow should be moved down to the poor category?


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

*Re: My experience with Tri-Flow clear synthetic grease*



Dontsleeponit said:


> Well from reading the sticky I thought Tri-Flow sounded like a good all around product, and I happen to find it locally.
> 
> I guess I'll try and pick up some super lube.


Cabela's carries super lube in the gun section :thumbsup:


----------



## amuk

I live in Hong Kong. I can't find any of the recommended "very good" and "good" lube in my local stores. Here are some suggestions from my local forum. Could anyone give some comments on these lube? Thanks.

1. Servisol Silicone G






2. Graco Grease Lubricant





3. AquaSeal Silicone Grease 
(In fact this is for diving equipment)


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Are you unable to order products from outside your country?

I wouldn't spend more than about $10 US on those greases.


----------



## LuxLuthor

Mike The Original said:


> 'WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer. DO NOT TAKE INTERNALLY.'
> 
> What do you think about this?
> 
> Mike



I think I would follow their warning.


----------



## amuk

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> Are you unable to order products from outside your country?
> 
> I wouldn't spend more than about $10 US on those greases.



me too, that's why I prefer to find some here in my homeland cos the international postal fee may already costs me half of the tube!


----------



## [email protected]

Gatsby moving rubber hair wax worked well for my plastic threaded things. I'll try it on metal tomorrow. Can't even afford proper lube due to the financial impact of lights.


----------



## DM51

[email protected] said:


> Gatsby moving rubber hair wax


Huh??? :sick2:

Sooner or later, these threads always seem to go downhill with people making dumb suggestions :green:.

Serious contributions only, please; any further nonsense will be deleted.


----------



## Kestrel

amuk said:


> I live in Hong Kong. I can't find any of the recommended "very good" and "good" lube in my local stores. Here are some suggestions from my local forum. Could anyone give some comments on these lube? Thanks.
> 1. Servisol Silicone G
> 2. Graco Grease Lubricant
> 3. AquaSeal Silicone Grease
> (In fact this is for diving equipment)


FYI, I'm a *lube noob* (after the thought of combining those two words I just HAD to post them), but after trying a 100% silicone grease (*post # 173* in this thread and a number of relevant replies after that post), my experience was not good with respect to aluminum threads (details in prior posts). I would definitely not use the 100% silicone greases, at least from my limited experience.


----------



## palomino77

I’m kind of leaning towards pure castor oil: *[link removed - DM51]*

It seems to be good for silicone o-rings:*[link removed - DM51] [link removed - DM51]*
And also natural rubber o-rings: *[link removed - DM51]*
And it is also good for your health: (FDA) has categorized castor oil as "*[link removed - DM51]*" (GRASE) for over-the-counter use *[link removed - DM51]* as a laxative *[link removed - DM51]*, with its major site of action the small intestine. *[link removed - DM51]* *[link removed - DM51] *However, although it may be used for constipation, it is not a preferred treatment *[link removed - DM51]*, a castor oil derivative *[link removed - DM51]*, is also FDA-approved for over-the-counter use on skin disorders or skin problems.
Any comments on this? Thanks. 

Here is a good article on castor oil: *[link removed - DM51] *I know it has gum build-up on engines but that is because the constant burning of fuel and accumulation of oil. but it is easily removed and is bio degradable (Good for our planet) it is also safe to use,, I don't know about you guys but sometimes I put my flashlight in my mouth to hold and don't want to wash hands every time I change batteries or something. It is easy to get and you don't have to worry about the kids getting there hands on it, you can even use it on your skin for many ailments. It might be worth it for us guys to investigate further and see what comes up. What do you think? 
I’m kind of leaning towards pure castor oil.


----------



## ab1ht

Noob question here...

*Straight from a document on Maglite site:*



> 3. Maintenance - Place a small amount of petroleum jelly on all threads and rubber O-rings every six months.


If petroleum jelly is bad as so many people say (and I'm NOT saying they're wrong), why would Maglite recommend this? Again, not trying to start a debate; just trying to understand.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Hmmm... I though that question was already asked and anwered. :thinking:

My guess as to why Maglite puts that in their documentation is that it works (just not all that well) and it's available almost everywhere. I'd never use it myself, but some people like it. :shrug:


----------



## ab1ht

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> Hmmm... I though that question was already asked and anwered. :thinking:



Sorry, must have missed it.

The "readily available" angle seems the most sensible. Thanks.


----------



## ab1ht

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> Nothing in your quote suggests that [Vaseline] is edible. Did you find that from a different source?



Slightly off topic, but mildly relevant (and humorous)...

When our old cat (rest her soul) was having trouble... ahem... going, the vet told us to put at bit of Vaseline in her food. Apparently, it helped.


----------



## kwkarth

I picked up two lubricants at the local dive shop.


Food grade silicon grease which seems to work well on lights with aluminum threads/gaskets

and


NT60 O2 Lube by Marine Research Labs sold as a NitrOx System Lube which seems to work very well on my Ti lights. Haven't tried it on Al lights yet, but I'm pretty pleased with both.


----------



## bonvivantmike

Recently I've been using Radio Shack's PTFE lube with good results. It's part number 64-2301A. There isn't a lot of technical data on Radio Shack's web site, but there is a link to an MSDS.

http://www.radioshack.com/graphics/uc/rsk/Support/MSDS/6402301A_MSDS.pdf

My only concern is the "Synthetic Hydrocarbon" in the ingredient list. Would this reduce the life of my o-rings?


----------



## baterija

ab1ht said:


> If petroleum jelly is bad as so many people say (and I'm NOT saying they're wrong), why would Maglite recommend this?



I'll go back to a quote from the first post in this thread:


> *Petroleum Jelly/Vaseline: *Contains petroleum distillates, which can damage some types of o-rings.




Maglite knows what kinds of o-rings they use in their lights. Possibly it's completely safe in their lights and not simply a matter of commonly available. In fact it would seem like a sound design choice to use o-ring material that isn't affected by petroleum products given their target market is not people who stress of the right kind of lubricant for thier flashlights.


----------



## LuxLuthor

One of the most interesting things about this thread is the total number and variety of lubricants people are using. I would not have expected such diversity.

Oh and also slightly off topic, with DM51's indulgence for my idiosyncracies, I loved the "*Lube Noob*" title. Try to say that *fast *5 times. I can't even say it right twice!


----------



## AgencyLife

I'm more confused after reading 8 pages of this thread :duh2:

Question,
I have a new D10 R2, since it has O rings, aluminum threads and a piston drive, do I need different oils or lube for each? :thinking:


----------



## Crescendo

AgencyLife said:


> I'm more confused after reading 8 pages of this thread :duh2:
> 
> Question,
> I have a new D10 R2, since it has O rings, aluminum threads and a piston drive, do I need different oils or lube for each? :thinking:



I have a D10 R2 piston drive, so I can tell you what has worked for me.

I used Nano-Oil on the aluminium threads, and Nyogel 760G on the thread o-ring. I chose Nano-Oil specifically for use on threads because of its good metal on metal performance according to theory and anecdotes in this thread, and Nyogel 760G specifically for use on o-rings only (it seemed as good as any other lubricant for this purpose, and, for whatever it's worth (probably not much), Surefire uses it).

I also used two or three drops of Nano-Oil on the piston drive, but I made sure to spread it into a very thin coat using nitrile gloves before inserting it into the flashlight. I've found that a thin coat performs much better than liberally applying the oil. As for the piston drive o-ring, I again used Nyogel 760G, but I think by now the Nyogel 760G has thoroughly mixed with the Nano-Oil due to the piston drive motion (this has not caused any problems).

Initially the action of the piston drive was rougher than the OEM lubrication, but I think this is because the OEM lubricant was thicker and more grease-like. The thin nature of the Nano-Oil coat that I applied exacerbated the minute imperfections in the smoothness of either the piston drive itself, or the flashlight body. I considered addressing the problem myself, but I eventually decided that I would just rack the piston drive in an out 30+ times. The action of the piston drive is now quite smooth. Occasionally the piston drive "clicks" like a traditional clicky due to resistance (especially if I haven't used it for a few days), but I've found that this goes away after I depress the piston drive a few times, or if I loosen the threads and again depress it a few times to find a 'good' position that allows for smooth action.

Overall I am happy with the performance of these two lubricants when used in conjunction on my D10. I have used the flashlight for a month or two now and I have not found any discolouration in the oil on the threads, nor have the o-rings degraded in any way. That said, I think this has more to do with the quality of the D10 itself, as I have used the same lubricant combination on cheaper lights and found that there is evidence of wear on the aluminium threads (the oil exhibits grey discolouration).

If you are not having any issues with the action of your flashlight, and you are a normal, non-anal person, I would leave the OEM lubricant alone. For my light specifically, I don't think the performance increase was high enough to justify cleaning and re-lubing immediately. That said, I am a very anal person who likes to have things done 'right', and for me (unfortunately) this extends to things like lubricating flashlights. For that task I can recommend Nano-Oil and Nyogel 760G based on my own experience.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

I've had very good luck with the Krytox 223 grease, and I expect 203 to be much the same. Finish Line Extreme Flouro would also be a good choice.



AgencyLife said:


> I'm more confused after reading 8 pages of this thread :duh2:
> 
> Question,
> I have a new D10 R2, since it has O rings, aluminum threads and a piston drive, do I need different oils or lube for each? :thinking:


----------



## Nite

Does nyogel or No-ox De-ox wax have nanoparticles?



post tenebras said:


> Awesome OP! It would be great to finally have one lube thread to rule them all.
> 
> Vaseline should be in the poor lube category as it's petroleum base will damage o-rings.
> 
> Nano-oil belongs in a "questionable lube" category whether or not it contains petroleum. It's a very effective lubricant, but the nano-particles are a potential serious health risk; conclusive medical research is pending.
> 
> From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanoparticle
> 
> *Safety issues*
> 
> *Nanoparticles present possible dangers, both medically and environmentally*.[20] Most of these are due to the high surface to volume ratio, which can make the particles very reactive or catalytic.[21] *They are also able to pass through **cell membranes** in organisms, and their interactions with biological systems are relatively unknown*.[22] However, free nanoparticles in the environment quickly tend to agglomerate and thus leave the nano-regime, and nature itself presents many nanoparticles to which organisms on earth may have evolved immunity (such as salt particulates from oceanaerosols, terpenes from plants, or dust from volcanic eruptions)[_citation needed_]. A fuller analysis is provided in the article on nanotechnology.
> 
> According to the _San Francisco Chronicle_,* "Animal studies have shown that some nanoparticles can penetrate cells and tissues, move through the body and brain and cause biochemical damage they also have shown to cause a risk factor in men for **testicular cancer**. *But whether cosmetics and sunscreens containing nanomaterials pose health risks remains largely unknown, pending completion of long-range studies recently begun by the FDA and other agencies."[23] *Diesel nanoparticles have been found to damage the cardiovascular system *in a mouse model.[24]


----------



## palomino77

Nite said:


> Does nyogel or No-ox De-ox wax have nanoparticles?


 
I can’t understand why nobody has said anything good or bad about Castor oil.

Here is what I have found so far about pure castor oil:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_oil

It works well with silicone o-rings: http://www.efunda.com/designstandards/oring/oring_chemical.cfm?SM=none&SC=Castor%20Oil

It works well with natural rubber o-rings: http://www.efunda.com/designstandards/oring/oring_chemical.cfm?SC=none&SM=Natural%20Rubber#che m

It has been used on aluminum engines for a very long time.

FDA has categorized as safe.

Here is a good article on castor oil: http://www.go-cl.se/castor.html 
It has gum build-up on engines but that is because the constant burning of fuel and accumulation of oil. It is bio degradable and safe to use, can be cleaned or diluted with alcohol, 
 
Safe is important to me because I put my flashlight in my mouth to hold sometimes and don't want to have to wash hands every time I change batteries or something. I put this oil on my Jetbeam and has worked great so far; I would like someone else to give me there opinion, good or bad.
All everybody can talk about is toxic lubricants with fancy names. :shakehead


----------



## chew socks

Hey i was wondering, whats the general consensus on dry lubricants like graphite or molybdenum?


----------



## Nite

only nano oils contain nano particles?

Or does many contain it like nyogel for example...?

I cant believe they put this stuff in makeup etc


----------



## Buck91

Just wanted to throw my two cents in on Sil-Glyde 765-1351. Been using it for about two years now my Fenix L1Tv2 which sees use as a bike commuting helmet light. Used to be virtually daily, but the schedule has dictated reduced useage this year. In any case it has seen countless hours of exposure to heat, cold, dry, and wet as I cycle year round in Michigan. I clean this light up maybe once or twice a year, because thats all it requires! Never had an issue with the threads junking up or leaks during even the worst weather. Threads always feel great, too (I store light in "low" mode with tailcap locked out). Further, I use it on virtually all my lights including my EDC L0D Q4, which sees bottom-of-the-jeans-pocket severe abuse every day. Threads never get too bad, but it gets cleaned up slightly more often than the above. Other lights that see some use with it are my Victorinox 2AA (modded to SSC P4 U2SVOH) which are used as spare/loner bike helmet lights, my MagLED 3D U2SVOH (the only time it comes out is duck hunting or off roading). Never an issue.

Sil-Glyde works fantastic for me and I would nominate for the Very Good section. I have not waded through the entire thread as I believe its up to 6+ pages, but if anybody can relay a negative about Sil-Glyde I'm all ears. :twothumbs


Edit: I also use it frequently as a thread grease for various bike and automotive fasteners and while I try to use a true dielectric on electrical plugs, sil-grease has worked very well in the past for that as well.


----------



## DM51

palomino77 said:


> I’m kind of leaning towards pure castor oil: *[link removed - DM51]*
> 
> It seems to be good for silicone o-rings:*[link removed - DM51] [link removed - DM51]*
> And also natural rubber o-rings: *[link removed - DM51]*
> And it is also good for your health: (FDA) has categorized castor oil as "*[link removed - DM51]*" (GRASE) for over-the-counter use *[link removed - DM51]* as a laxative *[link removed - DM51]*, with its major site of action the small intestine. *[link removed - DM51]* *[link removed - DM51] *However, although it may be used for constipation, it is not a preferred treatment *[link removed - DM51]*, a castor oil derivative *[link removed - DM51]*, is also FDA-approved for over-the-counter use on skin disorders or skin problems.
> *Any comments on this?* Thanks.


Yes - I have a comment: please stop wasting our time with this nonsense.



> Here is a good article on castor oil: *[link removed - DM51] *I know it has gum build-up on engines but that is because the constant burning of fuel and accumulation of oil. but it is easily removed and is bio degradable (Good for our planet) *[which one are you on? - DM51]* it is also safe to use,, I don't know about you guys but sometimes I put my flashlight in my mouth to hold and don't want to wash hands every time I change batteries or something. It is easy to get and you don't have to worry about the kids getting there hands on it, you can even use it on your skin for many ailments. It might be worth it for us guys to investigate further and see what comes up. What do you think?


:sick2:



> I’m kind of leaning towards pure castor oil


Lean as far as you like, but please refrain from posting crackpot theories here.


----------



## ejot

CaseyS said:


> I've read on some automotive forums that Krytox is popular and highly recommended for conditioning the weather stripping. However, there were a few cautions from people about how hard it is to get off of painted surfaces since it's impervious to all common solvents. For you guys who use Krytox regularly, has this ever been a problem for you? Just how careful do you have to be with it?



I realize this was posted awhile ago. Haven't been keeping up with this thread. 

I am careful to keep Krytox contained to the threads and o-rings and off handled surfaces. However, a bit of spillage is pretty unnoticeable once wiped off. It wears off your fingers in an afternoon or so. 

If anyone is dead set on fully removing Krytox from a surface, the easiest way is probably to find a good distributor and special order Loctite 30615 - a DuPont-endorsed Krytox solvent. But if you thought the grease was expensive .... check out the solvent!


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Do we have ourselves a bad category candidate here?


----------



## kwkarth

Like it or not, it appears that molly and pfte based lubes are best for titanium on titanium.



> Titanium and Titanium Alloys – Wear Behaviour and Lubrication
> Topics Covered
> 
> Background
> The Co-Efficient of Friction of Titanium and Titanium Alloys
> The Effect of Atomic Structure
> The Effect of Crystal Structure
> Properties of the Protective Oxide Film Lubrication
> Specifying Lubricants for Use with Titanium and Titanium Alloys
> The Importance of Lubrication
> Spray on Film Lubricants
> Thermally Stable Lubricants
> Dry Film Lubricants and Surface Treatments
> 
> Background
> The natural surface of titanium sets limits to its use in many engineering applications which require sliding or rubbing wear resistance. Similarly the performance of the metal in both hot and cold working and fabrication processes may be judged unacceptable if proper attention is not paid to surface pre-treatment and to die and tool lubrication.
> The Co-Efficient of Friction of Titanium and Titanium Alloys
> 
> The Effect of Atomic Structure
> The coefficient of friction of commercially pure titanium is given in the range .30 -.34, with lower figures in the range .25 - .30 for titanium alloys. Practical tests can indicate much higher figures, into the range .8 - .9 for rubbing contact of untreated surfaces without lubrication. Three fundamental factors combine to give titanium its high coefficient of friction and cause the poor tribological behaviour of the metal. The first arises from titanium’s atomic structure, and this can be marginally improved by bulk or surface alloying to form a harder and more wear resistant structure.
> 
> The Effect of Crystal Structure
> The second factor comes from the crystal structure of titanium. Modification by alloying occurs naturally in the range of alloys, which to various extents offer slightly better resistance to wear as compared to pure titanium.
> 
> Properties of the Protective Oxide Film
> The third problem is the relatively low tensile and shear strength of the titanium oxide film. When adhesive bonding occurs in rubbing contact with adjacent titanium or other metal surfaces, the fracture occurs in the oxide rather than at the interface, resulting in large amounts of material transfer, galling, and high wear rates. Improvement of strength and hardness by bulk alloying offers some improvement, but this problem and indeed the other two factors above can also be overcome by removing the titanium entirely from the tribo-system by coating with another material, metallic or otherwise.
> 
> Lubrication
> 
> Lubrication, or the combination of surface treatment or modification with effective lubrication makes it possible to work with titanium, within the limitations imposed by its surface characteristics. Surface treatment is the key to the successful fabrication of titanium and to the engineering use of the metal for its strength to weight ratio, corrosion resistance or other desired physical or mechanical characteristics.
> 
> Specifying Lubricants for Use with Titanium and Titanium Alloys
> The coefficient of friction for titanium in rubbing contact with itself is up to twice the value for steel on steel, and four times the value for bronze and other ‘bearing’ metals. Separation of titanium surfaces by effective lubrication, using oil, grease or dry film lubricant is a first but minimal step to wear reduction. Standard hydrocarbon lubricants typically reduce the friction coefficient to 0.4 - 0.5 between moving titanium surfaces. Oils and greases will be specified by their suppliers as suitable for use with titanium, for specific processes or operating conditions and for the durability of their effectiveness. There are no standards for specification of lubricants for use with titanium. Lubricant suppliers should be consulted and their recommendation sought for the specific application.
> 
> The Importance of Lubrication
> The tendency for titanium to gall in rubbing or sliding contact with tooling or other metal surfaces makes effective lubrication desirable for forming and working. High pressure oils, graphite or molybdenum disulphide based greases, plastic films and other such barrier lubricants may provide adequate separation of the tool and workpiece. Machining and fabrication lubricants, used for example in thread roll forming, or pressing or drawing are replenishable at the working surface and are normally removed after the working operation is completed.
> 
> Spray on Film Lubricants
> A number of proprietary dip or spray on dry film lubricants based on molybdenum disulphide or PTFE are available which provide lubricity for severe forming operations such as heading of fasteners, cold forming of springs, thread rolling and deep drawing. Some of these temporary coatings are very stable, and may be left on titanium until all processing is completed. Those based on molybdenum disulphide which reduce the coefficient to 0.1 - 0.2 which are applied at the start of a manufacturing cycle may be retained for the service life of components such as fasteners.
> 
> Thermally Stable Lubricants
> Thermally unstable lubricants such as oil, grease and plastics must be fully removed before any intermediate or final heat treatment is carried out.
> 
> Dry Film Lubricants and Surface Treatments
> The combination of dry film lubricants with anodized and other surface treatments frequently provides the best longer term solution to adhesive wear of titanium.
> 
> Primary author: Nasurf
> Source: Titanium Information Group



http://www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID=2618#_Dry_Film_Lubricants


----------



## kwkarth

Is anyone familiar with products by Translube?

http://www.translube.com


----------



## chew socks

kwkarth said:


> Like it or not, it appears that molly and pfte based lubes are best for titanium on titanium.



Sorry but what are PFTE based lubricants?


----------



## kwkarth

chew socks said:


> Sorry but what are PFTE based lubricants?



teflon


----------



## palomino77

I'm sorry but I’m new. I really thought I was on to something after my search on internet, and was surprised nobody said anything good or bad about it. I wasn’t trying to be wise guy or anything like that.

I live in Mexico and if I want to buy most of those lubes mentioned, I have to wait for a trip to US. I don’t want to use petroleum based products because of O-rings. So I don’t know what to use.

I am waiting for delivery (aprox. end of Dic.) 6 Jets: RRT-0, RRT-1, RRT-2, M1X, JET-III M, JET-I PRO V3 and 3 ITP: A3 natural, A2, SA2. I don’t want to ruin them with bad oil. I’m also very ecological and health conscience that is why I was looking for natural oil, there must be something good, synthetic scares me a little everything seems to cause cancer or something. Right now I have a Jet-I PRO EX V3 and A3 black. Can hardly wait to get the others.

I really enjoy this and the last thing I wanted to do was make someone mad. lovecpf


----------



## DM51

palomino77 said:


> I'm sorry but I’m new... I really enjoy this and the last thing I wanted to do was make someone mad. lovecpf


Don’t worry, you haven’t made anyone mad. The particular lubricant you suggested has numerous medicinal applications, which include treatment for skin corns, abscesses, ring worm, digestive tract problems, breast pain, menstrual difficulties, haemorrhoids, gallstones, fibroid tumors, constipation, spots before the echo, sock shoulders, pink toenails and acute emulsion on the legs. 
 
But not for treating flashlights, AFAIK. 
 
LOL


----------



## hyperloop

palomino77 said:


> I live in Mexico and if I want to buy most of those lubes mentioned, I have to wait for a trip to US. I don’t want to use petroleum based products because of O-rings. So I don’t know what to use.



What i use is silicone grease, if you have a shop selling scuba diving equipment, they should have silicone grease. Works very well and is non toxic.


----------



## palomino77

McGizmo said:


> I need to disagree with some of this for the simple reason that most of my lights do have silicone O-rings in them and specifically in areas where there is some dynamic motion; twisting or sliding (piston). Silicone is poor on abrasion resistance and for that reason, a good lube is a serious consideration if you want to get good service our of the O-ring which sould be considered a normal wear item in any dynamic application.
> 
> When I was doing a lot of mods and taking apart various SureFire lights, I came across some static internal seals and O-rings I presume to be of buna and some were cracked and compromised. These were not maintenance or user accessible seals.
> 
> On the subject of dynamic applications, I think there is a big difference between twisting a light on and off compared to a shaft O-ring spinning at thousands of RPM or a piston seal O-ring hammering up and down hundreds of cycles per minute. It is the fact that we are moving metal parts that I prefer the silicone even if it is subject to wear. Properly lubed, it has a nice give and seems to be less prone to stiction than other materials. :shrug:


 
If NASA had some special lubrication that would withstand the rigors of space for unmanned flights to the stars that would last for thousands of years, we would probably try to get our hands on it to use on our beloved flashlights. There are hundreds of lubes for machinery that work at 10,000 + rpm for hours and we are trying to see which one is the best. I read on this thread where the important part is good lubrication for the metal parts because you can always replace o-rings. I think well kept o-rings are very important to our real use flashlights. After all who wants a water logged flashlight out in the middle of woods? There is a video on YouTube “*Maintenance for Fenix flashlights”* where they don’t even put lube on threads only the o-rings.

There isn’t a specially made lube for flashlights, not that I know of, so we have to adapt to the one closest to our needs. 

In my modest newbie opinion is:


Easy to buy (doesn’t have to be cheap, we don’t use that much)
Works perfectly on all metal parts.
Works perfectly with all types of o-rings
Is easy to clean and replace (we are forever cleaning our flashlights)
Safe to use (we have our greasy hands on them all day long)
This is my two cents worth and hope I didn’t waste any ones time with it.


----------



## palomino77

DM51 said:


> Don’t worry, you haven’t made anyone mad. The particular lubricant you suggested has numerous medicinal applications, which include treatment for skin corns, abscesses, ring worm, digestive tract problems, breast pain, menstrual difficulties, haemorrhoids, gallstones, fibroid tumors, constipation, spots before the echo, sock shoulders, pink toenails and acute emulsion on the legs.
> 
> But not for treating flashlights, AFAIK.
> 
> LOL


 
Just a modest suggestion, look up Blendzall racing castor. http://www.blendzall.com/ I have used it for many years and still have some left in my garage.

Thank You


----------



## kwkarth

kwkarth said:


> I picked up two lubricants at the local dive shop.
> 
> 
> Food grade silicon grease which seems to work well on lights with aluminum threads/gaskets
> 
> and
> 
> 
> NT60 O2 Lube by Marine Research Labs sold as a NitrOx System Lube which seems to work very well on my Ti lights. Haven't tried it on Al lights yet, but I'm pretty pleased with both.



I am seeing excellent results with the NT60 O2 lube on both Al and Ti lights. Makes Ti threads as smooth as butter. For the first time I've ever observed, NO oxidation on my aluminum threads!!


----------



## palomino77

kwkarth said:


> I am seeing excellent results with the NT60 O2 lube on both Al and Ti lights. Makes Ti threads as smooth as butter. For the first time I've ever observed, NO oxidation on my aluminum threads!!


 
That sounds good where do I get it?


----------



## kwkarth

palomino77 said:


> That sounds good where do I get it?



You should be able to get it at any good dive shop. Made for lubrication of gear, regulators, etc. used in Nitrox systems. Particularly good with temperature stability, inertness WRT oxidation, and preventing galling with titanium on titanium. Like Christo-Lube, but seems better according to divemaster. In reality, it's probably the same stuff. I paid about $11.00 for 1/2 oz. tub. Seems like enough to treat 100's of lights.


----------



## kwkarth

Tekno_Cowboy,

Christo Lube and the NT60 O2 Lube by Marine Research Labs should be listed with the Krytox on your first post.

Thx,
kwk


----------



## palomino77

kwkarth said:


> You should be able to get it at any good dive shop. Made for lubrication of gear, regulators, etc. used in Nitrox systems. Particularly good with temperature stability, inertness WRT oxidation, and preventing galling with titanium on titanium. Like Christo-Lube, but seems better according to divemaster. In reality, it's probably the same stuff. I paid about $11.00 for 1/2 oz. tub. Seems like enough to treat 100's of lights.


 
Thank you


----------



## kwkarth

palomino77 said:


> Thank you


You're welcome!


----------



## tsl

For a pure twisty light, would the NanoLube and the Finish Line Extreme Fluoro work equally well? I have a couple Aeons which have brass threads in the head and either Titanium or Aluminum threads in the body.

I would also consider Krytox GPL203.

The lube would need to work well not only on the threads but also on the o-ring. I want to keep it simple - one lube for both o-ring and threads.

I'm currently using Nyogel 760G. I have also used the Aladdin Magic Lube, but I find it to be thicker than the Nyogel.

Thanks,
Tom


----------



## kwkarth

tsl said:


> For a pure twisty light, would the NanoLube and the Finish Line Extreme Fluoro work equally well? I have a couple Aeons which have brass threads in the head and either Titanium or Aluminum threads in the body.
> 
> I would also consider Krytox GPL203.
> 
> The lube would need to work well not only on the threads but also on the o-ring. I want to keep it simple - one lube for both o-ring and threads.
> 
> I'm currently using Nyogel 760G. I have also used the Aladdin Magic Lube, but I find it to be thicker than the Nyogel.
> 
> Thanks,
> Tom


The o-rings seem to be very happy with the NT60 that I'm using. I've never had them act so slippery in both Al and Ti lights.


----------



## lightplay22

TSL, my Aeon is brass/aluminum so I can't comment on the TI but I have used nano-oil on it and it made a significant improvement or the factory lube. Then I got the finish line extreme flouro. I cleaned the threads very good with a dry white t-shirt, applied the extreme flouro and worked it in. It was not a slippery as with just nano-oil and I think it was because the flouro is thicker and that added some dampening effect. Then I dry wiped the excess flouro and added a very small amount of nano-oil and presto, it is now very ultra smooth.

I treated 3 ezcr2's in like manner and they are almost too smooth! The ez's don't have as much o-ring pressure as the Aeon.

My method: Remove factory lube thoroughly, apply nano-oil and work the threads with both pull pressure and push pressure, then clean threads thoroughly. Apply extreme flouro and work threads again. Then remove just the excess flouro and apply nano-oil.

This also worked wonders on my 2 P1D's also.

Also a tiny smear of oil or flouro on the bottom of the battery so it can turn freely on the Aeon or ezcr2 makes a big difference.

After this all are as smooth as silk.


----------



## AgencyLife

Crescendo said:


> I have a D10 R2 piston drive, so I can tell you what has worked for me.
> 
> I used Nano-Oil on the aluminium threads, and Nyogel 760G on the thread o-ring. I chose Nano-Oil specifically for use on threads because of its good metal on metal performance according to theory and anecdotes in this thread, and Nyogel 760G specifically for use on o-rings only (it seemed as good as any other lubricant for this purpose, and, for whatever it's worth (probably not much), Surefire uses it).
> 
> I also used two or three drops of Nano-Oil on the piston drive, but I made sure to spread it into a very thin coat using nitrile gloves before inserting it into the flashlight. I've found that a thin coat performs much better than liberally applying the oil. As for the piston drive o-ring, I again used Nyogel 760G, but I think by now the Nyogel 760G has thoroughly mixed with the Nano-Oil due to the piston drive motion (this has not caused any problems).
> 
> Initially the action of the piston drive was rougher than the OEM lubrication, but I think this is because the OEM lubricant was thicker and more grease-like. The thin nature of the Nano-Oil coat that I applied exacerbated the minute imperfections in the smoothness of either the piston drive itself, or the flashlight body. I considered addressing the problem myself, but I eventually decided that I would just rack the piston drive in an out 30+ times. The action of the piston drive is now quite smooth. Occasionally the piston drive "clicks" like a traditional clicky due to resistance (especially if I haven't used it for a few days), but I've found that this goes away after I depress the piston drive a few times, or if I loosen the threads and again depress it a few times to find a 'good' position that allows for smooth action.
> 
> Overall I am happy with the performance of these two lubricants when used in conjunction on my D10. I have used the flashlight for a month or two now and I have not found any discolouration in the oil on the threads, nor have the o-rings degraded in any way. That said, I think this has more to do with the quality of the D10 itself, as I have used the same lubricant combination on cheaper lights and found that there is evidence of wear on the aluminium threads (the oil exhibits grey discolouration).
> 
> If you are not having any issues with the action of your flashlight, and you are a normal, non-anal person, I would leave the OEM lubricant alone. For my light specifically, I don't think the performance increase was high enough to justify cleaning and re-lubing immediately. That said, I am a very anal person who likes to have things done 'right', and for me (unfortunately) this extends to things like lubricating flashlights. For that task I can recommend Nano-Oil and Nyogel 760G based on my own experience.



Thanks for the great insight! :thumbsup:


----------



## AgencyLife

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> I've had very good luck with the Krytox 223 grease, and I expect 203 to be much the same. Finish Line Extreme Flouro would also be a good choice.



Is "Flouro" short for Fluorinated? as in Fluorinated Grease?
Has anyone tried using Chris Reeve Knives fluorinated grease?


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

palomino77 said:


> If NASA had some special lubrication that would withstand the rigors of space *snip*



Last I heard, they were using Krytox 



kwkarth said:


> Tekno_Cowboy,
> 
> Christo Lube and the NT60 O2 Lube by Marine Research Labs should be listed with the Krytox on your first post.
> 
> Thx,
> kwk



I'm having some trouble finding any documentation of these lubes. Do you know where I might find some more info to make the description as accurate as possible?



tsl said:


> For a pure twisty light, would the NanoLube and the Finish Line Extreme Fluoro work equally well? I have a couple Aeons which have brass threads in the head and either Titanium or Aluminum threads in the body.
> 
> I would also consider Krytox GPL203.
> 
> The lube would need to work well not only on the threads but also on the o-ring. I want to keep it simple - one lube for both o-ring and threads.
> 
> I'm currently using Nyogel 760G. I have also used the Aladdin Magic Lube, but I find it to be thicker than the Nyogel.
> 
> Thanks,
> Tom



I think you'd do well with either the Finish Line or the Krytox GPL203.


----------



## TheInvader

*BEWARE: Super lube is deanodizing my Mag and Fenix!*

For two of my lights, I decided to throw some Super Lube (51010) with a RadioShack brand on it. (RS 64-2301A) $2.99 for a .25 ounce oiler.

I noticed the other day when I took my Mag head off, some black crap wiped on my hand that was lined like threads- I glanced at my threads and they are almost bare by now.
Sadly, I think the threads are pretty much done for. The only thing I can think of looking at this is being pissed off when my Mag head gets stuck with a 1185 bulb in it, then destroying the Mag for the bulb.

Should I consider buying a new host for my hotwire? This Magled 3D was $10 new, so I'm not too worried.
My Fenix is slightly worn too, you can see in the last picture that the shiny spot is where a drop must have sat for a while.

It took about 5 days to do this, as I was playing with my Mag when I first got it.


----------



## Morelite

*Re: WTF -BEWARE: Super lube is deanodizing my Mag and Fenix!*

The lube may be eating away at the ano but it should not hurt the aluminum threads, so the head shouldn't get stuck.


----------



## greenLED

*Re: WTF -BEWARE: Super lube is deanodizing my Mag and Fenix!*

Looks like normal thread wear/gunk to me. :shrug:


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

*Re: WTF -BEWARE: Super lube is deanodizing my Mag and Fenix!*

That's really weird. I've used Super Lube oil before with no issues. It's especially good on my bolt-action rifles. (not that that has anything to do with flashlights)

My only recommendation would be to try the grease or try another lube, like Krytox or one of the other "very good" lubes in the lube sticky at the top of the general section.

Have you been twisting the head much on that setup?


----------



## TheInvader

*Re: WTF -BEWARE: Super lube is deanodizing my Mag and Fenix!*

I've taken the head off about 20 times on this Mag.

@greenLED: I wouldn't think the ano would wear off so fast? It's type II, somewhat durable, but not really.
I have black stuff still on my finger, it looks like ano.


----------



## bogeymachine

*Re: WTF -BEWARE: Super lube is deanodizing my Mag and Fenix!*

don't worry, be happy

you're just working in the threads; removing micro-burrs and honing the bearing surfaces. it's not the ano' getting eaten away...it's the aluminum fines and ano' attached to them. It's not a HA III v. HA II thing (Fenix HA III is pretty tough), it's the metal underneath.

there's days of reading on the topic of lubrication - enjoy bro!

bogey out


----------



## ZuluWhiskeyFox

*Re: WTF -BEWARE: Super lube is deanodizing my Mag and Fenix!*

I keep it simple for my lights. I use plain old white lithium grease. Cheap and it has never let me down.

zwf


----------



## Hacken

*Re: WTF -BEWARE: Super lube is deanodizing my Mag and Fenix!*

that looks like when i use to have my LED 3AA maglite and used vaseline on it for couple of weeks after use. that doesn't look like it's eating away the threads. anyways it should be totally fine how the way that looks.

note: i think that's just all maglite looking like that...


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: WTF -BEWARE: Super lube is deanodizing my Mag and Fenix!*

????
looks normal to me


----------



## kwkarth

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> I'm having some trouble finding any documentation of these lubes. Do you know where I might find some more info to make the description as accurate as possible?



Sorry, T_C, there's not much I can find either...see below.

http://www.tridentdive.com/liquids.pdf Scroll towards bottom of page.

http://www.mikesscuba.com/store/products.asp?category=nitroxlube

http://www.scubagearsales.com/pages-productinfo/category-6/product-216/accessories-various-o2-lube-christo-lube.html?zenid=m2pfg68pbunar8kf40ce4aedk7

http://www.wreckdiversupply.com/shop.html?lang=en-us&target=d321.html

http://www.duikforum.nl/duikmateriaal/27225-christo-lube-nt60-o2-lube.html
Run this page through babelfish Dutch to English.


----------



## greenLED

*Re: WTF -BEWARE: Super lube is deanodizing my Mag and Fenix!*



TheInvader said:


> it *looks* *like *ano.


...but it's not. It's normal crud building up on the threads.

You can wash the residue off your fingers with some soap and water. 

The threads are easily cleaned with some paper towels. Take some pics afterwards and compare "ano wear" every 6 months. You will notice the difference will be nill.


----------



## TheInvader

*Re: WTF -BEWARE: Super lube is deanodizing my Mag and Fenix!*

Thanks guys!

I'll stick to my never ending supply (12-ounce bottle will never go away) of Ronsonol to clean the crap off.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

kwkarth: I see nothing that shows them to be any form of PFPE lube.

Were you meaning that they should be in the Very Good Category, not that they are Krytox?

AgencyLife: Chris Reeve Knives Flouro Grease should be some form of PFPE, if not Krytox itself. I'll put it under the "rebranded Krytox" section for now, until I get a chance to call them up and confirm.


----------



## matrixshaman

*Re: WTF -BEWARE: Super lube is deanodizing my Mag and Fenix!*

I've used that exact lube (which is teflon based) for over 2 years on probably 50 or more lights and have not found any problem with anodizing being eaten off - not even the cheapest lights I have. Aluminum turns dark grey when it gets ground down in normal twisting and is mixed with a lube. CPF member This_Is_Nascar recommended this lube a long time back and I've found it has made every light I've got smoother and for twisties easier to turn than any other popular lubes. As others have said what you are seeing is normal and is aluminum powder essentially - not anodizing.


----------



## palomino77

The manufacturer states on Krytox tubes: May cause mild skin and eye irritation. Contact with very hot surfaces (above 500 °F) can generate fumes which can cause coughing or respiratory irritation. Large amounts could lead to lung damage which might not be apparent for several hours. These fumes may also cause flu-like symptoms."


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

palomino77 said:


> The manufacturer states on Krytox tubes: May cause mild skin and eye irritation. Contact with very hot surfaces (above 500 °F) can generate fumes which can cause coughing or respiratory irritation. Large amounts could lead to lung damage which might not be apparent for several hours. These fumes may also cause flu-like symptoms."


A good fact to note, but for flashlights the fumes aren't really an issue. Even if you did manage to overheat the very small amount of Krytox used on a flashlight, it shouldn't produce nearly enough fumes to get you sick.

If you keep Krytox away from ovens, soldering irons, fire, and exhaust manifolds you should be fine. :thumbsup:

As far as the skin irritation, I've had my hands pretty much covered in Krytox with no issues other than overly dry skin once I got the Krytox off. I'd rather not see how it reacts with my eyes though 

The lube you're using will generally not be exposed when you're using the light. When you're putting lube on your light it's usually a good idea to wear some clean latex or nitrile gloves, if for no other reason than to keep your light clean.


----------



## post tenebras

*Re: WTF -BEWARE: Super lube is deanodizing my Mag and Fenix!*

I've had nothing but success and satisfaction with Super Lube with the Super Lube brand on it.


----------



## palomino77

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> A good fact to note, but for flashlights the fumes aren't really an issue. Even if you did manage to overheat the very small amount of Krytox used on a flashlight, it shouldn't produce nearly enough fumes to get you sick.
> 
> If you keep Krytox away from ovens, soldering irons, fire, and exhaust manifolds you should be fine. :thumbsup:
> 
> As far as the skin irritation, I've had my hands pretty much covered in Krytox with no issues other than overly dry skin once I got the Krytox off. I'd rather not see how it reacts with my eyes though
> 
> The lube you're using will generally not be exposed when you're using the light. When you're putting lube on your light it's usually a good idea to wear some clean latex or nitrile gloves, if for no other reason than to keep your light clean.


 
Thanks


----------



## Cuso

*Re: WTF -BEWARE: Super lube is deanodizing my Mag and Fenix!*

I just failed to see any ano wear on those threads...


----------



## lightplay22

Also, when you are Dupont, or any other major corporation, you have to try to disclaim legal liability from being sued by anyone using the product. At least they can say they warned of possible danger in case somebody decided to brush their teeth with it.

Seems I read somewhere that teflon melts at about 475 degrees or so and if a flashlight gets that hot you got worse problems than just fumes from the lube.


----------



## MarNav1

*Re: WTF -BEWARE: Super lube is deanodizing my Mag and Fenix!*

No ano wear there, relax. Superlube is pretty good stuff, don't sweat it.


----------



## kwkarth

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> kwkarth: I see nothing that shows them to be any form of PFPE lube.
> 
> Were you meaning that they should be in the Very Good Category, not that they are Krytox?
> 
> AgencyLife: Chris Reeve Knives Flouro Grease should be some form of PFPE, if not Krytox itself. I'll put it under the "rebranded Krytox" section for now, until I get a chance to call them up and confirm.



Universally, NT60 is being sold as a replacement for Christo Lube, that's all I know at this moment outside the fact that it works better for me than any other flashlight lube than I have ever used before. Stops oxidation, stops galling, compatible with o-rings. I will keep looking and post here when I find more data.


----------



## DM51

*Re: BEWARE: Super lube is deanodizing my Mag and Fenix!*

I've adjusted the thread title and I'm merging it with the main Comprehensive Grease & Lube thread, where it should have been posted.


----------



## wykeite

A while ago I was in a dark corner(pitch black) assembling a piece of machinery. I was using a copper based anti seize grease called Coppercrest. When I got out into the light of day my flashlight was covered in the stuff. I gave it a good clean off and then:tinfoil: the thought, let's give it a go. It's only an Ultrafire beater so no big loss. A month later and everything is holding up well. As a lube it does the job as well as anything I've tried.

I think many people are going over the top about lubrication. A flashlight is not really subjected to high loads on the threads so extreme pressure lubes are a bit overkill. I'm lucky that I have an ample supply of Christo-lube and Krytox, but what a price this stuff is for no real benefit that I've found. I've even used Dow Corning DC4 electrical compound which claims to be an insulator with good results though it is the much feared by some Silicone based grease.

A google search for aluminum lubricants will reveal enough products to keep this thread going for 20 years.

While it seems in reality that most lubricants will work, don't try this one - vegetable/cooking oil. While probably 100% O ring friendly it turns to gum when oxidised.


----------



## kwkarth

kwkarth said:


> Universally, NT60 is being sold as a replacement for Christo Lube, that's all I know at this moment outside the fact that it works better for me than any other flashlight lube than I have ever used before. Stops oxidation, stops galling, compatible with o-rings. I will keep looking and post here when I find more data.



BTW, I have an Eagle Tac T20C2 that had become a useless paper weight. Apparently due to poorly machined threads, the head locked up against the body and the light was no more useable. I had tried to redeem it, cleaning the threads, which were clearly galled, and using every lubricant I could find, all to no avail. When I tried the NT60, the light started working again and now operates flawlessly. The operation is buttery smooth. I am very impressed with the NT60.


----------



## was.lost.but.now.found

*Danco Silicone Faucet Grease*

Apologies if this is in the wrong place but I wanted to share a good experience with a product.

I've read a few threads in the past regarding which lube to use, this vs. that. Everyone was recommending silicone lube when you have rubber O rings. I had checked a couple places, asked around, and the only thing I could find was some lithium grease at Auto Zone. It's really white and I did not like it so I kept looking. Well a while back I had been at Home Depot buying a new valve for a faucet and the guy there recommended I slather it with some lube before I put it in. He handed me this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

It's called Danco Silicone Faucet Grease. It worked great on the faucet and I thought, "Hmm, this might work well on the flashlight threads." I finally got around yesterday to try it out. IMHO it worked great. I liked it because it's clear instead of white, and it also is VERY lubricating. It took 4x to wash my hands to get it all off. I just thought I'd share in case others wanted to try it out. Btw, it's pretty cheap too.


----------



## DM51

*Re: Danco Silicone Faucet Grease*

I'll merge your post with the main lube thread.


----------



## Alaric Darconville

*Re: Danco Silicone Faucet Grease*

I bought some of the Danco silicone grease because I actually had to replace O-rings in a faucet. But I had so much left over that I tried it on flashlights and seemed to have decent results.

(Then, I got REALLY experimental and tried it on my leather shoes where the upper is joined to the outsole to keep the water out. It seems to have worked well, maybe better than mink oil does.)


----------



## TooManyGizmos

This is the comprehensive lube thread STICKY


never mind - your post got moved to it .


----------



## palomino77

*Re: Danco Silicone Faucet Grease*



was.lost.but.now.found said:


> Apologies if this is in the wrong place but I wanted to share a good experience with a product.
> 
> I've read a few threads in the past regarding which lube to use, this vs. that. Everyone was recommending silicone lube when you have rubber O rings. I had checked a couple places, asked around, and the only thing I could find was some lithium grease at Auto Zone. It's really white and I did not like it so I kept looking. Well a while back I had been at Home Depot buying a new valve for a faucet and the guy there recommended I slather it with some lube before I put it in. He handed me this:
> 
> http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
> 
> It's called Danco Silicone Faucet Grease. It worked great on the faucet and I thought, "Hmm, this might work well on the flashlight threads." I finally got around yesterday to try it out. IMHO it worked great. I liked it because it's clear instead of white, and it also is VERY lubricating. It took 4x to wash my hands to get it all off. I just thought I'd share in case others wanted to try it out. Btw, it's pretty cheap too.


 
It must be non toxic if recomended for faucets. But is it OK for silicone o-rings? Does any one know what kind of O-rings the new models of Jetbeam use? ( They are red and feel like silicone ):thinking:


----------



## DM51

*Re: Danco Silicone Faucet Grease*



palomino77 said:


> Does any one know what kind of O-rings the new models of Jetbeam use? ( They are red and feel like silicone )


They're unlikely to be silicone O-rings, as silicone rubber is a bad choice of material for dynamic seals -it reacts badly to friction, and wears very quickly.


----------



## palomino77

*Re: Danco Silicone Faucet Grease*



DM51 said:


> They're unlikely to be silicone O-rings, as silicone rubber is a bad choice of material for dynamic seals -it reacts badly to friction, and wears very quickly.


 
Thanks,,, I really hope they are not silicone, I don't know what EPDM looks and feels like, Silicon grease is easy to find and is soppose to be good.


----------



## Guy's Dropper

I just use silicone grease on all of my lights. Everything else is way too expensive. I'm thinking of making an exception for my EX-10 though... The piston on that thing is way too hard to depress with the thick lubricant I use. How thick is silicone oil? Maybe I'll try that.


----------



## palomino77

I Finally figured out how to post pictures. Well any way these are some of the lubes I have in the garage, I tried Blendzall and it seems to work just fine. It works well with all types of o-rings, non-toxic, smells good, light and transparent, works on bearings at 8,000 rpm. I put in on my Jetbeam tailcap threads, feels great. Will see what happens, I don't trust synthetic it always seems to hurt anything else that is synthetic, and sooner or later hazardous to your health. I couldn't find any of the other non toxic lubes suggested on this thread.


----------



## NigelBond

I just lubed up my lights yesterday after cleaning and lubing my fishing reels. I was using Abu Garcia Silicote reel lube with PTFE. Its a silicone and teflon grease and it worked very well. After doing a search i found somebody mention using reel lube oil but not the grease. I got this stuff at basspro shops but you'd proably find it at any bait and tackle store. I remember it being pretty cheap. I think it was 3 dollars.


----------



## Beacon of Light

KiwiMark said:


> Bloody CPF threads are costing me a fortune! I gotta give up reading before I'm broke!



you got that right.


----------



## Beacon of Light

What about those chain wax lubes for bike chains? Supposedly teflon based.


----------



## palomino77

I have Garcia reel lube and it works real well on reels makes them feel real smooth, I'll give it a try and let you know how it works, the only problem I see, it is silicone based and not recommended for silicone o-rings. There are specialty lubes just about for everything except flashlights, wonder why?:thinking: Maybe it's because nobody thinks flashlights need that great of lube except flashaholics.  There are all kinds of lubes and people could argue till dooms day which one is the best, but the truth of the matter is what works for you is the best. And until there is a specialty lube for flashlights, all suggestions should be welcome and discussed with an open mind on this forum.


----------



## Vee3

From the original post...

"Moly Grease: While very useful for other applications, Molybdenum is toxic, and should not be used for handheld applications, such as flashlights."

*******

I think this is misplaced. MDS (molybdenum disulfide) is only mildly toxic (unless you eat or breath a lot of it) and is not a known carcinogen. It's not easily absorbed through the skin, and generally only causes slight irritation in a minority of individuals if it does get on the skin. The main health concern with it is breathing high concentrations of particulate in the air, which doesn't happen if it's in a grease or liquid carrier. I supervise about 50 people who handle parts coated with MDS dry film lube/grease daily with bare hands, and industrial hygene surveys of these folks have shown no dangerous level of MDS.

MDS is one of the best and most widely used lubes for titanium assemblies in industry. In the quantity and form it would be used on a flashlight, the health risk it poses is negligible.


----------



## SUREFIRED

Today, I decided to re-lube my LX2 with my usual, 100% silicone grease, which has worked great and smooth on all my surefires. The LX2 tailcap, however, after i swapped lubes was very rough, almost grinding :green: . What did I do wrong? i tried lots of lube, minimal lube, whathave you.

Any Ideas for this cpf'er? Different lube like nyogel? Thanks.


----------



## Glenn7

Hey I just found this :thumbsup: hope you dont mind me posting this here but have a look at this what do you have to loose :twothumbs 
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=206931


----------



## sol-leks

I just purchased some "innovative scuba concepts" silicone grease.

Would this be alright to use in lubricating my new illuminati? Thanks


----------



## kwkarth

sol-leks said:


> I just purchased some "innovative scuba concepts" silicone grease.
> 
> Would this be alright to use in lubricating my new illuminati? Thanks


It will work like any other silicone grease, nothing different.


----------



## sol-leks

kwkarth said:


> It will work like any other silicone grease, nothing different.


I guess you are trying to imply that I need to read the thread more carefully since I don't really know how silicone grease will work in my light. A good or bad would've been more helpful though. But yeah, the first post explains it pretty well. I guess I should try and be less lazy.


----------



## kwkarth

sol-leks said:


> I guess you are trying to imply that I need to read the thread more carefully since I don't really know how silicone grease will work in my light. A good or bad would've been more helpful though. But yeah, the first post explains it pretty well. I guess I should try and be less lazy.



I was not implying anything. I thought I was simply answering your question, i.e. the Silicone Grease you have from the dive shop will work no better and no worse than any other silicone grease like Dow 33.

I personally do not think pure silicone works very well. It's ok, you could do worse, but it is what it is. In Ti, it will not prevent galling of the threads and I've even seen it allow galling in Al lights.


----------



## Luminescent

kwkarth said:


> I was not implying anything. I thought I was simply answering your question, i.e. the Silicone Grease you have from the dive shop will work no better and no worse than any other silicone grease like Dow 33.
> 
> I personally do not think pure silicone works very well. It's ok, you could do worse, but it is what it is. In Ti, it will not prevent galling of the threads and I've even seen it allow galling in Al lights.




I disagree that all silicone greases are the same; there are variations. I have found for example that Dow111 silicone grease is almost useless as a lubricant, but Nyogel 760G is at least moderately usable in light load applications like protecting tailcap threads on maglights.

That said, I agree 100% that silicone greases are very POOR choices overall for critical applications. 

Some folks seem think that all silicone greases are a some kind of miracle space age synthetic materials (perhaps because some other ‘silicone’ products like silicon rubber do have remarkable properties compared to regular natural rubber).

Most silicone greases are just silicone oil synthetic lubricants thickened to the consistency of grease by adding silica.

If you ever wondered why silicone greases give that ‘gritty’ feeling, it’s basically because they are thickened by the adding the equivalent of finely ground glass or sand.

Since silicon dioxide or silica by itself has the ‘lubricating’ properties of ground glass, the properties of the base lubricant used in the grease are critical. The silica is NOT soluble in the base oil, so the properties of the compounded greases also depend greatly on how the silica is processed before it is mixed into the grease. 

If the silica is ground down to the equivalent of microscopic ball bearings, and the underlying lubricant is a high quality synthetic oil that has good properties, the resulting grease can work reasonably well as a lubricant under light loads (like Nyogel 760G).

If the underlying lube is no more sophisticated as a lubricant than Vaseline or Mineral Oil, and the silica is more poorly processed, then the resulting grease is almost useless as a lubricant (like Dow111).

I have found that, not only do most silicone greases allow fretting and galling (metal on metal rubbing and wear), but they can actually be quite ABRASIVE under anything but the lightest loads.

Silicone grease’s one advantage is that it is more stable over temperature, compared to ‘soap’ thickened greases like lithium greases, but since the underlying synthetic lubricant is still subject to drying out, it’s not really that much longer lasting over time.

Most low cost ‘Teflon’ greases are compounded from standard or synthetic hydrocarbon lubricants thickened with finely ground PTFE (Teflon). Teflon PFTE particles are much softer than silica and have one of the lowest coefficients of friction known to man. Hydrocarbon based Teflon Greases will still dry out or break down over long periods of time like any other hydrocarbon lubricant.

Krytox greases are also thickened with Teflon PTFE particles, but use a non-hydrocarbon PFPE base oil that is the sort of the equivalent of a ‘liquid teflon’ type material. Krytox greases will basically never dry out, and are very stable over time and temperature.

Unfortunately, bare aluminum is one of the softest metals, so even the soft PTFE particles in Teflon thickened greases like Krytox are slightly abrasive bare aluminum. You can confirm that this is so by putting the bare aluminum threaded assembly under slight tension and running it through a few dozen rotational cycles. With Krytox or other Teflon particle thickened greases, their will be some 'grittyness' and the lubricant will quickly turn black showing that the bare aluminum surfaces are 'fretting'.

The Sodium Nitrite added to some Krytox greases as a corrosion inhibitor can also be an issue. Sodium Nitrite works great for steel, but is not as suitable for Titanium or Aluminum it will make the abrasive issues worse.

* After trying literally dozens of alternatives, here are my conclusions –*

*For ALL METALS in lightly loaded and only occasionally used threaded assemblies (like tailcap threads) all of the following are acceptable:*

*Mobil One [Red] Automotive Grease, Nyogel 760, General Purpose Lithium Grease, Generic Teflon Grease, or Krytox* 

*For critical applications, not all of these options will perform equally, so here are how they stack up:*

*BARE ALUMINUM*
In frequently used or heavily loaded threaded assemblies (twisty lights)

* BEST – Mobil One [Red] Automotive Grease*
* GOOD – General Purpose Lithium Grease (universal coulpling grease works well)*
* MARGINAL - Teflon Grease, Krytox, Nyogel 760G*


*STAINLESS STEEL, HARD ANODIZED ALUMINUM* 
In frequently used or heavily loaded threaded assemblies (twisty lights)

* BEST - Krytox (note: Though always best on Stainless Steel, Krytox is only best on hard andodized surfaces while the anodized coating is intact. If the anodized coating wears through, Krytox goes from BEST to MARGINAL because it will start to cause fretting and wear on the exposed soft bare aluminum surfaces.)*
*GOOD – Mobil One [Red] Automotive Grease, Lithium Grease (universal joint grease)*
* MARGINAL – Nyogel 760G*


*TITANIUM*
In frequently used or heavily loaded threaded assemblies (twisty lights)

* BEST – Krytox Grease (no sodium nitrite)*
* ACCEPTABLE - Krytox Grease (with sodium nitrite) *
* MARGINAL (light loads only) Mobil One [Red] Automotive Grease , Lithium Grease *

Note that some High Load Lithium Greases (like universal coupling grease) will contain Molibdinum which is toxic. Generally if the grease is black, you should suspect that it contains a Moli additive. It's allways best to get the Material Safty Data Sheet (MSDS) to be sure.

According to it's MSDS, MOBIL ONE automotive grease contains only ZINC DITHIOPHOSPHATE as a corrosion inhibitor, which is not considered a particularly hazardous material, skin contact should still be minimized (as for any petroleum product), and hands should be washed after any contact.

- Luminescent


----------



## johnboy777

*Home Depot/ Lowe's Grease?*

What's a good grease available at Home Depot or Lowe's ?

Thanks


----------



## Buck91

*Re: Home Depot/ Lowe's Grease?*

Why does it have to be one of those two? What about something available at an auto parts store or a bicycle shop?


----------



## johnboy777

*Re: Home Depot/ Lowe's Grease?*



Buck91 said:


> Why does it have to be one of those two? What about something available at an auto parts store or a bicycle shop?


 
You're right, of course - I just wanted an acceptable grease that was easy to come by. 

I ended up @ AutoZone this afternoon and purchased a small tub of *Mobile 1 Synthetic Grease* (red) that I just now used on all of my MagLites and Fenix.

Seems to work OK, but it sure stinks.

John


----------



## Student99

I am trying

PrOlix 1 1/4oz. "XTRA-T LUBE"
(HD) LUBE only NO solvent

We developed Xtra-T LUBE to take the place of grease, yet provide a DRY hi-tech compatible addition to our cleaning solvent product. Xtra-T is a highly refined natural product with inert additives. Thicker than the cleaning solvent. Multi-use product.


There is no oil products in the bottle. Has anyone tried it?


----------



## WDG

Luminescent said:


> If you ever wondered why silicone greases give that ‘gritty’ feeling, it’s basically because they are thickened by the adding the equivalent of finely ground glass or sand.



Hmmm. I've been using dielectric grease, which is silicone, if I understand correctly. This makes me think I should be using something else on aluminum threads.

Has anyone tried Shooter's Choice "Synthetic All-Weather High-Tech Gun Grease"? http://www.shooters-choice.com/synthetic_weather_grease.html It's a red grease in a syringe applicator that I've used for years on my aluminum framed pistols. The MSDS says it contains: pentaerythritol, sodium nitrite, naphthylamine, n-phenyl alkyl ester, alkylated diphenyl amines. That's all pretty much Greek, to me, but it's all I could find.



Luminescent said:


> After trying literally dozens of alternatives, here are my conclusions...



Thanks for putting together this list.


----------



## Packet-Storm

*Gunk Liquid Wrench Silicone Spray (MSDS)*

Hey Guys: Got a breakdown of the chemicals used in the Liquid Wrench Silicone Spray. I'm not a chemical guy, so I'm not sure which of these (if any) are bad for the rubber o'rings. The can does say safe for rubber, but you never know (with marketing the way it is). 







Anyone have some insights they can share?

*Ingedients:*
*Ingedient ........................ CAS No. ...... % Range*
1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene ........... 95-63-6 ...... 3.0 - 7.0
Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Solvent .... 8052-41-3 ... 40.0 - 70.0
Carbon dioxide ................... 124-38-9 ..... 3.0 - 4.0
Dimethyl Polysiloxane ............ 63148-62-9 ... 3.0 - 7.0
Ethylbenzene ..................... 100-41-4 ..... 0.1 - 1.0
Hydrocarbon Fluid ................ 64742-47-8 .. 10.0 - 30.0
Low Odor Base Solvent Proprietary .............. 10.0 - 30.0
Mesitylene ....................... 108-67-8 ..... 3.0 - 7.0
Naphthenic Petroleum Distillate .. 64742-52-5 ... 3.0 - 7.0
Xylene (mixed isomers) ........... 1330-20-7 .... 1.0 - 5.0


----------



## ^Gurthang

*Re: Gunk Liquid Wrench Silicone Spray (MSDS)*

Don't know if any of those chemicals will attack silicone but I'd be concerned about some of them attacking ME! Ethylbenzene, Xylene, and Trimethylbenzene are all carcinogens.... not good to come in contact with 'em for prolonged periods.


----------



## nzgunnie

*Re: Gunk Liquid Wrench Silicone Spray (MSDS)*

Xylene is quite a strong solvent, I'd be cautious of using that on most plastics.


----------



## was.lost.but.now.found

*Re: Home Depot/ Lowe's Grease?*



johnboy777 said:


> I ended up @ AutoZone this afternoon and purchased a small tub of *Mobile 1 Synthetic Grease* (red) that I just now used on all of my MagLites and Fenix.
> 
> Seems to work OK, but it sure stinks.
> 
> John


 
+1. 

Luminescent sold me with his comments, so I stopped to get some also. I worry about the smell because that means that it has "something" in it which is literally fading into thin air. Is that "something" important to the lubrication of the threads? In other words, will it's lubricating ability diminish the more the smell permeates? That is my question.


----------



## csshih

*Re: Gunk Liquid Wrench Silicone Spray (MSDS)*

Gunk is pretty bad stuff on plastic.

I've had plastic part melt, break, etc when using gunk, so I would NOT recommend it.


----------



## pulstar

SUREFIRED said:


> Today, I decided to re-lube my LX2 with my usual, 100% silicone grease, which has worked great and smooth on all my surefires. The LX2 tailcap, however, after i swapped lubes was very rough, almost grinding :green: . What did I do wrong? i tried lots of lube, minimal lube, whathave you.
> 
> Any Ideas for this cpf'er? Different lube like nyogel? Thanks.


i have the same problem: I use a silicon grease, which is actually made for plumbing applications, like waterwork mixers and such. My tailcap also seems like it grinds:mecry:. Could you guys help two Surefire fans?
And more, can someone know where to get lube brands, which qualify as very good/excellent, here in europan stores?

When is oil better than grease, in which applications?


----------



## rookiedaddy

can you get any of the above? Those spray can (pictured in section A, top left) are not recommended and if you absolutely have to use one, take out the o-ring before you spray it on the thread, the aerosol tend to expand the o-rings. I've also photo some cleaner there.

Those pictured in section D would be last resort.

The 2 container pictured in section B are imported from Holland (well, it says it's made in Holland :shrug, the blue labeled from a diving shop, while the black labeled from RC hobby shop, they both claim to contain Teflon (PTFE). The syringe in the middle is the Krytox GPL226 grease from Tekno_Cowboy. Both the blue labeled "Scuba Grease" and Krytox are highly recommended.

The 2 tubes pictured in C are Nyogel 760g and 779C and you can get them from LightHound, I think some members say that SureFire uses Nyogel in their flashlight. 

Btw, don't overlube, it could be worse than no-lube at all as those excess (over time) might get in the way of electrical contact and heat transfer. Whatever grease/oil you choose, a little lube goes a long way  I use a small paintbrush to spread the lube evenly across the thread.


----------



## Luminescent

*Re: Home Depot/ Lowe's Grease?*



was.lost.but.now.found said:


> +1.
> 
> Luminescent sold me with his comments, so I stopped to get some also. I worry about the smell because that means that it has "something" in it which is literally fading into thin air. Is that "something" important to the lubrication of the threads? In other words, will it's lubricating ability diminish the more the smell permeates? That is my question.



Sorry I forgot to mention the smell. 

I forgot because my Mobil 1 grease is a few years old now, and the smell is most noticeable when you first open a fresh can. :eeew:

So, the good news is that, if you can hold out, it will get a little better (or at least less pungent) over time.

Never going to be Chenel#5 though, so best to think about it more like those old Listerine commercials, i.e. smells bad, but works good.

In practical terms, even when the Mobil 1 grease is fresh and at it's stinky worst, you don't really notice the smell that much when it is applied in the small quantities used in lubing a flashlight (and not at all after the light is assembled). You may notice a very faint whiff of that skunky smell the first couple times you change the batteries, but it does eventually fade.

Don't be too concerned about the smell (or eventual lack of it) indicating that the grease is somehow breaking down or evaporating, it just seems to be caused by some trace aromatic molecules in the grease left over from the synthetic refining process that are really pungent.

I have had the same Mobil 1 grease in my Jetbeam C-LE twisty light for more than a year now without re-lubing, and the smell faded to the barely noticeably level long ago, but the twisty action still turns absolutely buttery smooth.

Again, if all you are concerned with is the tailcap threads on your Maglight, or other lightly loaded parts or assemblies that are not particularly critical, then lot of things will work. In these applications, if you want an absolutely odorless, colorless option, then NyoGel 760G is a good choice (If you hunt around a little you can often find a tube of NyoGel 760G on special for less than 10 bucks shipping included)

Where the Mobil 1 red automotive grease really shines though, is for bare aluminum threaded assemblies that see high loads or heavy use.

On my first Jetbeam C-LE twisty light, I actualy had a lube related thread failure, dispite using an expensive Krytox based lubricant. For the replacement C-LE, I switched to Mobil-1 grease, and this not only reduced thread wear to almost negligible levels, but has also made the action so smooth that I can easily operate the light and switch modes one handed. Dispite having Krytox available, I only will use it on Stainless Steel and Titanium, and prefer to use Mobil-1 grease exclusively on aluminum.

I have also used Mobil-1 grease to lube the worm drive gears on my milling machine, to repack wheel bearings, to grease my bicycle, and for a dozen other odd jobs, and found it to be a high quality general-purpose grease.

I’d be the first one to admit though that after smelling Mobil-1 grease, you’re probably not going to want to use it for mustache wax. :sick2:

- Luminescent


----------



## Buck91

*Re: Home Depot/ Lowe's Grease?*

Some people hate the smell of Triflow oil... Others love it. I've found few oils/greases that are truely objectionable (at least new ones... 100k+ on a rear end oil tends to change things).

Odors aside, I just lubed up my new Quark Mini AA Neutral with some Triflow Synthetic Grease (the clear stuff, not their red grease). Its been working great at the shop on various bearings and is supposed to be safe on my plastic and rubber compounds, so I figured I'd give it a try.

First impressions are :thumbsup:


----------



## pulstar

I've just relubed threads on my Nitecore Extreme and LX2 with Abbey Gunlube SM50. http://www.abbeysupply.com/product10.html. Twisting the head on NEX or tailcap on LX2 is much easier and smoother than when lubed with sillicon grease. I'm happy with the results but i'm not sure if this new oil will have any affect on orings. This lube was bought in a Hunting/airsoft store and was recommeded for parts with lots of friction...Any thoughts?


----------



## Buck91

I would think it may be at least slightly (if not more) damaging to o-rings. While a nitrile ring should take the abuse in stride, butyl may be more prone to degradation. I have no idea the effect on silicone-type o rings...


----------



## GarageBoy

Mobil 1 -how good is it with O Rings in general?(most automotive gaskets are metal jacketed IIRC)


----------



## Luminescent

GarageBoy said:


> Mobil 1 -how good is it with O Rings in general?(most automotive gaskets are metal jacketed IIRC)



In well over a year of use, on several different lights, I have had ZERO problems with o-rings swelling, softening, or gumming up with Mobil-1 Grease.

You are correct that in a car, lots of the hard gaskets are now metal based, but this is more relavant to motor oil than to greases which are often used in sealed bearings that have o-ring or rubber bushing based end seals, (so I think that Mobil-1 was designed to be friendly to these materials).

Mobil-1 also rates quite highly on preventing o-ring sticktion (the tendency of o-rings to become frozen and stick in place if not turned for a time).

In my testing, only Krytox rated as highly in preventing sticktion as did Mobil-1. With both Krytox and Mobil-1, you can leave a light idle for weeks or even months, and when you pick it up, it turns freely. :twothumbs

Worst for sticktion effects in my testing were with silicone greases. I had a dive-light freeze so tight after being lubed with silicone grease and left idle for one season, that the plastic bezel litterally shattered before I could break it loose and get it turning again. :mecry:

- Luminescent


----------



## Luminescent

pulstar said:


> I've just relubed threads on my Nitecore Extreme and LX2 with Abbey Gunlube SM50. http://www.abbeysupply.com/product10.html. Twisting the head on NEX or tailcap on LX2 is much easier and smoother than when lubed with sillicon grease. I'm happy with the results but i'm not sure if this new oil will have any affect on orings. This lube was bought in a Hunting/airsoft store and was recommeded for parts with lots of friction...Any thoughts?



Abbey specifically mentions airgun applications, so you should be ok, since airguns generally have numerous rubber seals, seats, and/or orings.

They also say that this oil is 'non dieseling' and won't evaporate, so it's obviously not a highly volatile hydrocarbon based oil, which is generally also good news so far as your orings go.

I haven't found that most light gun oils have enough viscosity to keep things smooth on a twisty light for more than a few days, and often the orings show 'sticktion' when the light is not used for a week or two (the orings stick and bind, even though they are not damaged).

In any case, I doubt that this stuff will eat up your orings, and perhaps you have found a winner, so let us know how things work out.


----------



## pulstar

Thanks for reassuring reply I'll let you guys know, how this oil performs...


----------



## AFAustin

(If this has already been answered somewhere in this thread, I apologize, but I didn't find it with a quick search.) When using 2 different lubes for the o-ring and the threads, e.g., the 2 different types of Nyogel, what is the best method for getting the proper lube on the o-ring without also getting it on the threads?

Thanks.


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

AFAustin said:


> (If this has already been answered somewhere in this thread, I apologize, but I didn't find it with a quick search.) When using 2 different lubes for the o-ring and the threads, e.g., the 2 different types of Nyogel, what is the best method for getting the proper lube on the o-ring without also getting it on the threads?
> 
> Thanks.



Hello AFAustin

What I would do:
Treat your threads first and condition them by applying pressure forward as you screw in and same thing as you unscrew, do it a few times this way both sides of the thread will be conditioned.

Wipe off any lubricant that deposited on the O-Ring if any.
Now use some teflon tape and wrap around the threads, just a few turns.
All you have to do now is apply your O-Ring lubricant (excess is never good, attracts grime, lint etc.)
remove the teflon tape and you are done.


----------



## AFAustin

Nano-Oil.com said:


> Hello AFAustin
> 
> What I would do:
> Treat your threads first and condition them by applying pressure forward as you screw in and same thing as you unscrew, do it a few times this way both sides of the thread will be conditioned.
> 
> Wipe off any lubricant that deposited on the O-Ring if any.
> Now use some teflon tape and wrap around the threads, just a few turns.
> All you have to do now is apply your O-Ring lubricant (excess is never good, attracts grime, lint etc.)
> remove the teflon tape and you are done.



Christian,

Thanks for your reply. What exactly does "condition" both sides of the threads mean---is it just getting the lube spread around on the threads? 

When you say "apply pressure forward" and do the same as you unscrew---does that mean, while unscrewing, pull in the direction you are unscrewing? 

Finally, won't teflon tape leave a residue on the threads after being removed?

See, that's what happens when you're a helpful soul who answers a question---you get more questions! 

BTW, I use Nano-Oil on my head twisty lights and it works great. An added bonus is that it stays clean and doesn't turn black like many other lubes.

Thanks again,

Andrew


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

AFAustin said:


> Christian,
> 
> Thanks for your reply. What exactly does "condition" both sides of the threads mean---is it just getting the lube spread around on the threads?
> 
> When you say "apply pressure forward" and do the same as you unscrew---does that mean, while unscrewing, pull in the direction you are unscrewing?
> 
> Finally, won't teflon tape leave a residue on the threads after being removed?
> 
> See, that's what happens when you're a helpful soul who answers a question---you get more questions!
> 
> BTW, I use Nano-Oil on my head twisty lights and it works great. An added bonus is that it stays clean and doesn't turn black like many other lubes.
> 
> Thanks again,
> 
> Andrew


Hello Andrew.
By conditioning, I mean making/forcing the metal to metal which polishes/deburrs the micro uneven surface from machining, only do that with oil/grease in place, specially on Aluminium 
For screwing the endcaps or lenses (what ever you are treating) you are right, you push as you screw in and pull out as you unscrew, the idea is to treat both sides of the threads. 

as for the Teflon tape, just leave a little tail and it will come right off, specially when applied on lubricated threads.

Thanks for the comment about Nano-Oil.

Hope to see some of you at the Shot Show Las Vegas.


----------



## AFAustin

Christian,

Thanks for the elaboration---very helpful. Have a good time at SHOT!

Cheers,

Andrew


----------



## Buck91

Here's one for you guys... On lights such as my Princeton Tec Solo headlamp with some form fo resin threading, what grease would you go with?

Been using Syl-Glide for years, but it definately causes o-ring stiction. Triflow synthetic is supposed to be inert, as is Krytox. I suspect the Triflow will assist in keeping water out better than the Krytox but would either be more appropriate for the material interface lubrication?


----------



## Luminescent

Buck91 said:


> Here's one for you guys... On lights such as my Princeton Tec Solo headlamp with some form fo resin threading, what grease would you go with?
> 
> Been using Syl-Glide for years, but it definately causes o-ring stiction. Triflow synthetic is supposed to be inert, as is Krytox. I suspect the Triflow will assist in keeping water out better than the Krytox but would either be more appropriate for the material interface lubrication?



On threaded plastic parts, nothing that I have found beats Krytox. 

I have two identical dive lights, and since one was a spare that was completely unused, I decided to lube it up with Krytox so I could compare it with the other (which was already lubed up with silicone grease).

The light lubed with Krytox was absolutely buttery smooth, verses the other light, which had much more resistance and lots of trouble with ‘sticktion’.

Also, despite all the hype you hear about silicone greases being 'inert' I have found that in some of my dive lights, the long term use of silicone grease over several seasons has lead to the hard acrylic plastic parts becoming much weaker and more brittle. 

I am not sure if this is due to the silicone oil soaking into the plastic surface and displacing the normal plasticizers or if it relates to fatigue effects due to the repeated use of high torque to break loose the o-ring due to the severe sticktion that frequently occurs with silicone grease.

Krytox does seem to be truly inert (I have see absolutely no evidence of it causeing brittleness or other issues with plastics). There is virtually ZERO sticktion and threads and o-rings turn buttery smooth with noticeably lower friction and wear.

Krytox is expensive, and once you start using it, it’s difficult to clean off and go back to another lubricant (because Krytox is resistant to virtually all common solvents), but trust me, it works so incredibly well on plastic lights that you aren’t likely to be tempted to switch to something else.

Do make sure to fully clean away any other grease, because Krytox doesn’t mix well at all with other greases (the mixture will work worse than either grease by itself!).

Silicone can also be a little bit of a ***** to fully clean away. I really noticed this after the above comparison, when I decide that the Krytox was working so well that I would remove the silicone lube from the original dive light and relube that light with Krytox as well.

When I replaced the silicone lube with Krytox, the light did immediately improve, but it was still not quite as smooth as the light that I had lubed with Krytox right from the start. Ultimately, I had to replace the o-ring that had been previously lubed with silicone grease with an unused fresh o-ring before both lights were finally equally smooth (the residual silicone that had soaked into the o-ring was interfering with the Krytox and keeping it from working as well as it could with a fresh clean o-ring)

That was the only time that I actually had to go so far as to change the o-ring when switching to Krytox (usually it's sufficient to just clean up the existing o-ring with alcohol) so I'm guessing that it's a function of the specific o-ring material, and how long that the silicone grease has been in place.

If you do decide to use Krytox, make sure that you get REAL Krytox PFPE/PFTE grease, and not just a 'Krytox Teflon' type grease (which may be just a hydrocarbon or silicone lube with some Teflon added). 

Real Krytox grease uses a completely synthetic PFPE base oil.

I am using the Loctite Krytox RFE P/N 29710, but the Loctite stuff is about $40 for a two ounce tube, which may be more than some are looking to spend.

Tekno_Cowboy and others here on CPF also sell real Dupont PFPE/PFTE Krytox in smaller quantities at proportionally smaller prices. 

Krytox is certinly one of the more expensive lubricants, but a very small quantity of Krytox goes a long way, so when you break it down on a cost per application basis, it's not so bad.

[FONT=&quot]-[/FONT]Luminescent


----------



## tsmith35

Luminescent said:


> ... If you do decide to use Krytox, make sure that you get REAL Krytox PFPE/PFTE grease, and not just a 'Krytox Teflon' type grease (which may be just a hydrocarbon or silicone lube with some Teflon added).
> 
> Real Krytox grease uses a completely synthetic PFPE base oil.



Since I posted about Christo-Lube MCG-111 a few months back, I've read some interesting information about MCG-111 vs Krytox. This comes from other boards...

1. "Difference between the Bracote/Cristolube & the Krytox from an applications standpoint is the Krytox will with time breakdown seperate the polymers from oils where the braycote/Cristolube does not."

2. "Bill's comment about Krytox explains something I've personally observed... after tubes of Krytox sit around for a long while it comes out of the tube in a state I can best describe as 'gritty'... rub it around for a minute and the 'grit' disappears..."

Most of the recommendations I've seen recommend any of the following: Bracote, Christo-lube or Krytox. Most discussions I've read indicate that all are basically interchangeable. According to DuPont, Christo-lube MCG-111 is equivalent to Krytox GPL-204.

Personal experience with Christo-lube MCG-111, Krytox GPL-204 and Mobil-1 Synthetic Grease is... they all work great on my lights. The Mobil-1 is smoother, with a strong smell, while both Krytox and Christo-lube perform equally as well as the other. I prefer Mobil-1 for twisties, but like any/all of them in general. I haven't tried mixing these (such as MCG-111 on the o-rings and Mobil-1 on the threads), but I really haven't had a need to yet.


----------



## Luminescent

tsmith35 said:


> Since I posted about Christo-Lube MCG-111 a few months back, I've read some interesting information about MCG-111 vs Krytox. This comes from other boards...
> 
> 1. "Difference between the Bracote/Cristolube & the Krytox from an applications standpoint is the Krytox will with time breakdown seperate the polymers from oils where the braycote/Cristolube does not."
> 
> 2. "Bill's comment about Krytox explains something I've personally observed... after tubes of Krytox sit around for a long while it comes out of the tube in a state I can best describe as 'gritty'... rub it around for a minute and the 'grit' disappears..."
> 
> Most of the recommendations I've seen recommend any of the following: Bracote, Christo-lube or Krytox. Most discussions I've read indicate that all are basically interchangeable. According to DuPont, Christo-lube MCG-111 is equivalent to Krytox GPL-204.
> 
> Personal experience with Christo-lube MCG-111, Krytox GPL-204 and Mobil-1 Synthetic Grease is... they all work great on my lights. The Mobil-1 is smoother, with a strong smell, while both Krytox and Christo-lube perform equally as well as the other. I prefer Mobil-1 for twisties, but like any/all of them in general.


 
If you check out the actual MSDS information for Dupont Krytox, Christo-Lube, and Loctite's Krytox RFE PFPE lubricant (PN 29710), you will see that they all list the same two basic component elements - 

A base oil compounded from Perfluorinated polyether (PFPE) 
A thickner compounded from Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

This is not to say that there is not some room for differences.

Remember "Krytox" is a Dupont trademark term that takes in a whole family of Dupont PFPE lubricants and Greases, so the statements you quoted about Krytox having a tendency to separate, vs Christo-Lube not having this tendency, are not relevant unless we take into account the actual grade of Krytox grease used in the comparison. 

If you compound a PFPE/PTFE type grease with a higher viscosity PFPE base oil, you will get a grease that will separate more slowly, but using a thicker more viscous base oil also makes the grease 'stiffer' and not as smooth as a lubricant, so there is a tradeoff.

This is not an issue in applications where the grease is being used as an o-ring lube or as an anti-seize lubricant (as it is in scuba gear), but may be an issue for other applications such as 'twisty' flashlights, where silky smooth one-handed operation is desired.

I think this is why Techno_Cowboy offered multiple grades of Krytox, and why some others even offered intermediate 50/50 'blends' of high viscosity and lower viscosity that were custom tailored for use in critical applications.

In practical terms though, I agree that for most applications, the Medium Grade Dupont Krytox, Christo-Lube, and Loctite PN 29710 Krytox products are interchangeable.

I am not too concerned about this PFTE/PFPE separation issue because the Loctite PN 29710 product that I am using now comes in a soft plastic squeeze tube that can easily be kneaded to thoroughly remix the PTFE particles with the PFPE base oil if required.

I now use Krytox exclusively in my flashlights that have threaded assemblies constructed of stainless steel, titanium, and plastic. 

In my testing on bare aluminum however, I found that Krytox was NOT a good choice.

I gave Loctite hell about this, and they actually went back and worked with Dupont to determine if there should be some kind of generic warning about the suitability of Krytox as a lubricant in these applications.

If the aluminum threaded parts have a good thick HAIII anodized coating, then Krytox will work fine, but on bare aluminum it's bad news.

It would appear that Dupont decided that my concerns were valid, because now if you check the application notes, even generic PFPE/PTFE lubricants like Christo-Lube include a warning -


> “Although CHRISTO-LUBE MCG-111 is very inert, newly exposed rubbing surfaces of aluminum and magnesium may react with the grease under certain extreme conditions.”


Trust me, this applies to other Krytox lubricants as well, and the 'extreme conditions' they are talking about are not all that 'extreme' and include simple cases like where you have frequently turning moderately loaded threaded parts (like the head of a twisty flashlight).

Since the above wording is almost a perfect word for word a match for the concerns I raised with Loctite (and that were ulitmatly passed on to Dupont) the fact that this same exact warning has now filtered back down the chain from Christo-Lube, may be another confirmation (along with the MSDS) that Christo-Lube is just generic Krytox (I suspect that the Christo-Lube folks are just passing along generic application note warning information supplied to them by Dupont, who manufactures their basic materials).

So, long story short - 

Christo-Lube = Rebranded Dupont Krytox
Loctite RFE = Rebranded Dupont Krytox

There may be slight variations in grade and viscosity, but for most applications they should be interchangable.



tsmith35 said:


> I haven't tried mixing these (such as MCG-111 on the o-rings and Mobil-1 on the threads), but I really haven't had a need to yet.



I agree, I wouldn't try this. First of all, both Krytox and Mobil-1 work great BOTH as an o-ring lube AND as a thread lubricant, so there is really no need to do this, and Second; Krytox, and Mobil-1 synthetic grease, good as they are, DON'T MIX WELL.

When you try to use two separate greases on O-Rings and Threaded parts, there is inevitably some mixing. This is fine for greases that are basically compatible, like Nyogel 760 and Nyogel 779, but it is not good with incompatible greases like Mobil-1 and Krytox.


----------



## tsmith35

Heh... I just realized there are 12 pages of discussion about what to use when lubing a flashlight. And it's mostly useful. Who knew? :laughing:


----------



## Sarratt

I've spent hours reading this thread. And others ...and I am no closer to a product.

Thank goodness you guys don't advise on dinner ---- I'd be 300lbs!!!


----------



## Buck91

Sarratt said:


> I've spent hours reading this thread. And others ...and I am no closer to a product.
> 
> Thank goodness you guys don't advise on dinner ---- I'd be 300lbs!!!


 
For what application? So far I've been happy withg Syl-Glide, much happier with Tri Flow synthetic grease (though I've only used it a short time) and happy with Finish Line Extreme Fluoro (Krytox), but again only used it for a short time so far.


----------



## Luminescent

I can understand you consternation. There are so many conflicting comments here.

In this era of cost cutting in manufacturing, many lights go out the door with roughly finished, totally un-lubricated threads.

From the factory, these lights feel so god awful gritty, you could lube them with just about anything, including peanut butter, and get at least some improvement, but that doesn’t mean we need to have a protracted discussion of the virtues of Jiff vs. Skippy, and why you should never use chunky peanut butter.

So, some of the confusion results from the fact that folks are giving advice based on very limited experience that should be taken with a grain of salt.

Mamy Sorghum’s patented razorback hog grease, might be just the thing for your lights, but if it’s only available in hogly-wogly stores in 3 states, and doesn’t really work very well across the board in other lights, then we probably shouldn’t be wasting our time talking about it.

The perfect grease, would be inexpensive, universally available, and would work for every type of light, no matter how tough the lubrication requirements.

Krytox works well on Stainless Steel, Titanium, and Hard Plastic lights, but is NOT inexpensive, and doesn’t work particularly well on bare aluminum.

Mobil-1 works absolutely great on bare aluminum, and also works nicely on most other metals and alloys, but is a little smelly, and you have to buy it in a 1 pound tin or grease gun cartridge, which will set you back about 12 to 15 dollars. That’s actually quite reasonable on a cost per ounce bases, but that’s not much consolation if you don’t really have a use for that much grease.

If your applications are not all that critical, and you don’t want to shell out for Mobil-1 and/or Krytox, you can just look for a low cost generic lithium grease from your local home center.

At your local home center store, many of the tubs, tubes, and cartridges of grease may actually allow you to pop the cap and look at the material before purchase. Try to find a nice simple light golden lithium grease, as opposed to white lithium grease (which has zinc oxide filler), or black or blue lithium grease (which may have molybdenum or other nasties).

A half-pound or more of this generic lithium grease should only set you back a couple bucks, and will be just fine for nearly all flashlight lubrication requirements.

I still recommend the Red Mobil-1 Synthetic grease if you have an aluminum twisty light with bare metal threads. As I mentioned above, Mobil-1 is a little more expensive than generic lithium grease, and a bit more smelly, but the cost is soon forgotten, and you don’t notice the slightly acrid smell in actual use. Aluminum tends to gall and Mobil-1 is the only grease that I have found that will give absolutely buttery smooth operation in bare aluminum on bare aluminum threaded parts.

Similarly, if you are well heeled enough to own a titanium light, then you are probably well heeled enough to invest in some Krytox to lube it. So far as I have been able to find out, you don't have a lot of choices, because titanium is absolutely the toughest metal in the world to lubricate. Even Krytox isn’t perfectly smooth. There is still a very slight gritty feeling, and a little metal fretting that makes the grease gradually turn black. I wish there was a better option, so if anyone knows something that works better than Krytox for titanium I would like to hear about it.


----------



## pulstar

Luminescent said:


> Abbey specifically mentions airgun applications, so you should be ok, since airguns generally have numerous rubber seals, seats, and/or orings.
> 
> They also say that this oil is 'non dieseling' and won't evaporate, so it's obviously not a highly volatile hydrocarbon based oil, which is generally also good news so far as your orings go.
> 
> I haven't found that most light gun oils have enough viscosity to keep things smooth on a twisty light for more than a few days, and often the orings show 'sticktion' when the light is not used for a week or two (the orings stick and bind, even though they are not damaged).
> 
> In any case, I doubt that this stuff will eat up your orings, and perhaps you have found a winner, so let us know how things work out.



Hi again,

everything works smoothly and nicely! This oil really turned out to be GREAT! I haven't noticed any sticktion till now. There is definitely a lot less friction on both of my twisty lights, LX2 and NEX so I highly recommed this oil, it may not be as good as the favourites here (nyogel, nano-oil) but it blows away my silicon grease i used before!:twothumbs


----------



## Buck91

Just an update... It appears Triflow synthetic grease is "H1" rated by the NSF as safe for use as a lubricant in applications with incidental food contact.


----------



## Flucero28

Hey guys, I hope I dont get totally flamed here for asking this, just please keep in mind im a noob! :wave: Ive been searching around and havent seen much discussion on synthetic ATF used for lubricant. What kinds of problems would arise from its use? I assume maybe slight swelling of o-rings, most likely depending on the material the o-rings are made of? Just curious, as I have a whole bunch in the garage with no real use for it (old roomate left a ton of it). Thanks in advance.


----------



## was.lost.but.now.found

Flucero28 said:


> Hey guys, I hope I dont get totally flamed here for asking this, just please keep in mind im a noob! :wave: Ive been searching around and havent seen much discussion on synthetic ATF used for lubricant. What kinds of problems would arise from its use? I assume maybe slight swelling of o-rings, most likely depending on the material the o-rings are made of? Just curious, as I have a whole bunch in the garage with no real use for it (old roomate left a ton of it). Thanks in advance.


 
If I'm not mistaken ATF (automatic transmission fluid) is very much like an oil and no so much like a grease. A substance like a grease is going to stay in place much better and not 'run'.


----------



## Buck91

Might want to be careful of the o-ring material, but I would think it would work OK for threads. Works good on a bike chain in a pinch (just be sure to wipe off as much excess of possible)...


----------



## tsmith35

Has anyone heard of *Loctite ViperLube*? It's listed as:
High Performance Synthetic Grease PN 36781
NLGI Grade 2
GC-LB (severe duty) and NSF H1

I got a sample tube of this from my sales rep and immediately headed for my flashlights. Is that sick or what? But I cleaned the lube from my EZ CR2 and put the ViperLube on and... smooth as silk. It feels just like the Mobil One synthetic grease (NLGI 2), but there's almost no smell and this stuff is a light tan color. They also have a clear version (PN 39341) but I haven't tried it yet.

The Loctite page for ViperLube is here.

The product description says, "LOCTITE® ViperLube™ High Performance Synthetic Grease is an advanced multi-purpose NLGI Grade 2 grease that is composed of synthetic PAO (polyalphaolefin) base stocks and calcium sulphonate additive. The grease is designed for use as a long-life lubricant to provide superior protection in industrial applications."

The clear version uses a fumed silica thickener and isn't quite as robust as the standard version. Anyone else run across this lube?


----------



## niran

I just started using Sil-Glyde brake lubricant for my flashlights. cost $1.19


----------



## Buck91

niran said:


> I just started using Sil-Glyde brake lubricant for my flashlights. cost $1.19


 

I've had great results with that. Although, on my L1D Q4 it did seem to always get on the head contacts and cause flickering.


----------



## tsl

What would one use for a Nitrolon twisty (G2Z)? I have both Finish Line Extreme Fluoro and Nyogel 760G.


----------



## Buck91

I've been meaning to try out the Finish Line (aka Krytox) on my G2...


----------



## Col_Cotton_Hill

I'm getting ready to place an order with Lighthound. I want to get either some NyoGel 760G, or 779ZC. I only want to get one. Wich one would be best for a do all type. Thank's.


----------



## tsmith35

Col_Cotton_Hill said:


> I'm getting ready to place an order with Lighthound. I want to get either some NyoGel 760G, or 779ZC. I only want to get one. Wich one would be best for a do all type. Thank's.



I think Lighthound answers that question here. Look esp. at "Step 2" and "Step 5". It may make sense to get both, considering shipping. This lube works great for much more than just flashlights.


----------



## GarageBoy

So, again, if you use Krytox, make your you avoid the "anti oxidation" variant?


----------



## Buck91

GarageBoy said:


> So, again, if you use Krytox, make your you avoid the "anti oxidation" variant?


 

Anyone know where the Finishline Extreme Fluoro grease falls in the krytox line?


----------



## wyager

Wow-I now see the need for anti-oxidant lube. Today, I was using my LD20, and I turned the head to turbo. All of a sudden, the light stopped working. I changed the batteries, no good. I figured something must have broken. I tested the tailcap, and it was working just fine. I figured the light must have crapped out on me. In a last ditch attempt to rescue it, I wiped off all the threads with a tissue. The threads looked fine to me, minimal black stuff. Some came off on the tissue, but not a huge amount. I put it back together, and voila, it worked! The minimal oxidation gunk in the light somehow managed to render it unusable. That's the last time I use mineral oil.....


----------



## Buck91

I wouldnt expect mineral oil to have much gall/sheer resistance (at least not plain mineral oil USP or the like) but it should have pretty good oxidation protection.


----------



## GarageBoy

Well, Aluminum and Titanium naturally have an oxide layer, so I don't know..


----------



## wyager

GarageBoy said:


> Well, Aluminum and Titanium naturally have an oxide layer, so I don't know..


I thought aluminum oxide was non-conductive.... don't you have to keep it shiny to keep it conductive?


Buck91 said:


> I wouldnt expect mineral oil to have much gall/sheer resistance (at least not plain mineral oil USP or the like) but it should have pretty good oxidation protection.


I use it on all my knives, I've never had a problem with rust. So I'm not really sure what's going on. Maybe it reacts with aluminum or something? Maybe dissolving the o-ring and spreading around the rubber? The o-ring looks just fine..... :thinking:


----------



## don.gwapo

I used Tri-flow on my Led Lenser P7 head coz you have to exert some effort and even used my other hand to slide it back and forth. I sprayed on the o-rings and now it's so easy to slide it with just my thumb back and forth. It's a good grease I think.


----------



## Surnia

does anyone know if there's an issue with using the aerosol version of Super Lube on a D10? It does say it has petroleum distillates, but wouldn't letting it sit in front of a filtered air source evaporate them, leaving only the lube?


----------



## joepa150

*Tune up grease vs plumbers grease vs divers grease*

I have read the grease/lube sticky. I know there are plenty of good options and everyone has there favorite.

I want to buy a grease for my threads and o-ring for my Nitecore D10 locally. I also do not want to spend more than $7 (I know I am cheap).

Nitecore recommends a silicon grease. Is there a difference between tune up grease, plumbers grease, or divers grease? Aren't they all 100% pure silicon? Should I just buy the cheapest one of them I can find?

Also I could look for Super lube locally if that is soooo much better.


----------



## ragweed

*Re: Tune up grease vs plumbers grease vs divers grease*

I am currently useing Nyogel. Works very good. I used to use the plumbers grease but, found it kind of thick.


----------



## vali

*Re: Tune up grease vs plumbers grease vs divers grease*

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/242414


----------



## RAGE CAGE

*Re: Tune up grease vs plumbers grease vs divers grease*

I have tried plumber silicone- do not like it that well, permatex anti-sieze compound from auto parts store- better and finally settled on tiny blue packet of dielectric connector protector- sold in tiny blue .14 oz. packets at the checkout counter of most auto parts stores- like .99 cents a packet- and it lasts a long time- not nearly as thick as the plumbers silicone-grease in the round container from the hardware store.


----------



## DM51

*Re: Tune up grease vs plumbers grease vs divers grease*



joepa150 said:


> I have read the grease/lube sticky


... and that is where your question belongs, not in a new thread. I'm moving it in there.


----------



## joepa150

Anyone???

The sticky doesn't really answer my question.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

The biggest difference you'll find with pure silicone lubes is how thick they are.

If you have an Ace Hardware near you, they can get you Super-Lube.


----------



## joepa150

Maybe I will just get superlube.

I just got back from Home Depot. There were 2 employees and one manager and they all looked at me like I was speaking spanish. One of them was a plumber and never heard of plumbers grease or silicone grease.


----------



## WDG

Since it's buried in the middle of this thread, I'd like to point out one of the posts that I found particularly interesting, from Luminescent: *#319*. The reason I found it of interest is that I've been using silicon dielectric grease on my lights and, according to this post, there is reason to believe that may be a bad idea. 

I'm planning to try the same Shooter's Choice _Synthetic All-Weather High-Tech Gun Grease_ that has worked so well on my firearms, but haven't yet taken the time to clean and re-lube. Hopefully I'll get to it, this week.


----------



## hunterz

Hi does anyone know were I can buy some lube in the uk
cheers


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

hunterz said:


> Thanks for the link.I found the nyogel but cant find the nano juice anywhere can you tell me what it is cheers


Hello Hunterz,
link below is fixed.
Just click here and read a little bit: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=196805


----------



## wyager

Nano-Oil.com said:


> Hello Hunterz,
> Just click here and read a little bit: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/sho...d.php?t=196805


Broken link.... the "..." in the link appears to be taking a chunk out.


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

wyager said:


> Broken link.... the "..." in the link appears to be taking a chunk out.



Thanks, Wyager, it is fixed: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=196805


----------



## Locoboy5150

Based on what I read in this thread, last week I bought a 50 g tube of Nyogel 779ZC grease from Lighthound. It made the tailcap on my Fenix TK40 and my 4 D cell Maglite super smooth again. It doesn't require a lot of grease on either the O rings or the threads. I just used three drops on each O ring and three drops on the threads and then spread them around evenly with a toothpick. For my smaller AA lights like my Fenix LD20 and my Mini-Maglite, I only used two drops of the 779ZC on each O ring and two drops on the threads and then spread them around evenly with the toothpick.

Nyogel sure isn't the cheapest lubricant on the market, but it sure works great. If it weren't for this sticky thread I would have no idea what to use on my flashlights to keep them in tip-top shape. :thanks:


----------



## schuster

Just some random thoughts here after discovering this thread (and several related ones) for the first time.

Like many here I have a large collection of lights sitting in the drawer, and 2 or 3 that are used all the time. Over the years I've collected various types of greases and oils in my travels that sit in a little plastic tub in my workroom. For example these range from ancient Radio Shack "Super Lube" and "Lube Gel", sewing machine lubricant, several fishing reel and bicycle chain greases, small tubes of lithium and garage door opener grease from Sears, and the recent acquisitions I'll mention a little below.

Of late my preference in flashlights has leaned towards twisties, starting with the old DX clone of the Jetbeam C-LE, and now to the Preon and Quark mini's. I always wondered why I always found that black stuff in the threads despite using what I (then) considered to be a good lubricant. While bare aluminum threads do represent a worst-case scenario for wear, I am aware that even HA3 anodization isn't perfect, and if threads are twisted all the time I'm going to want a lubricant that prevents the removal of metal as much as possible.

The comments in this thread (and others) about the abrasiveness of suspended PTFE and silica particles on bare aluminum were eye openers. Never had I imagined that the components of grease could contribute to metal wearout. I was about to order and try Nyogel and Krytox until those comments stopped me dead in my tracks. While I certainly respect the opinions and experience of the contributors here, it was also pointed out that there's a lot of empiricism in the recommendations about what to use, so just for fun I made a simple test bed of my own.

I took a roll of aluminum foil and a roll of white toilet paper. For each test I tore off a small square of foil and laid it on the table with the plain (unpolished) surface facing up. I then took a wadded up square of toilet paper and applied just enough of each of my lubricants to coat one surface of the wad. I then vigorously rubbed the aluminum foil with the lube-moistened toiler paper wad for 10 seconds or so, and then looked at the residue on the toilet paper. I was horrified!

Almost without exception, every test showed the toilet paper wad to be blackened to some degree; the "lubricant" was facilitating the removal of metal from my aluminum foil sheet. The so-called "lithium grease" and garage door opener grease (which looks the same) from Sears was the worst. It was almost as though I was using metal polish! The ancient Radio Shack (Syntex) lube gel was better - but not perfect. Most of the other nondescript translucent clear greases were in between. Only one lubricant in the entire tub passed my test: Penn synthetic fishing reel grease (blue). Time to completely rethink this! I decided to delve deeper into the comments in this thread and make a few more store visits.

In the corner hardware store I found a small tin of an amber plumber's grease called Harvey's Faucet and Valve Grease (mineral oil suspended in lithium stearate soap). In Pep Boys I found the large canister of Mobil 1 Synthetic Grease mentioned here. I went home and tried my same empiric aluminum foil test. Results? CLEAN. Not even the slightest hint of aluminum wearing off after vigorous rubbing.

I may still try out the more advanced products described here, but for now I'm sticking with stuff that passes my test, as long as the carrier oil doesn't attack the rubber of the O-Ring. With the added protection afforded by its corrosion inhibitors, the Mobil 1 fits the bill ... and also is viscous enough to allay any fears of a twisty cap coming off in my pocket. Am I completely off base here?

Perhaps others can try this empiric test with Nyogel, Krytox, or some of the other more advanced lubricants to see if they fare better. Thanks!


----------



## Buck91

Just tried Finish Line Extreme Fluoro (which is a Krytox re-brand) on some bare aluminum Fenix threads. After only a few turns it started to get nasty... Works great on ano threads, but I'll stick with Triflow synthetic grease for my bare aluminum!


----------



## kaichu dento

Very interesting post and I'm going to take your list to town and give one of your recommendations a try.


----------



## DM51

schuster, that is a fascinating post, and your findings will be of great interest to all. The beauty of the test you did is that it can easily be replicated by everyone, so we'll all be able to see for ourselves what effect our favorite lube has on aluminium.

Perhaps someone will follow this lead and think up an equally simple experiment we can do to establish the effect of various lubes on different O-ring materials.


----------



## schuster

DM51 said:


> schuster, that is a fascinating post, and your findings will be of great interest to all. The beauty of the test you did is that it can easily be replicated by everyone, so we'll all be able to see for ourselves what effect our favorite lube has on aluminium.
> 
> Perhaps someone will follow this lead and think up an equally simple experiment we can do to establish the effect of various lubes on different O-ring materials.



Thanks for the kind comments. It would be most gratifying if some of the folks here could test the more popular lubricants discussed here in this way. By the way, I later discovered that the Penn Precision Reel Grease which passed my first round of tests was originally developed for Penn by a company called X-1R, whose lubricants were formulated for NASA to meet the needs of spacecraft ground transport vehicles. (See http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20080003934_2008001503.pdf) They use some kind of proprietary thin-film technology. Among the products under their own brand, X-1R also has a consumer-grade automotive grease called "Plum Crazy". The MSDS on their web site says the formula is proprietary but it seems to be based on a synthetic oil blend and calcium-based soap complexes.

Regarding O-rings - somewhere in my sifting through the threads here, I came upon a link to some industrial chart that graded the suitability of various oils for use on every type of rubber known to man. Meant to bookmark it but I forgot to; wish I could find it again. The problem for each individual case is, of course, that you are never completely sure what the O-ring on your flashlight is made of, unless you have replaced it yourself from a labelled source.


----------



## WDG

I did the foil test on the Shooter's Choice_ Synthetic All-Weather High-Tech Gun Grease_ and got some black rubbed off on the tissue. It does feel much smoother on the light than the dielectric grease, though. I may have to try the Mobil 1. I wonder how it'd work on firearms... :thinking:


----------



## rookiedaddy

Using schuster suggested test method, following is my results:









PHP:


Grease                         Base Colour   Viscocity   Result
==================================================================
MeGuiars Metal Polysh          Cyan          Low         Black(1)
Danco Silicone Grease          Clear         Med         Black
ACE H/W Silicone Grease        Clear         High        Light-Gray
McNett Silicone Grease         Clear         Low         Light-Gray
Vaseline                       Clear         Low         Clear
Gear Grease with PTFE          Light-Brown   Low         Light-Gray
Krytox GPL203                  White         Low         Clear
Krytox GPL226                  White         Med         Clear
Nyogel 760g                    Clear         Low         Clear
LMX Marine Grease              Green         Low         Black
FinishLine Wet Lubricant       Green         Low         Clear
No Grease                      N/a           N/A         Light-Gray


Note:
(1)this is not a lubricant


----------



## Databyter

If you guys are really into lubes you might like this article.

http://www.sandsmachine.com/grease_t.htm

I do personally use anti gall type of synthetic bike grease on my twisties and it works great, but it isn't this one.

I was thinking of getting a titanium light though and researched what type of lube could decrease the oxidisation galling that Tit to Tit is known for.

This stuff is miraculously effective, but has been discontinued. You can still buy stock of it till it runs out though.

It is used for titanium head assemblies on custom bikes, but was originally designed to be a teflon bearing lubricant.

It found it's niche when it was discovered how effective it was in Tit and SS fastener applications, and then Bike makers started to use it to lube custom alloy head assemblies etc..

Maybe Tit light manufacturers should use some of this or similar (if any exist) to assemble their Tit and SS lights before shipping. It would make a noticable improvement, especially over the break-in period.

On a side note I noticed many folks with Tit lights saying how they constantly clean and re-lube it. Personally I'm thinking that a Tit light especially might be a good choise for a thicker grease and then to NOT clean it until it is absolutely necesary. It is the metal itself that galls in these lights, and all your doing is making the gall more likely by exposing the metal, and removing the micro-particulate film that forms. A film of grease, even slimy grease with some micro particulate in it can only improve the action, and it's not going to wear down the threads in any way that wouldn't help the light function better after a wear in period. I realize that most of you disagree, but as someone who has worked in a machine shop and repaired a few worm gears that were too expensive to replace, I can tell you that it is an effective break in to leave it alone for a while with good grease and a little wear if it's gall prone.. Titanium is tough, only the trouble surfaces will wear, and not very much.

EDIT by the way I'm not suggesting you buy grease with micro-particulates in it as a design, I'm referring to the oxides that wear from the metal itself on a micro level. Call it oxide slime. 
Also I think that aluminum should be cleaned and re-lubed as common sense dictates, it's a different ballgame (I didn't clean my daily use P1D CE for about 4 years - oops, viva la difference, but I probably wore some threads down, no biggy though it's fine and the action is sweet).


----------



## american

hi im new here, i never realized it might be good to lube my threads on my metal lights. i have many maglites and a few other metal lights both led and incandescent. can i just use any grease such as car grease or firearms grease? i have some all weather high tech red gun grease good till -65 and 350 degrees for guns (expensive stuff). can i use this or will it hurt anything? thanks


----------



## Databyter

american said:


> hi im new here, i never realized it might be good to lube my threads on my metal lights. i have many maglites and a few other metal lights both led and incandescent. can i just use any grease such as car grease or firearms grease? i have some all weather high tech red gun grease good till -65 and 350 degrees for guns (expensive stuff). can i use this or will it hurt anything? thanks


One concern with the types you mentioned is that they are mostly petroleum based and many have posted here that the o-rings used in these lights will break down when this type of grease is applied to them. You want some sort of synthetic therefore that does not react adversely to the rubber.
I use synthetic bike grease myself. I'm not 100% sure it's best, but for my own purposes it seems to work well, and better yet, it was already on my shelf.

EDITED: Took out the word rubber next to o-ring since it was inacurate.


----------



## schuster

rookiedaddy said:


> Using schuster suggested test method, following is my results:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> PHP:
> 
> 
> Grease                         Base Colour   Viscocity   Result
> ==================================================================
> MeGuiars Metal Polysh          Cyan          Low         Black(1)
> Danco Silicone Grease          Clear         Med         Black
> ACE H/W Silicone Grease        Clear         High        Light-Gray
> McNett Silicone Grease         Clear         Low         Light-Gray
> Vaseline                       Clear         Low         Clear
> Gear Grease with PTFE          Light-Brown   Low         Light-Gray
> Krytox GPL203                  White         Low         Clear
> Krytox GPL226                  White         Med         Clear
> Nyogel 760g                    Clear         Low         Clear
> LMX Marine Grease              Green         Low         Black
> FinishLine Wet Lubricant       Green         Low         Clear
> No Grease                      N/a           N/A         Light-Gray
> 
> 
> Note:
> (1)this is not a lubricant



Wow! Many thanks for following through on this so thoroughly. I'm glad to see that Krytox and Nyogel did not cause obvious abrasion of the aluminum. As has been pointed out, the particle size and shape are important with PTFE and silica additives in "teflon" and "silicone" grease. For instance, the cheaper Danco silicone grease (which, by the way, is a rebranded Dow-Corning 111) seems to have cause some abrasion. Some of the other silicone greases seem to have fared better. By coincidence I picked up the other Danco product (waterproof faucet grease) this week - which is a slightly different silicone grease (though not labelled as such) which is OEM'ed by Polysi (PST-599) and it passed my aluminum foil test!

Far and above, the worst in my own test was the Panef white lithium grease sold by Sears.


----------



## schuster

Databyter said:


> One concern with the types you mentioned is that they are mostly petroleum based and many have posted here that the rubber o-rings used in these lights will break down when this type of grease is applied to them. You want some sort of synthetic therefore that does not react adversely to the rubber.
> I use synthetic bike grease myself. I'm not 100% sure it's best, but for my own purposes it seems to work well, and better yet, it was already on my shelf.



My understanding is that the O-rings used in most flashlights are not made of rubber, but synthetics like nitrile or more rarely polyurethane - which should not be attacked by silicone oils, and should be at least "ok" with mineral oil [admittedly a very diverse category of different chemical compositions] and synthetic oils - as long as they are not halogenated or aromatic in structure. EPDM is definitely attacked by mineral oil/petroleum lubricants. (http://www.allorings.com/compatibility.htm http://www.toparts.com/Html/ElastomerORingA.htm).

I see a past "group buy" here of EPDM O-rings, but no evidence that flashlight manufacturers are commonly using this material. Parker developed a system for color-coding consumer O-rings by composition, but there is no guarantee that a manufacturer is following this scheme. The most common color, black, can unfortunately be made of just about anything.


----------



## american

what would be better vaseline? or crc heavy duty silicone spray? it says its good for metal, rubber nylon, and wood but not plastics.


----------



## DM51

american said:


> what would be better vaseline? or crc heavy duty silicone spray? it says its good for metal, rubber nylon, and wood but not plastics.


If you read posts #1 - #400, you will find out.


----------



## smflorkey

DM51 said:


> If you read posts #1 - #400, you will find out.


Thank you. I've been resisting saying that since it seems to draw a lot of fire from some who think it unkind. OTOH, coming from a moderator who is known for knowledge and helpfulness, it seems less likely to start flames. 

american, there is a wealth of information in this thread that is hard to distill into a cut-and-dried recommendation without knowing the exact chemistry of the o-rings and lights in question. I have enjoyed reading this thread from the beginning. Only you know exactly what you have. Your lights probably appear somewhere in the preceding messages. Searching for those specific lights might miss better information that applies more generally (like schuster's test for bare aluminum).

schuster and rookiedaddy have posted some *very* practical information. :twothumbs I wish there was an equally simple way to test o-ring material, but I suspect these degrade more slowly. So perhaps the ideal solution is to find the best grease for your torch threads then buy o-rings that are compatible with that lube. Or is there an o-ring material that is impervious to all lubricants? (Did I miss reading this somewhere?) :thinking:

Thanks to all for a great discussion!


----------



## ejot

smflorkey said:


> Or is there an o-ring material that is impervious to all lubricants? (Did I miss reading this somewhere?) :thinking:


Well, there are fluoroelastomer orings that are impervious to virtually anything. They're a little bit harder to compress, and you don't want to know what they cost. :devil: 
The dupont version is called kalrez but there are cheaper ones. 


Probably overkill. 



Then again, flashaholics are often not averse to overkill. :twothumbs


----------



## american

sorry for that question i didnt want to look through 415 posts lol if you could tell me a post number that would be great :thumbsup:


----------



## DM51

Post #1 is informative. The OP updated it in response to many of the subsequent posts. You can see when he last updated it at the foot of the post, where it says "last edited by..."


----------



## american

ah yes post 1 is pretty helpful. my manual for my new mag 2d led says to use vaseline. i cant seem to find silicone grease at least at automotive places. so i have silicone spray do you think this stuff is any good?


----------



## DM51

If it is a spray, it is likely to be thinner, more like oil than grease, and you may find it gets into parts of the light where you don't want it, such as on the batteries, unless you are careful. I suggest spray it onto a clean cloth, then wipe the cloth where you want the lube (threads). You don't need much, and in fact too much is as bad as too little. 

Silicone grease can be found at Dive shops, online etc. Krytox is even better IMO as it is oxygen safe. Small tubes are expensive, but used properly a tube lasts a looooong time. 

Vaseline may be OK for Maglites, but it can eat some O-rings, nd very few people know what their O-rings are actually made of.


----------



## american

thanks for the info i was thinking it was very thin and could be bad to use but i tried it on a mini mag and it didnt seem to hurt the o ring.


----------



## Kestrel

ejot said:


> Well, there are fluoroelastomer orings that are impervious to virtually anything. They're a little bit harder to compress, and you don't want to know what they cost. :devil:
> The dupont version is called kalrez but there are cheaper ones.
> Probably overkill.
> Then again, flashaholics are often not averse to overkill. :twothumbs


LOL, I'm running Kalrez o-rings on all my SureFires, and most of them are double-O-ringed. I have a whole bag of 'em.

If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing, I guess. :tinfoil:


----------



## WDG

american said:


> i cant seem to find silicone grease at least at automotive places.



Dielectric grease is silicone. I gather from some of the other posts here that some plumbers greases are silicone, too. Dielectric grease is what I had been using, but just recently switched, based in part upon some of the discussion here about silicone being a bit abrasive on aluminum.


----------



## Chauncey Gardner

I have tried Red Line synthetic grease (nearly identical to the Mobil-1) and can say it works very well on all threads. Both of these greases are designed to be compatible with rubber & synthetic gaskets / orings. I have used the Mobil-1 to repack bearings in bikes with rubber & /or synthetic seals and there were never any issues.

The Red Line also smells, but not as much as the Mobil-1.

I am going to switch back to the syn grease on the ti lights & see if it is an improvement over the Nyogel 760. Not totally happy with the performance.



Luminescent said:


> In well over a year of use, on several different lights, I have had ZERO problems with o-rings swelling, softening, or gumming up with Mobil-1 Grease.
> 
> You are correct that in a car, lots of the hard gaskets are now metal based, but this is more relavant to motor oil than to greases which are often used in sealed bearings that have o-ring or rubber bushing based end seals, (so I think that Mobil-1 was designed to be friendly to these materials).
> 
> Mobil-1 also rates quite highly on preventing o-ring sticktion (the tendency of o-rings to become frozen and stick in place if not turned for a time).
> 
> In my testing, only Krytox rated as highly in preventing sticktion as did Mobil-1. With both Krytox and Mobil-1, you can leave a light idle for weeks or even months, and when you pick it up, it turns freely. :twothumbs
> 
> Worst for sticktion effects in my testing were with silicone greases. I had a dive-light freeze so tight after being lubed with silicone grease and left idle for one season, that the plastic bezel litterally shattered before I could break it loose and get it turning again. :mecry:
> 
> - Luminescent


----------



## dex138

Hi all. I know what you're thinking...... Oh God! another Noob! .......well, you're right! I am new to all this 'flashaholism" and having a great time!! (I think...) Just bought a Fenix LD20 and an LD10R4, AND an LD01 for the wife.

Now, I've been reading all about flashlight maintenance and lubes (and WOW is there a lot of threads on this!) and finding a lot of different opinions and different recipes and different recommendations on how to maintain different types and brands of lights........ :thinking:..... and and I think I've hurt my brain. 

So, what I thought I'd do was email the folks at fenixtactical.ca, where I bought the lights, and ask them what I should be doing, and here is their reply:

"Do not put anything on the rings for the first six months. Then, if you put it in the water a lot, use regular technical vaseline to put a little - just a little - on the rings alone."

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, and I'd like to think I have at least learned something through my efforts, but isn't Vaseline a petroleum jelly, and isn't that bad for rubber o-rings?

On another note, I was very intrigued by the suggestion of the Precision Oiler from Radio Shack. (mentioned a few times in this thread and others) Not knowing what it was I googled it and found a nifty little oiling tube! Finding that these would probably be very useful in many applications I went to my local "Source" store (Radio shack in Canada) and bought their last 2. Now, finally to my question... when googling this item I get a picture of a tube with a clear brown-tinted oil in it. The tubes that I brought home have a cloudy white tinted oil in it??? and yet the packaging is identical. Did I miss something?

Thoughts? Ideas? a smack up-side my head?? :thinking:


----------



## american

dex, my 2d led mag also said use vaseline in the owner manual. i just ordered some nyogel 779zc i wish it wasnt 11 bucks a tube, but it should last,(unlike how i go through 2 cans of wd40 a month lol) i have 6 lights at the moment with 2 extra broken mini mags (metal contacts broke off, thanks nite ize led kit)


----------



## american

do you guys like tri flow grease? 10 bucks for 3 ounces. i just went with nyogel since there isnt much to lube on a light wo i dont need another tube every month like other things


----------



## Buck91

american said:


> do you guys like tri flow grease? 10 bucks for 3 ounces. i just went with nyogel since there isnt much to lube on a light wo i dont need another tube every month like other things


 

*Very* tacky, but I've found nothing that workes better on the bare aluminum threads. Isn't working the greatest on my maglite, too much o-ring stiction. It is magic on my bare L1T head threads, though.

Its NSF rated for incidental food contact, too :thinking:


----------



## schuster

dex138 said:


> Hi all. I know what you're thinking...... Oh God! another Nube! .......well, you're right! I am new to all this 'flashaholism" and having a great time!! (I think...) Just bought a Fenix LD20 and an LD10R4, AND an LD01 for the wife.
> 
> Now, I've been reading all about flashlight maintenance and lubes (and WOW is there a lot of threads on this!) and finding a lot of different opinions and different recipes and different recommendations on how to maintain different types and brands of lights........ :thinking:..... and and I think I've hurt my brain.
> 
> So, what I thought I'd do was email the folks at fenixtactical.ca, where I bought the lights, and ask them what I should be doing, and here is their reply:
> 
> "Do not put anything on the rings for the first six months. Then, if you put it in the water a lot, use regular technical vaseline to put a little - just a little - on the rings alone."
> 
> Now, correct me if I'm wrong, and I'd like to think I have at least learned something through my efforts, but isn't Vaseline a petroleum jelly, and isn't that bad for rubber o-rings?
> 
> On another note, I was very intrigued by the suggestion of the Precision Oiler from Radio Shack. (mentioned a few times in this thread and others) Not knowing what it was I googled it and found a nifty little oiling tube! Finding that these would probably be very useful in many applications I went to my local "Source" store (Radio shack in Canada) and bought their last 2. Now, finally to my question... when googling this item I get a picture of a tube with a clear brown-tinted oil in it. The tubes that I brought home have a cloudy white tinted oil in it??? and yet the packaging is identical. Did I miss something?
> 
> Thoughts? Ideas? a smack up-side my head?? :thinking:



I have an old Radio Shack oiler with clear liquid and white sludge too. I'm pretty sure this is a rebrand of SuperLube Synthetic Oil with suspended PTFE particles (http://www.super-lube.com/synthetic-oil-with-ptfe-high-viscosity-ez-56.htm). The manufacturer specs specs say it's safe on rubber.

Maybe it's time to set up another empiric test. I'm thinking of buying a bag of rubber bands at the dollar store to test whether lubricants attack rubber. I suppose coating a rubber band with lube and testing it for swelling, softness, or breakdown after a week or so would be a good test ... no?


----------



## dex138

schuster said:


> I have an old Radio Shack oiler with clear liquid and white sludge too. I'm pretty sure this is a rebrand of SuperLube Synthetic Oil with suspended PTFE particles (http://www.super-lube.com/synthetic-oil-with-ptfe-high-viscosity-ez-56.htm). The manufacturer specs specs say it's safe on rubber.



The more searching of this product I do the more uncertain I become of what it actually is. This link http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000DZFYYE/ref=asc_df_B000DZFYYE1070950?smid=AN9W9ADK4IYIQ&tag=dealtmp286592-20&linkCode=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B000DZFYYE shows a supplier selling 2 different oilers, in identical containers to teh Radio Shack oiler, one clear the other amber, and describing them as different weights of oils with no mention of Teflon or Fluon.

:shrug:


----------



## tsmith35

The best flashlight lube I have found so far is Loctite ViperLube. The tube I've been using is PN 36781. 3 ounces. It'll last me many years. It performs exactly the same as Mobil-1 synthetic, but without the smell. Amazon has it for about $10 with shipping: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WI851G/?tag=cpf0b6-20

It's good stuff. Has a tan/white appearance. Works better (smoother) than the Krytox and Christo-lube that I've tried, as well as the silicone greases I started out with. It has almost no smell, unlike Nyogel and others.


----------



## schuster

tsmith35 said:


> The best flashlight lube I have found so far is Loctite ViperLube. The tube I've been using is PN 36781. 3 ounces. It'll last me many years. It performs exactly the same as Mobil-1 synthetic, but without the smell. Amazon has it for about $10 with shipping: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WI851G/?tag=cpf0b6-20
> 
> It's good stuff. Has a tan/white appearance. Works better (smoother) than the Krytox and Christo-lube that I've tried, as well as the silicone greases I started out with. It has almost no smell, unlike Nyogel and others.



Sounds like a good find. I'm trying to convince myself that the smell of Mobil 1 fades with time. Maybe I just don't notice it as readily anymore. In any case, it's easily available for a few dollars at Autozone or Pep Boys - in a large cartridge that will probably be enough to lube the threads on 50 flashlights monthly for the rest of one's average lifetime.


----------



## fannin

*which NyoGel?*

which lube should i buy for my lights guys, NyoGel 760G or NyoGel 779ZC?

thanks


----------



## dano

*Re: which NyoGel?*

Read the sticky about lubes at the top of this forum....


----------



## fannin

*Re: which NyoGel?*

i have looked at it a few times, it says one is good for o-rings and the other good for threads, just wondering if anyone with experience of either or both had any advice


----------



## Paul_in_Maryland

*Re: which NyoGel?*

I'm thoroughly confused by NyoGel's own advice, as reprinted at Lighthound. Basically, it says, "This type is good for conductive contacts, that type for the other." Thanks, but don't make ME decide which contacts are conductive. I want to know: "Use this one where the head screws onto the body. Use the other where the tailcap screws onto the body. Use __ where two body segments meet." Is that so hard?


----------



## abarth_1200

*Re: which NyoGel?*

I use 760G on the threads and o-rings, I think this is the thicker of the 2 and it does a pretty good job of staying where I put it and at the same time giving the o-rings a nice slippery feel.


----------



## Big_Ed

*Re: which NyoGel?*



abarth_1200 said:


> I use 760G on the threads and o-rings, I think this is the thicker of the 2 and it does a pretty good job of staying where I put it and at the same time giving the o-rings a nice slippery feel.



Same here.


----------



## nasa779

*quick grease question*

i bought some liquid wrench silicone spray thinking that would work but noticed something in the comprehensive lube and grease thread about petroleum distillates being not good for flashlights. is it still okay to use?


----------



## Unicorn

*Re: quick grease question*

I'd be worried about whatever is in there that keeps it liquid, and the propellant. It might not react well with some seals.


----------



## maskman

*Re: quick grease question*

The product MSDS states it contains petroleum distallates and solvents. I personally wouldn't use it on my lights. The o-rings won't take well to the two chemicals just mentioned.


----------



## Ragiska

*Re: quick grease question*

most orings are nitrile or silicon, so petroleum distillates would have no effect.


----------



## nasa779

*Re: quick grease question*



Ragiska said:


> most orings are nitrile or silicon, so petroleum distillates would have no effect.





maskman said:


> The product MSDS states it contains petroleum distallates and solvents. I personally wouldn't use it on my lights. The o-rings won't take well to the two chemicals just mentioned.




mixed opinions?


----------



## N162E

*Re: quick grease question*



Ragiska said:


> most orings are nitrile or silicon, so petroleum distillates would have no effect.


The key word here is most. Do yourself a favor, do not ever mix petroleum lubes and O-Rings together. A product called "Super Lube' http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XBH9HI/?tag=cpf0b6-20 is ideal and at about 5 dollars for a large tube is an excellent deal. Most hardware stores and hobby shops have it. Pretty easy to find.


----------



## rookiedaddy

*Re: which NyoGel?*

guys, 779ZC is the thicker grease between the 2. this link should help.

they are non-conductive grease and you can use either one on your flashlights. It's a personal preference. I used to use both and tend to go with 760G more. But now I mainly use Krytox.

i guess this will be merge with main sticky thread.


----------



## Justin13

*Re: which NyoGel?*



Paul_in_Maryland said:


> I'm thoroughly confused by NyoGel's own advice, as reprinted at Lighthound. Basically, it says, "This type is good for conductive contacts, that type for the other." Thanks, but don't make ME decide which contacts are conductive. I want to know: "Use this one where the head screws onto the body. Use the other where the tailcap screws onto the body. Use __ where two body segments meet." Is that so hard?


 

Ill agree with you here. I have 760g, and I dont know if I should be applying a dab where the battery meets the alleged conductive components.

I am hoping this means, "This grease will insulate the battery contacts if some water gets into the light".


_This reminds me of the car wax threads on the detailing forums...._


----------



## keeftea

Justin13 said:


> Ill agree with you here. I have 760g, and I dont know if I should be applying a dab where the battery meets the alleged conductive components.
> 
> I am hoping this means, "This grease will insulate the battery contacts if some water gets into the light".
> 
> 
> _This reminds me of the car wax threads on the detailing forums...._



Justin13, fwiw I just picked up some pure silicone grease from that scuba shop around 22nd and 6th ave, west side of the street. Reason I'm mentioning it is b/c you are ny,ny and it is my usual route if I need some batts, ie 17th photo and adorama and you can pick it up locally. Was 4 for 1/4 oz. Probably double but it is ny and I can use it tonight. Just thought I would throw it out there.


----------



## Justin13

keeftea said:


> Justin13, fwiw I just picked up some pure silicone grease from that scuba shop around 22nd and 6th ave, west side of the street. Reason I'm mentioning it is b/c you are ny,ny and it is my usual route if I need some batts, ie 17th photo and adorama and you can pick it up locally. Was 4 for 1/4 oz. Probably double but it is ny and I can use it tonight. Just thought I would throw it out there.



Thanks. I live only a 30min walk from there. 

Is that Paragon?


----------



## Bullzeyebill

Nye does not recommend 760G, a non electrical conductive dielectric grease. It does recommend the following: http://www.nyelubricants.com/conducting.php

Bill


----------



## keeftea

Justin13 said:


> Thanks. I live only a 30min walk from there.
> 
> Is that Paragon?



No, Paragon is on 18th/broadway. On a side note, they a few Dan's Whetstones 8' and 10' fine/coarse benchstones, that i have no need for. But, if anyone has an old Norton White Lilly, please pm me asap!

This place is called Innovative ski/scuba on sixth ave between 21 and 22nd streets on the west side of the street, you cant miss it:thumbsup:


----------



## Midnight Oil

What are some common solvents that can be used to safely remove the grease/lube on the threads and O-rings? 

Is there any harm in using some dish detergent and an old toothbrush?

I'm wondering if the grease/lube, aside from reducing metal-on-metal friction, also acts as a second barrier to moisture penetration. If that is the intent, would a thicker grease/lube, which can be squeezed into any voids between the tail cap and the body, work better than a thin oil?

Thanks.


----------



## american

think of it like changing the oil in your car if the metal shaving build up its like sand paper to metal contact. rubbing alcohol works great


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

I would recommend those steps:
1- remove your O-Ring

2- clean your threads with a no lint cloth using Isopropyl alcohol and putting the cloth over the thread and pinching while you unscrew (use your nail over the cloth to match the groove, that's what I do ), go back and forth a few times.

3- apply lubricant of your choice & condition your threads by pushing hard as you screw in and pulling hard as you unscrew, this will force the uneven microscopic grooves from machining process to smooth out.

4- wipe off your threads again to remove particle produced by step #3

5-reapply your lubricant of choice but only a very thin film on the O-Ring seat (extra will only attract/collect grime dust etc)

6- apply a small film of lubricant to your O-Ring before re installing & again (extra will only attract/collect grime dust etc) , my experience: even if the lubricant is not fully compatible with your O-Ring, the latter will not suffer since there is no volume to make it expand) 

8- Enjoy your light

Check post #59 on this thread for a good article on thread maintenance 

Happy Easter to all.




Midnight Oil said:


> What are some common solvents that can be used to safely remove the grease/lube on the threads and O-rings?
> 
> Is there any harm in using some dish detergent and an old toothbrush?
> 
> I'm wondering if the grease/lube, aside from reducing metal-on-metal friction, also acts as a second barrier to moisture penetration. If that is the intent, would a thicker grease/lube, which can be squeezed into any voids between the tail cap and the body, work better than a thin oil?
> 
> Thanks.


----------



## ejot

Nano-Oil.com said:


> 2- clean your threads with a no lint cloth using Isopropyl alcohol and putting the cloth over the thread and pinching while you unscrew (use your nail over the cloth to match the groove, that's what I do ), go back and forth a few times.



I keep my left thumbnail carefully filed to a 60° point for this purpose. Right thumbnail is normal for square threads.


----------



## chmsam

Removing lube or crud should be done with a light touch. I use a clean, lint-free cloth, tooth picks, or a very soft toothbrush. Use as little force or pressure as you can.


----------



## tsmith35

Items I use for removing grease/lube include: old toothbrush, toothpick, terry cloth shop rag, facial tissue, fingernail, alcohol, etc.

Removing grease/lube from male threads usu. involves removing the o-ring (clean separately w/ lint-free cloth) and covering threads w/ some type of wiping cloth/tissue. Use fingernail or plastic card (old credit card works well) and start at the thread farthest from the end. Twist light so you're "unscrewing" it from cloth/tissue until you run out of threads. Do this as many times as you like. Use something similar (plus toothpicks) to clean out o-ring grooves.

Removing grease/lube from female threads usu. involves wiping off excess lube w/ cloth/tissue, then lay a layer or two of tissue on threads and use a toothbrush on cloth/tissue and roll light to "unscrew" it. Toothpicks and alcohol on cloth/tissue help after most of the lube is gone.

Last step either way is to go over threads w/ lint-free cloth to get any fuzz off.


----------



## tattoosteve99

I have used the tri clear on my 6p and it is wonderful, not to mention I get it free. Perks of being a maintenance tech.


----------



## rookiedaddy

some new results using schuster suggested method:









PHP:


Grease/Oil                     Base Colour   Viscocity   Result
==================================================================
Tufoil Lubit-8                 Red           Low         Light-Gray
Penn Synthetic Reel Oil        Blue          Low         Clear
Penn Precision Reel Grease     Green         Low         Dark-Gray
Penn Synthetic Oil + Grease    N/A           Low         Light-Gray
Abro Super Red Grease          Red           Low         Clear


Note:
- Not sure the Penn Precision Reel Grease is the same as schuster's "Penn synthetic fishing reel grease (blue)" from post #389, mine is green with a hint of blue. What's interesting is by mixing both the Penn Synthetic Oil and Precision Reel Grease (50/50?) the result is much better. :shrug:
- I'm actually quite surprise by the Abro Super Red Grease, I've further tested it in Fenix PD30 head for 15 cycles of screw-on and off, no visible grayish particle. I've since do a complete service of this PD30 and use the grease on head o-ring and thread, buttery smooth. Will report back if it damages the o-ring.


----------



## schuster

rookiedaddy said:


> some new results using schuster suggested method:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> PHP:
> 
> 
> Grease/Oil                     Base Colour   Viscocity   Result
> ==================================================================
> Tufoil Lubit-8                 Red           Low         Light-Gray
> Penn Synthetic Reel Oil        Blue          Low         Clear
> Penn Precision Reel Grease     Green         Low         Dark-Gray
> Penn Synthetic Oil + Grease    N/A           Low         Light-Gray
> Abro Super Red Grease          Red           Low         Clear
> 
> 
> Note:
> - Not sure the Penn Precision Reel Grease is the same as schuster's "Penn synthetic fishing reel grease (blue)" from post #389, mine is green with a hint of blue. What's interesting is by mixing both the Penn Synthetic Oil and Precision Reel Grease (50/50?) the result is much better. :shrug:
> - I'm actually quite surprise by the Abro Super Red Grease, I've further tested it in Fenix PD30 head for 15 cycles of screw-on and off, no visible grayish particle. I've since do a complete service of this PD30 and use the grease on head o-ring and thread, buttery smooth. Will report back if it damages the o-ring.



Based on the package labelling, the Penn Reel Grease you got is probably the same product but in a different container (mine came in a small jar with brush in the lid). Can't explain why yours was abrasive to bare aluminum though; I wasn't able to demonstrate that at all. The idea of mixing is an interesting one ... do the grease and oil separate out, or do they stay mixed?

The cartridge of Abro Super Red Grease you pictured looks to be just another generic lithium complex grease (like the "Super Tech", manufactured by Warren Distributing, that they sell for $2.77 at Wal-Mart). There may be differences in the oil with respect to safety with rubbers/plastics. Also, in my tests with rubber bands I found that the dye in both of these products stains porous materials quite readily; so if you have a light-colored O-ring....


----------



## schuster

*Re: quick grease question*



N162E said:


> The key word here is most. Do yourself a favor, do not ever mix petroleum lubes and O-Rings together. A product called "Super Lube' http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XBH9HI/?tag=cpf0b6-20 is ideal and at about 5 dollars for a large tube is an excellent deal. Most hardware stores and hobby shops have it. Pretty easy to find.



By the way, Amazon also carries Finish Line "Extreme Fluoro" bicycle grease in a small syringe. The product appears to be 100% Krytox grease (not sure which viscosity) in a small enough quantity that it won't put a big dent in your wallet like the Loctite version.


----------



## rookiedaddy

schuster said:


> Based on the package labelling, the Penn Reel Grease you got is probably the same product but in a different container (mine came in a small jar with brush in the lid). Can't explain why yours was abrasive to bare aluminum though; I wasn't able to demonstrate that at all. The idea of mixing is an interesting one ... do the grease and oil separate out, or do they stay mixed?


they stay mixed... at least for the couple of hours that I did the test on. I think the tube of grease has been sitting in the dealer's store for past couple of years. If the rest of the X1-R products they carry is any indication, it's been there since 2004. :green: not sure if it changes its properties during those years. But the Penn oil seems to be stable.



schuster said:


> The cartridge of Abro Super Red Grease you pictured looks to be just another generic lithium complex grease (like the "Super Tech", manufactured by Warren Distributing, that they sell for $2.77 at Wal-Mart). There may be differences in the oil with respect to safety with rubbers/plastics. Also, in my tests with rubber bands I found that the dye in both of these products stains porous materials quite readily; so if you have a light-colored O-ring....


one other lithium complex grease I tested is quite abrasive, that's why I was surprise by this Abro's result. haha  thanks for the heads up on the o-ring.


----------



## Midnight Oil

Thanks for all the helpful tips and instructions.

Regarding choice of a grease/lube, here is a long shot:

DANCO Silicone Faucet Grease, available from Home Depot.

:shrug:, :thumbsup:, :thumbsdow, :shakehead, or !?

For someone new to flashlights, does KISS apply when it comes to picking a grease/lube? There is got to be a relatively inexpensive brand that everyone can agree on, no? 

With all the different choices available, has anyone with an appropriate technical background taken a stance and authoritatively stated, by the numbers, which characteristics of a grease/lube are conducive to performance and which of the mentioned products offer the best performance to price ratio?


----------



## was.lost.but.now.found

Midnight Oil said:


> Thanks for all the helpful tips and instructions.
> 
> Regarding choice of a grease/lube, here is a long shot:
> 
> DANCO Silicone Faucet Grease, available from Home Depot.
> 
> :shrug:, :thumbsup:, :thumbsdow, :shakehead, or !?
> 
> For someone new to flashlights, does KISS apply when it comes to picking a grease/lube? There is got to be a relatively inexpensive brand that everyone can agree on, no?
> 
> With all the different choices available, has anyone with an appropriate technical background taken a stance and authoritatively stated, by the numbers, which characteristics of a grease/lube are conducive to performance and which of the mentioned products offer the best performance to price ratio?


 
Read posts 299-319, with emphasis on #319.


----------



## Midnight Oil

was.lost.but.now.found.,

Thank you very much for pointing me to the exact information I need and not chastising me for not reading all 16 pages of posts.


----------



## Bullzeyebill

Want to repeat again, that a dielectric grease used on threads of flashlights that conduct electricity is not a good choice. It will act as a insulation to electrical conduction. Will not stop all of the current passing through the threads, but is not a good choice. Use dialectic grease sparingly on O rings, but keep it off of the threads, if the threads pass current.

Bill


----------



## hyperloop

Hi all, 

great thread, i am currently using silicon grease which i got from a dive shop and Break Free, is break free a suitable product to use on the threads of some of my lights?

I'm finding that my M1X head takes a bit of effort to turn and was wondering if a better lube is out there.

There appear to be various kinds of superlube, which ones do you guys use? I'll need to order online as most hardware shops that i have been to in Singapore do not carry these.


----------



## rookiedaddy

hyperloop, try taking the o-ring out and see if it makes any different. If it's easier to turn, then perhaps:
1. too much lube on the o-ring thread, clean it and apply a very thin film of lube on the o-ring
2. switch to Krytox on your o-ring, this works for me 99% of the time
3. change to a thinner o-ring (this may not be a good idea tho... may compromise the water-resistance of the light)


----------



## Buck91

As rookie has mentioned Krytox works very well. Finish Line Extreme Fluoro is a rebranded version for bicycle bearings (steel and ceramic), although I dont know specifically which krytox it is- but it definately works great on any plastic or anodised threads as well as o rings!


----------



## schuster

Buck91 said:


> As rookie has mentioned Krytox works very well. Finish Line Extreme Fluoro is a rebranded version for bicycle bearings (steel and ceramic), although I dont know specifically which krytox it is- but it definately works great on any plastic or anodised threads as well as o rings!



Finish Line has lots of interesting stuff. For those wishing to thin down the Extreme Fluoro grease, they also rebrand what is probably Krytox GPL-100 oil as "Stanchion Fluoro Oil" (http://www.finishlineusa.com/products/stanchion-lube.htm). Amazon carries it, as well as numerous bicycle accessory stores. 

They also have a grease which contains both PTFE and boron nitride micro ceramic particles in a base of synthetic oil (http://www.finishlineusa.com/products/ceramic_grease.htm)


----------



## Tedfs

New guy here but I feel the need to mention some things about Krytox.

I use Krytox at work for moving parts that get heavy use, 24 hours a day 5 -6 days a week. We get it in 5 gallon buckets since we use so much of it.

Krytox can be fatally toxic if you ingest even a small amount and then smoke a cigarette. 
The heat reacts with the grease and eventually you end up with Krytox in your lungs, which *can* kill you.

Krytox is formulated to resist breaking down under heat and the chemical reaction created when it is placed 
under heat releases substances that are hazardous to humans.

About 8 years ago we almost lost someone due to this unlikely combination.
He was a maintenance worker that had lubed up some machine parts with Krytox and then went to have a cigarette.

The heat from the burning tobacco reacted with the Krytox and ended up in his lungs. He almost died but thankfully 
we keep MSDS of every chemical item in the shop to give to hospitals for emergencies. 
He was also lucky enough to have a smart ER crew working on him.

We get annual Haz-Mat training and have to sign forms stating we know the dangers of the chemicals we are working 
with so we can't sue for cancer or death after years of use. Krytox is always on the training list of item to watch out for.

If you are going to use Krytox for lube and you smoke, _*PLEASE*_ use a pair of disposable rubber gloves before touching anything that will go into your mouth.

I quit smoking a few years ago but still make sure to wash my hands after coming into contact with Krytox. 
The heat source that activates the chemical reaction doesn't need to come from a burning cigarette, it can be any source that is hot enough.

And I'd rather not take the chance.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

I'm pretty sure that was covered quite a while back, but it's definitely good advice. I *Highly* recommend using gloves any time you clean/lube a light, or work with any chemicals. If nothing else, this makes cleaning your hands nice and simple.


----------



## rookiedaddy

just for the record, the following are copied from MSDS for Krytox® PFPE/PTFE Greases (GPL 20(X) Series):


> Emergency Overview
> The product as such is not hazardous. The thermal decomposition vapours of fluorinated polymers may cause polymer fume fever with flu-like symptoms in humans, *especially when smoking contaminated tobacco*.



and more information:


> Potential Health Effects
> Skin contact may cause skin irritation with discomfort or rash. Prolonged skin contact to perfluoroalkylether may cause redness and inflammation of the hair follicles without skin sensitization. Sodium nitrite has been infrequently associated with skin sensitization in humans.
> 
> Eye contact may cause eye irritation with discomfort, tearing or blurring of vision.
> 
> Inhalation of fluorine compounds released as decomposition products above 290 degC (554 degF) may cause lung irritation and pulmonary edema which require medical treatment. Inhalation of fumes or smoke from overheated or burning grease may cause polymer fume fever, a temporary flu-like illness accompanied by fever, chills, and sometimes cough, of approximately 24 hours duration. Repeated episodes of polymer fume fever may cause lung damage.
> 
> Ingestion or inhalation of sodium nitrite may cause low blood pressure with a throbbing headache and fainting; or nonspecific discomfort such as nausea or weakness.
> 
> Overexposure to sodium nitrite may cause methemoglobinemia (reduced oxygen carrying capacity of the blood) with headache, weakness, or cyanosis (bluish discoloration of the skin), possibly progressing to dizziness, incoordination, shortness of breath, increased pulse rate and loss of consciousness.
> 
> Simultaneous ingestion of nitrites and medications or chemicals containing an amine group may form carcinogenic nitrosamines in the stomach.



Similar warning also listed for Nyogel 760G


> *SAFETY
> *Nye NyoGel 760G is not known to cause harmful effects. However, thermal degradation can liberate toxic fumes. *Avoid contamination of tobacco products*, or heating the grease above 250o Centigrade.



and from 760G MSDS:


> Handling procedures and equipment:
> Wash thoroughly after using, particularly before eating or smoking.
> Do not eat, drink or smoke in handling area.
> *Avoid contamination of cigarettes or other tobacco products.*
> Launder contaminated clothing prior to reuse.
> Users should be alert to the possibility that very small percentages of the population may display unexpected allergic reactions to otherwise innocuous industrial lubricants and raw materials.



yes... wear gloves when cleaning/lubing, regardless of what degreaser/cleaner and grease/oil that you use.


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

Amazing, we use Krytox and ChristoLube in Scuba Diving applications all the way to 100% gaseous oxygen service, what we are trying to combat is ignition most commonly due to over sight of 2 elements of the triangel of combustion. 

one of them is *Ignition & adiabatic is the most common in a SCUBA applications*,
the second: *Fuel: even a finger print inside a high pressure system is enough to start a combustion*, that can now be sustained by certain metal part that actually do not need external Oxidizer to basically burn, an aluminium tank can be such a metal, tank ignition due to wrong methods or procedure of decanting is the most common cause of such a combustion when ignition is almost adiabatic. however it is rare.

Christian StClaire



rookiedaddy said:


> just for the record, the following are copied from MSDS for Krytox® PFPE/PTFE Greases (GPL 20(X) Series):
> 
> 
> and more information:
> 
> 
> Similar warning also listed for Nyogel 760G
> 
> 
> and from 760G MSDS:
> 
> 
> yes... wear gloves when cleaning/lubing, regardless of what degreaser/cleaner and grease/oil that you use.


----------



## schuster

rookiedaddy said:


> just for the record, the following are copied from MSDS for Krytox® PFPE/PTFE Greases (GPL 20(X) Series):
> 
> 
> and more information:
> 
> 
> Similar warning also listed for Nyogel 760G
> 
> 
> and from 760G MSDS:
> 
> 
> yes... wear gloves when cleaning/lubing, regardless of what degreaser/cleaner and grease/oil that you use.



I, too, found something curious in the warnings and application suitability statements for Krytox. I can't find the reference right now, but the statement was that Krytox grease is not suitable for lubricating aluminum parts where the temperature will exceed 288 Celsius, because the metal can catalyze the depolymerization of the fluoropolymer. I'm sure those byproducts are toxic too ... but then, nobody here will be running a flashlight THAT hot!


----------



## rookiedaddy

schuster, the info you are referring to is here...

copied...


> *Is Krytox® compatible with aluminum?*
> There is no reactivity with aluminum at temperatures below 288°C (550°F), but is not recommended for use in equipment that has bearing surfaces made of aluminum.


----------



## Midnight Oil

Luminescent,

Lithium grease is rated as a poor lube on the list, but a good one according to your recommendation. Is the difference based only on possible damage to some o-ring materials? Thanks.


----------



## subwoofer

I have now read the entire thread and am more confused than when I started.

I want a universal lubricant that will not react with any o-ring material and will not abrade (crazy that some lubricants seem to abrade softer materials) aluminium bare metal and will lubricate any metal, be it Ti, Stainless or Al.

The purpose of a lubricant is to prevent wearing surfaces from actually contacting each other. If this lubricant can film (cover the surface), it should protect as well.

Surely there must be a simple and inexpensive answer!!!!

Bearing in mind that we are not talking about extreme conditions a little heat and some metal on metal contact why is this so hard.

I had thought the Finish Line Extreme Fluoro was looking to be the best and is described as completely inert and containing only fluorinated ingredients made it sound ideal, but then there were comments about it making bare Al threads feel coarse and actually damaging them by removing the oxide layer. I have cancelled my order.

My first thoughts had been Red Rubber Grease a grease specifically designed to be safe with all seals and used for brake callipers. Cheap and sold in all auto-shops. What is wrong with this?

I also have Moly-slip a gun grease which is used in piston airguns and is safe in alumunium or steel cylinders and doesn't degrade the seals (and doesn't diesel). The comments about toxicity seem strange to me as the lubricant should not be on the torch body, only on the threads and o-rings, so what is the problem?

Please can someone give a simple answer to this.


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

Hello Subwoofer,

My opinion is totally not related to what I sell but based on experience with multiple polymers/elastomers & this reply pertains to O-Ring & not lubricants, my anwers would be too opiniated & too biasist. LOL

Any one claiming that the lubricant they are using is deteriorating their O-Ring, have to be doing one of the 2 below or both:

1- using a very poor O-Ring compound
and/or
2- they must be applying way too much lubricant around the O-Ring & seat of such.

Deterioration is actually a big word, if you are using, say the wrong lubricant for a given elastomer & apply it conservatively you should be fine.
JUST APPLY A SMALL FILM, PERIOD !
(too much is not going to do any but cause you headaches such as attracting & holding & mixing into abrasive grime, grit, gunk, scum, etc. LOL running out of enemies of threads & O-Rings on anything dynamic & even static O-Ring applications)

This way if the O-Ring is not made of the right compound, there cannot possibly be enough of the lubricant to affect the O-Ring in any discernable way.
Most flashlight manufacturers representatives will reply "let me check with engineering" when asked what is the polymer used in this or that model flashlight. 

Personally, I manufactured 100s of thousands LED flashlight starting in 1997 all the way through 2003<> and they were all outfitted with Ethylene Propelene O-Rings.

Further, starting in 1987, all our Diving Flashlight were manufactured in USA with EP on board, we would not even consider keeping any Buna-N for Nitrile in the plant except in the repair shop using them in Hydraulic systems.

I put together an accelerated testing for polymers & can totally distroy a Buna-N in minutes, while EP sitting right next to it flies through the test with absolute impunity, I am basically throwing <> "O 20" (cannot analyse, very unstable & brief) created using <> 200,000 volts ac
we are talking about a very active,virulant form of Oxygen however brief it lasts.

Sorry long post.

Christian StClaire www.Nano-Oil.com



subwoofer said:


> I have now read the entire thread and am more confused than when I started.
> 
> I want a universal lubricant that will not react with any o-ring material and will not abrade (crazy that some lubricants seem to abrade softer materials) aluminium bare metal and will lubricate any metal, be it Ti, Stainless or Al.
> 
> The purpose of a lubricant is to prevent wearing surfaces from actually contacting each other. If this lubricant can film (cover the surface), it should protect as well.
> 
> Surely there must be a simple and inexpensive answer!!!!
> 
> Bearing in mind that we are not talking about extreme conditions a little heat and some metal on metal contact why is this so hard.
> 
> I had thought the Finish Line Extreme Fluoro was looking to be the best and is described as completely inert and containing only fluorinated ingredients made it sound ideal, but then there were comments about it making bare Al threads feel coarse and actually damaging them by removing the oxide layer. I have cancelled my order.
> 
> My first thoughts had been Red Rubber Grease a grease specifically designed to be safe with all seals and used for brake callipers. Cheap and sold in all auto-shops. What is wrong with this?
> 
> I also have Moly-slip a gun grease which is used in piston airguns and is safe in alumunium or steel cylinders and doesn't degrade the seals (and doesn't diesel). The comments about toxicity seem strange to me as the lubricant should not be on the torch body, only on the threads and o-rings, so what is the problem?
> 
> Please can someone give a simple answer to this.


----------



## Wiggle

This is a big thread so I didn't read it all and if this was already covered I apologize. I've been using vasoline as a lube for over a year with no apparent o-ring damage. If it works for me and I deal with the occasional wrecked o-ring (I have many spares) is there any reason not to use it really?


----------



## was.lost.but.now.found

Wiggle said:


> This is a big thread so I didn't read it all and if this was already covered I apologize. I've been using vasoline as a lube for over a year with no apparent o-ring damage. If it works for me and I deal with the occasional wrecked o-ring (I have many spares) is there any reason not to use it really?


 
The main issue I've heard with Vasoline is it turns to liquid form rather easily, presumably at temperatures found within one's pocket. That could result in a runny mess. But YMMV, if you've had no issues, then:twothumbs.


----------



## tsl

rookiedaddy said:


> schuster, the info you are referring to is here...
> 
> copied...


 


subwoofer said:


> I had thought the Finish Line Extreme Fluoro was looking to be the best and is described as completely inert and containing only fluorinated ingredients made it sound ideal, but then there were comments about it making bare Al threads feel coarse and actually damaging them by removing the oxide layer. I have cancelled my order.


 
I tried the tin foil and tissue paper experiment (schuster method https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3312605&postcount=389) on Finish Line Extreme Fluoro and on Nyogel 760G. The toilet paper wad with the Extreme Fluoro was clean, while the toilet paper wad with the Nyogel had a dark residue. Not sure why my Nyogel results didn't mirror rookiedaddy's (https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3318668&postcount=395).

So, is it safe to say that Krytox and Extreme Fluoro are fine on bare Al threads due to the temperatures in play here?


----------



## Per-Sev

I have never seen so much info before just to lube a O-ring all I want to know is what should I use on my McGizmo Haiku and not worry about damage to the O-ring or the Titanium, please keep it simple. I have some Tetra Gun Grease I use on my Glock and it says its a Fluoropolymer penetrating grease and does not say if it contains petroleum or not. Would this be safe?


----------



## Th232

Anything in the "Very Good Lubes" section of the first post should do fine. I personally use the 50/50 Krytox blend from the Shoppe.


----------



## ToNIX

Just a quick question. I have some Hoppe's 9 gun oil at home.

I know it's a recommended oil for lubing paintball guns/o rings.

Would it be a good idea to lube my flashlights/o rings with it?


----------



## Buck91

Hoppes 9 oil is basically highly refined mineral oil. Used it for years on minimags without trouble but I would bet that it eats some o-ring material. Couldnt be for sure, though.


----------



## ToNIX

Buck91 said:


> Hoppes 9 oil is basically highly refined mineral oil. Used it for years on minimags without trouble but I would bet that it eats some o-ring material. Couldnt be for sure, though.



Alright, I'll wait for a 100% sure answer before oiling my o-rings.


----------



## DM51

A number of different products are sold under the Hoppes #9 brand-name. One of them is an extremely effective anti-fouling solvent, formulated to remove powder and lead residue from gun/rifle barrels. I certainly would not want to use that on my lights or anywhere near O-rings.

As to the composition of the Hoppes #9 oil, which is a different product, I am not sure; but there are other very easily obtainable products listed in post #1 here - so why would you want to risk something that could cause damage?


----------



## Squishy

After reading this thread, I have switched from synthetic silicone grease for everything to the following:

Cleaning with Kleen-Flo PWD: http://www.kleenflo.com/en/msds/660.pdf

O-Rings with the synthetic silicone grease: http://www.kleenflo.com/en/msds/331.pdf

Threads with Tef-Lube 2000: http://www.kleenflo.com/en/msds/813.pdf

Switching to the Teflon gel has made the twisty operation a lot smoother with less resistance. I can now operate the twisty with only my thumb, where before I had to use both index finger and thumb to twist it. My bezel also used to have an unnatural amount of stiction, which is now gone. I'll have to see how it holds up after a month of use.


----------



## Midnight Oil

I've been using Super Lube on the bare tailend threads of my Solarforce L2, and I notice that the initially milky lube turns grey after a matter of days. Is the aluminum being slowly eaten away?


----------



## schuster

Midnight Oil said:


> I've been using Super Lube on the bare tailend threads of my Solarforce L2, and I notice that the initially milky lube turns grey after a matter of days. Is the aluminum being slowly eaten away?



That's one possibility. The other is that the color change is due to the action (consumption) of corrosion inhibitors in the lubricant.


----------



## Buck91

Every lube I've ever used on bare AL threads had turned grey to some degree.


----------



## Midnight Oil

Buck91 said:


> Every lube I've ever used on bare AL threads had turned grey to some degree.


 
I hope it is due to the action of the corrosion inhibitors as Schuster has suggested.


----------



## Squishy

On a similar vein, should a lube fail miserably and remove anodising from tailcap threads (ruining clicky lockout and all twisty function), is there a way to restore the insulating function to the threads? Just in case, with all the testing here, we run into the "new" WD-40 that pretends to be a lube but really isn't.

There's that liquid gun blue for aluminium parts - would that imitate the anodising?


----------



## Buck91

Worst case, a couple wraps of teflon tape might work- albeit a PITA to deal with on a tailcap which is frequently removed for batt changes.


----------



## nanomu

I've seen a few posts around, including the guide, stating that vaseline is not a recommended lube in virtually every aspect. As I understand it, the main reason behind this is larger amounts will degrade some types of O-rings.

However, I've been using it for a while now with great success on the o-rings of my small lights (Peak Eiger and Maratac AAA SS) with tight threads. When I do apply it, I use a very *tiny* amount - barely enough to moisten the ring. As opposed to no lube at all, this has ensured silky smooth operation.

I tried some of my Nyogel 760 on these small lights, and it ends up being fairly sticky, even in small amounts. Of course Nyogel seems to be *great* on my SF lights.

So.. What recommended lube is likely to preform similarly in this situation?

On a slightly different subject, I've been thinking of trying out some Krytox on my Ti lights, as neither nano-oil or nyogel seem right for them. One is too light, the other too sticky. Does this sound reasonable?

I will, of course, endeavour to stay away from anything named WD-40.


----------



## Midnight Oil

Midnight Oil said:


> I hope it is due to the action of the corrosion inhibitors as Schuster has suggested.


 
Black stuff comes off the grey threads when cleaning with rubbing alcohol. Uh oh...

So is this irrefutable evidence proving that Super Lube grease on bare aluminum threads of Solarforce hosts is a bad idea?

[EDIT] I take that back. It's not the Super Lube, just the bare aluminum oxidizing. The grey stuff is the same stuff that comes off of foil, when you rub it against a hard surface.


----------



## Midnight Oil

Does any know why the inside of the L2 body, which is bare aluminum, just like the tailend threads, does not oxidize similarily to form a grey coating? Thanks.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Squishy said:


> On a similar vein, should a lube fail miserably and remove anodising from tailcap threads (ruining clicky lockout and all twisty function), is there a way to restore the insulating function to the threads? Just in case, with all the testing here, we run into the "new" WD-40 that pretends to be a lube but really isn't.
> 
> There's that liquid gun blue for aluminium parts - would that imitate the anodising?


You could get it re-annodized or cerakoted.

On another note, now that I've got the time again, have I missed anything important that should be updated in the OP?


----------



## calipsoii

Midnight Oil said:


> Does any know why the inside of the L2 body, which is bare aluminum, just like the tailend threads, does not oxidize similarily to form a grey coating? Thanks.



I noticed the exact same thing on two of my TK20's:


Wiped factory lube off all threads and o-rings
Cleaned threads with Q-tip soaked in rubbing alcohol, dried with compressed air
Relubed o-rings with Superlube and slipped them back on
Put a little bit of Superlube on the threads, replaced head and tail, worked it in a bit
Put batteries in light to get some tension going, worked it a bit more
Removed head (with bare Aluminum threading), touched threads, fingers came away black and threads look grey
After a couple weeks of light use, the grey color of the lube doesn't appear to be affecting the threading/operation at all. Still nice and smooth to the twist with no grinding. The only difference between those threads and some of my other lights is that they're definitely bare aluminum. Maybe some kind of chemical reaction? The factory lube didn't seem to do this, but it's probably not PTFE-based. *shrug* Probably going to keep using the Superlube, it works just fine for what I need it to do (which is not swell my O-rings like other lubes have).


----------



## Qoose

Question,

What's the lube you want to use if you want the most water resistance, and to add viscosity to a twisty joint to lock it down? For example, on a quark, I want to lock up the tailcap more than the bezel joint.


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

Hello Qoose,

Water resistance and lube: 
lube has actually very little effect/affect other then making sure a small film lays on your O-Ring both towards the outside of such and underneath in the O-Ring seat, 
the best way is to remove O-Ring, clean the seat and thread, lube the O-Ring making sure the 360 of the cross section is lubricated (very small amount too much would just sit outside the dynamic path and only attract grit, lint, skum etc. )
lubricating the thread can be done after the O-Ring is back in place

Durometer specification is very often over looked in my opinion, way too low in the 40 or so on the scale while at least 70 should be used, 
if you ask your supplier, most of them are going tell you "let me get to to you on that".

Secondly, the resistance between threaded parts should not rely on lubrication but the right specifications in machining the mating parts
1- thread type
2- O-Ring seat to provide the right compression set.
3- O-Ring sizing (surface contact between bare wall of smooth surface and outer O-Ring)

The right compression set needs to be observed if you wish for both water resistance or all the way to waterproofing, such will also provide the right degree of firmness in your tail cap or the lens, period !

by the way up to this point, we only spoke about a dynamic O-Ring application which has very little to do with static applications common traits yes, which is maintaining a pressure rated seal for the device in question.

Should this attempt to your answer be not clear enough, please feel free to ask for clarifications. 

I have sealed successfully upwards of 10,000 psi in a dynamic applications with 0 failures reported world wide so far since 1997, so I would like to think that I know what I am talking about LOL. and again maybe not 

Take care
Christian StClaire






Qoose said:


> Question,
> 
> What's the lube you want to use if you want the most water resistance, and to add viscosity to a twisty joint to lock it down? For example, on a quark, I want to lock up the tailcap more than the bezel joint.


----------



## m3flies

Thanks Tekno Cowboy. I was recently wondering what to use and where to get different lubes. If one looks around on CPF, one will find an answer.


----------



## ToNIX

Some Nano-Oil review I just posted on CPF Marketplace (link).



> Finally received my Nano Oil
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Shipping from StClaire was quick (almost instant), transit with USPS/Canada Post was slow (took 2 weeks to get it). Can't complain about this though
> 
> 
> 
> Gotta love cross-borders shipments.
> 
> First impression was that there's a lot of oil! I debated for a while wether I should order the bigger bottle or the 8cc applicator. Ended up buying the 8cc applicator to "test" the product, but there's a lot of oil!
> 
> Cleaned my flashlights (Malkoff MD2, Fenix TK11, 4Sevens Quark), removed the old grease, put a bit of Nano-Oil on the threads/o-rings. First time screwing was a bit harder since the oil was not distributed evenly across the threads/o-ring. After that, everything turned out to be smooth, it's incredible. No squiches and strange noise anymore, perfectly smooth screwing/unscrewing!
> 
> I also put some oil on my Spyderco Delica 4 serrated knife. It's defietly smoother, but I didn't remove the old oil/grease (I'd have to open the knife and I don't really want to).
> 
> The stainless needle applicator works really well and is really easy to use. Oh, did I mention it contains a lot of oil?
> 
> All in all, awesome product


----------



## fishx65

Just picked up a tube of Permatex Ultra Slick to try on a few Maratac's. Was only around 3 bucks at a local store (Meijer). Anyone try this yet?

*[link removed - DM51]*


----------



## LeeRain

I did the foil test on the Shooter's Choice_ Synthetic All-Weather High-Tech Gun Grease_ and got some black rubbed off on the tissue. It does feel much smoother on the light than the dielectric grease, though. I may have to try the Mobil 1. I wonder how it'd work on firearms... :thinking:


----------



## DM51

fishx65 said:


> Permatex Ultra Slick ... anyone try this yet?


Why on earth would anyone want to try it, when the best lubes are already listed in post #1?


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

DM51 said:


> Why on earth would anyone want to try it, when the best lubes are already listed in post #1?


My question is "Why not try it?"

Some of my favorite gadgets are things that seemed like they'd be completely worthless. If you try a lot of options, eventually you come across something exceptional where you didn't expect to find it.


----------



## DM51

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> My question is "Why not try it?"
> 
> Some of my favorite gadgets are things that seemed like they'd be completely worthless. If you try a lot of options, eventually you come across something exceptional where you didn't expect to find it.


The time to post about it would be *after* he has tried it, and is in a position to provide a detailed report on its qualities (or lack of them). As it is, he is just throwing out a speculative thought, with nothing to back it up. 

The purpose of this thread is to provide evaluations and recommendations that people can trust. Idle speculation has no place here.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Very true, I'm pretty sure that's even one of the things I hit on when getting the thread set up originally. 

Thanks for the reminder :thumbsup:


----------



## tsmith35

tsmith35 said:


> Has anyone heard of *Loctite ViperLube*? It's listed as:
> High Performance Synthetic Grease PN 36781
> NLGI Grade 2
> GC-LB (severe duty) and NSF H1
> 
> I got a sample tube of this from my sales rep and immediately headed for my flashlights. Is that sick or what? But I cleaned the lube from my EZ CR2 and put the ViperLube on and... smooth as silk. It feels just like the Mobil One synthetic grease (NLGI 2), but there's almost no smell and this stuff is a light tan color. They also have a clear version (PN 39341) but I haven't tried it yet.



Just to follow up 6 months later, I used the CR2 for several more weeks, then left it in my coat pocket and left the coat in the back seat of the car a few more weeks until it was too hot for a coat. Stored it back in the closet until I thought about the light this afternoon. Despite a half year's storage in a linty coat pocket exposed to hot/cold/humidity daily, the light turned as smooth as silk. No roughness, grittiness, or sticking. It was as if I'd just lubed the threads.

This is very much like the performance of Mobil 1 with one big exception: no smell! After opening the light to inspect the threads, I could smell the sharp odor of the lithium battery very clearly, but nothing from the lube. By comparison, I can smell the Mobil 1 on my Nitecore D20 even though I have a very light coating on the threads and haven't disturbed it for several months. The smell of Mobil 1 reminds me of the smell of axle grease (not entirely bad, but easily detectable). It's great stuff, but not necessarily for a pocket light.


----------



## tsmith35

DM51 said:


> Why on earth would anyone want to try it, when the best lubes are already listed in post #1?



It's just human nature. Science has done a great job documenting the foods we should eat to attain good health and long life. The information is readily available, but look at all the other health foods for sale. Seems like everyone has their own ideas for good health. These people can't possibly have done more detailed research than the health & medical industry, but here they are trying other things, some of which aren't even popular. That's what people do.

I've noticed that young people like to try everything new, sometimes just to be different. Older people don't like it quite as much. Old people don't like anything new -- they've made their choices and just want things to stay the same. I see it at work and out in public every day. Personally, I hope to keep trying new, untested things for the rest of my life. It's how I learn. It helps me to stay dynamic. I don't want to grow old just yet...


----------



## schuster

tsmith35 said:


> Just to follow up 6 months later, I used the CR2 for several more weeks, then left it in my coat pocket and left the coat in the back seat of the car a few more weeks until it was too hot for a coat. Stored it back in the closet until I thought about the light this afternoon. Despite a half year's storage in a linty coat pocket exposed to hot/cold/humidity daily, the light turned as smooth as silk. No roughness, grittiness, or sticking. It was as if I'd just lubed the threads.
> 
> This is very much like the performance of Mobil 1 with one big exception: no smell! After opening the light to inspect the threads, I could smell the sharp odor of the lithium battery very clearly, but nothing from the lube. By comparison, I can smell the Mobil 1 on my Nitecore D20 even though I have a very light coating on the threads and haven't disturbed it for several months. The smell of Mobil 1 reminds me of the smell of axle grease (not entirely bad, but easily detectable). It's great stuff, but not necessarily for a pocket light.



Didn't post about this, but in the interim I tracked down a small tube of Viperlube as well. i agree that it compares favorably to Mobil 1 = without the smell. It's a lot harder to find, though, and the price per ounce is considerably higher than buying the automotive stuff from Pep Boys. I must say that after so much playing with lubricants, the odor doesn't bother me. Also with so many small (and larger) tubes of various lubricants lying around, that I am always coming up with additional uses for them.


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

tsmith35 said:


> This is very much like the performance of Mobil 1 with one big exception: no smell! After opening the light to inspect the threads, I could smell the sharp odor of the lithium battery very clearly, but nothing from the lube. By comparison, I can smell the Mobil 1 on my Nitecore D20 even though I have a very light coating on the threads and haven't disturbed it for several months. The smell of Mobil 1 reminds me of the smell of axle grease (not entirely bad, but easily detectable). It's great stuff, but not necessarily for a pocket light.



Hello tsmith35,

You are a funny guy, you do mind the smell of hydro carbon but you seem not to mind smelling *Lithium* ? 


tsmith35 said:


> I could smell the sharp odor of the lithium battery very clearly


Can you please decipher this for me/us,
I am virtually bathing in lithium batteries of different chemistries among others are LifeP04, I have not detected any odors emanating from any of those yet,
Are you referring to an off gassing of some sort that can occur during either charging or discharging/under load? 
If you could please clarify, I am interested, perplexed and amused. 

Take care,


----------



## was.lost.but.now.found

Speaking of the mobil 1, I was going for mine today and after a couple months in the garage it's starting to separate like the oil separates out of peanut butter. I'm not sure what to make of it.


----------



## Pekka

Nano-Oil.com said:


> Hello tsmith35,
> 
> You are a funny guy, you do mind the smell of hydro carbon but you seem not to mind smelling *Lithium* ?
> 
> Can you please decipher this for me/us,
> I am virtually bathing in lithium batteries of different chemistries among others are LifeP04, I have not detected any odors emanating from any of those yet,
> Are you referring to an off gassing of some sort that can occur during either charging or discharging/under load?
> If you could please clarify, I am interested, perplexed and amused.
> 
> Take care,



I'm not tsmith35, but since you're a funny guy too, I'll enlighten you. 

AFAIK, it's only lithium-based primaries that exhibit this behavior: easiest to notice when you have plenty in a rather smallish area (like yours truly storing couple hundred in a cupboard) or only few stored in a air-tight space (like a pair in a flashlight). Then after a short storage period proceed to open said cupboard or flashlight and stick your nose in.

Rather sure it's not lithium itself though, but something of a by-product. I wouldn't really recommend sniffing too much of it in either case. 




was.lost.but.now.found said:


> Speaking of the mobil 1, I was going for mine today and after a couple months in the garage it's starting to separate like the oil separates out of peanut butter. I'm not sure what to make of it.



Stir well until it's all mixed up and use per usual? It's not uncommon for stuff to separate or run, but that doesn't mean it's desired...


----------



## tsmith35

Nano-Oil.com said:


> You are a funny guy, you do mind the smell of hydro carbon but you seem not to mind smelling *Lithium* ?



The smell of hydrocarbons is easily detectable while the flashlight is closed up, as it would be in a pocket. The smell of the lithium batteries is only detectable when the flashlight is opened up, such as while changing batteries. I don't typically open up flashlights while at dinners or in meetings, but I do typically carry one or two around in my pocket. What's your beef here, anyway? Are you suggesting that I should like all odors equally, or are you just being smart?



Nano-Oil.com said:


> Can you please decipher this for me/us,
> I am virtually bathing in lithium batteries of different chemistries among others are LifeP04, I have not detected any odors emanating from any of those yet,
> Are you referring to an off gassing of some sort that can occur during either charging or discharging/under load?
> If you could please clarify, I am interested, perplexed and amused.



Maybe your smeller is broke. Just do a quick Google for flashahol and see what you've been missing. Take a moment to look around on CPF and you'll find the same information.


----------



## schuster

was.lost.but.now.found said:


> Speaking of the mobil
> 1, I was going for mine today and after a couple months in
> the garage it's starting to separate like the oil separates
> out of peanut butter. I'm not sure what to make of
> it.





Any grease can separate over time. The degree is part of 
the specification of each particular formulation. If it's 
in a cartridge or tub, try simply mixing it again.


----------



## Notsure Fire

Yep I'd say mixing it is a good bet. That's what I do anyways.


----------



## schuster

Notsure Fire said:


> Yep I'd say mixing it is a good
> bet. That's what I do anyways.


As a coincidental aside, I just removed a ~13 year old 
Makita power drill from its carrying case in order to 
charge up the batteries in preparation for some work around 
the house. I noticed that along the top edge, oil -
no doubt separated from the grease in the gear box - had 
migrated through the seam of the shell and was now coating 
the case. Yep, it happens. 
That said - I should also note that, around the time of the 
first discussion of Mobil 1 synthetic grease here, I had 
Googled around and came upon some auto forum in which a 
sposter complained of exactly the same thing. Perhaps Mobil 
1 is more prone to this kind of thing. I remember
reading the specs for Krytox in which the separation was 
listed as some tiny fraction of 1%.


----------



## wyager

I just bought 10 grams of nyogel-can't wait!


----------



## tino_ale

*Krytox grease instead of krytox blend*

Krytox was mentionned in another thread but didn't want to hijack the OP's subject.

I have been using Krytox since the beginning of Ti McGizmo's. I just don't like sticky lubes like Nyogel, and krytox is the best I've come across.

What I used to get is the "50/50" blend from the sandwich shoppe, but wasn't entirely satisfied by both the price and how the oil and grease would seperate in the bottle, not forming a smooth uniform substance. Even after an energic shaking I would still notice the grease partially seperated from the oil.

Then I had a chance to get a 2oz Krytox GPL206 tube for $39.

Not only it is a lot cheaper but I am actually happier with the result :shrug:. The grease is thicker than the 50/50 blend but totally smooth and remains soft as warm butter.

Since it is thicker I have noticed a higher ability to actually stay where it's supposed to be, which is on the o-ing and on the threads. It doesn't dry out. It doesn't migrate from the threads to the end of the battery tube where the tube contacts the light engine. It is equally easy to wipe it out with soft cloth. I can still coat retention o-rings used in McGizmo lights with my fingers to help them snap in their grooves easily.

Maybe most importantly my threads are butter smooth and I am under the impression that they actually are smoother than before :shrug:. 

Who else is using a pure krytox grease instead of a blend ?


----------



## fyrstormer

*Re: Krytox grease instead of krytox blend*

I tried using greases of various sorts for a while. They always felt good at first, but the recurring problem I saw was gelled lubricants can't re-flow between the threads when the light is sitting around not being used, and the threads inevitably go dry as the lubricant is squeezed out from between the contacting surfaces. That's why I ultimately settled on the stickiest petroleum oil I could find, because it would still be able to re-flow and keep the threads lubricated indefinitely.


----------



## precisionworks

The biggest problem with Ti is that Titanium to Titanium parts that are threaded together will "cold weld" (an extreme form of galling). This happens no matter how fine the finish on either the internal threads or the external threads, even if the threads are finished to mirror polish (about 4 Ra). The one "lubricant" I use is not a lubricant at all, but rather it's an anti-seize called CopaSlip. It contains finely ground pure copper in a grease type suspension. On all three EDC Ti lights, it works better than anything else I've tried, including the various Krytox products.

http://www.mrmoly.com/html/copaslip.html

The lowest price I've found is from this eBay seller: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Molyslip-Copaslip-Hi-temp-anti-seize-grease-lead-free-/120532800581

Works well on aluminum lights also, as well as Harley spark plugs 
*

*


----------



## Scott Packard

Hey precisionworks - I haven't seen many people talk about CopaSlip. I read about it in a book from 1985 called Engineer to Win, by Carroll Smith, if I remember correctly.

In the US Permatex makes/sells a lot of the products on our shelves. They have a regular anti-seize (zinc mostly), a copper-containing anti-seize, and a nickel-containing anti-seize, all for different engineering solutions. 

Recently I found out Loctite is making a lip-balm type stick of the stuff. QuickStix™ C5-A.
I bought a stick but haven't used it yet (for the car).

Anyway, you brought back some memories with CopaSlip. It may be as common as cheese over there.


----------



## TranquillityBase

*Re: Krytox grease instead of krytox blend*



tino_ale said:


> Krytox was mentionned in another thread but didn't want to hijack the OP's subject.
> 
> I have been using Krytox since the beginning of Ti McGizmo's. I just don't like sticky lubes like Nyogel, and krytox is the best I've come across.
> 
> What I used to get is the "50/50" blend from the sandwich shoppe, but wasn't entirely satisfied by both the price and how the oil and grease would seperate in the bottle, not forming a smooth uniform substance. Even after an energic shaking I would still notice the grease partially seperated from the oil.
> 
> Then I had a chance to get a 2oz Krytox GPL206 tube for $39.
> 
> Not only it is a lot cheaper but I am actually happier with the result :shrug:. The grease is thicker than the 50/50 blend but totally smooth and remains soft as warm butter.
> 
> Since it is thicker I have noticed a higher ability to actually stay where it's supposed to be, which is on the o-ing and on the threads. It doesn't dry out. It doesn't migrate from the threads to the end of the battery tube where the tube contacts the light engine. It is equally easy to wipe it out with soft cloth. I can still coat retention o-rings used in McGizmo lights with my fingers to help them snap in their grooves easily.
> 
> Maybe most importantly my threads are butter smooth and I am under the impression that they actually are smoother than before :shrug:.
> 
> Who else is using a pure krytox grease instead of a blend ?



Me


----------



## DM51

Scott Packard said:


> Loctite is making a lip-balm type stick


Lip balm with Loctite in it? _Where?_ I must get some for Mrs. DM51 lol


----------



## TooManyGizmos

~

Lip balm with Loctite in it ....... makes for a lasting KISS:kiss::kiss: . 

~


----------



## DM51

... What I had in mind was a bit more peace and quiet - less  and instead just :green: lol


----------



## TooManyGizmos

~

:thumbsup: DM51 :grouphug:L.M.A. OFF 

I didn't think of that ! ..... please send me some !



~
( And you expressed it SO well ....... with Smilies ! )
~


----------



## precisionworks

> Loctite is making a lip-balm type stick



They currently offer 11 different products in stick form ... but nothing to replace ChapStick 

http://www.henkelna.com/us/content_data/LT3781.pdf

The local Bearing Headquarters had quite a bit on closeout, as it was a slow seller. $2.00 a tube, so I bought one of everything they had. Seems to work about the same as the liquid version.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

*Re: Krytox grease instead of krytox blend*



tino_ale said:


> Krytox was mentionned in another thread but didn't want to hijack the OP's subject.
> 
> I have been using Krytox since the beginning of Ti McGizmo's. I just don't like sticky lubes like Nyogel, and krytox is the best I've come across.
> 
> What I used to get is the "50/50" blend from the sandwich shoppe, but wasn't entirely satisfied by both the price and how the oil and grease would seperate in the bottle, not forming a smooth uniform substance. Even after an energic shaking I would still notice the grease partially seperated from the oil.
> 
> Then I had a chance to get a 2oz Krytox GPL206 tube for $39.
> 
> Not only it is a lot cheaper but I am actually happier with the result :shrug:. The grease is thicker than the 50/50 blend but totally smooth and remains soft as warm butter.
> 
> Since it is thicker I have noticed a higher ability to actually stay where it's supposed to be, which is on the o-ing and on the threads. It doesn't dry out. It doesn't migrate from the threads to the end of the battery tube where the tube contacts the light engine. It is equally easy to wipe it out with soft cloth. I can still coat retention o-rings used in McGizmo lights with my fingers to help them snap in their grooves easily.
> 
> Maybe most importantly my threads are butter smooth and I am under the impression that they actually are smoother than before :shrug:.
> 
> Who else is using a pure krytox grease instead of a blend ?



I use Krytox GPL203, GPL223, GPL226, and one that I can't remember the name of 



precisionworks said:


> The biggest problem with Ti is that Titanium to Titanium parts that are threaded together will "cold weld" (an extreme form of galling). This happens no matter how fine the finish on either the internal threads or the external threads, even if the threads are finished to mirror polish (about 4 Ra). The one "lubricant" I use is not a lubricant at all, but rather it's an anti-seize called CopaSlip. It contains finely ground pure copper in a grease type suspension. On all three EDC Ti lights, it works better than anything else I've tried, including the various Krytox products.
> 
> http://www.mrmoly.com/html/copaslip.html
> 
> The lowest price I've found is from this eBay seller: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Molyslip-Copaslip-Hi-temp-anti-seize-grease-lead-free-/120532800581
> 
> Works well on aluminum lights also, as well as Harley spark plugs
> *
> 
> *



I haven't seen that brand, but would the permatex copper anti-seize be similar?

If it is, I'll pick some up and give it a try, and get it added to the main list.


----------



## TranquillityBase

*Re: Krytox grease instead of krytox blend*



Tekno_Cowboy said:


> I use Krytox GPL203, GPL223, GPL226, and one that I can't remember the name of
> 
> 
> 
> I haven't seen that brand, but would the permatex copper anti-seize be similar?
> 
> If it is, I'll pick some up and give it a try, and get it added to the main list.



Zep Coopri-lube should be the same/similar (colloidal copper compound)...Most to probably all auto parts or farm supply stores will stock a CCC in tiny tubes, as well as 8oz "brush applicator" cans.


----------



## tino_ale

*Re: Krytox grease instead of krytox blend*



Tekno_Cowboy said:


> I use Krytox GPL203, GPL223, GPL226, and one that I can't remember the name of


Is there a reason why you use different grades? Noticed any difference between them ? They come in the same NLGI grade so they must be equaly thick.


----------



## wyager

Got my 10mg nyogel today-It's great! No more grinding in my quark. Also, there's a lot of gel in there! It should last me a while.....


----------



## precisionworks

> haven't seen that brand, but would the permatex copper anti-seize be similar?


Probably similar, but cannot say how well it would work. 

I started using CopaSlip because one of the tooling suppliers specifically said to coat the insert retention screws with that compound. You'd probably need to do a side by side comparison in a testing lab to see the differences.


----------



## wyager

Hey guys-I read that nyogel changes color, but does it change to grey? Because it looks to me like either the nyogel changed color to grey or there's a ton of oxidation all of a sudden....


----------



## TranquillityBase

wyager said:


> Hey guys-I read that nyogel changes color, but does it change to grey? Because it looks to me like either the nyogel changed color to grey or there's a ton of oxidation all of a sudden....


Is it a Ti light?


----------



## wyager

TranquillityBase said:


> Is it a Ti light?


Nope, my aluminum quark.


----------



## TranquillityBase

wyager said:


> Nope, my aluminum quark.


Are the threads bare aluminum or coated?


----------



## wyager

TranquillityBase said:


> Are the threads bare aluminum or coated?


Bare aluminum. That's why nano's explanation makes sense.


----------



## Nokoff

I recently picked up a tube of nyogel, huge difference in the threads...I honestly did not care which quality lube I got, I needed one and this works great for my everyday use torches.. 
Once tried wd40, I can say that didn't do well, nor work for more than a day or two..


----------



## Sparky's Magic

*Re: Lubrication*

Pharmacy grade Ethanol works brilliantly for cleaning-up. No Nyogel (?) here in Australia
but INOX PTFE Fully synthetic EP premium food grade - no melt, high temp., extreme
pressure machinery grease,highly resistant to moisture, salt, chemicals & drying (MX6)
is available and about Au.$7 a 30 gm. tube.
It is recommended for seals and O rings and is a pleasure to use: It does turn dark gray
over time and I am wondering about this.


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Out of curiosity Will, have you tried Krytox and if you have could you compare it to the Nano Oil?


----------



## fyrstormer

I use this stuff on my Ti-on-Ti threads:







Generally speaking, I've found that lubricants which re-flow on their own are best for use on threads, because threads tend to squeeze lubricants out of the way, and if it doesn't re-flow then the threads will run dry.

For brass-on-Ti, I use Tri-Flow, which is a light machine oil with micronized Teflon mixed in. The difference in hardness between the Ti and the brass means that the Ti will damage the brass if the lubricant doesn't re-flow quickly, and brass' affinity for lubrication (as compared to Ti, which hates the stuff) means that I don't need an aggressively-sticky oil like I do for Ti-on-Ti threads.

For anodized aluminum, I use wheel bearing grease, because the honeycomb-shaped oxide lattice on the aluminum retains the grease superbly well. For steel, I also use wheel bearing grease, because steel self-polishes as it wears and it doesn't seem to need a lubricant that can re-flow. In both cases I use grease because it's less messy than oil over the long-term.


----------



## TomH

The shortcut for Sil-Glyde is out of date.

The correct shortcut is:
http://www.agscompany.com/lubricants/automotive/168


----------



## etc

I use FiveMega Surefire 3P, 6P and 12P clones. I have more than on one occasion induced failure to ignite by overlubricating the tailcap threads. I use Nye Nyogel 760G. It does make them smooth but too much of it and the lite will not reliably turn on. And if it does, it will flicker. And this is with the super reliable Z41 tailcap. I thought the problem was the module that I filed, wrapped it in alum foil to no avail. 

I finally wiped all of it off the tailcap thread and now have 100% ignition.


----------



## MojaveMoon07

*toothbrushes, qtips, and microfiber cloths*

I have a Fenix L0D that, after a few months of use, is very hard to twist.

I bought some lube (Super Lube grease).

But I'm uncertain if there's a best tool for cleaning the threads since people have mentioned various kinds:
- napkin or paper towel
- no, don't use a napkin or paper towel ... use a cotton cloth
- no, don't use a napkin or paper towel ... use a microfiber cloth
- use qtips dipped in rubbing alcohol
- use a soft toothbrush (dipped in rubbing alcohol)

Will one of the other tools perform just as effectively as a cloth ?

When I read "cotton cloth" or "microfiber cloth", what comes to my mind are those expensive cloths for wiping lenses without scratching them. Is this the type of cloth that is being referred to ? Is there a particular cloth that you favor that can be inexpensively purchased at a big box store ?


----------



## MojaveMoon07

bansuri said:


> The tube I got from Ace Hardware is:
> SuperLube synthetic grease.
> Item No. 21030
> 
> 3 oz tube




My local Ace Hardware doesn't carry this item. I had brought with me to the store a printout from the Ace Hardware website where it lists _(link)_ that particular Super Lube. The employee used the item number and the manufacturer number from the printout to look up and order the product and have the product shipped to the store two days later at no extra cost to me. Plus, for whatever the reason, the store was able to order the product at a price less than the website price.


Update: It appears that Ace Hardware's website is now only selling this:

Super Lube Sportsman Kit (11520) Item no: 8138299
Kit contains .25 fl oz. oil, 1/2 oz. grease, 3 swabs & applicator cloth

But if you stop at a local Ace Hardware and give them the earlier identifying numbers for just the tube of grease _(21030) Item no: 8138307_ , then maybe that Ace Hardware store can order just the tube of grease instead of this "Sportsman Kit"


----------



## okwchin

Not sure if its been mentioned already, but how about silicone damper oil for model cars. I understand them to be a silicone oil of varying grades of viscosity used for the dampers in the model cars, but ive been using them as my silicone oil and it seems to work fine. The varying viscosities also changes the feel of the lubricant. Safest to go for the thinnest available. These are quite readily available on ebay/hobby shops that stocks parts for RC cars. Usually known under the names, damper oil, silicone oil.


----------



## jamie.91

*Winter prep, New lube *

Firstly i hope this is in the right section if not please do mave this thread 

Yesterday i was in maplin mooching around as i do and i came across this

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=346030

"Contralube 770", does anyone else use this ?

This is there website

http://www.contralube.com/index.html

Recently reading threads about winter preperation for flashlights (torches in uk lol), and finding a thin layer of ice on a handrail at night a few days ago i started thinking about doing the same myself soon, entirely accidentaly the day after i stumbled uppon contralube 770 in a maplin store, after reading the box and flyer inside the box i had to try it out.

i have no alcohol left at the moment to clean the threads of my light so i have not yet applied any but i will report back to this thread hopefully later on today after i have got some alcohol, but basicaly i am curious if anyone else uses this?

It boasts capabilities such as stopping oxides building up and removing water, here are some more
-Clear gel
-Especially for electrical contacts, many mentioned including flashlights
-Compatible with plastics
-Weatherproof
-Stop rust, vibration corrosion and general build up of oxides
-Will NOT interfere with current flow 
-Will not harm or weaken signal
-Has a UV ingredient so it can be identified on contacts
-Stops green slime build up on copper "copper deactivator"
-Stops oxide build up
-Safe for noble and non noble metals
-Service range (°C) -40 to 135 
- Also multipurpose grease
-Stops squeeks
-Reduces friction

Sounds good to me and i cant wait to try it out

C&C welcome, thanks jamie


----------



## jamie.91

*Re: Winter prep, New lube *

I Have read the grease and lube thread and I don't remember seeing this lube In particular so I felt it deserved it's own thread to see if it was good enough to be entered into the grease and lube thread


----------



## Cascade Range

Where I work we use this stuff on all our machines. When you read the spec's on this stuff does anyone see a reason why it wouldn't work on flashlight threads? Thanks.

http://www.petrolgel.com/


----------



## Bullzeyebill

*Re: Winter prep, New lube *

I am merging this with the Comprehensive Grease and Lube Thread. 

Bill


----------



## N162E

Cascade Range said:


> Where I work we use this stuff on all our machines. When you read the spec's on this stuff does anyone see a reason why it wouldn't work on flashlight threads? Thanks.
> 
> http://www.petrolgel.com/


Its a petroleum based product and may affect some O-rings. The operatve word here is "May"

I've worked in some fast food restaurants and this was the lube we used on the moving parts of the mlk shake (Taylor) machne.


----------



## Cascade Range

Fred, thanks for the reply. Yes this is what we use it for as well on all
our Duke soft serve machines. I've got a lot of different sized o-rings at 
the store as well so I just might start using the lube and if it wrecks the
stock o rings on the flashlight I will sub in some of my own that I know the 
grease won't bother.


----------



## Neo9710

Ok - I think I am out of my confusion stage now...

My light is an Olight M20 Warrior and a Fenix P2L The O-Light is my EDC and my primary work/recreation light (LEO). It sees the outdoors and Im flicking through the modes all the time. Basically, Im hard on lights. An O-ring just busted on me at the bezel and Olight is sending me some new O-rings. The light fell out of my bag and sat on the corner of the driveway for a couple of days in the rain...

Fall/Winter is around us so time to give it a tune up..If Im reading correctly - Nyogel I can use 759G/760G for threads and 779ZC for o-rings. 

OR

KRYTOX - either straight grease or the mix of 50/50 GPL101 oil and GPL201 grease for threads and o-rings..


----------



## Nero

HI! i want to share some information/thoughts about Nano-oil.
I told one of my best friends that i have purchased som Nano-oil that i intend to use on my flashlights, threadings and o-rings. My friend said that, "_sure_, _Nano-oil is a great product, but _*not* i_n flashlights"_ He claims that the nano particles will eventually get into the electronics, reflector, and the emitter. and when in there cause trouble. My friend works with all sorts of electronics, machines and similar things, including lubes and greases.I dont knoe the exact title in english but he works as a technician in a hospital. In my opinion he has great knowledge in these matters. Instead of Nano-oil he strongly recommends some sort of Silicone grease. i dont know the exact brand or type but he would give some some from his own private "stash".

Any thoughts or comments?

/Nero


----------



## DM51

Nero said:


> ... one of my best friends _..._ claims that _[nano-oil] _particles will eventually get into the electronics, reflector, and the emitter and when in there cause trouble.


There are many CPF members who use nano-oil on a regular basis, and I have never seen a report of problems such as those you describe. In fact, I use it myself. So does LuxLuthor, one of the most experienced and careful of modders here. There are many others. 

Excessive use of any product could cause problems, but that applies to all lubricants.


----------



## wquiles

Nero said:


> Any thoughts or comments?


Probably another urban myth 

Like David states above, the proof comes from countless folks here in the forums (myself included) that use Nano-Oil often. The stuff simply works, but like David also states, problems your friend (or friend of a friend) saw could easily be due to over use.

Will


----------



## Nero

DM51 said:


> There are many CPF members who use nano-oil on a regular basis, and I have never seen a report of problems such as those you describe. In fact, I use it myself. So does LuxLuthor, one of the most experienced and careful of modders here. There are many others.
> 
> Excessive use of any product could cause problems, but that applies to all lubricants.



I know the stuff works, based on what everyone says. But my friend meant that after some time of using, these problems may occure. the problems will come because the Nano-oil is an agressive oil. and Beacuse Nano particles are so small, they will find there way into almost everything.

wquiles: you mention Nanolube. what is the difference?

Thanks / Nero


----------



## wquiles

Nero said:


> I know the stuff works, based on what everyone says. But my friend meant that after some time of using, these problems may occure. the problems will come because the Nano-oil is an agressive oil. and Beacuse Nano particles are so small, they will find there way into almost everything.
> 
> wquiles: you mention Nanolube. what is the difference?
> 
> Thanks / Nero



Just a typo on my side - sorry 

Back on topic: The Nano-Oil has been in use here for a couple of years, so I would still say that your friend is telling you is an isolated incident, again most likely due to over use.


----------



## wyager

Yeah, your friend has no idea what he's talking about I think... The nano-particles aren't gonna go drifting around into the lens area, and even if they were there you wouldn't notice them.


----------



## Nero

Hi again! Yesterday i e-mailed Henry at HDS. I wanted his opinion since my High CRI Clicky is my favorite light, and i know that most of us have great respect for him and his work.
He wrote:
Quote: 

First mail: 

_Moderation:
Emails removed_

Silicone grease is probably what i will use instead.

/ Nero


----------



## wyager

Nero, what did he say (summarized)? The email is gone...


----------



## Nero

wyager said:


> Nero, what did he say (summarized)? The email is gone...



Well. I'm a newbie. I didn't know that it is not allowed to quote mails , maybe i missed it in the rules..... sorry!
To sum up what he said. Nano-oil contains nanosized diamonds. It will embed in a surface made of aluminium. And insulate the threads. It is terrible for soft materials like aluminium , but great for hard like stainless steel.
The main advice: Don't use Nano-oil, at least not on HDS Lights.

/Nero


----------



## wyager

Really! I thought it was nanoparticles of PTFE (teflon). Diamonds, huh? Guess I'll stick to nyogel for my aluminum stuff.


----------



## Buck91

Never used Nano Oil so I don't want to bad mouth it but I don't like the concept of relying on small particulate for "lubrication." Granted, Molybdenum functions quite well in that manner for many applications...


----------



## DM51

Nero said:


> I didn't know that it is not allowed to quote mails , maybe i missed it in the rules.... sorry!


Rule 12.



Nero said:


> Nano-oil contains nanosized diamonds. It will embed in a surface made of aluminium. And insulate the threads. It is terrible for soft materials like aluminium , but great for hard like stainless steel.


That information is incorrect. There are 3 forms that carbon molecules can take: diamond, graphite and buckminster-fullerene (bucky-balls). Diamond is abrasive; the other 2 are not. Nano-oil contains #3, IIRC.


----------



## Nero

DM51 said:


> Rule 12.
> 
> That information is incorrect. There are 3 forms that carbon molecules can take: diamond, graphite and buckminster-fullerene (bucky-balls). Diamond is abrasive; the other 2 are not. Nano-oil contains #3, IIRC.



Ok. Thanks for that DM51. What can i say. Different information from different people.Maybe i should just mail Nano-oil. But I'm probably gonna stick with some form of silicone grease anyway.

/Nero


----------



## Nero

Hey! i just got "Enlightened"


----------



## dealgrabber2002

*[Advertising deleted]*


----------



## enforcer

*How often is lubricant needed to be used on flashlight threads?*

I've got a Nitecore D20 flashlight, that I've had just over a year. And was wondering how often should you use lubricant on the threads?



I heard NyoGel is a decent brand to use and how much is needed? 



It says only very tiny amount needed. So do you just apply a very tiny amount around where the o-ring is? or the entire flashlight thread?


----------



## intervivos

*Re: How often is lubricant needed to be used on flashlight threads?*

I would lube the threads when they feel like they need lube, or after seeing extreme conditions such as sand/salt water. You don't need a lot of lube, just a dab on the threads and I usually coat any o-rings as well. 

I cannot speak as to the quality of nyogel, I have never used it. One big thing is to make sure the grease is o-ring safe. I use a product called Slick Honey as I keep a stock of it for my bicycles. It is good stuff, use it on everything. Link to Specs page:

http://www.slickhoneyusa.com/specs.html


----------



## DM51

*Re: How often is lubricant needed to be used on flashlight threads?*

We already have a comprehensive thread on this topic, so I'll merge your thread into it.


----------



## DM51

*Re: How often is lubricant needed to be used on flashlight threads?*



(Name deleted to spare him embarrassment) said:


> ive used anhydrous wool fat to overcome bad threads. it works good but its thick . just mentioning it for general interest
> 
> also ive only seen 1 torch where petroleum product stuffed the oring. most orings are resistant.


The post quoted here ^ was posted today. It is reproduced here as an example of the kind of misleading nonsense we do *NOT* want to see in this thread.


----------



## srfreddy

*Re: How often is lubricant needed to be used on flashlight threads?*



DM51 said:


> The post quoted here ^ was posted today. It is reproduced here as an example of the kind of misleading nonsense we do *NOT* want to see in this thread.


 
It is true that many orings are safe for use with the petroleum distillates.


----------



## DM51

*Re: How often is lubricant needed to be used on flashlight threads?*



srfreddy said:


> It is true that many orings are safe for use with the petroleum distillates.


We know that. The problem is, some are not. The purpose of this thread is to point to lubricants which are safe for *ALL* O-rings, not just some of them. 

Some users (Firefighters, the Military, Scuba divers and others) need to rely on their lights not to let them down. If you were a diver on a night dive, and an O-ring on your light failed at depth causing it to flood and go out, what would you think of the person who had given you bad advice on how to lube it?


----------



## KiwiMark

*Re: How often is lubricant needed to be used on flashlight threads?*



DM51 said:


> We know that. The problem is, some are not. The purpose of this thread is to point to lubricants which are safe for *ALL* O-rings, not just some of them.


 
Indeed, even the poster that you quoted had "seen 1 torch where petroleum product stuffed the oring" which shows that petroleum products WILL damage SOME o-rings. So I tend to use a safer lube like krytox.


----------



## beerwax

*general*

orings 
visited my local store that has a supply of orings. i enquired' do you have any orings that are not petroleum resistant'. no. 'can you get any please?' he said why ? maybe ? id have to see the rep .. no ones ever wanted them before.

how much does an oring cost ? torch size aa torch maybe 50 cents for 1 ,larger still 50 cents. something the size of a maglite d cell lens 1 dollar. if i bought 1000 it would be a lot cheaper. i have no way of knowing if petroleum sensitive ones are significantly cheaper but i dont see much room to move, so they are not going to end up in many torchs. 

if you do get one that reacts the common reaction is it swells making the torch head harder to turn. probably not leading to leaks. 

anyone with a critical application oring has to seek manufacturur advice on what lube to use on their oring. as there are many and custom oring materials and metals they are mounted on and environments they are used in. 

threads 

a good thread does not need a high calibre lubricant, its not a bearing spinning at 1000 rpm for hours.
fussy people (me) with a bad thread (rough) will use expensive and exotic lubes to try and smooth that out, but thats just for satisfaction, not function. 
and we will do the same just for perfections sake. 
most threads do benefit from corrosion protection.


i really didnt want to post here but noobs and non technical people are going to read this thread and come away convinced that they need a specialised and often expensive or even unobtainable lube just for their flashlight which just isnt true. most people will already have something at home that will perform perfectly satisfactorily in a flashlight. 

personally i love the thread as it showed me krytox. thanks technocowboy

cheers


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

*Re: general*

a Scuba Diving Shop is an excellent place to find O-Rings, and not only they are selling the small diameters + cross sections but also the much larger one possibly suited for your flashlights.

If asked, I could post the chart + specs on my website, I put such together in the 1990's when I had StClaire Diving Products, 

a penny for your thoughts & blessing from admin needed.

If there is a dive shop near you, you could visit, it is always a friendly environment + you can count/expect:
1- to find Buna-N also known as Nitrile Viton + PolyUrethane generally misnamed in scuba as silicone O-Rings
the viton + PolyUrethane will be in limited sizing but for the Buna-N, usually any dive shop carries a large selection. 

2- a chart with real representation of the sizing in real industrial numbers example: 014 112 214 311 
(the first digit is for a given cross section so 0 of 014 1 of 112 is a fatter O-Ring & so forth, you get the picture )

My experience with hardware stores: they is absolutely no data on the polymer type (they call it rubber)
+ their part numbers do not reflect any industrial conventional sizing.

Glad to see CandlePowerForums back & running


----------



## Throwjunkie

*Re: general*

Just in case some folks are having trouble finding a source. A good source for Super O lube is colliflower Hydraulics they have both types for rubber and Nitrile orings. They are a parker store the maker of super O Lube The stuff is great I use it nearly every day for work, if your unsure what type orings you have visit there store and exchange out for the orings of one type Nitrile or rubber, that way you know what O Lube to get. I have several of there Oring kits so I dont need to visit the store every time I buy a new Light.


Joe


----------



## DM51

*Re: general*

There's been mention in a few posts of expensive vs. economy-price lubes, and I would just make a point on this: for flashlight uses, only a very small amount is required, and in most cases it lasts a fair time before it needs renewing. Even using a top-quality lube like Krytox or Nano-Oil is not going to be expensive. You are likely to spend more $$ on your electicity bill for recharging your batteries!


----------



## compasillo

*Re: general*

That's a big true.
I got a 10w 8cc Nano Oil tube over a year ago and is still more than half
after lubing a fair amount of flashlights.
Get the best lube. There's no point about economy on this matter.


----------



## Bullzeyebill

Changing this thread back to original title, Re: Comprehensive Grease and Lube Thread.

Bill


----------



## teacher

Back again after having to re-register. 
Great info in this thread to the newbie such as myself.
Thanks to all.

Is super lube grease safe for all O-ring compositions?

Thanks in advance..... :thumbsup:


----------



## Dry-cell

Just so you know, I haven't read all pages of this thread as I just found it.

I just bought two tubes of Nano-oil, 10Wt, 8cc for flashlight maintenance. I read some info on flashlight maintenance over @ the Dark Sucks website. I had just purchased a new Olight T25-T R5 in early March and had unscrewed the tail cap a few times since. It seems a bit gritty now and not smooth as the first few times using it. It hasn't even left the house yet and I've hardly used it, is this normal?, I didn't get it dirty at all.

Do you guys clean the threads with alcohol or Windex, then lube the threads and O-rings when you first get them?.

How do I properly use the Nano-oil without wasting it?. Just use a drop or two on the threads, then use a small thin paintbrush to evenly spread the oil?.

I'm going to wait for the Nano-oil to arrive before I use the light again. I should have my second light by that time also, the Klarus ST10.

I don't plan on removing the head of the flashlight, so I shouldn't have to clean and oil the threads for it, correct?.


----------



## Dry-cell

I was considering buying some form of lubrication for my new flashlights but I didn't know which one to choose. I ended up reading a DarkSucks thread on CPF which led to visiting Jason's website. He recommends this oil for both the threads and O-rings. He makes and sells flashlights so I tended to trust him. I then looked for the Nano-oil website and purchased 2 tubes (more than I'll ever need). 

Both of the flashlights (one I have and one that will be coming) are aluminum. Should I be concerned about using Nano-oil with this type of metal?. The threads for the head of the flashlight's are not anodized but should be good enough, yes?. I don't plan on taking the head off anyway.

I wasn't aware of the any heath hazards regarding Nano-oil until after purchasing. Any new findings?.

*Taken from the Nano-oil by St. Claire FAQ*

is Nano-Oil TM by StClaire suitable for all types of metals ? yes, Stainless, Titanium, Brass, Aluminum etc. it will reduce friction on all metal to metal dynamic contacts it will also perform very well on Polymer to Metal moving parts.


----------



## CBGB

Following Teacher's question, above, about whether Super-Lube is safe for all O-Rings, is there any reason not to use it?

I see from the original list of "Very Good" lubricants, we have these choices:


> *Very Good Lubes*
> Nyogel
> Super-Lube
> NO-OX-ID
> Krytox (and re-brands, including Finish Line Extreme Fluoro)
> Nano-Oil



Super-Lube is the cheapest of the bunch, and it's readily available. Finish Line Extreme Flouro is close in price, but the rest are far more costly. I'm willing to pay more for a good result, but given that they're all on the same list, will Super-Lube do the job well enough?


----------



## Kokopelli

*About FL lubrication*

After having lots of flashlights in the past few months I've seen some of them could have been treated better by lubricating the threads and o-rings. All the lubrication threads seem to be left far in the past so I needed to bring the topic back a little. 

I tried *NexTorch's silicone grease* sold in many HK shop at first but it gave a more gritty feeling, dried and stiffened the threads even more. Secondly, I tried some *PTFE based lubricant* as it was said to be rubber safe and it improved a bit. Then I realized that I had *Ballistol General Purpose* "Non-Toxic" Oil sold for mainly firearms maintenance. I tried them on a few lights and they were much more better and smooth. I had read Ballistol was mildly alkaline to help neutralizing the acidic pollutants. As aluminum can react both with alkalines and acids this issue was discussed for Ballistol and it was said to be so mild to react with aluminum so I felt safe. 

To confirm this, has anyone used Ballistol for a longer period and seen adverse effects on bare aluminum or o-rings?


----------



## TyJo

A while ago I was looking for a good lube for my lights and I found Super-Lube Synthetic Grease. Thank you N162E for the recommendation, this is the best stuff I have used and I use it on all of my lights (to be fair I haven't tried many due to cost or lack of availability). I tried the Super-Lube in the aerosol and that didn't work well, get the grease that is in a tube.


----------



## N162E

TyJo said:


> A while ago I was looking for a good lube for my lights and I found Super-Lube Synthetic Grease. Thank you N162E for the recommendation, this is the best stuff I have used and I use it on all of my lights (to be fair I haven't tried many due to cost or lack of availability). I tried the Super-Lube in the aerosol and that didn't work well, get the grease that is in a tube.


Glad to hear its working out for you. I was using it on Mag-Lights before CPF existed. You'll find a lot of uses for it over time.


----------



## Dry-cell

Would these 6" wooden cotton swabs be good for cleaning flashlight threads, or are there better ones?. I need to be able to order from Canada without insane shipping costs.


----------



## TyJo

Dry-cell said:


> Would these 6" wooden cotton swabs be good for cleaning flashlight threads, or are there better ones?. I need to be able to order from Canada without insane shipping costs.


 I cut up old t shirts and use them as cloths. I also got these cleaning sticks at countycomm.com but their site is down for maintenance. They work pretty good, with or without using a cloth on them. I worry about cotton swabs leaving fibers behind on the threads.


----------



## lyklyk616

I really should start cleaning mine now !


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

lyklyk616 said:


> I really should start cleaning mine now !



You might aswell start with the best, easiest way I can think of,
1- remove your O-ring
2- use an old tooth brush & dip in alcohol, Cognac could do if nothing else is available, LOL but true.
3- air dry or blow compressed air if you have.
4- lubricate the threads firstly and O-ring grove with the lube of your choice.
5- inspect the O-ring for cracks and or abrasive marks replace if necessary, than lubricate to cover cross section and circumference with a thin film, 
too much will only attract dust, sand, lint etc.
6- place O-ring back in its groove.

You are done, 
Sounds like a lot of steps but there is nothing to it,
If you have many lights, just line them up and work on them on same time.

If you use cloth to wipe, use polyester, cotton fiber would catch on thread burrs and leave more short filaments behind. 
Have fun doing it.


----------



## bleagh

AHHHHH!
This thread is VERY confusing and frustrating!


----------



## TyJo

bleagh said:


> AHHHHH!
> This thread is VERY confusing and frustrating!


 Post what is confusing and frustrating you, in the form of a question, and I am sure someone can help.


----------



## bleagh

TyJo said:


> Post what is confusing and frustrating you, in the form of a question, and I am sure someone can help.


 
Ok ok, but first a small gripe!

To start with I don't like how this thread is done. Basically all lubing topics or such are pushed to this thread. Then people are further 'pushed' to the first post. And some here don't agree with the ratings in the first post, which means they are clearly somewhat biased. Now I have NOTHING at all against TC, and I'm not even trying to suggest he has done anything but a good job. I just don't understand why the cpf mods basiclly push his opinions more than others.

Now I don't think this is what was intended, but it is the net effect nevertheless.

For example, several have stated that they don't like Nyogel as good as a couple of the other lubes. Yet Nyogel is the first lube listed on the top group of lubes. Another example, some seem to like a Mobile1 product, yet it is not mentioned in the first post at all...???

Okay, I know nothing is perfect in this world, and this is currently the system we have. But I don't like it all the much...

Or just leave things be, and I'll just have to adjust! 

Now the most confusing and frustrating part of this whole thread has to do with Nano-Oil. It seems that most that use it actually quite like it. But there are some that will not use it, BUT THEY ALSO WILL NOT GIVE A REASON! One even went so far as to say he has a good reason not to use it on flashlights, but again he WILL NOT STATE THIS REASON! Without giving the reason, the comment is meaningless and pointless!

Nyogel is another that is quite confusing. Some are saying that it causes thread wear. A few others say it doesnt cause thread wear, but that it just looks dirty because it changes colors as it oxidzes...???

Lastly (for now anyway), it seems that most of the lubes are better for some conditions (such as thread and material types) and not as good for other conditions. Yet very little of this info has made it into the first post. This is quit a large thread, and digging thru it to find such info is quite frustrating...


----------



## KiwiMark

bleagh said:


> To start with I don't like how this thread is done. Basically all lubing topics or such are pushed to this thread.


 
I'm not too sure that 157 threads on what lube to use would be so much easier for you - or anyone on these forums for that matter.


----------



## TyJo

KiwiMark said:


> I'm not too sure that 157 threads on what lube to use would be so much easier for you - or anyone on these forums for that matter.


 This is true.


bleagh said:


> Ok ok, but first a small gripe!
> 
> To start with I don't like how this thread is done. Basically all lubing topics or such are pushed to this thread. Then people are further 'pushed' to the first post. And some here don't agree with the ratings in the first post, which means they are clearly somewhat biased. Now I have NOTHING at all against TC, and I'm not even trying to suggest he has done anything but a good job. I just don't understand why the cpf mods basiclly push his opinions more than others.
> 
> Now I don't think this is what was intended, but it is the net effect nevertheless.
> 
> For example, several have stated that they don't like Nyogel as good as a couple of the other lubes. Yet Nyogel is the first lube listed on the top group of lubes. Another example, some seem to like a Mobile1 product, yet it is not mentioned in the first post at all...???
> 
> Okay, I know nothing is perfect in this world, and this is currently the system we have. But I don't like it all the much...
> 
> Or just leave things be, and I'll just have to adjust!
> 
> Now the most confusing and frustrating part of this whole thread has to do with Nano-Oil. It seems that most that use it actually quite like it. But there are some that will not use it, BUT THEY ALSO WILL NOT GIVE A REASON! One even went so far as to say he has a good reason not to use it on flashlights, but again he WILL NOT STATE THIS REASON! Without giving the reason, the comment is meaningless and pointless!
> 
> Nyogel is another that is quite confusing. Some are saying that it causes thread wear. A few others say it doesnt cause thread wear, but that it just looks dirty because it changes colors as it oxidzes...???
> 
> Lastly (for now anyway), it seems that most of the lubes are better for some conditions (such as thread and material types) and not as good for other conditions. Yet very little of this info has made it into the first post. This is quit a large thread, and digging thru it to find such info is quite frustrating...


This thread is opinionated and subjective with facts and personal experiences sprinkled in... as is every thread on CPF (which is why it is fun, its a discussion). I use Super-lube (get the stuff in the tube, not the aerosol) and have not had any problems and recommend it, and its cheap.


----------



## smflorkey

bleagh said:


> I don't like how this thread is done. Basically all lubing topics or such are pushed to this thread. Then people are further 'pushed' to the first post. And some here don't agree with the ratings in the first post, which means they are clearly somewhat biased. Now I have NOTHING at all against TC, and I'm not even trying to suggest he has done anything but a good job. I just don't understand why the cpf mods basiclly push his opinions more than others.
> 
> Now I don't think this is what was intended, but it is the net effect nevertheless.


IMHO, the CPF mods refer lube questions to this thread so you won't have to search 200 different threads for the information you want.



> For example, several have stated that they don't like Nyogel as good as a couple of the other lubes. Yet Nyogel is the first lube listed on the top group of lubes. Another example, some seem to like a Mobile1 product, yet it is not mentioned in the first post at all.


It looks like you have spent the effort to read most of this thread. That is commendable. Have you considered adding a page to the CPF Wiki about lubricants, organized in a way that makes sense to you? The knowledge is fairly fresh in your mind right now. A presentation that makes more sense to you will probably make more sense to someone else, too. I agree that it's a little tedious to search the thread for the details I want, and I may not find the dissenting opinion which may fit my use better. Try it. Odds are, some others will like it (and some will not; that's life).


----------



## shao.fu.tzer

I would just buy the cheapest dielectric silicone grease I could find from the hardware store. I seriously doubt nano-oil or nyogel or whatever has any real-life advantages over just plain silicone... Just like I'm having a hard time buying into De-Oxit... Why not 99% pure Isopropyl or pure acetone to clean your contacts? It's so much cheaper and seems to do the same job... Somebody correct me if I'm far off base on this one...

Shao


----------



## QtrHorse

It may not be worth the price to some but the Nano-Oil has made the thread contact so much smoother than any other lubricant/ grease I have used with no damage to the o-rings. 



shao.fu.tzer said:


> I would just buy the cheapest dielectric silicone grease I could find from the hardware store. I seriously doubt nano-oil or nyogel or whatever has any real-life advantages over just plain silicone... Just like I'm having a hard time buying into De-Oxit... Why not 99% pure Isopropyl or pure acetone to clean your contacts? It's so much cheaper and seems to do the same job... Somebody correct me if I'm far off base on this one...
> 
> Shao


----------



## JML

*Titanium Lube*

I couldn't easily find a clear statement about this in this long thread, but for titanium lights, a great lube was "DuPont Teflon® Bearing Grease," which has been discontinued under that name but can now be purchased as "Finish Line Extreme Fluoro Grease." The stuff is apparently pure Krytox grease from DuPont - it was (and is) packaged for bicycle use, and is available fairly widely and at a decent price when compared to the prices of the same stuff sole in industrial packaging.

I've found it to be, for this purpose, superior to SuperLube, antiseize, lanolin-based lubes, Nyogel, and ceramic (boron) greases.


----------



## mrlysle

*Re: Titanium Lube*

One little addition to the discussion. I've found that microfiber cloths, (you can get them just about anywhere now) are really nice for cleaning my lights. I use 91% isopropyl alcohol, (get mine at Walmart) I keep one for cleaning the threads of old and dirty lube, (this is where the microfiber cloths work really well), and another one for cleaning springs, contacts, even the lens of fingerprints and such. All the auto parts stores sell them, sometimes a 3 pack or even a 10 pack. They're not very expensive and are great for stuff like your lights. I have some that are way more expensive for working on my cars, and they were bought specifically for detailing, etc. But the kind they sell at Walmart, or Target, or the auto parts stores are cheaper and work very well for flashlight maintenance. When you feel they're dirty, throw 'em in the washer with your jeans! Should last you for years, and they treat your lights a little better than some materials would.


----------



## TyJo

*Re: Titanium Lube*



mrlysle said:


> One little addition to the discussion. I've found that microfiber cloths, (you can get them just about anywhere now) are really nice for cleaning my lights. I use 91% isopropyl alcohol, (get mine at Walmart) I keep one for cleaning the threads of old and dirty lube, (this is where the microfiber cloths work really well), and another one for cleaning springs, contacts, even the lens of fingerprints and such. All the auto parts stores sell them, sometimes a 3 pack or even a 10 pack. They're not very expensive and are great for stuff like your lights. I have some that are way more expensive for working on my cars, and they were bought specifically for detailing, etc. But the kind they sell at Walmart, or Target, or the auto parts stores are cheaper and work very well for flashlight maintenance. When you feel they're dirty, throw 'em in the washer with your jeans! Should last you for years, and they treat your lights a little better than some materials would.


I use the 91% alcohol from walmart too and these cleaning sticks. I use old t shirts that I cut up in tiny rags and wash them with my laundry. I also was going to try some microfiber towels I had the next time I cleaned my lights. I use Super-lube grease when I am done cleaning them.


----------



## ibu

*Material of the o-ring of headlamps of Spark and Zebralight*

I asked at Spark Technology of which material the o-ring is made, they use in the ST5 series?

Their answer: silicone rubber

When I understood this thread correctly, I can use any petroleum based lube for my lamp, right?

I do not like to buy any new lube (not because the small amount), but I prefer to use one I still own.
Petroleum jelly is existent in the household.

Second question, because at the end of the year I will buy a Zebralight ZL502w:

I asked the same question about the o-ring.
ZL answered "The o-ring is made of NBR (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrile_rubber)".

When I understand it correctly I cant't use petroleum jelly with that type of petroleum based o-ring.

I have to use any silicon based lube, right?


----------



## N162E

*Re: Material of the o-ring of headlamps of Spark and Zebralight*



ibu said:


> I asked at Spark Technology of which material the o-ring is made, they use in the ST5 series?
> 
> Their answer: silicone rubber
> 
> When I understood this thread correctly, I can use any petroleum based lube for my lamp, right?
> 
> I do not like to buy any new lube (not because the small amount), but I prefer to use one I still own.
> Petroleum jelly is existent in the household.
> 
> Second question, because at the end of the year I will buy a Zebralight ZL502w:
> 
> I asked the same question about the o-ring.
> ZL answered "The o-ring is made of NBR (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrile_rubber)".
> 
> When I understand it correctly I cant't use petroleum jelly with that type of petroleum based o-ring.
> 
> I have to use any silicon based lube, right?


Petroleum Jelly is OK on Silicone O-ring, not sure about the NBR ring. A better solution for you would be to pick up a tube of "Super Lube" PTFE based lube. Super Lube will work well on all your rings, is cheap and does not seem to get as dirty and gummy as petroleum jelly. I understand you want to use what you have in house but, I think you would be really happy with the Super Lube and probably never reach for the Vaseline again.

On second read I see you are in Germany. If it is not available locally to you try to find an equivalent PTFE based lube. This is the product you want http://www.super-lube.com/greases-synthetic-multipurpose-grease-c-4_9.htm If not available locally they may ship to you.


----------



## ibu

*Re: Material of the o-ring of headlamps of Spark and Zebralight*

@N162E
Thanks for your advice.

OK: with a PTFE based lube I'm on the safe side for all o-rings I ever get in contact. Sounds good.
Shipping from USA to Germany is typically very expensive. I will try to find a PTFE lube locally.

I have one lube which is intended to use on sanitary armatures. But on the package are no hints about the components. I will try to check it out.


----------



## Rudi

QtrHorse said:


> It may not be worth the price to some but the Nano-Oil has made the thread contact so much smoother than any other lubricant/ grease I have used with no damage to the o-rings.


 
Nano oil is great! Not only does it smooth out my flashlahts' threads, but in my 1970 BMW 2002's engine, transmission and differential it improved fuel mileage by 15%, so it paid for itself after 5,500 miles. Who says it is expensive?


----------



## labmanone

can anybody tell me the most popular viscosity of krytox that is used most for flashlights.


----------



## fyrstormer

Buy the Krytox 50/50 from the Sandwich Shoppe. It's pre-mixed to be the right viscosity.

REGARDING CLEANING THREADS: With all the different lubes people are trying, just rubbing the threads with cotton swabs or T-shirts isn't enough. If I can completely disassemble a new light, I'll wash the casing with a toothbrush and blue Dawn dish detergent, which has the most powerful detergent of any dish soap on the market. If I can't completely disassemble it, I clean the threads by spraying them with CRC Mass Airflow Sensor Cleaner from the auto parts store. It's a powerful, fast-evaporating, plastic-safe solvent that will strip any lube off anything you spray it on. (it will even remove your skin oil, so wear gloves.) It's not the greatest for the environment, but one can of the stuff will give several flashlights a good initial cleaning, and after that you can use whatever lube you want without worrying about chemical incompatibility between old lube residues.


----------



## fyrstormer

Rudi said:


> Nano oil is great! Not only does it smooth out my flashlahts' threads, but in my 1970 BMW 2002's engine, transmission and differential it improved fuel mileage by 15%, so it paid for itself after 5,500 miles. Who says it is expensive?


You're not supposed to use friction modifiers in transmissions, automatic or manual. Both kinds of transmissions require a certain amount of friction between parts in order to smoothly change gears. Also, some newer oils will damage the brass parts in manual transmissions, because the exposed sulfur ions on the ends of the oil molecules will attack the copper in the brass parts, forming copper sulfate that falls off the parts and builds up in the oil pan.


----------



## Overclocker

*Switch lubrication*

Is it a good idea to lubricate the insides of the switch of a new light?

Would this improve the life and reliability of the switch?

I was thinking of squirting a tiny bit of Super-Lube in there.


----------



## TyJo

*Re: Switch lubrication*



Overclocker said:


> Is it a good idea to lubricate the insides of the switch of a new light?
> 
> Would this improve the life and reliability of the switch?
> 
> I was thinking of squirting a tiny bit of Super-Lube in there.


I wouldn't do it. Seems like it would cause more problems then good to me.


----------



## yliu

*Re: Switch lubrication*

I found some sort of spray that you use in cars, it states that it has silicone in it, and it reduces friction of parts in the car (I guess dashboard). 

I've been using that on some of my torches for a month or so, and it works great! It also smells good!


----------



## Overclocker

*Re: Switch lubrication*



yliu said:


> I found some sort of spray that you use in cars, it states that it has silicone in it, and it reduces friction of parts in the car (I guess dashboard).
> 
> I've been using that on some of my torches for a month or so, and it works great! It also smells good!


 

silicone is bad for switches. under certain conditions they form oxides that cause switches to fail so that's a definite no no


----------



## Overclocker

how about this:

Hot Linked image removed. Please host images on imageshack or similar.
The product pictured was Electrolube CG60 - Norm

Extends switch lifetime
Optimal mechanical resistance
Reduces electrical background noise
Excellent plastics compatibility (even with ABS/PC) although testing is always advised.
Wide temperature range
Contains a UV trace to allow easy inspection


----------



## jhc37013

I used Nyogel for a long time but now since I have been using Super-Lube I like it so much better, to me Superlube feels smoother on things you need to rotate like bezel twisters. 

Another lube I like better than Nyogel is Eagletac Silicon lube, the lube first came to me when Eagletac use to send a small container out with certain models of there light's but now at at least one dealer you can buy those small containers. The containers are great because I like to use those small hobby paint brushes to apply my lube and you can simply dip the brush into the container getting the exact amount out you need. 

Those containers are also good once empty to dump other lube in like Super-Lube, just take the Eagletac logo off so not to get them mixed up.


----------



## N162E

jhc37013 said:


> I used Nyogel for a long time but now since I have been using Super-Lube I like it so much better, to me Superlube feels smoother on things you need to rotate like bezel twisters.


+1 I always thought Nyogel was way over rated.


----------



## elite trinidad protection

Guys, I purchased a JETBEAM RRT-0- R5 Last month in Canada. The light came with transparent o rings, Aren't Jetbeams usually come with Red ones. What material are they made of ??

What do ya'll think about the Jetbeam Grease ?????


----------



## Lightfoot98

*Re: How often is lubricant needed to be used on flashlight threads?*



DM51 said:


> The post quoted here ^ was posted today. It is reproduced here as an example of the kind of misleading nonsense we do *NOT* want to see in this thread.


 
Another word for the wool fat is "Lanolin"

A waxy Grease

Some grades are used as lubricants


Just thought I'd clarify.


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

elite trinidad protection said:


> Guys, I purchased a JETBEAM RRT-0- R5 Last month in Canada. The light came with transparent o rings, Aren't Jetbeams usually come with Red ones. What material are they made of ??
> 
> What do ya'll think about the Jetbeam Grease ?????


Hello elite trinidad protection,

A transparent O-ring is almost certainly a Poly Urethane, often misnamed as Silicone in the diving industry.
Transparent also means the polymer is not cross linked, cross linking make those almost indestructible but very expensive comparatively.


----------



## jalal20

I just ordered the micro and metal pen from nano-oil which is my first lubricant order after thoroughly reading through this thread and deciding on the best combination of lubricant and good shipping which lead me there, 

I'll be getting back here with my impressions after I test it on my Ti Quark Mini and Fenix TK35 (first 2 and definitely not last in my yet to become larger collection  )


----------



## aimxplode

*Flashlights with a magnetic selector ring *

I have an RRT-0 with a magnetic selector ring and I wanted to know if there is a way to re-lubricate the ring. I noticed when I submerge my light in water, after I take it out and leave it laying for a while, dried up lubricant can be seen around the edges of the ring. 

If my light keeps going underwater, will it wash away all the ring's lubrication? Does anyone know how I can re lubricate it if necessary?

thanks!

Tread Merged - Norm


----------



## monster54

*Lubricating O-Rings?*

Thread merged - Norm

Hey guys,

So I read somewhere that it is good to lubricate the O-rings on flashlights from time to time to prevent it from wearing out. I did a little research on what kind of lube to use and found that silicone oil is good to maintain O-rings and it also helps waterproof. So I went out and bought some silicone oil spray from a local Auto Zone and applied a thin layer of the oil on the O-ring/threads of my Thrunite Catapult V3.

As I was tightening the 3 areas on the body (connections from head to extension, extension to body, and body to tail cap), I noticed some gritty, sandy almost, friction. Also, those areas became very difficult to fully tighten all the way. I took the body apart again to see what was obstructing the thread to fully tighten and I saw that the O-rings were getting in the way. Also, a top thin layer of the O-rings were getting stripped and started peeling off.

Does anyone know if I wasn't suppose to use this type of oil? It almost smells like WD-40 and on the label it reads, "Protects and lubricates metal and non-metal material. Helps waterproof."

Should I even be lubricating the O-rings at all?


----------



## nbp

*Re: Lubricating O-Rings?*

Comprehensive Lube and Grease thread...


----------



## treek13

*Re: Lubricating O-Rings?*

Check out the Comprehensive Grease and Lube Thread.

Edit: Missed it by that much.


----------



## monster54

*Re: Lubricating O-Rings?*

FML.. what a noob. Couldn't find any threads like this when i tried to research. Well.. I guess now I know. Thanks a lot guys.


----------



## yliu

Silicone lube should work fine unless the O-rings are silicone too. 

I am using silicone lubes in all my lights


----------



## DutyLight

*Re: Lubricating O-Rings?*

I use white lithium grease on the threads and o-ring on my Klarus XT10. If your in a pinch and don't have grease, use some dish soap so the o-ring glides on easily and doesn't tear.


----------



## tam17

yliu said:


> Silicone lube should work fine unless the O-rings are silicone too.


 
True, but silicone spray from a car store contains also a propellant and solvent (and who knows what else). Maybe that's what messed up the O-rings. I let the volatile stuff evaporate first (at least 10mins) in a spray can cap before applying the oil.

Silicone grease works much better, at least with flashlights I have.

Cheers,

Tam


----------



## monster54

jhc37013 said:


> I used Nyogel for a long time but now since I have been using Super-Lube I like it so much better, to me Superlube feels smoother on things you need to rotate like bezel twisters.


 
Seems like Super-Lube sounds legit. Can you post a link where you can order it? Does it work well for both O rings and threads?


----------



## TyJo

monster54 said:


> Seems like Super-Lube sounds legit. Can you post a link where you can order it? Does it work well for both O rings and threads?


Super-Lube is the best stuff I have used. It works great on all my O rings and threads. I have had the silicone spray lube stuff mess up my 4sevens O rings. I have bought super-lube from Harbor Freight Tools and ACE hardware. Make sure you get the stuff in the tube, and not the stuff in the spray can. Here is a link for Amazon.


----------



## monster54

TyJo said:


> Super-Lube is the best stuff I have used. It works great on all my O rings and threads. I have had the silicone spray lube stuff mess up my 4sevens O rings. I have bought super-lube from Harbor Freight Tools and ACE hardware. Make sure you get the stuff in the tube, and not the stuff in the spray can. Here is a link for Amazon.


 
Sounds good. I ordered some NyoGel from Lighthound yesterday, but I just ordered a tube of Super-Lube from Amazon anyways. Guess I can test them both out, see which one I like better, and give the other one away to a friend (I recently got him into flashlights




). Thanks TyJo.


----------



## N162E

monster54 said:


> Seems like Super-Lube sounds legit. Can you post a link where you can order it? Does it work well for both O rings and threads?


Super Lube works good on just about anything. Its pretty available at hardware stores, hobby shops, craft stores and tool supply stores. I see it at Ace hardware on a card along with a tube of Superlube oil. I have a tube I bought at Radio Shack (Lube Gel) twelve years or so ago still about half full.


----------



## varuscelli

monster54 said:


> Seems like Super-Lube sounds legit. Can you post a link where you can order it?


 
I picked up a tube of Super Lube at one of my local hardware stores -- Kemah Hardware (Texas), in my case...price tag of $4.79 before tax for the 3 oz. tube.


----------



## tsl

I have a SF U2 which has a fairly stiff selector ring. There is an o-ring underneath the selector ring which I really can't get to as the selector ring is not easily removed. 

My guess is that SF used Nyogel to lube the o-ring. While I know that the best solution would be to take the selector ring off, clean, and re-lube, I am not going to force the selector ring off.

I can use some Nyogel 760G and try to work it down into the selector ring. However, my preference would be to use Krytox as the lube.

Is there any issue in using Krytox on something that still has Nyogel on it?


----------



## Leif24

I also like Super-Lube and have been using it on everything since I picked a tube up at ACE Hardware.


----------



## ico

what king of O-ring does fenix use? I have an E21 to be exact.


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

ico said:


> what king of O-ring does fenix use? I have an E21 to be exact.


 From its number, looks like ethelene propelene also known as EP or EPDM

Just call them up though.


----------



## ico

Nano-Oil.com said:


> From its number, looks like ethelene propelene also known as EP or EPDM
> 
> Just call them up though.


 
Better yet, what lube do you suggest to use on them?


----------



## N162E

ico said:


> Better yet, what lube do you suggest to use on them?


Super Lube is perfect for Fenix O-rings.


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

ico said:


> Better yet, what lube do you suggest to use on them?


 
Krytox on O-Ring, best anti friction lube you can find on threads,
O- Rings are consumable, your threads are not.


----------



## TyJo

N162E said:


> Super Lube is perfect for Fenix O-rings.


I agree. It has worked on all my light's threads and o rings, among other things.


----------



## ico

N162E said:


> Super Lube is perfect for Fenix O-rings.





Nano-Oil.com said:


> Krytox on O-Ring, best anti friction lube you can find on threads,
> O- Rings are consumable, your threads are not.


 
thanks for the reply


----------



## leon2245

Hey guys I have a syringe tube of tw25b "synthetic grease" I had never considered using for anything other than pistol rails. For that it works great, but anyone familiar with the stuff know how it might fit into the "like not on like o-ring material" rule?

Will it melt surefire & fenix o-rings?

(edit)


----------



## N162E

leon2245 said:


> Hey guys I have a syringe tube of tw25b "synthetic grease" I had never considered using for anything other than pistol rails. For that it works great, but anyone familiar with the stuff know how it might fit into the "like not on like o-ring material" rule?
> 
> Will it melt surefire & fenix o-rings?


It should not hurt your rings, try it if you have it. I have tried some weapon lubes in the past. I never found any that were good on O-rings, some were good on threads. Krytox is pretty thick for O-rings, Superlube better on rings. I like Krytox on Titanium threads.


----------



## ico

Searching online, i saw different kinds of super lube. Is the multi-purpose grease the one you guys use?

I can't find any Super Lube in the Ace hardware here for my fenix E21. Is its O-ring silicon based?

The ones I can see in the store are 'silicone grease' and the other one is 'white lithium grease'
which one should I choose?


----------



## varuscelli

ico said:


> Searching online, i saw different kinds of super lube. Is the multi-purpose grease the one you guys use?


 
This is what I use (as purchased from one of my local hardware stores).


----------



## ico

Is that the one you use?


----------



## varuscelli

ico said:


> Is that the one you use?


 
That's exactly the one I use. I'll go back and edit my post for clarity, though. 

I got mine at a local hardware store, but it wasn't an Ace Hardware in my case.


----------



## TyJo

That's the stuff I use. Super-lube in the tube.


TyJo said:


> Super-Lube is the best stuff I have used. It works great on all my O rings and threads. I have had the silicone spray lube stuff mess up my 4sevens O rings. I have bought super-lube from Harbor Freight Tools and ACE hardware. Make sure you get the stuff in the tube, and not the stuff in the spray can. Here is a link for Amazon.


----------



## compasillo

N162E said:


> It should not hurt your rings, try it if you have it. I have tried some weapon lubes in the past. I never found any that were good on O-rings, some were good on threads. Krytox is pretty thick for O-rings, Superlube better on rings. I like Krytox on Titanium threads.


 
I use Nano-Oil 10w in all my flashlights and it works perfectly on o-rings and threads, no matter Ti, Cu, Al or another material the flashlight is made of...
It has the ideal viscosity and makes things work great inmediately.
It's a bit expensive but worth the price as a very little amount is needed from time to time.


----------



## ico

I cant remember the brand but some of the label in the grease corner are 'silicone grease' and 'white lithium grease'
which one should I choose for my fenix E21?


----------



## rookiedaddy

From page 1...


> *Nyogel:* This lube is used by Surefire, and can be purchased from *Lighthound*. This lube tends to change color slightly, but that should not affect it's lubrication properties. 759G/760G is tuned more for threads, 779ZC is tuned more for o-rings. Here's a good review.


I received an email respond from SureFire to my query about using Nyogel 760G, they are using "silicone based grease" and says that "Nyogel 760G is also suitable for use". So... does that mean SureFire is not using Nyogel 760G in their lights? errr... not anymore?


----------



## varuscelli

varuscelli said:


> That's exactly the one I use. I'll go back and edit my post for clarity, though.
> 
> I got mine at a local hardware store, but it wasn't an Ace Hardware in my case.


 
As a follow-up note, I had to go into an Ace Hardware store in my area and they also had the tubes of Super Lube ($4.75 in this particular store). But I guess it's going to vary store to store what they decide to keep in stock (that is, perhaps not all Ace Hardware stores carry it).


----------



## themandylion

I would like to say THANK YOU to everyone who has participated for this thread!

I'll be heading on over to the local Ace to pick up Super Lube after reading all 22 pages (!!) of the thread.

I had considered Nyogel, but I've found only two (online) places for it, and only one for the usually recommended type (779ZC). No one has offered any compelling data that indicates its superior to the cheaper, locally available Super Lube, so that will be my choice for my new TK41. (and our much maligned Mag-Lites)

As for the Nano-Oil preferred by some, I'm sure its a great product from the standpoint of lubrication, but I won't knowingly purchase or use products that include nanoscale components. They've been proven to pass through organic membranes (skin, for example) far more easily than any solvent. The benefits do not outweigh the mostly unknown risks. I'm not aware that even Nitrile gloves will block nanoscale particles.


----------



## leon2245

Yeah I'm going to try to find some of that as well. I took N162E's advice & experimented with the tw25b (on my least favorite SureFire), but even if it _doesn't_ dissolve my o-rings or cause some other disaster (will update if so), the Super Lube is worth a try if I can find it. Local & a fraction of the price!


----------



## Mazrim

Does anyone know anything about Aremco Heat-Away 641? It's a thermally and electrically conductive, silicone based, waterproof grease which sounds as if it would be absolutely poifect for high power torch applications if not quite a bit of overkill. I can't find a proper datasheet on it on their site (there should at least be an MSDS surely?) or anywhere in Australia that sells the stuff. I'm not even sure they sell it in consumer sized amounts. I already have some Triflow synthetic grease for my bike and some CPU heatsink paste that'll do the trick just fine, but thermally and electrically conductive would be great properties to have in a flashlight grease.

I didn't read the whole thread, but I did search and it doesn't seem this has been posted here yet when it definitely should be on the first page of posts on anything related to O-rings and greases: http://www.parker.com/literature/ORD 5700 Parker_O-Ring_Handbook.pdf (9 MB)

Especially section seven.


----------



## Johnbeck180

*Lubrication for my lights*

Where is the best place to get Eagletac grease for my eagletac flashlights. I found some at Lightjunction.com but I have never ordered anything from here. are they a reputable site to order from?


----------



## ebow86

*Re: Lubrication for my lights*

Use nyogel, you do not need "eagletac grease". He's a whole thread on the subject http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?242414-Comprehensive-Grease-and-Lube-Thread


----------



## Johnbeck180

Thanks.


----------



## ebow86

*Re: Lubrication for my lights*



Johnbeck180 said:


> Thanks.



No probelem, I personally use nyogel 760G, lighthound sells it and it's quite affordable.


----------



## Johnbeck180

Ok it is ordered and on it's way. Ive been reading the thread for the last two hours. Thanks for telling me about it. Lots of good info on there.


----------



## ebow86

*Re: Lubrication for my lights*



Johnbeck180 said:


> Ok it is ordered and on it's way. Ive been reading the thread for the last two hours. Thanks for telling me about it. Lots of good info on there.



Did you go with the nyogel 760G? The only negative thing is it turns color quite soon and makes the threads look quite filthy and dirty, when in reality their perfectly clean. Other than that good stuff.


----------



## Johnbeck180

ebow86 said:


> Did you go with the nyogel 760G? The only negative thing is it turns color quite soon and makes the threads look quite filthy and dirty, when in reality their perfectly clean. Other than that good stuff.


 
Yup, got the 760g. Thought about getting the nano oil. But I wanted better water resistance for the flashlight. Doesn't bother me that it gets dirty, just let's me know that it's still there on the threads. They look kinda dirty even when their new.


----------



## ebow86

*Re: Lubrication for my lights*



Johnbeck180 said:


> Yup, got the 760g. Thought about getting the nano oil. But I wanted better water resistance for the flashlight. Doesn't bother me that it gets dirty, just let's me know that it's still there on the threads. They look kinda dirty even when their new.



Oh no, it doesn't get dirty, what I meant by that is once you work it a little bit on the threads, it turns dark grey/black, not that it is actually dirty, why it does it I don't know, but it really isn't a big issue.


----------



## Johnbeck180

Yup, I new what ya meant. : ) hey thanks again. Probably talk to ya again sometime as I am inevidebly becoming a flashaholic.


----------



## ebow86

*Re: Lubrication for my lights*



Johnbeck180 said:


> Yup, I new what ya meant. : ) hey thanks again. Probably talk to ya again sometime as I am inevidebly becoming a flashaholic.


 
Don't worry, it's an addiction, I expect to see ya around again


----------



## Outrider

Mazrim said:


> Does anyone know anything about Aremco Heat-Away 641? It's a thermally and electrically conductive, silicone based, waterproof grease which sounds as if it would be absolutely poifect for high power torch applications if not quite a bit of overkill. I can't find a proper datasheet on it on their site (there should at least be an MSDS surely?) or anywhere in Australia that sells the stuff. I'm not even sure they sell it in consumer sized amounts. I already have some Triflow synthetic grease for my bike and some CPU heatsink paste that'll do the trick just fine, but thermally and electrically conductive would be great properties to have in a flashlight grease.
> 
> I didn't read the whole thread, but I did search and it doesn't seem this has been posted here yet when it definitely should be on the first page of posts on anything related to O-rings and greases: http://www.parker.com/literature/ORD 5700 Parker_O-Ring_Handbook.pdf (9 MB)
> 
> Especially section seven.


----------



## Outrider

The Aremco Heat-Away 641 looked interesting. Did the Google dance and found it.
Must be super lube @ only $ 197.25 for 50 grams. I will stay with Nyogel for now!


----------



## mattevt

In my line of work I have near unlimited access to tubes of NovaGard G635 Pure Silicone Compound. Anyone heard of it? Think it'd be okay on the threads?


----------



## carl k

I haven't seen this question answered yet so I thought I would post it here. I am considering purchasing a Jet Beam PA40. It has a carbon fiber plastic body. Would Krytox hurt the threads in the body? Thanks for your responses.


----------



## varuscelli

carl k said:


> I haven't seen this question answered yet so I thought I would post it here. I am considering purchasing a Jet Beam PA40. It has a carbon fiber plastic body. Would Krytox hurt the threads in the body? Thanks for your responses.


 
Interesting that no one has answered your question yet, carl k. I don't know the answer myself, but it seems like carbon fiber could have a different set of associated considerations. 

I've seen lubrication of carbon fiber parts (for instance, carbon fiber bike parts) discussed elsewhere and it seems like one of the concerns is how the lubricant might affect the coating that's over the carbon fiber (assuming a coating of some sort and not just bare carbon fiber). 

It would be interesting to hear the thoughts of those who know more about this kind of thing. 

My guess is that in general there might actually be fewer concerns with carbon fiber, but you never know but that there might be other considerations that would indicate NOT to use certain lubricants in contract with carbon fiber parts. Again, just guessing.


----------



## RI Chevy

I doubt that the Nitrolon or carbon fibre plastic type of hosts have that galling action related to metal threads. I would think that some lubrication for the o-rings would be appropriate.


----------



## Johnbeck180

ebow86 said:


> Don't worry, it's an addiction, I expect to see ya around again


 
By the way, got my Nyogel in the mail a while back. Love it!!!! I haven't noticed it turning color, you think it might be because my threads are anodized.


----------



## carl k

Thanks varuscelli & RI Chevy. I appreciate the responses. Never thought of using the lube on just the o-ring alone. Makes sense if there is no galling action with the plastic threads. Carl


----------



## tony22

I did search through this thread, but it's humongous! I have NyoGel 760 and 779 and was wondering which would be better for my JetBeam TSC-R2. Thanks.


----------



## Glock27

mattevt said:


> In my line of work I have near unlimited access to tubes of NovaGard G635 Pure Silicone Compound. Anyone heard of it? Think it'd be okay on the threads?


 This would be great stuff to use. You wanna sell some? ;-)

G27


----------



## Norm

Glock27 said:


> This would be great stuff to use. You wanna sell some? ;-)
> 
> G27



Would you like a company pen at the same time?
Norm


----------



## Tiggercat

*Is anti-seize needed on Ti lights?*

From the cycling industry, you always use anti-seize compound when joining two titanium objects (like screwing a Ti bolt into a Ti frame). Distant memory tells me this is because of the stresses involved in the flexing of a bicycle frame, which obviously would not be present in a flashlight. With that being said, is it required, recommended, or even suggested to use anti-seize on Ti lights? :thinking:


----------



## Foxfyre

*Re: Is anti-seize needed on Ti lights?*

I use a teflon grease on mine. It's always worked well and is cleaner than most anti seize compounds. 

If you look in the general section of the forum at the sticky on grease and lubes or do a search you will find several threads discussing the merits of dozens of different lubes.


----------



## Tiggercat

*Re: Is anti-seize needed on Ti lights?*

Thanks - I read the sticky, and certainly see the need for lubricant for the threads and o-rings on any light. I was wondering if anti-seize in particular is needed for Ti threads.


----------



## LedTed

*Re: Is anti-seize needed on Ti lights?*

It seems to me that you have a good thought; which is true for aluminum as well. A little high quality lube works well for this purpose.

To your point, I recently experienced the problem of seizing when I first installed the Ti clip on my NiteCore D11. Starting the screws was a little tricky but was accomplished just fine. However, when I tried to back out the screws in order to more squarely align the clip, I felt a gritty resistance. Then both of the screws popped off.
I believe that part of the problem was due to the clip being designed for the slightly larger diameter D11 EX11 light. However, the thinness of the back plate was surely the major contributing factor to this failure.


----------



## Glock27

Norm said:


> Would you like a company pen at the same time?
> Norm


 
Sure!...and maybe one of those small screwdrivers! ;-/


----------



## mattevt

Glock27 said:


> This would be great stuff to use. You wanna sell some? ;-)
> 
> G27



Ha by "have near unlimited access to", I mean I can get a tube and when I'm almost out I can get another one, and another and so on. I probably could not grab 10 at a time to distribute on cpf . But it's good to know that it's good for flashlight threads. Thanks!


----------



## RI Chevy

*Re: Is anti-seize needed on Ti lights?*



Tiggercat said:


> Thanks - I read the sticky, and certainly see the need for lubricant for the threads and o-rings on any light. I was wondering if anti-seize in particular is needed for Ti threads.


 
I personally would always use anti-seize on anything titanium. They are inherent to galling and seizing, thus the anti-seize lubrication.


----------



## KiwiMark

The threads on my Ti light are smooth operating with no sign of galling - I'm using Krytox grease.


----------



## RI Chevy

From my experience, the galling only takes place after long periods of idle time without moving the threads. It seems like the Ti builds up or forms a little crust in the threads that makes it very difficult to loosen.


----------



## Lightfoot98

I use the "Super Lube" and it is great.


----------



## davegior

*[frivolous post removed]*


----------



## Jeff E.

I just picked up some of the Super Lube Synthetic Grease #21030 from my local Ace Hardware store, and applied it to my Fenix E05. 
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3506761
*This stuff is cheap, odorless, clear, and slick as snot! Thanks for the input here guys and gals! *


----------



## grayhighh

I got myself the Nyogel lube. After putting it on the thread, when i screwed on the bezel it went out smooth~


----------



## leon2245

Jeff E. said:


> I just picked up some of the Super Lube Synthetic Grease #21030 from my local Ace Hardware store, and applied it to my Fenix E05.
> http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3506761
> *This stuff is cheap, odorless, clear, and slick as snot! Thanks for the input here guys and gals! *



Weird- "free shipping to your local ace", implying it's not a regularly stocked item?


----------



## varuscelli

leon2245 said:


> Weird- "free shipping to your local ace", implying it's not a regularly stocked item?



I know that some Ace Hardware stores carry Super Lube as a regularly stocked item. I imagine it means that if if the Ace Hardware store in your area doesn't carry it (I'm sure much of what each store keeps in stock is at store owner/management discretion), Ace will send it there free of charge. That's how I'd interpret it, anyway.


----------



## teacher

Lightfoot98 said:


> I use the "Super Lube" and it is great.



I use it too and love it.

_Maybe,_ in the "_grand scheme of things_"; some of these other lubes might somehow be "better".... I have no idea though and I have plenty of *SuperLube* that I use on the fishing reels.... so it gets my vote. :thumbsup:


----------



## leon2245

Well "_I"_, have now "_been"_, to _two __"Ace Hardware"_ stores; neither has had any* SuperLube*... so I placed an order. :thumbsup: 

Even if it doesn't last as quite as long, or isn't as smooth, or eats o-rings, or doesn't protect threads as well- at one fourth the price of tw-25b it's definitely worth a try. Appreciate the tip guys.


----------



## varuscelli

leon2245 said:


> Well "_I"_, have now "_been"_, to _two __"Ace Hardware"_ stores; neither has had any* SuperLube*... so I placed an order. :thumbsup:



Well, it's been really dry here in Texas over the summer, so maybe our local Ace guys feel we're in more dire need of keeping Super Lube in stock...even if that rationale makes no sense whatsoever.


----------



## N162E

leon2245 said:


> Well "_I"_, have now "_been"_, to _two __"Ace Hardware"_ stores; neither has had any* SuperLube*... so I placed an order. :thumbsup:
> 
> Even if it doesn't last as quite as long, or isn't as smooth, or eats o-rings, or doesn't protect threads as well- at one fourth the price of tw-25b it's definitely worth a try. Appreciate the tip guys.


Says who? Maybe you should try it before you evaluate it. I've been using it for over ten years and have not experienced ONE of the failures you list.

Let us know how you like it whwn you receive it.


----------



## leon2245

> Maybe you should try it before you evaluate it.



I have not yet evaluated it.





edit- oh lol the conditional statement is throwing you off: _if_ it doesn't measure up in all respects to the expensive stuff, it could still be a good buy for the price. I hope it's cheaper & better!


----------



## N162E

leon2245 said:


> I have not yet evaluated it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> edit- oh lol the conditional statement is throwing you off: _if_ it doesn't measure up in all respects to the expensive stuff, it could still be a good buy for the price. I hope it's cheaper & better!


It is an excellent product comparing to any product at any price. Before you comment on the performance of a product you should aT least have some first hand experience or quote the source of your negative comments.


----------



## leon2245

N162E said:


> It is an excellent product comparing to any product at any price. Before you comment on the performance of a product you should aT least have some first hand experience or quote the source of your negative comments.



Understand you are taking issue with the premise of a conditional statement.


----------



## jackknifeh

*Lube O-rings in light*

I just watched a video by Fenix on maintenance and they lubed the O-ring. I couldn't tell what it was and there wasn't any audio, just sub-titles. The "lube" they used looked like lard but I doubt that is what it was.

What am I supposed to use? Anything just around the house?

Thanks,
Jack
PS: Is there anywhere I can get misc. pocket clips in different sizes for small flashlights?

Right now I need a clip for a 19mm in diameter light.


----------



## treek13

*Re: Lube O-rings in light*

Check out the Comprehensive Grease and Lube Thread.

Hope this helps.


----------



## ragweed

*Re: Lube O-rings in light*

I have used mineral oil, Vaseline & silicone grease over the years with no ill effects. You can get a small packet of silicone grease at almost any auto parts store. Just use them sparingly!


----------



## ToNIX

*Re: Lube O-rings in light*

Nano-Oil <3

I haven't used the other ones though.


----------



## Kraft

Speaking of plumbers faucet grease...

I bought into the whole NyoGel thing but this stuff is far and away my favorite. It's included in the box for parts assembly when you buy a Grohe valve.


----------



## N162E

Kraft said:


> Speaking of plumbers faucet grease...
> 
> I bought into the whole NyoGel thing but this stuff is far and away my favorite. It's included in the box for parts assembly when you buy a Grohe valve./
> 
> 
> 
> Next to Superlube the plumbers Fawcett lube is my favorite. I always thought the Nyogel products were way over rated.
Click to expand...


----------



## varuscelli

Kraft said:


>



Combine that lube with this flashlight and it looks almost like we've got a porn thread going. (Sorry, one of the vendors pointed out that the Klarus XT20 was perhaps the most phallic appearing flashlight he'd ever seen.)


----------



## Sceme

I wonder if it's ok to use silicone lubricant ment for airsoft guns? It's really just silicone so why not?


----------



## Rossymeister

Does anyone have any long term results for using Ballistol on the o-rings and threads? Im mainly using Buna-Nitrile o-rings on my lights, but i have a few spare silicone if the need arises. Its good for all my other uses so why not rubber o-rings?


----------



## esrevenge

Is this lubricant good to use for threads and o-rings and everything? I can buy it at the Lowes for under $5...

Dupont Teflon Silicone


I have never used lubricant on my lights before and the ones in the original post I dont think I could easily find locally...

Many thanks...


----------



## hotwiremod

I've been using a tube of white lithium grease intended for bicycles, threads are buttery smooth with it. Before that I was using plain silicon grease and TBH I'd have been better greasing the threads with sand; it might work OK for o-rings and threads with very little load on them but put any weight on them (as in my LD10) and it feels like you're destroying the threads with every turn. Calling lithium grease a 'poor lube' because some contain petroleum products which may damage some o-rings just isn't fair - it's a far, far better lube than some of the 'good' or above lubes for high load threads, especially for bare Al. Find one that doesn't contain unwanted additives or just avoid the o-rings with it. Someone, possibly in another thread, did an aluminium foil test with various greases and with lithium grease it blackened, it's not a fair test for a number of reasons (not knocking the idea though). Lithium grease is intended for machinery and it if it doesn't wear bicycle bearings out after hundreds of miles under a fair amount of tension, it's really not a concern for torch threads.

I'd like to refer everyone back to this post, lots of useful information in it: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Lube-Thread&p=3210846&viewfull=1#post3210846


----------



## Jash

I haven't read all 26 pages of this thread, so I don't know if this lube has been mentioned but it's seriously good gear.

Inox MX6 Premium Machinery Grease - Food Grade with PTFE. I also use Inox MX3 for just about everything else, including contact points.

My TK40 was playing up a while ago. It wouldn't always switch between modes and sometimes wouldn't turn on/off immediately. One tiny squirt of MX3 in the switch and not a problem since. Had a similar issue with my HL21, so same medicine for same result.


----------



## Bullzeyebill

Jash, is this the same thing?

Bill


----------



## Jash

Bullzeyebill said:


> Jash, is this the same thing?
> 
> Bill



Yes, but I was going to start a new thread about the MX3 lube that I use for contacts as well as the MX6 lube for the o-rings. Thought I'd post here instead.


----------



## ddac

I am ashamed to say that I've never lubed any of my flashlights. I currently have:
- 3 Surefires (2 E series & a P6)
- a key chain Fenix and
- a DX MTE P7 (I use this for cycling as a strobe)

I have had these lights for over 3 years (just brought the Fenix last week after discovering CPF). But never lubed any of them.

Question: can I use my cycling lube for flashlights? I don't really want to buy a "flashlight" specific lube. See below for the two lubes that I use regularly on my bikes. I also have a lube of dark, heavy, black automotive grease that i can use as well (not pictured).

Of these three items, which would work best for flashlights?


----------



## N162E

ddac said:


> I am ashamed to say that I've never lubed any of my flashlights. I currently have:
> - 3 Surefires (2 E series & a P6)
> - a key chain Fenix and
> - a DX MTE P7 (I use this for cycling as a strobe)
> 
> I have had these lights for over 3 years (just brought the Fenix last week after discovering CPF). But never lubed any of them.
> 
> Question: can I use my cycling lube for flashlights? I don't really want to buy a "flashlight" specific lube. See below for the two lubes that I use regularly on my bikes. I also have a lube of dark, heavy, black automotive grease that i can use as well (not pictured).
> 
> Of these three items, which would work best for flashlights?


The short answer, none of the above. Your bike shop probably carries "Finish Line" products, look for "Extreme Fluoro" which is a repackaged version of I Forgot but, its as good as it gets.


----------



## ZuluWhiskeyFox

ddac said:


> I am ashamed to say that I've never lubed any of my flashlights. I currently have:
> - 3 Surefires (2 E series & a P6)
> - a key chain Fenix and
> - a DX MTE P7 (I use this for cycling as a strobe)
> 
> I have had these lights for over 3 years (just brought the Fenix last week after discovering CPF). But never lubed any of them.
> 
> Question: can I use my cycling lube for flashlights? I don't really want to buy a "flashlight" specific lube. See below for the two lubes that I use regularly on my bikes. I also have a lube of dark, heavy, black automotive grease that i can use as well (not pictured).
> 
> Of these three items, which would work best for flashlights?



You can use pretty much what ever spins your crank. Occasionally you might stumble upon an Oring that doesn't like your chosen lube. You usually won't find that out until the Oring rebels. Mostly I use a light lithium grease. That chain lube in your pic I suspect would be to light. Another grease that works good is the stuff anglers use for their fishing reels. It comes in a handy little tube. An obvious combo to avoid is silicone grease on silicone seals. Experiment with it. You will make up your own mind on what you like.


----------



## hotwiremod

It's hard to say without knowing the contents. But be wary of dark lithium grease which could it indicate it contains molybdenum compounds which can be poisonous. Try to get hold of the MSDS to be sure.


----------



## Rossymeister

I Have Been Using Ballistol On My Lights For About A Month Now, And Definitely Say That It Has Smoothed Up the Twisty Action On My Lights. I Have Been Using Nyogel Exclusively for The Past 3 Years (Hard to Believe I Still Have Over Half A Tube Left). I Can Definitely Feel A Difference On My Lights. Havent Tried It on Any Titanium Lights Yet. But Soon...


----------



## Buck91

ddac said:


> I am ashamed to say that I've never lubed any of my flashlights. I currently have:
> - 3 Surefires (2 E series & a P6)
> - a key chain Fenix and
> - a DX MTE P7 (I use this for cycling as a strobe)
> 
> I have had these lights for over 3 years (just brought the Fenix last week after discovering CPF). But never lubed any of them.
> 
> Question: can I use my cycling lube for flashlights? I don't really want to buy a "flashlight" specific lube. See below for the two lubes that I use regularly on my bikes. I also have a lube of dark, heavy, black automotive grease that i can use as well (not pictured).
> 
> Of these three items, which would work best for flashlights?



Triflow and Prolink are both excellent oils which I use extensively. Triflow on everything from door hinges to firearms and bicycles, Prolink is a great self-cleaning bike chain oil which can be used similarly (though I've never tested it on firearms). I would suspect both are a bit harsh for most o-rings, especially the butyl type. In either case I'd be wary of migration as they are both quite thin penetrating oils- I'd go for something thicker myself. Switched from Triflow grease to Finish Line fluoro grease to most recently Mobile 1 synthetic axle grease which is significantly cheaper and works great. No long term use of Mobile1 yet but I've heard good things about the wear, stability and o-ring compatibilty.


----------



## visigoth

*Finding good grease in Mexico*

Odd question, perhaps, but I noticed that someone here was finding it difficult to find decent grease in Mexico. Has anyone succeeded? I'm in Oaxaca -- I've seen Finish Line products here, but not Extreme Fluoro. Are any of their other greases/oils recommended? Ceramic, Premium, whatever?


----------



## Kif

*Re: Finding good grease in Mexico*

Oveready.com sell Nye Noygel 760G and they ship international
I guess you can get some from them


----------



## Onthelightside

Anyone had experance with the regular finish line bicycle grease? Says it's a Teflon compound.


----------



## yifu

Onthelightside said:


> Anyone had experance with the regular finish line bicycle grease? Says it's a Teflon compound.


It depends on whether it is petroleum based. If it is then it would likely dissolve your o-rings. A note about Polytetrafluoroethylene aka Teflon. DONT use any Teflon containing lubricant on bare aluminum threads! It will cause fretting as the tiny particles will dig into the bare metal and act as an abrasive. On anodised threads or Ti threads it should just work fine. Personally, i use Nyogel 760G and Krytox on orings.


----------



## texas cop

For my firearms for years I've been using Pennzoil 100% Marine synthetic white grease. Its a lithium grease and handles temps from -40F to 400F. Now its been in use on my flashlights for about a year. What I like about it is its a thick grease that fills o-rings, stays where you put it and the smallest dab from a Q-tip is all that is needed. When things heat up it still stays put instead of thinning and flowing like oils do.


----------



## jamie.91

Ive been using this with good reults!

http://www.maplin.co.uk/contralube-770-connector-lubricant-346030

Jamie


----------



## DisrupTer911

I've been using finish Line Extreme Fluoro http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002L5UL92/?tag=cpf0b6-20 on my lights.

I haven't noticed any ill effects but should I be wary of using it on my aluminum lights?


----------



## ToNIX

~Deicide~ said:


> I Have Been Using Ballistol On My Lights For About A Month Now, And Definitely Say That It Has Smoothed Up the Twisty Action On My Lights. I Have Been Using Nyogel Exclusively for The Past 3 Years (Hard to Believe I Still Have Over Half A Tube Left). I Can Definitely Feel A Difference On My Lights. Havent Tried It on Any Titanium Lights Yet. But Soon...



Wow, started reading on Ballistol, seems like an awesome lubricant/solvent/everything.


----------



## Glock27

I have been using Faucet grease. You find it in the plumbing section of any hardware store. It is non toxic, handles hot water temp (140F+) without running, does not hurt O-rings and is cheap.
I much prefer grease as opposed to oil. Grease helps seal much better than oil.

G27


----------



## shelm

Question: does NE1 have and use both Superlube Grease vs. Superlube Oil? i mean which one serves our purpose better. Is Superlube really good for easy twisting on a Quark Tactical (bare aluminum threads)?


----------



## llmercll

*Silicone Grease for o-rings only?*

Hey everyone!

I used silicone grease to lubricate the threads and o-rings on my solarforce lights and noticed that after a few months the threads became really dirty, almost like a black/brown sludge.

I'm just wondering if this is normal (perhaps the grease doing it's job and keeping dirt and water out?) and whether or not you more experienced guys grease the threads _and _o-rings or only the o-rings.

thanks!

EDIT** just found the grease and lube thread. A mod could consolidate this as a post in there if they wish =) thanks!

Thread Merged - Norm


----------



## llmercll

I followed the steps in the first post, but my light is still gunky!! It's a solarforce L2r

I cleaned it very well, so that it was shiny metal, then applied a little bit of silicone grease and started to work it in. The more I worked it in, the "grainier" it felt. When I took the cap off, it was a dark sludge again! When I tested it without the grease, it screwed on very nicely. The only thing I can think is there is some seriously stubborn caked on dirt somewhere on the tailcap (which is harder to clean) that I missed.

Any ideas whats going on?

thanks!


----------



## ragweed

I would do that about 6-7 times & clean it off good each time between applications. I prefer Nyogel 760 as the silicone was not too good. It was stiff IMO.


----------



## tam17

llmercll said:


> The more I worked it in, the "grainier" it felt. When I took the cap off, it was a dark sludge again! When I tested it without the grease, it screwed on very nicely. The only thing I can think is there is some seriously stubborn caked on dirt somewhere on the tailcap (which is harder to clean) that I missed.
> 
> Any ideas whats going on?
> 
> thanks!



"Dark sludge" is not really a dirt but zillions of tiny metal particles produced by grinding metal against metal and suspended in the grease, so it's time to revise your choice of lubricant.

Silicone grease was never the best choice for metal-to-metal lubrication. However, for most (nitrile) o-rings it will do just fine.

Cheers,

Tam


----------



## JudasD

I realize that the OP says never to use WD-40. I have a question about getting gunk out of the threads. First I use alcohol with a toothbrush in the threads to work dirt and gunk out. Does it make sense to then then finish cleaning it with WD-40 to spray the gunk out? Then after it dries use a proper lube? If WD-40 is a big no-no how about something like electro-wash? or some of the other types of cleaners that are meant to clean circuit boards or electronics? Im only asking this because even after using the toothbrush and alcohol there can still be crud left in the threads. 

Thanks,
JD


----------



## llmercll

Ok, I just ordered some superlube

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XBH9HI/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&psc=1

I'll try that out and see how it does


----------



## tam17

JudasD said:


> I realize that the OP says never to use WD-40. I have a question about getting gunk out of the threads. First I use alcohol with a toothbrush in the threads to work dirt and gunk out. Does it make sense to then then finish cleaning it with WD-40 to spray the gunk out? Then after it dries use a proper lube? If WD-40 is a big no-no how about something like electro-wash? or some of the other types of cleaners that are meant to clean circuit boards or electronics? Im only asking this because even after using the toothbrush and alcohol there can still be crud left in the threads.
> 
> Thanks,
> JD



WD-40 isn't a lubricant in a strict sense of word, it's rather a water displacer (hence the "WD"). It destroys most of rubbers and plastics, working as a slow acting poison, so it's no good for threads as well as o-rings.

If you absolutely must use WD-40 for cleaning, be sure to remove every trace of it before you proceed to the next step.

Cheers,

Tam


----------



## JudasD

tam17 said:


> WD-40 isn't a lubricant in a strict sense of word, it's rather a water displacer (hence the "WD"). It destroys most of rubbers and plastics, working as a slow acting poison, so it's no good for threads as well as o-rings.
> 
> If you absolutely must use WD-40 for cleaning, be sure to remove every trace of it before you proceed to the next step.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Tam



I see. I thought the concern was if you used WD40 as the only lubricant. I didnt realize that WD40 slowly destroys rubbers and plastics. With this data i will remove WD40 from my list.  I would like to have some kind of spray cleaner that i can use to flush out the threads once i brush them out. Any thoughts on what could be used? 

Thanks,
JD


----------



## N162E

llmercll said:


> I followed the steps in the first post, but my light is still gunky!! It's a solarforce L2r
> 
> I cleaned it very well, so that it was shiny metal, then applied a little bit of silicone grease and started to work it in. The more I worked it in, the "grainier" it felt. When I took the cap off, it was a dark sludge again! When I tested it without the grease, it screwed on very nicely. The only thing I can think is there is some seriously stubborn caked on dirt somewhere on the tailcap (which is harder to clean) that I missed.
> 
> Any ideas whats going on?
> 
> thanks!


Sounds like your lube may have been having a reaction with your O ring.



llmercll said:


> Ok, I just ordered some superlube
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XBH9HI/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&psc=1
> 
> I'll try that out and see how it does


If your O ring is damaged it may need to be replaced. Superlube should solve your problems. Several of the lubes, especially Nyogel are way overated. BTY Superlube is now available at Harbor Freight.


----------



## shelm

Question, how do you guys like Superlube on Quark threads (unanodized bare aluminum threads)?

it is super great on the Quark o-rings but i am not so sure about the aluminum threads. Is there any lube which protects the Quark aluminum from abrasion?

*bare aluminum on bare aluminum --- which is the best lube for this coupling?*


----------



## llmercll

One thing I noticed about my silicone grease is that it was very thick and sticky. The o-rings don't appear damaged thankfully.


----------



## Justintoxicated

I just replaced the lube on all my lights with froglube. It's non toxic, safe for O-rings and smells like wintergreen. Makes the threads like butter.

Unlike other lubes it thickens when cold and not in use so it will not run and is not messy, it stays inplace, and even if you get some on your cloths or hands, well, its non toxic.

I have tried other lubes and had previously been using nano-lube, but this is my new favorite.

I was applying the paste rather than the liquid. One thing I did notice is that if the light is cold, twistes will actually be slightly harder to turn at first as the lube has solidified, or maybe it's because the Oring has been sitting in place? However once you start to turn it, it really feels like butter. I actually like this effect because it adds just enough resistance to help the light not twist on it's own. It's a CLP so it should reduce oxidization, rust etc. I didn't bother to apply with heat on my lights but as per direction if you apply with heat it will help it to soak into the metal pores..

When I would clean the nano lube off I could always see metal wear (dark oil), but this has been reduced since I started using froglube. The applicator for nanolube is really cool though.


----------



## shelm

Justintoxicated said:


> been using nano-lube, but this is my new favorite.


you got any Quarks? (if yes, please tell us your story with nano-lube and frog lube, thanks!)


----------



## Justintoxicated

I have applied to to my quark mini, preon 2, and so far it works great, never had problems with either lube but I prefer the frog lube for this application, I always worry about getting nano lube on my hands. I also have a nitecore cr2 now and it really smoothed out that light as well once I removed all the lube it came with. The warmer the light gets the smoother the threads seem to get.

This stuff is really made for firearms.

FROGLUBE CLP Lubricant Kit - 4oz Paste and 4oz Liquid

Although I got mine from brownells cause they give you a little more for the money.

It will sorta clean the threads as they are worked, so after your first application it may be good to wipe it off and re-apply after some time as all the grime etc in the threads will work out. Whether this is snakeoil or not in the gun world is jet to be determined. Some say it has no anti wear properties yet it passed the 4 ball test with flying colors. I have also been using it on my Reloading shell plates to reduce rust, because most other products will greatly attract spilled powder etc. or just don't stay applied to help reduce rust.

Again, I have not had any problems with nano lube on any of my lights, other than if I take them apart it can easily accidentally wipe it off onto clothing or hands. The frog lube is thicker and more like grease than oil, at least until it warms up then it attains a more liquid state.

For titanium lights I'm not sure yet, Nono oil seemed to help but it was all I really tried, I have since lost my Titanium lights. All I have that is titanium is the preon tuxedo light. which is titanium on aluminum. I do notice that ti lights tend to have coarser threads, I would not hesitate to try froglube to help but I can't comment on those other than my preon which isn't the best candidate.


----------



## shelm

thanks. i was thinking of the problem Quarks *bare aluminum* threads (Quark tactical). the Q mini has anodized threads. On anodized threads anything lube works well, even mustard or tooth paste. no need for nano-oil. (i dont know about preon threads. i think they are anodized too)

what happens when nano-oil gets on hands or clothing? stinks?


----------



## llmercll

My solarforces have bare aluminum tailcap threads. I'll let you know how the superlube works once I get it =)


----------



## shelm

llmercll said:


> My solarforces have bare aluminum tailcap threads. I'll let you know how the superlube works once I get it =)


i have been using Superlube on Quarks Tactical bare-aluminum-on-bare-aluminum threads.
no friction, but much abrasion.
verdict: better than silicone grease but still not recommendable on Quark threads.


----------



## TEEJ

I was went through a few lubes on the tail cap of my 4sevens S12, it was always hard to turn...untill I just put in a thinner O ring...prob solved.


----------



## HotWire

I've found through much experimentation that Nano-Oil is my preference. They also make a Nano-Grease which I intend to try. Nano-Oil makes the SureFire tailcaps spin with just my thumb. I'm thinking that it's so thin that it might not be good if you are swimming with your lights, but I don't know that. I also use Finish Line Extreme Fluoro on some lights.


----------



## ClassicGOD

This is probably a stupid question but has anyone tried mixing Nano-Oil with Krytox?


----------



## Threeme2189

Hello everybody, I'm new here and I have a question about lubing the threads on my 1st decent(ish) flashlight.
I have bought an Akoray k-106 from dealextreme and it has a GITD o-ring below the threads. 
Now from what I understand it's made from silicone. So is it ok to lube the threads and o-ring with an oil based lubricant?

Thanks,
Threeme2189


----------



## yifu

I have used silicon lube, Krytox PFPE and Nyogel 760 and out of the three Nyogel is the best for the threads and gives just the right amount of dampening. Kryotx works very well on the o-rings though. I personally would avoid Nano Oil as it looks danger as well as using Super Lube or Krytox for bare Al threads as the Teflon suspended inside is very abrasive and WOULD cause fretting and cause the threads to wear off in my experience.


----------



## TyJo

yifu said:


> I have used silicon lube, Krytox PFPE and Nyogel 760 and out of the three Nyogel is the best for the threads and gives just the right amount of dampening. Kryotx works very well on the o-rings though. I personally would avoid Nano Oil as it looks danger as well as using Super Lube or Krytox for bare Al threads as the Teflon suspended inside is very abrasive and WOULD cause fretting and cause the threads to wear off in my experience.


I have heard this before but this is over my head. I tried to look up hardness of PTFE and aluminum and I was unable to find measurements using the same scale. I have a hard time wrapping my head around why Superlube would be putting abrasive particles in their lubricant?


----------



## yifu

TyJo said:


> I have heard this before but this is over my head. I tried to look up hardness of PTFE and aluminum and I was unable to find measurements using the same scale. I have a hard time wrapping my head around why Superlube would be putting abrasive particles in their lubricant?


Teflon is very smooth by itself and works very well with harder materials like steel, anodised aluminium or titanium and it is usually recommended for those types of threads, which are more common in industrial applications. It's only when used with softer metals like aluminium that fretting occurs.


----------



## N162E

TyJo said:


> I have a hard time wrapping my head around why Superlube would be putting abrasive particles in their lubricant?


Simple answer, they don't. Super lube is the best all round lube you can get for all surfaces aND O RINGS. I' ve been using it for over 20 and I have never seen it fret bare aluminum or any other metal .period. Whatever PTFE they add in is at the molecular level.


----------



## shelm

yifu said:


> I have used silicon lube, Krytox PFPE and Nyogel 760 and out of the three Nyogel is the best for the threads and gives just the right amount of dampening. Kryotx works very well on the o-rings though. I personally would avoid Nano Oil as it looks danger as well as *using Super Lube* or Krytox *for bare Al threads* as the Teflon suspended inside is very abrasive and WOULD cause fretting and *cause the threads to wear off* in my experience.



*+ 1 *

i have *superlube *and i have bare Al threads on Klarus and 4sevens.
*i do NOT recommend superlube on bare Al threads (such as Klarus and 4sevens).*
Like with any other lube (or no lube), the bare Al threads wear off fast (fretting/abrasion/galling/howeveryoucallit) simply because Aluminum is a very soft material. After a few twists you can tell how the lube becomes grey by the aluminum particles.

superlube is great on ANYTHING ELSE but bare Al threads. On bare Al threads superlube sucks as much as any other lube i have tried so far.

i havent tried *Nyogel 760* nor *Nano-Oil* nor *froglube *but will do so in future.



N162E said:


> and I have never seen it fret bare aluminum or any other metal .period.


*- 1 *

i cannot confirm your assertion. moreover i have specified which Aluminum brands i have applied superlube on: Klarus and 4sevens. so my statement is valid and easily verified as long as you own those flashlight threads. i cant confirm your assertion because you didnt name any flashlight model on which you tried superlube.

Again to be clear FOR EVERYBODY who is reading my posts/following this thread: superlube sucks on the bare Aluminum threads of Klarus lights and 4sevens lights. period. so use some other lube on them!! maybe superlube protects the bare Al threads of Sunawayman and Olight lights but it DOES NOT on the bare Al threads of Klarus and 4sevens lights. end of discussion. period.


----------



## DM51

shelm said:


> end of discussion.


I rather doubt that...


----------



## JudasD

shelm said:


> *+ 1 *
> 
> i have *superlube *and i have bare Al threads on Klarus and 4sevens.
> *i do NOT recommend superlube on bare Al threads (such as Klarus and 4sevens).*
> Like with any other lube (or no lube), the bare Al threads wear off fast (fretting/abrasion/galling/howeveryoucallit) simply because Aluminum is a very soft material. After a few twists you can tell how the lube becomes grey by the aluminum particles.
> 
> superlube is great on ANYTHING ELSE but bare Al threads. On bare Al threads superlube sucks as much as any other lube i have tried so far.
> 
> i havent tried *Nyogel 760* nor *Nano-Oil* nor *froglube *but will do so in future.



What lube are you using on your Klarus and 4sevens?

JD


----------



## N162E

shelm said:


> I cannot confirm your assertion. moreover i have specified which Aluminum brands i have applied superlube on: Klarus and 4sevens. so my statement is valid and easily verified as long as you own those flashlight threads. i cant confirm your assertion because you didnt name any flashlight model on which you tried superlube.
> 
> Again to be clear FOR EVERYBODY who is reading my posts/following this thread: superlube sucks on the bare Aluminum threads of Klarus lights and 4sevens lights. period. so use some other lube on them!! maybe superlube protects the bare Al threads of Sunawayman and Olight lights but it DOES NOT on the bare Al threads of Klarus and 4sevens lights. end of discussion. period.


I can't confirm or agree with your assertions pertaining to 4Sevens lights. I have always used Superlube on my 4Sevens lights with bare aluminum threads and never experienced any unusual wear or fretting. Superlube is great on 4Sevens lights. Nyogel is way over rated and Nano Oil is useless as a flashlight thread lube.

Abrasive Teflon in a lube!! Give me a break.


----------



## shelm

N162E said:


> I can't confirm or agree with your assertions pertaining to 4Sevens lights. I have always used Superlube on my 4Sevens lights with bare aluminum threads and never experienced any *unusual wear or fretting*. Superlube is great on 4Sevens lights. Nyogel is way over rated and *Nano Oil is useless* as a flashlight thread lube.


we need to get some agreement in our opinions otherwise the reader is confused haha. Maybe we can agree that superlube doesnt cause _unusual _wear or fretting (or abrasion or galling or howeveryouwannacallthegreybuildupinthecleanedthreads) on 4Sevens bare aluminum threads *but *there _is _grey gunk building up _anyway_. And imho i find the _rate _of grey gunk production rather high; maybe not as alarmingly high as with Nextorch silicone grease but saddening high nonetheless. I have talked to colleagues who use superlube on bare aluminum threads too (on cheaper branded flashlights) and they are equally dissatisfied with the result, the superlube performance :shakehead so i am not alone with my opinion --- well maybe we should run a poll to find out about the consensus on this topic. I will vehemently vote against superlube on 4Sevens bare aluminum threads (Quark Tactical) to express my dissatisfaction.

Maybe superlube isnt responsible for the grey gunk buildup in the 4Sevens threads (Me either i dont believe in the theory of Teflon particles being harmful) and, most importantly, maybe superlube doesnt _cause _it (e.g. by dissolving the soft surface) .. but i _am _saying that i am _very _disappointed with the superlube performance after it had been hailed, praised and recommended in the OP as "Very Good Lube". In this respect i believe that superlube isnt better than any other synthetic oil/grease based on Teflon (there are tens or hundreds of lubes with Teflon; one only has to sort out the synthetic ones since they wont harm the o-rings). Superlube is a cheap lube after all. 2.xx$ for a mini tube (or oiler) at the counter desk so how could we expect that it works better than expensive gun oil? Superlube works fine in most cases (anodized threads, o-rings of any kind) but is imho not too recommendable in special cases (Titanium threads, bare aluminum threads) where it does an okay job but *not a convincing job*.

Having uttered the above anti-superlube rallying cry...


JudasD said:


> What lube are you using on your Klarus and 4sevens?
> 
> JD


...i do use superlube on my Klarus and 4sevens
 *BIG SIGH*

EDIT: this is a fresh picture of my fresh Q-tip after cleaning the Titanium threads of my iTP A3 light. i had lubed it with superlube 7 days ago after meticulously cleaning the threads. i could see that the threads were getting darker and darker after days of twisting action, so today i decided to clean the threads with a Q-tip. The picture is deceiving because in reality the Q-tip is completely dark (black) by a thick layer of superlube-Titanium gunk.





From today on i will stop using superlube on the Titanium threads. i prefer bone-dry Titanium threads even if they squeak. Still less abrasion than with superlube!! i will use superlube only on the o-ring of my iTP light.

Does anyone know .. are *stainless steel threads* more abrasion-resistant or *titanium threads*? maybe i should have bought the iTP A3 in stainless steel!!


----------



## diesel79

I use Superlube on all of my lights (Malkoffs), three of which have bare aluminum threads and I have zero of that gray material forming so Im not sure if the Superlube is to blame. There must be quite a bit of difference in the the aluinum these makers use. Seems like the 4Sevens must be a bit softer?


----------



## TEEJ

Is it possible that some lights/batteries emit vent gases that interact with certain metals and/or lubricants?


----------



## shelm

diesel79 said:


> It must be something to do with the aluminum they use. I use Superlube on all of my Malkoffs, three of which have bare aluminum threads, and I have *zero of that gray material *forming. Im not sure if its the lube thats the problem, if this is even considered a problem?


i had asked Kevin Wall from Synco (manufacturer of superlube) about it and he explained that superlube does not dissolve aluminum, metals or o-rings. it is a fully harmless substance by itself. So of course it must have something to do with the aluminum they use and i bet that Malkoff uses a different aluminum (alloy or quality) than Klarus or 4Sevens.

It is common logic that soft (or cheap) aluminum will wear down faster than hard toughened aluminum. Just look at the keyring holes (holes for splitrings) and you can see how soft 'flashlight aluminum' is. The holes wear down fast (and eventually tear or break) and logically a lube cant avoid the wear and tear because the material (=aluminum) physically remains what it is: soft!

If a lube (or substance) *hardened *or toughened the aluminum surface, then this would stop the wear and tear because hardness is defined as the ability of two materials scratching each other. The hardest surface is provided by diamonds. You cannot scratch diamonds with any metal because a diamond is harder. In diamond threads there wouldnt be *any* wear and tear and logically you wouldnt need any lube to reduce the abrasion because abrasion doesnt take place. Superlube would reduce the friction though.

What superlube does is reducing the friction in aluminum threads thanks to the slippery Teflon particles. But superlube does not harden the surface. The aluminum is still soft and will wear. And that's why i get the grey gunk after a very short while of twisting the Quark head (Tactical UI).

Anyone ever lubed his/her keyring holes (to reduce the wear and tear)??


----------



## DisrupTer911

I've been using finish Line Extreme Fluoro http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002L5UL92/?tag=cpf0b6-20 on my lights. 

I haven't noticed any ill effects but should I be wary of using...


----------



## N162E

shelm said:


> we need to get some agreement in our opinions otherwise the reader is confused haha.
> 
> Maybe superlube isnt responsible for the grey gunk buildup in the 4Sevens threads (Me either i dont believe in the theory of Teflon particles being harmful) and, most importantly, maybe superlube doesnt _cause _it (e.g. by dissolving the soft surface) .. but i _am _saying that i am _very _disappointed with the superlube performance after it had been hailed, praised and recommended in the OP as "Very Good Lube". In this respect i believe that superlube isnt better than any other synthetic oil/grease based on Teflon (there are tens or hundreds of lubes with Teflon; one only has to sort out the synthetic ones since they wont harm the o-rings). Superlube is a cheap lube after all. 2.xx$ for a mini tube (or oiler) at the counter desk so how could we expect that it works better than expensive gun oil? Superlube works fine in most cases (anodized threads, o-rings of any kind) but is imho not too recommendable in special cases (Titanium threads, bare aluminum threads) where it does an okay job but *not a convincing job*.


OK OK Uncle!! Superlube may not satisfy 100% of the requirements of the upper 1/2 of 1%ers in this group. For the rest of us it is inexpensive, easily available world wide and useful for just about every moving surface we will encounter. I have yet to find an O-ring or rubber part that Superlube will degrade. For the most part gun oils and grease are petrol based products and destroy many o-rings as did Vaseline.

Thank you everyone for your interest and contribution.

P.S. I have mixed various grades of diamond dust with lubes and oils to smooth out threads on titainium lights.


----------



## TEEJ

Again, the discoloration of the thread lube can be contamination due to oxidation/reaction with something else. A forensic analysis of the uncontaminated, and contaminated lube samples,and the thread materials in question, would allow differentiation as to the identity of the contamination.

If the contamination is found to be the same aluminum alloy composition as the light threads for example, wear is indicated, if its a new compound, then the nature of that compound would indicate the reaction that produced it. Sometimes the contamination can be traced to another part that is in close enough proximity, that is subject to wear, other than the one under scrutiny. IE: As an example, a switch can have its own wear and tear and/or lubrication/degradation issues, and dust/by products from the switch can be later found in thread lubricant samples. The same for battery carrier movement within a carrier, etc.

And so forth.

Food for thought.


----------



## N162E

TEEJ said:


> Again, the discoloration of the thread lube can be contamination due to oxidation/reaction with something else. A forensic analysis of the uncontaminated, and contaminated lube samples,and the thread materials in question, would allow differentiation as to the identity of the contamination.
> 
> Sometimes the contamination can be traced to another part that is in close enough proximity, that is subject to wear, other than the one under scrutiny. IE: As an example, a switch can have its own wear and tear and/or lubrication/degradation issues, and dust/by products from the switch can be later found in thread lubricant samples. The same for battery carrier movement within a carrier, etc.
> 
> And so forth.
> 
> Food for thought.


O-Rings and gaskets need to be watched. Ten years ago pretty much all o-rings on flashlights were carbon rubber. The more oil we applied the more they swelled, stuck and decayed. Peter Gransee was the first here to adress the problem and Introduced Nyogel. When I came along in 2002 I introduced "Lube Gell' later to become Super Lube. I had used a single tube of lube Gell on my Mag Lights for about 10 years before I was aware of CPF.


----------



## shelm

TEEJ said:


> And so forth.
> 
> Food for thought.


nice one, thanks.

flashlights is all about happiness. and my colleagues and i we are unhappy with superlube on bare aluminum threads as experienced with the cleaned(!) threads of 4Sevens and Klarus.

so what lube are you using, and what threads (flashlight models) have you tested it on, and are you happy with the results? and what is the degree of your happiness?


----------



## TEEJ

LOL - I agree about happiness.

I haven't had any interactions myself, but I do forensics work, and failures can be due to many sources, some synergistic. This is the reason I posed some potential alternate pathways to achieve the same result.

In my field, the simple answer is often correct, IE: The contamination and the aluminum are the same color, therefore, the contamination might simply be due to aluminum wearing off, etc....

...albeit it is not ALWAYS correct, sometimes a similar appearing condition can be assumed to be from the obvious source, but turns out to be from a second or third source, or a source created when certain conditions are met, yet not from either source per se.

If our goal was to find the reason for the contamination, then I suggest we explore it methodically rather than jump to conclusions. If our goal is to simply say "this works and this doesn't", we can just do that instead...and, most certainly, be happy.


----------



## Dusterdude

Great thread, I started researching lubrication and came across this http://www.sandsmachine.com/grease_t.htm Maybe you folks know about this already, anyway, I thought it was a good find.


----------



## Rossymeister

I love the silky smooth action on my lights when using ballistol, but i came across something today:



> Cleans & dissolves traces of copper...



Since some PCBs have copper electrical traces, what would be the long term effects of using this? Am i thinking worst case scenario?


----------



## SimulatedZero

I haven't read all 26 pages of this thread, so I apologize if this has already been answered. I have been wondering if Ballistol would do well for a flashlight. From what I have read it doesn't have anything in it that would be harmful[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]. [/FONT]Ballistol contains medicinal grade mineral oil, alkaline salts of oleic acid, several alcohols, Benzyl Acetate and an oil from vegetal seeds. The mineral oil is unchlorinated and conforms to the specifications of US Pharmacopeia XX. 

What do you guys think? Also on a side note, it tends to cure into the metal if it is used over long periods of time. I don't know whether that would be a good thing or not.


----------



## TEEJ

SimulatedZero said:


> I haven't read all 26 pages of this thread, so I apologize if this has already been answered. I have been wondering if Ballistol would do well for a flashlight. From what I have read it doesn't have anything in it that would be harmful. Ballistol contains medicinal grade mineral oil, alkaline salts of oleic acid, several alcohols, Benzyl Acetate and an oil from vegetal seeds. The mineral oil is unchlorinated and conforms to the specifications of US Pharmacopeia XX.
> 
> What do you guys think? Also on a side note, it tends to cure into the metal if it is used over long periods of time. I don't know whether that would be a good thing or not.




I'm thinking the mineral oil might harm the O-rings.


----------



## N162E

SimulatedZero said:


> I haven't read all 26 pages of this thread, so I apologize if this has already been answered. I have been wondering if Ballistol would do well for a flashlight. From what I have read it doesn't have anything in it that would be harmful[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]. [/FONT]Ballistol contains medicinal grade mineral oil, alkaline salts of oleic acid, several alcohols, Benzyl Acetate and an oil from vegetal seeds. The mineral oil is unchlorinated and conforms to the specifications of US Pharmacopeia XX.
> 
> What do you guys think? Also on a side note, it tends to cure into the metal if it is used over long periods of time. I don't know whether that would be a good thing or not.


Mineral based gun lubricants tend to be the worst flaslight lubes. Gun lubes are designed strictly for metal to metal contact and can damage or swell some o-rings. If you want to use a gun lube use a synthetic like Militec, good on o-rings and your guns will thank you too.


----------



## N162E

Dusterdude said:


> Great thread, I started researching lubrication and came across this http://www.sandsmachine.com/grease_t.htm Maybe you folks know about this already, anyway, I thought it was a good find.


Good info, Thanks. Some of us(Me included) think Extreme Fluoro is repackaged Krytox. The syringe applicator is very convenient, expensive but a little goes a long way.


----------



## Dusterdude

N162E said:


> Good info, Thanks. Some of us(Me included) think Extreme Fluoro is repackaged Krytox. The syringe applicator is very convenient, expensive but a little goes a long way.



I want to know how well Super Lube would rate on that test fixture, I have been using Super Lube forever with great result's. Re-packaged Krytox, interesting.


----------



## jh333233

I have a little problem in lubing o-ring
My o-ring tends to absorb the silicone and becomes dry and swollen
Any suggestion?


----------



## shelm

jh333233 said:


> I have a little problem in lubing o-ring
> My o-ring tends to absorb the silicone and becomes dry and swollen
> Any suggestion?


wich flaashlight?


----------



## jh333233

shelm said:


> wich flaashlight?


Surefire and SWM
They tend to absorb my silicone


----------



## yifu

jh333233 said:


> Surefire and SWM
> They tend to absorb my silicone


It must be your lube that's you're using. What name is it? For o-ring i find Krytox PFE to be the best and Nyogel 760 the best on threads. Neither will cause the oring to harden up at all.


----------



## shelm

Surefire and Sunawayman are expensive brands so i am at loss here what's going on with your sucking (literally lol) o-rings. the OP recommends synthetic oils, and i agree that superlube keeps my o-rings (of any unspecified material wtf knows anyway) juicy and slippery with no sucking or degradation whatsoever. personally i do recommend superlube for/on o-rings, personally i dont recommend superlube for any kind of threads except for anodized (i.e. anodized aluminum) threads where *any* lube could be used anyway, even silicone. to me, anodized aluminum is like a teflon frying pan. its coated, protected, and slippery. you could "lube" a frying pan with anything, it wont stick. same with anodized aluminum: even scratch tests with knives would fail because the blade simply slides over the slippery surface.

silicone is sticky though (and few know this!). so i like to use it to increase thread friction.

you should try superlube. it's one of the cheapest in a hardware store anyway. the oiler costs like 2.xx$ (unless you get ripped off).


----------



## jh333233

Here it is



Colorless, peanut-butter-like
I actually got it from a airsoft shop
I asked: I would like to have silicone, no aerosol spray, perferred slurry-like one
And they handed me this, saying that it is o-ring safe (And pricey as well)
I didnt want to use liquid one because they get evaporated or wiped off easily, while there isnt any better option like Nyogel


----------



## shelm

nice picture, stuff looks good to me.
however in your case (silicone o-rings?) it doesnt seem to work well, too bad.
ebay should be a good source of buying specialized items cheaper than from a local retailer.


----------



## DM51

jh333233 said:


> I have a little problem in lubing o-ring
> My o-ring tends to absorb the silicone and becomes dry and swollen





jh333233 said:


> Here it is
> 
> 
> 
> Colorless, peanut-butter-like





jh333233 said:


> Any suggestion?



Yes. My suggestion is that you read post #1, and stop fooling around with that garbage.


----------



## TEEJ

I've found that FrogLube makes my threads work great...and no oring issues.


----------



## jh333233

DM51 said:


> Yes. My suggestion is that you read post #1, and stop fooling around with that garbage.





> *Pure Silicone grease: *This is a very common lube that can be found just about anywhere. It is generally safe for use, with the only exception being use on silicone o-rings.




Erm.
Mind if i ask if SF and SWM use silicone o-rings?
And by like-dissolve-like principle, would silicone o-rings get dissolved by the lubes?

I could endure the problem'o swell and it seems it even tightens the thread, providing better water resistance
It isnt really tight, but having a nice friction. If swelling is the only problem, im willing to feed it with this grease:duh2:
(I could say it is much better than SF bezel + VG E2C adapter w/o lube)

I also have spare o-rings came with packaging of SWM

This problem appears mainly on my SWM o-rings
My SF's o-rings do not seem to get swollen and stuck, instead it got very slippery on my C2

SF's manual says i should lube it with silicon-based lube but not petroleum product
I think they shouldve told the whole story:sick2:


----------



## DM51

It is extremely unlikely that your O-rings are made of silicone rubber, as it is an unsuitable material for O-rings. If they are not made of silicone rubber, silicone grease will not have the effect on them that you describe. Therefore, the grease you are using, whatever it is, is clearly inappropriate and should not be used. 

It is difficult to understand why anyone should persist in disregarding the sensible advice contained in post #1 and instead decide to use something that is so obviously unsuitable.


----------



## Kestrel

llmercll said:


> I followed the steps in the first post, but my light is still gunky!! It's a solarforce L2r
> 
> I cleaned it very well, so that it was shiny metal, then applied a little bit of silicone grease and started to work it in. The more I worked it in, the "grainier" it felt. When I took the cap off, it was a dark sludge again! When I tested it without the grease, it screwed on very nicely. The only thing I can think is there is some seriously stubborn caked on dirt somewhere on the tailcap (which is harder to clean) that I missed. Any ideas whats going on?





llmercll said:


> One thing I noticed about my silicone grease is that it was very thick and sticky. The o-rings don't appear damaged thankfully.



My apologies for being a little late on this issue but I have a pretty good guess about the above. Some silicone greases can contain (and I am not making this up, I have some of this exact stuff in my lab and it's in the fine print on the tube) finely ground glass. I tried this out a long time ago and had the exact same results as you reported - an immediate change in the rotational feel from smooth to gritty. I think that the glass is added as a thickening agent for the silicone grease. I can't think of a worse 'lube' for what we're trying to do.


----------



## JudasD

I did a search and could not find the answer to my following question: is nano-oil suitable for o-rings? I did see posts where folks were using krytox on the o-ring and nano-oil on the threads. What i have not seen is folks using nano-oil on the o-rings as well. I also saw references of folks using nano-oil on the threads and a thicker grease on the o-rings for water proofing. Wouldn't the heavier weight nano-oil work for this as or is it not thick enough? How about the nano-grease? would that not work on the o-rings and help with the water proofing?

Thanks,
JD


----------



## jh333233

> It is difficult to understand why anyone should persist in disregarding the sensible advice contained in post #1 and instead decide to use something that is so obviously unsuitable.


Perhaps i should change my lube
PS: It seems that i got cheated because the bottle "says" it is silicon grease
Gotta find alternatives


----------



## DM51

JudasD said:


> I did a search and could not find the answer to my following question: is nano-oil suitable for o-rings?


You obviously failed to include the most obvious place to start your search: post #1. Nano-oil is mentioned there.


----------



## JudasD

DM51 said:


> You obviously failed to include the most obvious place to start your search: post #1. Nano-oil is mentioned there.



I have read the first post numerous times. I see references of products like nyogel being used for o-rings, but i see nothing for nano-oil saying yes or no for o-rings. maybe i am missing something?

Thanks,
JD


----------



## DM51

JudasD said:


> maybe i am missing something?



Yes, you are... 

Here's an extract from post #1:



Tekno_Cowboy said:


> *Very Good Lubes*
> 
> *Nyogel:* This lube is used by Surefire, and can be purchased from *Lighthound*. This lube tends to change color slightly, but that should not affect it's lubrication properties. 759G/760G is tuned more for threads, 779ZC is tuned more for o-rings. Here's a good review.
> 
> *Super-Lube: *A cost-effective teflon-based lube that provides very smooth action. Both the grease and the oil perform well. It can be purchased from many hardware stores and online retailers, such as *MSC*.
> 
> *NO-OX-ID: *A wax-based lube with excellent anti-oxidation properties. It's been around for about 50 years. Sold at the *Marketplace*.
> 
> *Krytox: *One of the best lubes out there. This is a fluorinated grease that is very non-reactive and is safe for just about any application. This lube works exceptionally well on Ti lights. It is available in many different varieties, but the two most popular here are straight grease and a mix of 50/50 GPL101 oil and GPL201 grease. The grease can be purchased from the *Marketplace* in small quantities, and 50/50 can be purchased from the *Sandwich Shoppe*. It has been discovered that the sodium nitrate additive in the anti-oxidation varieties of Krytox can reduce the wear-resistance of Krytox on Ti and bare Al. The difference is small, but it is something to make a note of.*Krytox Re-Brands: **Finish Line Extreme Flouro*, *Loctite PFPE Grease*, *Chris Reeve Knifes Flourinated Grease
> *​*Nano-Oil:** A highly-recommended lube by forum members. The lube uses oil as a carrier for nano-particles that are designed to act as a bearing surface.
> *


Can you see it now? I've enlarged it slightly and changed the color for you...


----------



## shelm

JudasD said:


> i see nothing for nano-oil saying yes or no for o-rings.


it doesnt have to say anything. it's listed under VERY GOOD LUBES, which means that you can use it with o-rings and threads with no problems (similar to superlube). just buy it and use it.

no problems.

thats why it is a a VERY GOOD LUBE.


----------



## N162E

DM51 said:


> Yes, you are...
> 
> Here's an extract from post #1:
> 
> 
> Can you see it now? I've enlarged it slightly and changed the color for you...


I Don't, says nothing about rings. This forum member thinks all Nano Oil is poor performing. Being Petroleum based it is especially BAD for many kinds of o-rings. Don't use it. Sorry almighty mod.


----------



## TEEJ

Kestrel said:


> My apologies for being a little late on this issue but I have a pretty good guess about the above. Some silicone greases can contain (and I am not making this up, I have some of this exact stuff in my lab and it's in the fine print on the tube) finely ground glass. I tried this out a long time ago and had the exact same results as you reported - an immediate change in the rotational feel from smooth to gritty. I think that the glass is added as a thickening agent for the silicone grease. I can't think of a worse 'lube' for what we're trying to do.



Finely ground glass is not used as a thickening agent because it doesn't cross link and make new molecular structures, etc.

What it probably had was amorphous fumed silica, which doesn't look like glass under the microscope at all..but DOES act as a thickener...even in foods, etc (Yeah, we eat this crap too...).

Now, despite not being ground glass (They essentially burn the silica to make a fume...) - its ALSO used as a really fine/gentle polishing agent - so, while no where near as abrasive as ground glass, which has much larger particles, etc..and being shaped much differently, it IS abrasive, and would wear, or at least finely polish, soft materials (Materials softer than it is). 

As fumed silica is really in there to thicken the grease, so its less drippy, etc...rather than as a polish or grinding agent.....the DEGREE of wear is probably quite microscopic, albeit it is happening.




In the lab, we use this type of grease for vacuum seals, ground glass joints, etc. Just to throw this out there...organic lithium compounds (and some other organic metals) can react with silicone grease to form salts. Given the Li-ion batteries in there, and other metals, I wonder if they ever off gas or release that type of emission? If they did, the salts might make a "grit" develop in the grease they react with.


----------



## tatasal

If the o-rings that come with your light has hardened or has 'jumped its tracks', just go to your local auto/truck parts supply, and buy 
automotive or even industrial-grade o-rings (ie: VITON, etc). That way you are insured of a material designed to seal surfaces, are petroleum-resistant, etc. That will considerably lessen or even end your o-ring/lube compatibility concerns. In my experience, I don't lube bare aluminum threads, it absorbs it, giving you that 'grainy feel' after a while. Fine with anodized threads though. I only lube the o-rings. Re-apply lube after maybe every other time, just to make the o-ring slide against any rotating matter.


----------



## DM51

N162E said:


> I Don't, says nothing about rings. This forum member thinks all Nano Oil is poor performing. Being Petroleum based it is especially BAD for many kinds of o-rings. Don't use it. Sorry almighty mod.


You are entitled to your opinion. Contrary to what you seem to assume, I have no opinion one way or the other on Nano-oil. I was simply reproducing an extract from post #1 for the benefit of a member who had for some reason been unable to locate it.

You, on the other hand, seem determined to push your own favored product, to the extent that you have made no fewer than 3 shill posts extolling its supposed virtues. Your posts, and replies to them, have been removed.


----------



## jh333233

Lets discuss this objectively


> oil as a carrier



What oil was that?
Corn oil, petrol or?


----------



## JudasD

There seems to be some posts missing from the middle of this thread. Has anyone else noticed this? There were a few posts towards the middle of the thread that had to do with cleaning steps and tips. The bookmarks that i had previously made are now referencing different posts.

Thanks,
JD


----------



## TEEJ

JudasD said:


> There seems to be some posts missing from the middle of this thread. Has anyone else noticed this? There were a few posts towards the middle of the thread that had to do with cleaning steps and tips. The bookmarks that i had previously made are now referencing different posts.
> 
> Thanks,
> JD



Some posts were removed...so the numbers assigned to the other posts shifted.



Plus, it would not surprise me if this thread also suffered some chronological damage from that server thing a bit ago, where new posts were dated as occurring in ~ 2008 or so, and jumped ahead of even the OP, etc.


----------



## JudasD

TEEJ said:


> Some posts were removed...so the numbers assigned to the other posts shifted.
> 
> 
> 
> Plus, it would not surprise me if this thread also suffered some chronological damage from that server thing a bit ago, where new posts were dated as occurring in ~ 2008 or so, and jumped ahead of even the OP, etc.



I was thinking that was the issue and tried searching the thread and still could not find it. Im not going to mention any names, but there was a really nice post with some cleaning/lubing tips. im really bummed that it is now gone. :mecry:


JD


----------



## Bullzeyebill

Many threads we deleted from this thread over the months by moderators for various infractions. I counted 9 just this month, so far. Best to search your user name, or subscription list for posts that you made.

Bill


----------



## Dusterdude

With all of the talk about Krytox I bought some in the from of Extreme Fluoro from Finish Line. After application of the Krytox on the bare aluminium threads and o-ring of my ThruNite 1A the feel of the threads was horrid. When I rotated the head I could hear crunchy sounds and it felt like sand was in the grease. (Bare aluminium was mentioned in #388). After switching back to Super Lube grease, the head rotation became smooth as silk once again, what a difference!


----------



## JudasD

I tried some nano-oil and so far i do like it. On my aluminum lights (Nitecore, Fenix, etc) it is very smooth. Superlube never did feel very smooth on these lights and the nano-oil is very nice. 
I do have one light that is Ti tail cap and aluminum body (4Sevens). On this light the nano-oil doesn't feel like it is doing any lubrication. The sound and feel is as though my threads are dry. I cleaned off the nano-oil and put superlube back on it. Now it feels smooth again. 
I will be using nano-oil on my aluminum lights from now on. For me the jury is still out on the other metals.

JD


----------



## wquiles

JudasD said:


> I tried some nano-oil and so far i do like it. On my aluminum lights (Nitecore, Fenix, etc) it is very smooth. Superlube never did feel very smooth on these lights and the nano-oil is very nice.
> I do have one light that is Ti tail cap and aluminum body (4Sevens). On this light the nano-oil doesn't feel like it is doing any lubrication. The sound and feel is as though my threads are dry. I cleaned off the nano-oil and put superlube back on it. Now it feels smooth again.
> I will be using nano-oil on my aluminum lights from now on. For me the jury is still out on the other metals.
> 
> JD


I think your post reflects the main goal of this thread: experiment and try a few lubes/oils (based on recommendations as a starting point), and then see what works best for you (and your lights) 

Will


----------



## Justintoxicated

TEEJ said:


> I've found that FrogLube makes my threads work great...and no oring issues.



I'm glad someone else is trying this too. It has been some time now and no issues. Non Toxic, and my lights smell minty fresh 
I didn't notice as much difference as I thought I would between the lube and the paste, I think I will go back to paste and it is a (well semi) dry lube and should attract less crud if dropped in the sand or dirt.


----------



## Dr Evil

Has anybody used Nyogel on on the o-rings supplied by TnC or on a copper host? I want to make sure there hasn't been any problems before I use it on copper or the o-rings TnC uses.


----------



## TEEJ

Justintoxicated said:


> I'm glad someone else is trying this too. It has been some time now and no issues. Non Toxic, and my lights smell minty fresh
> I didn't notice as much difference as I thought I would between the lube and the paste, I think I will go back to paste and it is a (well semi) dry lube and should attract less crud if dropped in the sand or dirt.



My FrogLube is in a tub, and comes as a paste, about like a tin of car wax in consistency.


----------



## HotWire

I've tried them all and most work fine. Nano-Oil is my favorite, but sometimes something thicker is needed. Nano-Grease does that well. No o-ring problems of any kind. Finish Line Extreme Flouro is also very good. Krytox has worked well for me.


----------



## happyguy82

Finally the good stuff has arrived


----------



## TEEJ

happyguy82 said:


> Finally the good stuff has arrived





Damn, so now flashaholics are finally shooting up too?!?!

:sick2:

Where will this all END!?!?!


----------



## jh333233

happyguy82 said:


> Finally the good stuff has arrived



Aim at the artery


----------



## rookiedaddy

after little over 6 months of waiting (and occasional nagging my local Ace H/W customer service), I finally get my hands on this Super Lube that quite a few cpf members talked about.
performed a few tests that I normally do with flashlight threading and o-rings, first impression result is this is a pretty good lube! :thumbsup:


pics of the tube...


----------



## happyguy82

Ohh ok will do 



jh333233 said:


> Aim at the artery


----------



## fishndad

i got Ultra Lube(white lithium grease) from Lowes, for my garage door and it works fine on my threads no damage
to any lights yet. any reason i should not use lithium greese you can think of? thanks


----------



## bansuri

I was looking for something to improve the action of the V10r, I had one with minimal grease in the control ring and I tried every grease I could get my hands on but none appealed to me.
Took a chance on some Excellent Performance Damping Grease (50g) from a popular import site and was blown away. Much stiffer than stock. Really smoothed out the action.
A fellow CPFer suggested it might be good as a lube for a twist action light, put some on my mildly grindy Ti MiNi AA and it is a completely different light now. The head requires some effort to twist but there is little or no grinding and the grease doesn't turn black as others have in the past. (I suspect from Ti particles suspended in it after grinding off the threads?). The grease itself is clear-ish like Super Lube.
Shouldn't get so excited about grease, but this stuff solved 2 problems for me. I've had it in the V10 for months with no deterioration and a few weeks in the MiNi AA with no change.


[h=1]*Excellent Performance Damping Grease (50g)*[/h]


----------



## JemR

bansuri said:


> *Excellent Performance Damping Grease (50g)*



Hi bansuri. Thanks for the advice for a control ring lube. I have a M10A and the working or eventual non working of the control ring lube is a concern of mine, as I'm sure it has been for you. Mine seems to be OK at the moment. Being the M10 it does not get moved around quite so much as the V10's I think. But the day will come!!! I will check out the Excellent Performance Damping Grease. See if I can maybe find it in the UK. See what I think. Just wanted to say Thanks a lot.

In line with the rest of the thread. I am using armytek nyogel 760G for all threads and o-rings on all my lights. Could not be happier!


----------



## Slazmo

I find that using CRC 808 Silicone Spray on 'O' rings as silicone oil is a good rubber conditioner and revitaliser and prevents them from shrinking. It's been a staple product I've used on all my flash lights and even my XBox controllers in the thumb sticks and never had an issue with it at all!

The grease I use is Weldtite TF2 Bike Grease - product benefits include Teflon Surface Protector, High temperature grease with good dampening adhesion and water resistant properties, Based on refined mineral oils, lithium soap, anit-friction solid lubricants as well as corrosion and oxidation inhibitors... 

Sold on Weldtite! Have been using it regularly in all Mag's and others and when it changes from pink to a pale cream I typically change it - just a great property that it changes colour to let you know to change it - it also comes in a handy grease gun applicator with pin point accuracy, so no waste!

Another product for Stainless Steel and Ti light threads would be Loctite 77164 Nickle Anti Seize Grease - product benefits include Temp. Range (F) -65 to 2400 Flash Point (F) Greater Than 200, Specific Gravity 1.10, Contains 2.47% VOC Film Type Paste, Application Protect Metal Parts from Rust, Corrosion, Galling and Seizing on High Temperature Applications, For Use on Stainless Steel and Other Metals in Harsh Environments, Characteristics K Value 0.13, Copper-Free.

Other than that Inox with Lanolin would be a great general purpose oil as its peanut based oil and is corrosion resistant and just a great Aussie product!!


----------



## llmercll

rookiedaddy said:


> after little over 6 months of waiting (and occasional nagging my local Ace H/W customer service), I finally get my hands on this Super Lube that quite a few cpf members talked about.
> performed a few tests that I normally do with flashlight threading and o-rings, first impression result is this is a pretty good lube! :thumbsup:
> 
> 
> pics of the tube...




I recently purchased the same exact lube, and the difference between this and generic plumbers silicone grease is night and day. The superlube is very smooth and doesn't gunk like my silicone grease did, which was almost "sticky". Good stuff for the money =)


----------



## bluebonnet

Remembering that I had an old tube of _Tetra Gun_ in my gun cleaning box, I decided to experiment with this "fluoropolymer penetrating grease lubricant" on my SureFire R1 Lawman threads. The result was quite a bit of added friction at the O-ring. I cannot recommend _Tetra Gun_ as a lube for flashlight threads but it works well on firearms as designed.


----------



## Cairo

I am faily new to flashlights I I was wonder why do you need lube and what are the different types and brands do that's different to any other


----------



## Bullzeyebill

Cairo said:


> I am faily new to flashlights I I was wonder why do you need lube and what are the different types and brands do that's different to any other



Cairo, welcome to CPF. Your question is what this thread is all about. Go back to the first post in this thread and read, read, read, and your answers will begin to be answered. Please do not expect members to summarize this thread for you. 

Bill


----------



## shelm

Cairo said:


> I am faily new to flashlights I I was wonder why do you need lube and what are the different types and brands do that's different to any other


here is my take in a summary:
imho you only _really need_ lube for twisty lights, for example Quark Tactical. lube is also helpful for water-proofing o-rings. If you dont go swimming with your light and the light is a clicky light and you seldom change batteries, then i dont see any need for lube on the threads and o-rings.
the cheapest lube of acceptable all-round performance is super lube and similar synthetic products (i.e. not based on petroleum) with teflon.

personally i use butter or margarine when i run out of super lube


----------



## yliu

Hello,

I have used my french horn slide grease to lube one of my lights. It work quite well, and after a week I can see no damage to the o ring.

On the box of the grease it says it includes "lanolin" which I have no idea what is it. Can any expert comment on how good slide greases would work in the long term?


----------



## N162E

Haven't heard of using that before. You might need to become the expert on this grease. Please keep us posted on how this works.


----------



## Bojack

Has any one used Fluid Film? (google the name) Has no solvents & is lanolin based.


----------



## Yamabushi

Bojack said:


> Has any one used Fluid Film? (google the name) Has no solvents & is lanolin based.


Their website stated "Caution should be used around rubber goods. May cause swelling." so I'll wait until someone else tests the various O-ring materials.


----------



## Bojack

Yamabushi said:


> Their website stated "Caution should be used around rubber goods. May cause swelling." so I'll wait until someone else tests the various O-ring materials.



More nfo from their website.
Effects on rubber: None on neoprene and buna-n. May cause some swelling on natural rubber.


----------



## yliu

N162E said:


> Haven't heard of using that before. You might need to become the expert on this grease. Please keep us posted on how this works.



I couldn't find anything about the ingredients of slide greases. Therefore I fear that it also contains petroleum jelly

Anyway, I also found a PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) based grease. Anyone know anything about that?

I live in Europe, and most of the recommended brads cannot be found here.


----------



## biglights

Would it be alright to use ArmyTek Nyogel 760G Flashlight Silicone Grease on a titanium light?


----------



## Slazmo

Lanolin is the oil that is found on sheep's wool - it is totally harmless, electrically neutral and makes a great anti-foul on boats! It would be prefect for most applications and Inox (Australia) make a Lanolin based grease. Its food grade and totally harmless to rubber o rings and gaskets and works a treat on gears as it's a wonder grease of sorts in a fishing environment!

*biglights* - would recomend the Nickle based grease on Ti threads...


----------



## Johnbeck180

Slazmo said:


> Lanolin is the oil that is found on sheep's wool - it is totally harmless, electrically neutral and makes a great anti-foul on boats! It would be prefect for most applications and Inox (Australia) make a Lanolin based grease. Its food grade and totally harmless to rubber o rings and gaskets and works a treat on gears as it's a wonder grease of sorts in a fishing environment!
> 
> *biglights* - would recomend the Nickle based grease on Ti threads...



We work with sheep a lot for 4-H. I never thought about it but yeah it would make a good lubricant. After working sheep for a while it gets on your hands. It would make a good moisturizer also.


----------



## ozzywalker

Hello guys..i have a twisty flashlight, the itp a1 eos. Recently I remove the o ring from the flashlight and replace it with a Teflon tape. It’s best than the classical o ring…and very water proof, up to 6 bar. My flashlight works great! See this links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread_seal_tape and video on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65i2vGWi3AE don’t apply so many tape as shown on video. It is for your flashlight not for your faucet..


----------



## Yamabushi

ozzywalker said:


> It is for your flashlight not for your faucet.


But teflon tape is for your faucet not your flashlight. Teflon tape is not elastomeric, i.e., it doesn't flex to allow for movement. It is intended for stationary threaded joints in pipes. As the Wikipedia article states: "The use of PTFE tape in *tapered* pipe threads performs a lubricating function, which more easily allows the threads to be *screwed together, to the point of deformation, which is what creates the seal*." and "Thread tape is *appropriate for use on tapered threads*, where the sealing force is a wedge action. *Parallel threads will not seal effectively with or without tape*."

I have never encountered a flashlight with tapered threads.


----------



## ozzywalker

http://picturepush.com/public/8624615]



[/URL]


http://picturepush.com/public/8624626][img=http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/8624626/640/8624626.jpg][/url]


this is the tape...http://www.tesa.com/consumer/adhesive_tapes/repairing_specialities/tesa_stopwater_tape,c.html if you want you can try it...no water will come inside the flashlight.:twothumbs


----------



## MagLite6cHeadKnocker

*Lubricant*

I am looking for suggestions for a lubricant for the threads on my flashlights. I have always used Vaseline and never had any problems. My new Streamlight Protac 2l recommends silicone grease. Any ideas?


----------



## RobertM

*Re: Lubricant*

Nyogel.

Also, here is some great reading material for you regarding flashlight lubricants:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?242414-Comprehensive-Grease-and-Lube-Thread

:welcome:


----------



## oKtosiTe

*Re: Lubricant*

Vaseline may damage rubber o-rings, while silicone gel may damage (less common) silicone o-rings.


----------



## ragweed

I would go with what the manufacturer recommends. Vasoline works on mags & never a problem in 10 years using it.


----------



## ADzX

Has anyone tried GATSBY MOVING RUBBER?
Last item in the #1 thread


----------



## LightCrazy

I use a tube of "Super Lube" synthetic grease because it was recommended by a reputable flashlight distributor. I asked what kind of grease to get to use o the o-rings and threads, and they suggested the "Super Lube". They told me it was at least close to what the manufacturers of the better lights would use. Like others have said, a little goes a long way. I hae had this 12 gram tube for a few years i would guess, and I have hardly put a dent in it. Works great, and just happens to be on the "Best" list, or whatever the top recommended lube list is.


----------



## N162E

LightCrazy said:


> I use a tube of "Super Lube" synthetic grease because it was recommended by a reputable flashlight distributor. I asked what kind of grease to get to use o the o-rings and threads, and they suggested the "Super Lube". They told me it was at least close to what the manufacturers of the better lights would use. Like others have said, a little goes a long way. I hae had this 12 gram tube for a few years i would guess, and I have hardly put a dent in it. Works great, and just happens to be on the "Best" list, or whatever the top recommended lube list is.


Good product and easy to find. I have an old tube I bought at Radio Shack at least ten years ago, still 3/4ths left.


----------



## MRTdiver

*Slick lube for a Twisty light*

So I bought a dive light (Ultrafire WF-3430) and since I’ve got it it seems to be more difficult to twist the head to turn ON/Off. I’ve added silicon grease to the head o-rings and that’s it. It’s a plastic body (PVC). 

I wonder if there’s an alternative o-ring lube which will make it easier to turn. Of course it should still retain it's waterproof nature and not damage the o-rings. At the moment it's pretty hard to turn and it's still new. :hairpull:

thanks

Thread Merge - Norm


----------



## Megatrowned

*Thread lube idea?*

So I was looking through my tool bin and foung a tube of graphite powder lubricant. I remember reading somewhere that someone was using pencil lead to bridge some terminals on their drop-in. So graphite powder "shouldn't" add resistance when used on threads, right? In theory, this would make the twisting action nice and smooth.

Anyone have some thoughts or experience with this? And just thinking, would this be good for titanium threads? (I don't have a Ti light, _yet._)


----------



## AnAppleSnail

*Re: Thread lube idea?*



Megatrowned said:


> So I was looking through my tool bin and foung a tube of graphite powder lubricant. I remember reading somewhere that someone was using pencil lead to bridge some terminals on their drop-in. So graphite powder "shouldn't" add resistance when used on threads, right? In theory, this would make the twisting action nice and smooth.
> 
> Anyone have some thoughts or experience with this? And just thinking, would this be good for titanium threads? (I don't have a Ti light, _yet._)



Graphite powder is great for many machines...but very bad for electronics. If you get enough graphite in switches or chips (Or battery PCB), then you may get a dead light.


----------



## lwknight

*Re: Thread lube idea?*

Most graphite lube is suspended in some kind of heavy oil/grease and will never leave the applied area. For example if you put graphite grease on the tail cap threads , it would never find its way into the other end.

Nearly all the flashlight makers say that organic grease is bad for o-rings so even the graphite could be bad.

Disclaimer: The above is with consideration to reasonable and sensible usage.


----------



## dipsmitt

a drop of vegetable oil should do the trick if you must lube your threads

I think leaving them dry is preferred so you don't attract dirt into them. 

if you are doing it thinking that you are going to lower resistance sorry but I would think ur crazy...even so if that's the goal you would have to use a conductive electrical grease


----------



## Yamabushi

dipsmitt said:


> a drop of vegetable oil should do the trick if you must lube your threads
> 
> I think leaving them dry is preferred so you don't attract dirt into them.



Vegetable oil will turn rancid and become gummy. Lubrication is required to protect O-rings and threads from abrasion and wear; on twisty switches, it smooths the action.


----------



## Search

Still using Nano-Oil. 

Keeps my twisties nice and smooth. Threads are always clean, so it's obviously working very very well.


----------



## fyrstormer

dipsmitt said:


> a drop of vegetable oil should do the trick if you must lube your threads
> 
> I think leaving them dry is preferred so you don't attract dirt into them.
> 
> if you are doing it thinking that you are going to lower resistance sorry but I would think ur crazy...even so if that's the goal you would have to use a conductive electrical grease


Aluminum and titanium threads have a strong tendency to gall when twisted with any pressure on the threads. Galling tears up the surface of the threads, and can result in seizing if it goes on long enough. With aluminum and titanium threads, preventing thread wear is more important than not attracting dirt. Anyway, any flashlight worth buying has an O-ring outside the threads, so dirt won't get in under normal circumstances.

You have 7 posts; perhaps you should spend a bit more time learning why thread lubrication is an accepted practice here, before you start telling the entire community we've been doing it wrong for years.


----------



## 127.0.0.1

dipsmitt said:


> a drop of vegetable oil should do the trick if you must lube your threads
> 
> I think leaving them dry is preferred so you don't attract dirt into them.
> 
> if you are doing it thinking that you are going to lower resistance sorry but I would think ur crazy...even so if that's the goal you would have to use a conductive electrical grease




actually olive oil does work fantastic on threads and o-rings

most people need threads lubed for battery crushers, as the threads will bind against spring action

most people need threads lubed for any twisty

titanium threads all must be lubed beyond simple grease and oil, as you have galling issues with Ti that
cannot be overcome...just dealt with. so you use advanced lubes specific for Ti threads on these lights

o-rings on any light can induce drag, hence, a tighter feel. any grease or oil that doesn't eat the o-ring is good for those

as far as electrical conductivity, I don't know of any lights that count on the threads being lubed
a specific way. usually the end of the barrel and not the thread is the contact. and for those whose
threads are part of the circuit, lube it however you want, electrical contact will still be made


----------



## Search

dipsmitt said:


> a drop of vegetable oil should do the trick if you must lube your threads
> 
> I think leaving them dry is preferred so you don't attract dirt into them.
> 
> if you are doing it thinking that you are going to lower resistance sorry but I would think ur crazy...even so if that's the goal you would have to use a conductive electrical grease



Trolling?

If lubricating two metal surfaces actually increases friction why on earth have I been buying that darned motor oil..


----------



## Bullzeyebill

fyrstormer said:


> You have 7 posts; perhaps you should spend a bit more time learning why thread lubrication is an accepted practice here, before you start telling the entire community we've been doing it wrong for years.



I mostly agree with that comment. Let's not spend any more time with dipsmitt's post, which does seem to be presumptuous, and may will be trolling on his part to get reactions from members. If so, it would be best that he not do that anymore, and look up Rule 4.

Bill


----------



## fyrstormer

Search said:


> If lubricating two metal surfaces actually increases friction why on earth have I been buying that darned motor oil..


In fairness, lubrication CAN increase drag (fluid friction) between moving parts, and in certain cases the reduction in wear is so insignificant as to make the increase in drag a problem worth avoiding. However, the contacting surfaces need to be exceedingly hard (such as bearing-grade ceramic) in order for liquid/gel lubrication to cause more problems than it solves, and bare aluminum threads are nowhere near hard enough. Anodized aluminum threads are hard enough to not require lubrication under light loads, but only as long as the anodizing remains intact with no chips or cracks.


----------



## Search

fyrstormer said:


> In fairness, lubrication CAN increase drag (fluid friction) between moving parts, and in certain cases the reduction in wear is so insignificant as to make the increase in drag a problem worth avoiding. However, the contacting surfaces need to be exceedingly hard (such as bearing-grade ceramic) in order for liquid/gel lubrication to cause more problems than it solves, and bare aluminum threads are nowhere near hard enough. Anodized aluminum threads are hard enough to not require lubrication under light loads, but only as long as the anodizing remains intact with no chips or cracks.



You sir, just ruined my night.

lol thanks for the information though. I guess I'm wrong.


----------



## oKtosiTe

It is my understanding that Nyogel is safe for both rubber and silicone o-rings. Correct?


----------



## Moinaldo

*Re: Themal compound as lubricant?*

I just used some thermal paste on threads. Heat transfer feels better but I don't know if it's just myself trying to think I did the right thing. Anyway I don't think it will damage o-rings.


----------



## tam17

*Re: Themal compound as lubricant?*

Most thermal pastes contain alumina powder (corundum) which is _very_ hard and _very_ abrasive (commonly used for sandpaper), so it's a big no-no for lubrication...

Cheers


----------



## chmsam

*Re: Themal compound as lubricant?*

Not to spoil the party but why not just use the proper tools for the job?

Lubes and greases are meant to lubricate. Use them to do so and not other "creams, jels, or lotions." 

I see way too many people using "whatever tool I got in the drawer" and trying to make something work. I also see very few good results from doing so.

Thermal compounds are for heat dissipation. In most cases the small amount of heat dispersed is likely not worth using it as a lube, plus there's a chance of doing damage.

Personally I wouldn't do it 'cause it's only a _potential_ gain and so my guess is that it probably ain't worth it.

But what ever floats yer boat...


----------



## Yoda4561

*Re: Themal compound as lubricant?*

I'm in the "don't" crowd. As another poster mentioned the modern high performance compounds like artic alumina and the majority of other brands use hard and abrasive ceramic additives. Even some of the pastes that are silver based have ceramics added to enhance performance. While a little bit of thermal compound on the threads on the head of an all aluminum light might help thermal transfer a bit, I wouldn't recommend it unless using a compound you know isn't going to wreck the threads. The old fashioned white silicone compounds should be okay. Best to use them on threads that don't move much, install a dropin into a 6p style flashlight once a year or less, don't mess with it after and you could probably get away with the ceramic stuff.


----------



## Ninegunner

*////////*

////////


----------



## harro

*Re: Themal compound as lubricant?*

Without wanting to get mixed up in the, ' whats right or wrong thing ', i just use a small smear of a mix of clarified beeswax/olive oil when things start to sound dry.


----------



## oKtosiTe

*Re: Themal compound as lubricant?*



Ninegunner said:


> *O-ring Grease*
> 
> Hi all, I am wanting a grease for my Surefire o-rings and have decided on NyoGel. I have done searching and emailing and have been told by Surefire and Lighthound that the 760G is the way to go over the 779ZC. But the lube/grease thread here and the description for 779ZC says that 779ZC is the way to go for o-rings. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks!



I think both are *safe* to use, but if you want to pick one specifically for o-rings, the 779ZC might be the better choice, for slightly better waterproofing. It won't be as smooth as the 760G, though, which I've decided to use for my TM11's (silicone) o-ring _and_ threads. For my Quark's o-rings (rubber) I use simple silicone grease.

You may have already read this, but I'll link it just in case:
Review of Nyogel 779ZC, Nyogel 759G, Nyogel 760G Lubricants


----------



## Supergyro

Well, after perusing this thread I decided I needed to lube my new Solarforce L2P with some quality grease, and so I began the search for some kind of non-petroleum, non-silicone synthetic that I might have in the garage. I'm looking high and low for some Mobil 1 grease, oil, anything. Then I remember, isn't there some kind of generically named grease downstairs for the muzzleloader? Sure enough, the number 2 lube on the list has been sitting under my nose! Needless to say, my Solarforce is well lubed and in tip-top condition! Thanks for all the info you guys, it's a great resource, if a bit overwhelming.:duh2::twothumbs


----------



## bladesmith3

*Re: Themal compound as lubricant?*

SORRY IF THIS SEEMS OFF TOPIC...
everyone has an opinion. you can use whatever works for you but if you want a product that works the best then imho the best lube for so many uses including lights is a bicycle lube made by Slickoleum grease. they have a website. i have zero interest in the company, but it is a fantastic product.
like most people comment. a little goes a long way.


----------



## wentworth

I think I've scanned through nearly all of this thread.
What do the other Aussies on the forum buy for lube?
I went to order a 100g tube of nyogel from the US and it was going to cost $20 for the tube and $20 for shipping.


----------



## roadrunner99

Hi. I'm new on the forums. Found it while looking for flashlight reviews. In looking for thread lubes I saw multiple reviews for Super Lube but was having trouble finding it at local stores. Then while in the sporting goods section of the local KMart I passed the fishing section and spotted a tube of South Bend Super Reel Grease. The description said that it was a water resistant synthetic grease with PTFE, so for under $3 I bought a tube. On opening the package I found that it was packaged by Synco (Super Lube). The 1/2 oz tube is perfect if you don't have many lights or want to keep some in vehicle.


----------



## AirmanX

I use pure silicon oil for my threads and o-rings. I am not sure if this is a good idea or if it makes a difference, but I've been using silicon oil for years on things like this.


----------



## Norm

wentworth said:


> I think I've scanned through nearly all of this thread.
> What do the other Aussies on the forum buy for lube?
> I went to order a 100g tube of nyogel from the US and it was going to cost $20 for the tube and $20 for shipping.



I use






Get it at your plumbing supply, Reeces etc.

Norm


----------



## tam17

There is a chemical compatibility web page where some commonly used chemicals (lubricant components) can be checked against sealing materials (O-rings):

[h=1]Chemical Compatibility Database[/h]AFAIK, most of the O-rings are Nitrile rubber.

Cheers


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

tam17 said:


> There is a chemical compatibility web page where some commonly used chemicals (lubricant components) can be checked against sealing materials (O-rings):
> 
> *Chemical Compatibility Database*
> 
> AFAIK, most of the O-rings are Nitrile rubber.
> 
> Cheers


The polymer you are referring to is mostly known as Buna-N the N stands for Nitrile also NBR (Nitrile Buna Rubber)
below is another chart link which is very comprehensive provided by Parker one of the biggest US manufacturer of O-Rings among many other things.

Click on *Parker O-Ring Chemical Compatibility *
Also the durometer index (hardness) varies and is important to know when ordering since the effect of the compression set will affect function, specially on dynamic seals as found on flashlights. 
the lower the number the softer the material. 
- 70 duro for flashlight and low pressure components like in scuba circa 170 psi 
- 90 duro for high pressure <> 5000 psi


----------



## tam17

Very useful resource, thanks Christian!

Cheers


----------



## ColdZero

I'm new here and would like to thank CPF for the valuable info here.
So cheers.


----------



## iammiah

The silicone grease I use balls up slightly, so occasionally there are small lumps on the ends of the threads when I remove the head or endcap/switch, does that happen to you guys? Also, has anyone tried Tuf-Glide?


----------



## sidecross

I mainly clean the threads with Doxit and no longer even lube the threads.


----------



## RedRonin

I got a tube of Team Associated Silicone Shock Fluid 30WT for remote controlled cars.

Have any of you guys and gals tried to use this RC-related product with any of your torches?
What are your thoughts on this?


----------



## RedRonin

I have been using GunButter Oiler and GunButter's Trigger and Locking Lug Grease on my guns for quite a few years now.

When I browsed through their FAQs http://www.gunbutter.com/?page_id=14 today, near the bottom of its page, there was mention of tactical flashlight maintenance using GunButter.
For those who have tried applying them on torches, how do you think they fare with o-rings and gaskets?


----------



## user73

Excuse me my beginner question: I was reading 10 minutes in this thread but still dont figured out, why flashlights/threads should be lubed. Is it because of corrosion of non-alu-flashlights? So far I never hold a flashlight with lube or grease in my hands.


----------



## oKtosiTe

user73 said:


> Excuse me my beginner question: I was reading 10 minutes in this thread but still dont figured out, why flashlights/threads should be lubed. Is it because of corrosion of non-alu-flashlights? So far I never hold a flashlight with lube or grease in my hands.



Actually, I think most flashlights come from the factory with some lube already on the threads/o-rings. Aluminum does corrode, and on my Quark "X" AA² I started noticing after about six months that adjusting the head started to have a gritty, choppy feel to it, despite my best efforts to keep the threads clean. This worried me a little, as I'm pretty certain ignoring the problem would only have made it worse over time. Adding just a drop or two of NyoGel 760G resolved the issue almost immediately—the grease had to migrate across the threads over the course of a few turns of the head.
NyoGel 760G also helped lubricate the sliders on my Intellicharger i4, and appears to be safe for rubber as well as silicone o-rings.


----------



## sidecross

oKtosiTe said:


> Actually, I think most flashlights come from the factory with some lube already on the threads/o-rings. Aluminum does corrode, and on my Quark "X" AA² I started noticing after about six months that adjusting the head started to have a gritty, choppy feel to it, despite my best efforts to keep the threads clean. This worried me a little, as I'm pretty certain ignoring the problem would only have made it worse over time. Adding just a drop or two of NyoGel 760G resolved the issue almost immediately—the grease had to migrate across the threads over the course of a few turns of the head.
> NyoGel 760G also helped lubricate the sliders on my Intellicharger i4, and appears to be safe for rubber as well as silicone o-rings.



If in doubt, I would concur and use NyoGel 760G.


----------



## herosemblem

My D25C Mini (a twisty flashlight) has very loose tolerances between the head and body. The head turns way, _way_ too easily and the light turns on in my pocket, and other times the head nearly unscrews itself all the way...while in my pocket. There is basically no resistance when turning the head. 

*I want a grease for the threads that will increase the effort needed to twist the head. Must be found at a local hardware store.* 
Loctite does not make an ultra-weak version of their threadlocker, so I guess something thicker, like a grease, will help. Please school me. Thank you.


----------



## rookiedaddy

@herosemblem, you can try those thick plumber grease found at your hardware store, those are mostly silicone-based and most tends to get "sticky" after a while... if you want more resistance, apply a bit more (but not too much) onto the o-ring. You could also try replacing the o-ring with a slightly thicker C.S.


----------



## herosemblem

Thanks rookiedaddy. I will give the plumber's grease a try.
RE: replacing the O-ring with a slightly thicker "C.S."... is the "C.S." another type of O-ring? Thanks!


----------



## rookiedaddy

@herosemblem, my bad, "C.S" == Cross Section, basically just the o-ring thickness. 
If I'm not mistaken, the stock D25C o-ring is 1mm x 13mm (metric size). These sizes are normally express in "C.S (Cross Section) x I.D. (Inside Diameter)". Hope this helps.

*edit:
*btw, you could also try wrapping a few layers of Teflon tape onto the threads to increase the resistance.


----------



## N162E

herosemblem said:


> My D25C Mini (a twisty flashlight) has very loose tolerances between the head and body. The head turns way, _way_ too easily and the light turns on in my pocket, and other times the head nearly unscrews itself all the way...while in my pocket. There is basically no resistance when turning the head.
> 
> *I want a grease for the threads that will increase the effort needed to twist the head. Must be found at a local hardware store.*
> Loctite does not make an ultra-weak version of their threadlocker, so I guess something thicker, like a grease, will help. Please school me. Thank you.


There are some greases that fill the bill. Resistance greases are often used in optical focusing mechanisms on telescopes, microscopes and cameras. I can't tell you the names of the products, the last time I did this the Mighty Mod accused me of being a schill, when I complained I was called a whiner and when I reported the post I was banned for awhile. You might try searching "Optical greases"


----------



## herosemblem

Thank you all for your suggestions for increasing the resistance on my twisty flashlight's threads.  Great ideas all around.


----------



## Buck91

herosemblem said:


> My D25C Mini (a twisty flashlight) has very loose tolerances between the head and body. The head turns way, _way_ too easily and the light turns on in my pocket, and other times the head nearly unscrews itself all the way...while in my pocket. There is basically no resistance when turning the head.
> 
> *I want a grease for the threads that will increase the effort needed to twist the head. Must be found at a local hardware store.*
> Loctite does not make an ultra-weak version of their threadlocker, so I guess something thicker, like a grease, will help. Please school me. Thank you.



I have a couple of nodded victorinox lights that suffer loose threads. I used triflow teflon grease and it helps a lot. Very sticky/tacky 

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2


----------



## herosemblem

Thanks, Buck91. Does that stuff provide smooth turning though?


----------



## NigelBond

I'm using superlube on my flashlights. I used to use fishing reel lube. You can find a compatability chart on the superlube website. It says that it's not compatible with Butyl (IIR), Ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), Natural rubber (NR), and Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR). How common are these rubbers, especially Butyl? I was going to lube up a moen faucet cartridge with it but now I'm not sure I should


----------



## Buck91

herosemblem said:


> Thanks, Buck91. Does that stuff provide smooth turning though?



Yes but sticky, lots of resistance. Probably helps with weather rpoofing though. And I'm boot 100% sure but I think its basically ok for any type of o-ring.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2


----------



## user73

so its all about corrosion?


----------



## Yamabushi

user73 said:


> so its all about corrosion?



No, it's also about metal to metal/anodizing to anodizing abrasion and O-ring wear.


----------



## user73

Yamabushi said:


> No, it's also about metal to metal/anodizing to anodizing abrasion and O-ring wear.


thanks


----------



## Dietz

I've been using synthetic motor oil for years without any kind of damage.


----------



## ZuluWhiskeyFox

NigelBond said:


> I'm using superlube on my flashlights. I used to use fishing reel lube. You can find a compatability chart on the superlube website. It says that it's not compatible with Butyl (IIR), Ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), Natural rubber (NR), and Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR). How common are these rubbers, especially Butyl? I was going to lube up a moen faucet cartridge with it but now I'm not sure I should



Butyl is a fairly common O ring material. Probably the most common in our flashlights. Followed by silicone.


----------



## Yoda4561

Rubber faucet washers are usually SBR rubber. Use plumbers silicone grease available for a couple dollars at any hardware store. If the moen cartridge doesn't use rubber washers it probably doesn't need any grease at all, but I'm not sure how those new ceramic type valves work exactly.


----------



## neutralwhite

*Servisol or NyoGel 779ZC, & NyoGel 759G ?*

Hello There, For my PD32, I just use SERVISOL SILICONE grease.

is that good enough for general use when it comes to O rings and thread lubing as I also see maybe a better waterproofing and protection way of this light’s threads, with the light being cleaned and lubricated with NyoGel 779ZC (o-rings) and NyoGel 759G (threads) as I heard many other grease's make the O ring consume like the oil, making it expand which aint good.
would SERVISOL do this too?.



the flashlight is for general outdoor use.
thanks.


----------



## oKtosiTe

tnfdy said:


> Hello There, For my PD32, I just use SERVISOL SILICONE grease.
> 
> is that good enough for general use when it comes to O rings and thread lubing as I also see maybe a better waterproofing and protection way of this light’s threads, with the light being cleaned and lubricated with NyoGel 779ZC (o-rings) and NyoGel 759G (threads) as I heard many other grease's make the O ring consume like the oil, making it expand which aint good.
> would SERVISOL do this too?.
> 
> 
> 
> the flashlight is for general outdoor use.
> thanks.


Most o-rings are made of rubber, and will do fine. Silicone o-rings will be damaged by silicone-based lubricants, however.


----------



## neutralwhite

BIG Thanks, appreciated. could I ask, is the PD32 a rubber O ring?.
thanks...



oKtosiTe said:


> Most o-rings are made of rubber, and will do fine. Silicone o-rings will be damaged by silicone-based lubricants, however.


----------



## oKtosiTe

tnfdy said:


> BIG Thanks, appreciated. could I ask, is the PD32 a rubber O ring?.
> thanks...


I really can't answer that, since I don't own any Fenix lights. My assumption is yes, but please don't take a chance on it.
I've heard some people test by applying a tiny amount and seeing if any color rubs off, but I haven't tested that myself.
I'm quite happy using NyoGel on both my Quark X AA2 (*rubber* o-ring) and my TM11 (*silicone* o-ring).


----------



## neutralwhite

Thanks, ok,...could a fenix PD32 owner confirm this please?. thanks...



oKtosiTe said:


> I really can't answer that, since I don't own any Fenix lights. My assumption is yes, but please don't take a chance on it.
> I've heard some people test by applying a tiny amount and seeing if any color rubs off, but I haven't tested that myself.
> I'm quite happy using NyoGel on both my Quark X AA2 (*rubber* o-ring) and my TM11 (*silicone* o-ring).


----------



## neutralwhite

01:51​
*JUST GOT THIS BACK FROM FENIX:

Fenix Worldwide*
Darryl, the O ring on the PD32 made of nitrile -butadiene rubber. Fenix may consider update the pd32 in the near future. Off topic, where are you located? Are you a fan for flashlights or just a normal user of flashlights?


----------



## oKtosiTe

tnfdy said:


> 01:51​
> *JUST GOT THIS BACK FROM FENIX:
> 
> Fenix Worldwide*
> Darryl, the O ring on the PD32 made of nitrile -butadiene rubber. Fenix may consider update the pd32 in the near future. Off topic, where are you located? Are you a fan for flashlights or just a normal user of flashlights?


Silicone grease should be fine with NBR.


----------



## Boden

Noob question here, What about "noalox" as a thread lube. I can't use the search function yet so my ability to search is well... limited.


----------



## TOJ

*Grease for smoothing twisty action*

I have a ~2 month old Foursevens mini-ml and I'm not thrilled with the twisty action. It's too stiff. I've tried white lithium grease, and that didn't help. What else is out there? I have an olight i3 which has a very smooth and easy twisty.

EDIT:I now see the sticky up top. It will take me awhile to read through all that, but I will start anyway. Any info here is helpful, too. Thanks.


----------



## TOJ

*Re: Grease for smoothing twisty action*

OK, think I know what I'm going to go with. Now just a matter of seeing if I can get any of them at Home Depot.

Will any of the 'excellent' lubes actually smooth the action or are they just preventative for the longevity of the light and its o-rings? I don't care for longevity as I'm ready to stop using the light already.


----------



## Yamabushi

*Re: Grease for smoothing twisty action*



TOJ said:


> OK, think I know what I'm going to go with. Now just a matter of seeing if I can get any of them at Home Depot.
> 
> Will any of the 'excellent' lubes actually smooth the action or are they just preventative for the longevity of the light and its o-rings? I don't care for longevity as I'm ready to stop using the light already.



Try one of the recommended oils, e.g., Super Lube oil or Krytox GPL101 oil. A grease, because of the thickeners it contains, will generally give a stiffer action than the base oil it contains.


----------



## Verndog

NigelBond said:


> I'm using superlube on my flashlights. I used to use fishing reel lube. You can find a compatability chart on the superlube website. It says that it's not compatible with Butyl (IIR), Ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), Natural rubber (NR), and Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR). How common are these rubbers, especially Butyl? I was going to lube up a moen faucet cartridge with it but now I'm not sure I should



What?? i just purchased superlube per the recommendation of this thread. it says right on their site it's teflon based and fully compatible with rubber and silicone.

http://www.super-lube.com/where-to-use-super-lube-ezp-160.html



> Can Super Lube® be used as an o-ring lubricant?
> Yes, Super Lube® Grease is an excellent lubricant that prevents wear between metal, plastic, and rubber parts. It is compatible with Buna, Nitrile, Viton, Neoprene and Silicone rubbers. Super Lube® Silicone Grease is also available for compounds that are not compatible with hydrocarbons.


----------



## mgscheue

Verndog said:


> What?? i just purchased superlube per the recommendation of this thread. it says right on their site it's teflon based and fully compatible with rubber and silicone.
> 
> http://www.super-lube.com/where-to-use-super-lube-ezp-160.html



I'm confused, too. Here's the table:
http://www.super-lube.com/files/pdfs/Super_Lube_Compatibility_Chart.pdf

It does at least say it's excellent with NBR.


----------



## Yamabushi

@ NigelBond
Butyl, EPDM, natural rubber and SBR O-rings are incompatible with most petroleum or synthetic oils. They require silicone or perfluoropolyether oil. Accordingly, they would not normally be used in any application that required lubrication without a warning to use only those types of oils. EDIT: Check with Moen.

@Verndog
Super Lube does not say it is "teflon based"; it says it is a synthetic oil with a *PTFE based thickener*. The line you quoted does not say that Super Lube is "fully compatible with rubber and silicone"; it gives a short list of materials with which it is compatible.


----------



## Verndog

Yamabushi said:


> @Verndog
> Super Lube does not say it is "teflon based"; it says it is a synthetic oil with a *PTFE based thickener*. The line you quoted does not say that Super Lube is "fully compatible with rubber and silicone"; it gives a short list of materials with which it is compatible.



So what are you suggesting? We need to send our O rings to a lab to be certain it's the exact correct compound rubber then research a correct lube? Please, we're talking about flashlights here not race cars...correct?

Not sure where I read the teflon from, possibly that was another product I was looking at.


----------



## Yamabushi

Verndog said:


> So what are you suggesting? We need to send our O rings to a lab to be certain it's the exact correct compound rubber then research a correct lube?



No, a reputable manufacturer would not use O-rings that are incompatible with petroleum or synthetic oils unless they had a good reason. If they used materials that required special lubricants, they would likely mention it in the user manual. One caveat ... manufacturers of the very cheapest flashlights might use the cheapest O-rings they can find and not care about the material.

In any case, using an incompatible lubricant isn't going to result in sudden, catastrophic failure. An O-ring will swell or harden or rub off color noticeably as it deteriorates. If that happens, replace the O-ring and change lubricants.

If I am using an O-ring in an extreme application where failure cannot be tolerated, I soak sample O-rings in the lubricant or other fluids which may be in contact for a couple of weeks then compare them (dimensions, hardness, stretch, color, etc.) to one that has been left dry.


----------



## longrange80

*eagletac grease*

Where can I get eagletac grease checked there web site and got nothing.Tried the search function and I guess I need three posts.


----------



## passive101

I've always just used some silicone spray on my o-rings. Is this not recommended to prolong their life? I've been doing this since my first mag lights


----------



## Yamabushi

passive101 said:


> I've always just used some silicone spray on my o-rings. Is this not recommended to prolong their life? I've been doing this since my first mag lights



Silicone oil should be OK for most O-rings except those made of silicone. However, I'm not a fan of spray lubricants except where it's the only way to apply it. The problem is that spray lubricants are mostly not lubricant, e.g., the following is the composition of a popular brand:
Petroleum Solvent 50-60%
Propellant (propane, n-butane) 35-45%
Poly(dimethylsiloxane) 1-5%

A 300 gram can costs $7 and contains only 3 to 15 grams of oil. If it's midway ... 9 grams, the cost would be $0.78 per gram of oil. I can buy Super Lube for less than $0.10 per gram or Krytox GPL-105 oil (one of the most expensive) for about $1 per gram.


----------



## Oztorchfreak

*What is the best product and method for maintaining LED light threads?*

*Hi CPFers.*


I am really confused about getting the right way and the right product to maintain the threads properly on all of my LED lights.

There have been so many opinions about doing this in the past that surely one or maybe a few of them is the best of all of them.

I am not sure if you can post product names in a thread like this or not. (Mods please help here).

I get told silicone greases of all types or HQ oil and so forth for example.

I would like to hear what fellow CPFers do at home or work to hopefully answer my query and also help any newer CPF members and those that are just curious about this question.




*CHEERS* but a little .


----------



## oKtosiTe

*Re: What is the best product and method for maintaining LED light threads?*

I'm sure that that is because there are many different ways to maintain them that all work quite well.
I clean the threads with old toothbrushes and soft cloth, use DeoxIt on non-anodized threads to remove corrosion, and lubricate with Nyogel 760G (the nice thing with NyoGel is that it's safe for rubber and silicone o-rings).


----------



## Oztorchfreak

*Re: What is the best product and method for maintaining LED light threads?*



oKtosiTe said:


> I'm sure that that is because there are many different ways to maintain them that all work quite well.
> I clean the threads with old toothbrushes and soft cloth, use DeoxIt on non-anodized threads to remove corrosion, and lubricate with NyoGel 760G (the nice thing with NyoGel is that it's safe for rubber and silicone o-rings).




*That helps me to start with.*

I wonder how many guys use this product and method.

The thread maintenance issue has been driving me crazy ever since I had to get a replacement Olight M30 under warranty after the threads wore out prematurely and yet I used the same method and product that the dealer did.

In the end we could not be sure if the threads were sub-standard or if the material of the light body and tailcap was not as good as it should have been in that batch of Olight M30s.

I made a post on the M30 thread problem on CPF a while ago and I was told that I must have been abusing the threads in some manner, but the dealer stated that I had been doing everything right.


My CPF post on the M30 thread problem is below.


http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?290911-Olight-M30-Triton-threads-worn-out





*CHEERS*


----------



## twl

*Re: What is the best product and method for maintaining LED light threads?*

I use Nyogel 760G on all my O-rings and threads, and it works great.


----------



## Oztorchfreak

*Re: What is the best product and method for maintaining LED light threads?*



twl said:


> I use Nyogel 760G on all my O-rings and threads, and it works great.




Another *Nyogel 760G* fan comes to our party I see!

This could turn out to be the top product in this thread as I have seen others on CPF talking about this product amongst the many more that I have heard about.

How often do you apply it and do you clean off the old stuff first or not?

I usually clean my threads with a kitchen paper towel and then apply a basic silicone grease but the grease does not seem to work all that well to me.

I will have to look up whether it is available in Australia over the counter.

What type of shop would have it for sale usually, a hardware shop or a hobby shop maybe?

The silicone grease I use now came with a light that I bought quite a while back and I am not sure if it is right product nowadays with the increase in products that can more than likely do the job better.





*CHEERS*


----------



## twl

*Re: What is the best product and method for maintaining LED light threads?*



Oztorchfreak said:


> Another *Nyogel 760G* fan comes to our party I see!
> 
> This could turn out to be the top product in this thread as I have seen others on CPF talking about this product amongst the many more that I have heard about.
> 
> How often do you apply it and do you clean off the old stuff first or not?
> 
> I usually clean my threads with a kitchen paper towel and then apply a basic silicone grease but the grease does not seem to work all that well to me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *CHEERS*



When I first get a light, I clean it and apply a light coat of the Nyogel 760G to the o-rings and threads.
Then, I don't do anything more unless I feel or see that some sort of contamination or grit has got on it. Then I clean and re-lube.
Typically, it will last a long time unless you have a very contaminated environment or are changing batteries very often.

When I clean it, I just wipe it off with a towel. Generally I don't use solvents, unless there is some need for it.

The viscosity is fairly thick, being a grease, so it will affect the effort needed to operate a twisty UI. Not much, but it's a little bit stiffer to turn the head.


----------



## Oztorchfreak

*Re: What is the best product and method for maintaining LED light threads?*



oKtosiTe said:


> I'm sure that that is because there are many different ways to maintain them that all work quite well.
> I clean the threads with old toothbrushes and soft cloth, use DeoxIt on non-anodized threads to remove corrosion, and lubricate with NyoGel 760G (the nice thing with NyoGel is that it's safe for rubber and silicone o-rings).




I forgot about the corrosion issue with non-anodized threads.

I will have to change my ways of doing maintenace in future due to what you stated about corrosion of metal in those non-anodiozed lights.

I usually make sure there is no lubricant of any sort on the bare ends of my lights just to make sure that the tailcap can allow the current to pass through properly into the body of the light especially on non-anodized lights.

If I left some NyoGel 760G on the end face of the light body threads would it help make better contact or just add another problem by being an insulator instead and not letting the current pass through it?




*CHEERS*


----------



## twl

*Re: What is the best product and method for maintaining LED light threads?*

Nyogel 760G is not conductive, but is designed to lubricate conductive surfaces.
I have never had any problem with Nyogel interfering with the electrical contact performance in any of my lights.

It is recommended lubricant by SureFire and other companies. SureFire lights specifically use bare surface contacts in the tail for conducting, and SureFire recommends this lubricant.
You can also use it on switch contacts and mechanisms, and relay contacts.


----------



## Oztorchfreak

*Re: What is the best product and method for maintaining LED light threads?*



twl said:


> When I first get a light, I clean it and apply a light coat of the Nyogel 760G to the o-rings and threads.
> Then, I don't do anything more unless I feel or see that some sort of contamination or grit has got on it. Then I clean and re-lube.
> Typically, it will last a long time unless you have a very contaminated environment or are changing batteries very often.
> 
> When I clean it, I just wipe it off with a towel. Generally I don't use solvents, unless there is some need for it.
> 
> The viscosity is fairly thick, being a grease, so it will affect the effort needed to operate a twisty UI. Not much, but it's a little bit stiffer to turn the head.




I do notice the extra effort required to twist the head on my AAA Olight A3 EOS when I have applied the thicker silicone grease to it occasionally.

I don't know what *Saabluster* used on my *modded Fandyfire LED flashlight* but the tailcap just glides on very smoothly.

It is smoother and more easy to turn than any light I have ever tried out or bought.

I must send him a PM about what he used on my Fandyfire.

By the way, for under $100 the modded Fandyfire throws extremely well when modded as it beats the hell out of my older Olight M3X in throw as it is rated at about 112Kcd and the M3X is only rated at about 50Kcd from memory.

The modded Fandyfire produces over twice the Kcd of the original one.

That is some achievement I must say!

Who wants a used Olight M3X now that I have the Saab modded Fandyfire?

Only kidding, I usually keep all of my lights except if they are really bad performers and don't live up to Flashaholic standards in every purchase.

I occasionally get caught out with a potentially good light after I receive it and when I have found the output or beam tint is not what I think suits me or I have been misled and maybe the batch of LEDs used in my one were not as shown in the reviews or advertisements or Youtube videos that have been enhanced some way or another.

That is why I rely rather heavily on Comparison videos taken by Marshall (Goingprepared) on Youtube for throw and beam colour or the great detailed reviews by Selfbuilt and others.

The Goingprepared Flashlight Comparison link is below and it now contains 121 videos last time I checked (November 23 2012) and is very up to date with the most popular lights that we use.

*The links below usually help in stopping me buying a light that is not what I expected it to be as I have written in my comments about thread problems in this post.
*

When I need to watch Flashlight Comparison videos I use the "Goingprepared" link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdNb-jpsPXs&list=PL5DCCDFBD44A19BCB&index=1&feature=plpp_video


When a detailed review of a particular light is needed I use the reviews by *Selfbuilt* link below as he goes into *details such as what the threads are like and how smoothly they work or maybe don't work as well.
*
http://www.flashlightreviews.ca/




*CHEERS*


----------



## Big_Ed

*Re: What is the best product and method for maintaining LED light threads?*

I use Nyogel 760 G.


----------



## Oztorchfreak

*Re: What is the best product and method for maintaining LED light threads?*



Big_Ed said:


> I use Nyogel 760 G.




*Boy this stuff must be good!*

I will have to find it in Australia.

This really is a *Nyogel 760G PARTY* by the sound of things.

I like your signature as well.

*Aren't flashlights cool?
Carry a flashlight, and you'll have a bright future.*

My wife likes it when I say *"You light my life up"*.




*CHEERS*


----------



## oKtosiTe

*Re: What is the best product and method for maintaining LED light threads?*

My Quark was starting to feel gritty no matter how well I tried to clean it. So I looked around the forum for recommendations, ordered Nyogel 760G, applied a drop or two; haven't done any maintenance for several months since then.
Initially I just got the 5mg tube because I wanted to see if it was any good. Now I'm convinced it's gonna last me for years.


----------



## Oztorchfreak

*Re: What is the best product and method for maintaining LED light threads?*



oKtosiTe said:


> My Quark was starting to feel gritty no matter how well I tried to clean it. So I looked around the forum for recommendations, ordered Nyogel 760G, applied a drop or two; haven't done any maintenance for several months since then.
> Initially I just got the 5mg tube because I wanted to see if it was any good. Now I'm convinced it's gonna last me for years.




You guys are hooked this *Nyogel 760G* product.

It is looking real good for sales of this product I think.

Are you really using it on your lights or are some of you smoking or drinking it?

That would be a new one that would get some strange looks.

I am addicted to *Nyogel 760G.*




*CHEERS*


----------



## Ualnosaj

*What is the best product and method for maintaining LED light threads?*

I have several 57G tubes, not realizing how big they are. It'll last me several lifetimes! 



________________
Sent from my mobile device. Please excuse the brevity of this message.


----------



## saabluster

*Re: What is the best product and method for maintaining LED light threads?*



Oztorchfreak said:


> I don't know what *Saabluster* used on my *modded Fandyfire LED flashlight* but the tailcap just glides on very smoothly.
> 
> It is smoother and more easy to turn than any light I have ever tried out or bought.



I use powdered unicorn horn and butter. Well really you are experiencing two things. I deburr the threads first then after a thorough solvent rinse I apply a combination of Super Lube and Nano oil. I spent an entire day reading through this thread(the one yours is now joined to) and decided who I felt knew what they were talking about and who didn't. Then I went and got several different ones to test with and found the exact combo I think works best. The Super Lube and Nano Lube combo work really really well on aluminum to aluminum threads as you can clearly see with the Modded FandyFire. With anodized threads I usually use just the Super Lube. 


This thread is an absolute mess BTW. Although there was a little scientific data provided there certainly wasn't much. I like properly thought out and executed testing vs anecdotal accounts which is mostly what this thread is about. Still if you are willing to dig deep there is some valuable information to be found but it takes a massive amount of time and analyzing what is said and who is saying it.

EDIT- I should add that for bare and anodized aluminum I found flouro lubes to be junk. It also really scares me about the possibility of health issues using it as I thermally cycle our lights and heating that stuff can be dangerous.


----------



## Yamabushi

saabluster said:


> I should add that for bare and anodized aluminum I found flouro lubes to be junk. It also really scares me about the possibility of health issues using it as I thermally cycle our lights and heating that stuff can be dangerous.



If you mean fluorocarbon lubricants such as Krytox, note that Krytox oil (PFPE) is stable to beyond 400 °C (752 °F) but pyrolysis of PTFE (Teflon) starts as low at 200 °C (392 °F). If you're not concerned about the PTFE thickener in Super Lube (and you shouldn't be), you shouldn't be worried about PFPE.

EDIT: Krytox grease uses PTFE thickener so would not have the temperature stability of the base oil.


----------



## Cypher_Aod

I've been using FrogLube since I was approached by their Reps. at a trade show, as I'm an engineer in the Firearms Industry. They demonstrated FrogLube on my C2 that I had on me at the time, the twisty-action was so smooth, it was crazy!

I've been using it for about seven or eight months now without issue, on my engineering work, "Rubber" o-rings of all kinds and of course, all my flashlights.

Best of all? it smells GREAT! Seriously though, it's fantastically good at preventing corrosion, it lubricates metal-metal contact as well as metal-rubber contact excellently, and if you have a corroded surface, it's excellent at removing most forms of dirt and corrosion.

Froglube are understandably, quite secretive about the composition of their product, but I believe that it contains plant-extract natural waxes. It's certainly not corroded the O-rings on my C2 in more than six months of it being there


----------



## rocketsurgeon01

Does anyone know if there's a CPF thread for bezel lubrication. My 4Sevens G5 has a removable bezel and I want to know if I should lube it or not.


----------



## Cypher_Aod

rocketsurgeon01 said:


> Does anyone know if there's a CPF thread for bezel lubrication. My 4Sevens G5 has a removable bezel and I want to know if I should lube it or not.


No reason why you shouldn't, but obviously, the lube will make out more likely that the Bezel will accidentally unscrew allowing the reflector and lens to fall out and get damaged. Do you swap them all that often?


Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2


----------



## HotWire

For most lights I now use Nyogel 760G. Reliable, inexpensive, smooth. Since reading what Saabluster uses I use his combination of unicorn horn and butter.... I mean Superlube and Nano oil. That’s a great combination! Thanks for the suggestion, Saabluster!


----------



## tatasal

*HOW DO YOU APPLY YOUR LUBE?*

I have tried different ways of applying lube to my flashlight thread and o-rings. Traditionally I take a piece of stick, dip into a grease-type of lube, (lately Superlube) then slowly work my way around the o-ring and the threads. One time I tried lithium automotive grease, put more than what was probably needed and my SC600 failed to turn on. I also have tried automotive silicone grease, the type you in brake pistons.

Lately I've discovered a new way to apply the lube. I take a piece of cotton swab, dip it into my Superlube grease container, then slowly work my way on the FEMALE part of the tube, applying a thin coating of Superlube, beginning at the smooth portion where the o-ring rubs before and eventually at the start of the threaded portion, but not the whole threaded area.

What's your way of lubing?


----------



## ragweed

*Re: HOW DO YOU APPLY YOUR LUBE?*

I use the same method with the cotton bud.


----------



## Yamabushi

*Re: HOW DO YOU APPLY YOUR LUBE?*

1. Remove O-ring.
2. Clean O-ring and threads with solvent (IPA for hydrocarbon; HFE for PFPE) and brush to remove old lubricant.
3. Apply oil to O-ring groove with blunt needle applicator. 
4. Install O-ring.
5. Apply oil to O-ring groove with blunt needle applicator bottle.
6. Apply grease to male threads with blunt needle syringe. Use sid of needle to spread it into the grooves.

I don't use cotton swabs because of lint.

I use Super Lube on anodized threads, Krytox on bare aluminum and titanium, and the matching oil on the O-rings.


----------



## cummins4x4

I use the qtip method as well, never had it cause a problem..


----------



## dealgrabber2002

How can one tell if the o-rings that came with the light are silicone or rubber?


----------



## Oztorchfreak

dealgrabber2002 said:


> How can one tell if the o-rings that came with the light are silicone or rubber?




I was just thinking the same thing.

I use *NYOGEL 760G *on my lights.

I am never sure which o-rings are *rubber* or *silicone*.

*How do we reliably check for this?*

I can only think of a couple of ways of finding out and they are reading the* User Manual *or *emailing the manufacturer*.

*Any other suggestions out there?*



*CHEERS* :thinking:


----------



## oKtosiTe

Oztorchfreak said:


> I was just thinking the same thing.
> 
> I use *NYOGEL 760G *on my lights.
> 
> I am never sure which o-rings are *rubber* or *silicone*.
> 
> *How do we reliably check for this?*
> 
> I can only think of a couple of ways of finding out and they are reading the* User Manual *or *emailing the manufacturer*.
> 
> *Any other suggestions out there?*
> 
> 
> 
> *CHEERS* :thinking:


As far as I'm aware, Nyogel 760G should be safe for use on both.
I have been using it on my TM11 (silicone) and Quark (rubber) without issues so far.


----------



## american

for lubing a titanium preon would you use superlube, nyogel,silicon oil, or never seize?


----------



## Vortus

For a factory Ti light, or any for that matter, I'd consider cpf's fyrstormer's TiTi Twister. Curious if others have had the same results I have.

Otherwise on all our other lights we use Super Lube or Nyogel.


----------



## Dragon8oy

*Do you delube and relube your brand new flashlights?*

Hello

I was wondering if anyone here delubes and relubes your brand new flashlights using Nyogel, etc?

Reason being that the manufacterers could be using a inferior type of lubricant that could eat into the o-rings.

Thanks


----------



## IreMetal

I think this link should be added to this tread:

http://www.grantcunningham.com/lubricants101.html

Its the best piece of literature I read on lubricants while researching what to use with handguns. Granted, migration properties for flashlights will not need to be nearly as high as for handguns as a highly migrating lube would end up all over then inside and outside of your tube, so something closer to NLGI # 2 would probably be better than a #00 or 0. I think Solid Film lubricants would be very appropriate as the solid base materials will keep our threads from wearing.

I have been using Lubriplate SFL-0 for handguns (Made in USA). Its a food grade (non-toxic) machine lubricant. SFL means solid film lubricant, the number refers to the NLGI number. Apparently Lubriplate started making 14oz cans of lubriplate SFL-0 available since the gun community expressed such keen interest a while back.

http://www.lubriplate.com/Products/NSF-H-1-Registered-Food-Machinery-Lubricants/SFL-Series.aspx

Again, I think this lube migrates WAY too well for flashlights, but there are so many lubricants to choose from... anyway its aluminum based rather than petroleum based so I wonder what that does to aluminum flashlights?

Here is some info on NLGI ratings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NLGI_consistency_number

I'm a n00b to flashlights, but I do my research (normally through peer reviewed literature, being that I'm a grad student, but hey, who's checking references?)


----------



## H-Man

*Threads feel dry*

I have a four sevens mini 123 in Ti, it seems to have rough threads. I have tried dielectric grease on the threads and it still is difficult to turn on with one hand. Any suggestions?


----------



## TEEJ

*Re: Threads feel dry*

Nyogel 760G

We are not allowed to give links, but try here:

------goinggear.com/last-chance


----------



## american

*Re: Threads feel dry*

I say use a grease not oil and afterwhile its gets easier once the lube turns black from shavings

Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2


----------



## mcnair55

*Re: Threads feel dry*



american said:


> I say use a grease not oil and afterwhile its gets easier once the lube turns black from shavings
> 
> Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2




Or better still use an oil that changes into grease after the solvent has gone,brilliant stuff and o ring safe as well.


----------



## Vortus

*Re: Threads feel dry*

CLean real well, then try TiTi twister lube made by a cpf member. Unless the threads are highly polished, and most if any mass Ti lights are not, they will feel gritty. I've used nyogel, superlube oil and grease and others, none worked well on my et d25am ti. TiTi twister made an instant difference and will only get better.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?335126-TiTi-Twister-lube


----------



## neutralwhite

*Re: Threads feel dry*

just a question; with my PD32, when I lube the threads with my SERVISOL silicone gel, do i clean all the threads ?. meaning that do i lube the other threads what will screw onto the ones i already lubed ?. i lubed all of them.


----------



## Onthelightside

*Re: Threads feel dry*

That TiTi twister seems to be the best from what I hear. I have never used this lube but I have heard nothing but positives about this. The problem is the Titanium oxide that forms and really repels most lubes.


----------



## Bendbig

When I get a new light before I put batteries in it, I test the threads if they feel rough I put a couple drops of Tap-Magic on them and run the cap on the threads a few times, this helps remove any small burrs left when the threads were cut, I then use a degreaser to clean the excess Tap-Magic off. I then use a drop of O-ring safe lube, reinstall the cap a couple times this usually loosens the threads. Aluminum should be well lubed at all times.


----------



## dirtsport7

I use Frog Lube, it's bio-degradable and safe on o-rings.


----------



## insane2k

Jash said:


> I haven't read all 26 pages of this thread, so I don't know if this lube has been mentioned but it's seriously good gear.
> 
> Inox MX6 Premium Machinery Grease - Food Grade with PTFE. I also use Inox MX3 for just about everything else, including contact points.
> 
> My TK40 was playing up a while ago. It wouldn't always switch between modes and sometimes wouldn't turn on/off immediately. One tiny squirt of MX3 in the switch and not a problem since. Had a similar issue with my HL21, so same medicine for same result.





Slazmo said:


> Lanolin is the oil that is found on sheep's wool - it is totally harmless, electrically neutral and makes a great anti-foul on boats! It would be prefect for most applications and Inox (Australia) make a Lanolin based grease. Its food grade and totally harmless to rubber o rings and gaskets and works a treat on gears as it's a wonder grease of sorts in a fishing environment!
> 
> *biglights* - would recomend the Nickle based grease on Ti threads...



i found the Inox mx6 grease at BCF in australia. 
http://www.bcf.com.au/online-store/products/Inox-Tube-MX6-Grease-30G.aspx?pid=117248#Description

they also carry mx4 mx5plus and mx8
cant find mx3 FG yet. super cheap auto has mx3 but not the foodgrade. which sounds good cause you can use it around your fishing stuff without tainting your bait. 

just got home from the shops with mx6 and mx4, about to test. (also ordering krytox 205 and 203)
im staying away from nano oil for health reasons - mainly cause i have a food grade and dive gear quality and time tested options.

edit: not suggesting mx4 for threads, its not antistatic and will attract dirt. mx8 has lithium, and mx5plus can effect natural rubbers over time. maybe mx3 for cleaning/flushing? mx6 looks like the only inox product to be using on thread and orings


----------



## Zdenek

*Re: Maintenance of flashlights*

"Comprehensive Grease and Lube Thread Please continue in the linked thread - Norm"

Thank you, Norm, for the reference. It will take me some to read such an extensive source. :twothumbs


----------



## DellSuperman

I recently purchased the Armytek Nyogel 760G & I must say I am very impressed by how much it improved the smoothness when I am screwing the tailcap. Makes my oldie G2 & Sentinel PL-1 feels brand new.

But I find that a mixture of silicone grease & the Nyogel 760G to have the best effect for improving the smoothness.
I apply a thin layer of NiteCore silicone grease as a base then a small amount of the 760G & the effect is better than any one on its own.
But will this have any ill-effect on the o-rings??


----------



## nullity

IreMetal said:


> I think this link should be added to this tread:
> 
> http://www.grantcunningham.com/lubricants101.html
> 
> Its the best piece of literature I read on lubricants while researching what to use with handguns. Granted, migration properties for flashlights will not need to be nearly as high as for handguns as a highly migrating lube would end up all over then inside and outside of your tube, so something closer to NLGI # 2 would probably be better than a #00 or 0. I think Solid Film lubricants would be very appropriate as the solid base materials will keep our threads from wearing.
> 
> I have been using Lubriplate SFL-0 for handguns (Made in USA). Its a food grade (non-toxic) machine lubricant. SFL means solid film lubricant, the number refers to the NLGI number. Apparently Lubriplate started making 14oz cans of lubriplate SFL-0 available since the gun community expressed such keen interest a while back.
> 
> http://www.lubriplate.com/Products/NSF-H-1-Registered-Food-Machinery-Lubricants/SFL-Series.aspx
> 
> Again, I think this lube migrates WAY too well for flashlights, but there are so many lubricants to choose from... anyway its aluminum based rather than petroleum based so I wonder what that does to aluminum flashlights?
> 
> Here is some info on NLGI ratings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NLGI_consistency_number
> 
> I'm a n00b to flashlights, but I do my research (normally through peer reviewed literature, being that I'm a grad student, but hey, who's checking references?)



Great post. If only all "n00bs" were as helpful as you.


----------



## stanmog

I just bought a Haiku. I wanted to have on hand a lubricant that would 1) not harm O-rings and 2) provide adequate lubrication. I have Nano-oil for my Prometheus Alpha, as recommended by the maker. I spent hours reading this and other threads on CPF, and became more confused than ever. So I asked Don Mcleisch if nano-oil would hurt the O-rings, and what lube he recommended. He said nano-oil is "fine" but that he uses Christo lube.


Regards,
Stan


----------



## Oyabun

Haven't seen any posts about poly bodied flashlights? I have a Pelican Super Saberlite & a Streamlight Pro-Poly. Wondering what Lube to use on the o-rings? o-rings are nytril. Bodies are Poly/Plastic. any ideas? Thank's in advance


----------



## Yamabushi

I use Super Lube oil on the threads and O-rings of my plastic body lights.


----------



## jkid1911

Ok, this would be leave it to the newbie post.....I may have mistankingly purchased a very expensive tube of Krytex GPL-205. I confused the numbers when I was buying it. I found some reference on this thread about it but I wasn't clear in the end on whether it was a good idea to use it or not. There was a reference about 288 degrees Celcius which I don't think would be a concern. I'd appreciate any input on this from someone who either knows about it or has had some experience with it. Message or post would be great. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance....


----------



## Yamabushi

jkid1911 said:


> I may have mistankingly purchased a very expensive tube of Krytex GPL-205. I confused the numbers when I was buying it. ... I wasn't clear in the end on whether it was a good idea to use it or not.



What did you intend to buy and for what did you intend to use it? 

Krytox GPL-205 is a good grease for many applications. An advantage or disadvantage, depending on how you look at it, is that it does not dissolve in ordinary solvents; to remove it you need to use a fluorinated hydrocarbon solvent such as Dupont HFE.


----------



## jkid1911

Yamabushi said:


> What did you intend to buy and for what did you intend to use it?
> 
> Krytox GPL-205 is a good grease for many applications. An advantage or disadvantage, depending on how you look at it, is that it does not dissolve in ordinary solvents; to remove it you need to use a fluorinated hydrocarbon solvent such as Dupont HFE.



I purchased it after reading the first post not having paid the proper attention to the model number. I want to use on my various flashlight threads and O-rings. Some are Aluminum and some Titanium flashlights. I think it will be ok after reading the Dupont site about Krytox. Seems that it is very forgiving and only issue is at very high temp with Aluminum. However, there was no mention on the site about using it for flashlights (obviously) except it did say good for O-rings. I would appreciate any input. I guess I'll find out once I receive it, but if you think it would be best not to use it I would respect that and call it a loss. Thanks in advance for your help.


----------



## Yamabushi

Should be fine. On my flashlights that have titanium or bare aluminum (not anodized) threads, I use GPL-205 grease on the threads and GPL-105 oil on the O-rings.


----------



## jkid1911

Yamabushi said:


> Should be fine. On my flashlights that have titanium or bare aluminum (not anodized) threads, I use GPL-205 grease on the threads and GPL-105 oil on the O-rings.



Hey thanks for the great info, at this point I'm going to use it carefully and report back how it works out. AWESOME thread and great support by the membership...!!


----------



## StuGatz

*Italian Gun Grease at SHOT 2013*

Italian Gun Grease at SHOT 2013. Appears to be a good "new" product. Time will tell.


----------



## tjswarbrick

I was confused about which Krytox, and having trouble finding a small tube of it.
Almost broke down and got the TiTi twister.
That very day, a local knife shop had CRK flourinated grease - for their Ti knives - on sale. So I picked some up.
I cleaned the Nyogel 760off the threads of my Ti D25C, and put just a dab of this there.
Can anybody speak to the makeup of this stuff? Is it safe for (most) o-rings? Should I mix it with a dab of Nyogel? Is it essentially repackaged Krytox, or something else?
It feels great, and I'm very happy with the results thus far - it's been about 2 months.
I don't want to use it on my other lights until I know I'm not causing long-term trouble.


----------



## Yamabushi

You can buy small containers of Krytox grease and oil on eBay.

You can download the Krytox product data sheet from www2.dupont.com/Lubricants/en_US/tech_info/Index.html. It includes a materials compatibility chart.

Krytox is so good on elastomers and polymers that it's specified by luxury car manufacturers (Ferrari, Porsche, etc.) for lubricating weatherstrip, interior trim, leather upholstery, etc.

You can get some information regarding the CRK grease (AFAIK, it is re-packaged Christo-Lube) from lubricationtechnology.com


----------



## tjswarbrick

Yamabushi said:


> You can get some information regarding the CRK grease (AFAIK, it is re-packaged Christo-Lube) from lubricationtechnology.com



Christo-lube? For Chris Reeves Knives? Thank can't be just a coincidence...
Thanks for the direction. I had found some Krytox MSDS sheets, but couldn't find anything other than anecdotal on the Reeves.


----------



## Yamabushi

tjswarbrick said:


> Christo-lube? For Chris Reeves Knives? Thank can't be just a coincidence...



Actually, it does appear to be mere coincidence. Lubrication Technology, Inc. appears to make and re-brand/custom package Christo-Lube for all sorts of applications.


----------



## steveg270

Hi I am a newbie so please excuse this if it sounds dumb, but I want to get some lube/ grease and have been looking over the various post etc. I think I want to try the NO-Ox- Id but am a little confused. I want to use it on a fenix LD-41 Is there a No-Ox Id and a NO- OX- ID A special? It seems like there is. I see some guys selling the " A special" yet no one seems to refer to it as "a Special" only as No- OX ID. On the companies website it appears there are two versions but it is also confusing because they seem to do the same thing an refer to it as simply No-OX-iD. Maybe I'm dumb but I want to buy the right thing. I saw some being sold on ebay which was " A Special" but want to get the proper stuff. Anyone care to clarify my ignorance? Thanks very much
*PS - If you feel nyogel would be better for me I certainly would like to hear what you think and which one*.


----------



## TinderBox (UK)

Hi.

Has anybody heard of "Submerge Superlube O-Ring Grease" ebay item 270863511105 , i cannot find the original super lube sold in the US in the UK and the shipping price from the US to the UK is stupid.

Thanks

John.


----------



## tam17

Just tried adding some fine graphite powder to OKS 1110 silicone grease. Not exactly coloidal graphite, but improvement (less friction, less grinding) is perceptible on bare aluminum/brass threads, and not so evident on bare aluminum/stainless steel. Still have to try HAIII/bare aluminum.

Cheers


----------



## flyback

I would think that motorcycle chain lube (the kind that is O-ring safe) would work fine also. Good in wet conditions also...


----------



## bon1

Hi guys, I would like to know whether the bare aluminum threads of a Fenix E11 need lubrication of some sort. It is my understanding that the bare threads are needed for conducting electricity. Thus, do I leave the bare threads dry?

Sorry if this has been answered before somewhere, but I have been Googling for this question yet I have not been able to find any answers.


----------



## TinderBox (UK)

Yes, as bon1 says, what do you use for conductive threads??

John.


----------



## Pekka

tam17 said:


> Just tried adding some fine graphite powder to OKS 1110 silicone grease. Not exactly coloidal graphite, but improvement (less friction, less grinding) is perceptible on bare aluminum/brass threads, and not so evident on bare aluminum/stainless steel. Still have to try HAIII/bare aluminum.


DO NOT DO THIS.
Graphite is extremely corrosion inducing for aluminum and even small amounts of graphite should be kept far away from aluminum surfaces in critical applications.





steveg270 said:


> Hi I am a newbie so please excuse this if it sounds dumb, but I want to get some lube/ grease and have been looking over the various post etc. I think I want to try the NO-Ox- Id but am a little confused. I want to use it on a fenix LD-41 Is there a No-Ox Id and a NO- OX- ID A special? It seems like there is. I see some guys selling the " A special" yet no one seems to refer to it as "a Special" only as No- OX ID. On the companies website it appears there are two versions but it is also confusing because they seem to do the same thing an refer to it as simply No-OX-iD. Maybe I'm dumb but I want to buy the right thing. I saw some being sold on ebay which was " A Special" but want to get the proper stuff.


I believe it's mostly because people are lazy and shorten it. There certainly seems to exist couple versions of the NO-OX but I haven't seen other than the "A-Special" myself. If you want to play safe Iillumination Supply stocks the A-Special and sells it in huge jars for less than five bucks.





bon1 said:


> Hi guys, I would like to know whether the bare aluminum threads of a Fenix E11 need lubrication of some sort. It is my understanding that the bare threads are needed for conducting electricity. Thus, do I leave the bare threads dry?





TinderBox (UK) said:


> Yes, as bon1 says, what do you use for conductive threads??


You can leave the threads dry if you wish, since the O-ring is only part that requires lubrication to function. That being said adding a small bit of lube to threads could well extend their operational life quite a bit, just don't go smothering them on gallons of grease because less is more.

As for what lubrication to use, you can (and should) use something that's compatible with electrical connections but doesn't actually conduct electricity. Strangely enough, the industry standard term for that is "electrically conductive". A good example would be the aforementioned "NO-OX-ID A-Special" but there certainly exists other equally suitable lubes.


----------



## bon1

Pekka said:


> As for what lubrication to use, you can (and should) use something that's compatible with electrical connections but doesn't actually conduct electricity. Strangely enough, the industry standard term for that is "electrically conductive". A good example would be the aforementioned "NO-OX-ID A-Special" but there certainly exists other equally suitable lubes.



Thank you for answering my question.

As for this grease that doesn't conduct electricity, wouldn't it affect the electrical path of the flashlight?

The way I understand it, the bare aluminum threads were left that way so electricity can flow through them. But what is going to happen when I lube said threads with a non-conductive grease?


----------



## gilson65

i got some inox with ptfe which says its fully synthetic no melt high temp highly resistant to water chemicals and drying use for all bearings cables O RINGS etc in australia googled all the other types that were recomended but to no avail its a light brown grease used on my slotcars would that be ok to use your info would be much appreciated


----------



## Pekka

bon1 said:


> As for this grease that doesn't conduct electricity, wouldn't it affect the electrical path of the flashlight?
> 
> The way I understand it, the bare aluminum threads were left that way so electricity can flow through them. But what is going to happen when I lube said threads with a non-conductive grease?


The reason they've chosen to call it electrically conductive is probably to avoid confusions like this. 

Short answer is, that what happens is that the current flows just as it should.
Long answer is... well I'm sure lubricant manufacturers will likely bury you in white papers that make your head spin if you really want, just go looking.


----------



## erehwyrevekool

bon1 said:


> Thank you for answering my question.
> 
> As for this grease that doesn't conduct electricity, wouldn't it affect the electrical path of the flashlight?
> 
> The way I understand it, the bare aluminum threads were left that way so electricity can flow through them. But what is going to happen when I lube said threads with a non-conductive grease?



Usually electric continuity take place throught the top surface of the body and the inside of the tailcap or head, threads are only for a mechanical connection, so sometimes also anodized.
Grease or lube allow only threads not to wear out while working (srewing/unscrewing). I think it can be used conductive/non-conductive lubes in the same way, you must only check O-ring compatibility.







:wave:


----------



## 5001craig

Awesome thread and discussion.

Anyone ever heard of Haynes Lubrifilm Plus? I searched this thread then the whole CPF Forum and did not get a hit.

I was told it is what Malkoff's are assembled with. And it's food grade so I don't feel bad when I put my flashlight in my mouth (which I do...). Just purchased a 4 oz. tube so I will be trying it.


----------



## Boeingman

tam17 said:


> Just tried adding some fine graphite powder to OKS 1110 silicone grease. Not exactly coloidal graphite, but improvement (less friction, less grinding) is perceptible on bare aluminum/brass threads, and not so evident on bare aluminum/stainless steel. Still have to try HAIII/bare aluminum.
> 
> Cheers



You can start by completely removing and cleaning that graphite from your flashlight. As posted by another here, it it's very corrosive. Do a search on galvanic scale and electrolysis.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Boeingman

I just got a 3 ounce tube of superlube grease off amazon for like six something. I went through all my lights with it. They operate very smoothly now. I really haven't paid attention to my orings or threads for a long time. I use to just also some silicone lube on them and that was ok. But it is nothing quite like putting the super lube on freely cleaned threads.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Boeingman

Old question I know....I would never use anti seize on a flashlight....not only is it extremely messy, but it is not a lubricant.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## JNieporte

I didn't read through all 33 pages of this thread, but a "Search Thread" did nothing useful. 

Regarding polymer (plastic) lights: what's the best way to clean them? I think rubbing alcohol will be safe, but I want to make sure. As far as lubricant, I assume Tuff Glide or something similar would be okay? I know most plastic threads are supposed to be self-lubricating, but I'd rather put a little bit on there myself.


----------



## Slazmo

I've been looking for silicone oil and have stumbled past 'RC car diff oil' thats silicone oil for miniature diffs. I cant find much on it however its pure silicone and retails for about $6 a bottle, so I wonder if this stuff would be ok on o rings?

I'm finding its starting to get costly using CRC 808 in tiny amounts as its wasting more on overspray than where its needed.


----------



## markr6

I recently purchased two L3 Illumination L10's. Right from the start I used Superlube on one and Nyogel on the other. I tried to use them both equally - a few times every day for about 2 weeks. The Superlube still feels smoother and easier to operate. Of course this could be due to the threads and not the lube. And it's not a very controlled, scientific test but thought I would mention it anyway.


----------



## Gotchrist

Any idea/opinion about CLP? It's a military grade cleaner/lubricant/protectant (hence, CLP.)


----------



## sticktodrum

CLP is a good lubricant in its own right, and I use it at times on knife pivots that use Teflon or nylon washers. I've yet to ever try it on light threads or seals though... It's supposed to semi-dry and leave an oily film, so if it doesn't degrade the buna nitrile seals, then it should be alright.


Coming from an extensive paintball background, I have more greases and oils than one should ever really care to. Similarly as well, the context for lubricants are aluminum and nitrile o-rings. I'll throw in another bit of positive feedback for Tri-Flow grease, as it's closer than one would think to Super Lube. As far as I know, it's essentially the same forumla of PTFE as Super Lube, and it's one of the mainstays in aluminum/o-ring interfaces in paintball without any degradation of either seals or the Type 2 anodizing present on most aluminum in the sport.

I've been using Tri-Flow grease on most of my Foursevens twisties, and have had good results.


----------



## Search

If you guys smooth twisties.. use this http://www.nano-oil.com/

You cannot beat that stuff. I'm surprised there isn't more interest on the forums even with it being rated one of the best in the OP. I use it on all of my guns now and the lack of wear I'm seeing is incredible.


----------



## Cybernetic

Wanna try Krytok but VERY expensive and hard to find in my country so i use Super Lube instead.


----------



## kj2

Is there a "best before" date for the Armytek Nyogel 760G? 
How long can I storage it?


----------



## gilson65

Where can you purchase nyogel 760g in australia googled with no luck looked on forums as well


----------



## Yamabushi

gilson65 said:


> Where can you purchase nyogel 760g in australia googled with no luck looked on forums as well



Available on eBay.


----------



## gilson65

Yamabushi said:


> Available on eBay.


yeah dont have paypal or credit card thats where my problem lies trying to get in australia tried ebay in oz but no good


----------



## weekend warrior

Any opinions on this stuff? Slip 2000 EWL. Its a weapons lubricant, got a free sample size. Says fully synthetic, cleans, lubricates, penetrates. Seems like it should work for flashlight threads and knife pivots, only problem is it's a little thin, closer to water consistency then oil. Thoughts?


----------



## paddyred

*4Sevens Preon 2 Grease?*

Okay so I read through the thread on greases and I'm still a bit confused. I have in the post, a 4Sevens Preon 2 (Thanks Nutnfancy) and I want to lubricate the threads with the correct lubricant. I contacted Foursevens and they told me the seals are not rubber and they recommend using DeoxlT for their lights but judging by the lubrication forum, its not much of a lube. Now I have silicon grease designed for the Nextorch range of lights, I have a red Teflon grease and i will happily buy a grease that's compatible however after a few people with bad experiences I don't want to use the nanolube or any other lightweight oil, I would prefer a grease! 

What are peoples experiences with greases on the preon 2? Whats the best one?


----------



## fyrstormer

*Re: 4Sevens Preon 2 Grease?*

If both sets of threads are anodized aluminum, pretty much anything will work; anodizing is aluminum-oxide ceramic, and it's extremely resistant to abrasion. Depending on the stiffness of each particular light, I tend to prefer either lithium grease or machine-oil on anodized threads. Both of those also work well on bare steel and bare brass/copper threads. For bare aluminum threads, I only use lithium grease, because machine-oil doesn't provide enough "padding" to prevent the threads from scrubbing together. For anything involving titanium, I only use my own lube, which I made specifically for the purpose, because titanium is incredibly finicky.

Most O-rings are either silicone or nitrile; nitrile is immune to pretty much everything except concentrated petroleum distillates, whereas silicone is susceptible to silicone lubes. Silicone lubes aren't really a good idea for lubricating metal flashlight threads anyway, because silicone doesn't adhere to metal very well; it's only optimal for metal-to-nonmetal or nonmetal-to-nonmetal contact.


----------



## paddyred

*Re: 4Sevens Preon 2 Grease?*



fyrstormer said:


> If both sets of threads are anodized aluminum, pretty much anything will work; anodizing is aluminum-oxide ceramic, and it's extremely resistant to abrasion. Depending on the stiffness of each particular light, I tend to prefer either lithium grease or machine-oil on anodized threads. Both of those also work well on bare steel and bare brass/copper threads. For bare aluminum threads, I only use lithium grease, because machine-oil doesn't provide enough "padding" to prevent the threads from scrubbing together. For anything involving titanium, I only use my own lube, which I made specifically for the purpose, because titanium is incredibly finicky.
> 
> Most O-rings are either silicone or nitrile; nitrile is immune to pretty much everything except concentrated petroleum distillates, whereas silicone is susceptible to silicone lubes. Silicone lubes aren't really a good idea for lubricating metal flashlight threads anyway, because silicone doesn't adhere to metal very well; it's only optimal for metal-to-nonmetal or nonmetal-to-nonmetal contact.



Thanks for that! Do you have any idea if the 4seven preon 2 O-rings are made of silicone or nitrile. Id'e expect them to be nitrile as silicone apparently isn't any good for applications with moving surfaces!


----------



## Julian Holtz

*Re: 4Sevens Preon 2 Grease?*

I use nothing but MoS2 grease. I tried silicon grease, teflon grease, but MoS2 blows them out of the water. The solid lubricants are the secret.


----------



## fyrstormer

*Re: 4Sevens Preon 2 Grease?*



paddyred said:


> Thanks for that! Do you have any idea if the 4seven preon 2 O-rings are made of silicone or nitrile. Id'e expect them to be nitrile as silicone apparently isn't any good for applications with moving surfaces!


They're almost certainly nitrile. Silicone rings have a distinct squishiness to them that nitrile lacks.

Silicone O-rings are fine for moving surfaces, they just aren't guaranteed to provide a seal that can withstand significant pressure after a few hundred wear cycles. Unless you're planning to take a flashlight scuba diving, it's very unlikely that silicone O-rings would ever spring a leak. Dropping it in the sink or using it in the rain will certainly never be an issue, as the grease will seal any defects in the O-ring that are smaller than ~1mm apiece.


----------



## fyrstormer

*Re: 4Sevens Preon 2 Grease?*



Julian Holtz said:


> I use nothing but MoS2 grease. I tried silicon grease, teflon grease, but MoS2 blows them out of the water. The solid lubricants are the secret.


MoS2 by itself is a dry powder. What is the base grease your lube uses?


----------



## paddyred

Thanks for the idea's I'm just a little worried about using a petroleum based grease on the O-rings as they could melt. I'm still trying to squeeze the info out of 4sevens as to their O-ring material. I was planning on using silicon grease for the threads as the preon 2 isn't a twisty so its more about elongating the life of the threads and O-rings for battery changes ect. The reason I'm keen to use silicon grease is because its what most divers use on their equipment and if its good enough for them (seeing as their life depends on it and their equipment is very expensive) then its good enough for me!


----------



## mactavish

*Re: 4Sevens Preon 2 Grease?*



fyrstormer said:


> If both sets of threads are anodized aluminum, pretty much anything will work; anodizing is aluminum-oxide ceramic, and it's extremely resistant to abrasion. Depending on the stiffness of each particular light, I tend to prefer either lithium grease or machine-oil on anodized threads. Both of those also work well on bare steel and bare brass/copper threads. For bare aluminum threads, I only use lithium grease, because machine-oil doesn't provide enough "padding" to prevent the threads from scrubbing together. For anything involving titanium, I only use my own lube, which I made specifically for the purpose, because titanium is incredibly finicky.
> 
> Most O-rings are either silicone or nitrile; nitrile is immune to pretty much everything except concentrated petroleum distillates, whereas silicone is susceptible to silicone lubes. Silicone lubes aren't really a good idea for lubricating metal flashlight threads anyway, because silicone doesn't adhere to metal very well; it's only optimal for metal-to-nonmetal or nonmetal-to-nonmetal contact.



You make your own for "titanium", cool. What store lube would you suggest for Titanium? My new illuminati AAA "titanium" is really stiff and it's a "twisty". I bought some Nyogel with it, and that seems like a fine lube for all my other lights, but just as people reported, this Ti light is like rubbing sandpaper together, the threads that is.


----------



## fyrstormer

*Re: 4Sevens Preon 2 Grease?*



mactavish said:


> You make your own for "titanium", cool. What store lube would you suggest for Titanium? My new illuminati AAA "titanium" is really stiff and it's a "twisty". I bought some Nyogel with it, and that seems like a fine lube for all my other lights, but just as people reported, this Ti light is like rubbing sandpaper together, the threads that is.


I don't know, honestly. If I'd been able to find a good store-bought lube for titanium, I never would've bothered making my own, but I had to do something to protect my precious McGizmo collection. I started selling the stuff because there seemed to be a significant gap in commercial offerings that nobody else had much luck with either. For the sake of not turning this into a sales pitch, I'll just say I have a sale thread on CPFM and the details are there.

The only thing I've seen that provides a "perfect" solution for titanium threads is to have them plated with titanium nitride or aluminum titanium nitride. They are both ceramic coatings that adhere very strongly and provide excellent abrasion resistance, but you have to be able to disassemble the light and send it away for a few weeks to be plated.


----------



## fyrstormer

paddyred said:


> Thanks for the idea's I'm just a little worried about using a petroleum based grease on the O-rings as they could melt.


They won't melt. Only concentrated solvents could do that. I've been using petroleum grease on my Chinese aluminum lights for years and I've never had to replace an O-ring.

You can use silicone (not the same as silicon) grease if you want, but my experience has been that it's very sticky and makes twisty lights very hard to turn. Petroleum grease is much more slippery.


----------



## paddyred

fyrstormer said:


> They won't melt. Only concentrated solvents could do that. I've been using petroleum grease on my Chinese aluminum lights for years and I've never had to replace an O-ring.
> 
> You can use silicone (not the same as silicon) grease if you want, but my experience has been that it's very sticky and makes twisty lights very hard to turn. Petroleum grease is much more slippery.



The Preon 2's a clicky so I want the thickest lube possible to give the best lubrication. I was looking at getting the preon in titanium but 1) I wanted it black so its not visible instantly 2) I couldn't justify spending £14 more for titanium as apposed to aluminium. I did mean to say silicone btw


----------



## fyrstormer

If it's a clicky, you really don't need the best possible lubrication, because the threads will only get rubbed together when you replace the battery. A thick, sticky lube like silicone grease is a lot more likely to smear itself onto the battery and into the battery tube, causing issues with removing the battery and generally making a mess of the area surrounding the threads.

It's easy to get wrapped around the axle wanting to optimize absolutely every last aspect of a hobby; the whole reason I got into titanium in the first place is because I can't stand the sight of chipped anodizing, and going down the rabbit-hole of finding the best titanium lube followed naturally from there. But for an aluminum light with anodized threads, there is really no need for any fancy lube, because the threads are already hardened against wear, and the coating has no special requirements for proper lubrication.

You can still use the silicone grease if it makes you happy though, I suppose that's the ultimate goal of any hobby.


----------



## paddyred

fyrstormer said:


> If it's a clicky, you really don't need the best possible lubrication, because the threads will only get rubbed together when you replace the battery. A thick, sticky lube like silicone grease is a lot more likely to smear itself onto the battery and into the battery tube, causing issues with removing the battery and generally making a mess of the area surrounding the threads.It's easy to get wrapped around the axle wanting to optimize absolutely every last aspect of a hobby; the whole reason I got into titanium in the first place is because I can't stand the sight of chipped anodizing, and going down the rabbit-hole of finding the best titanium lube followed naturally from there. But for an aluminum light with anodized threads, there is really no need for any fancy lube, because the threads are already hardened against wear, and the coating has no special requirements for proper lubrication.You can still use the silicone grease if it makes you happy though, I suppose that's the ultimate goal of any hobby.


Tbh I have a bit of an obsession with wear! I'm still waiting for foursevens reply to the O-ring material. They just recommend DeoxIT Gold! Whats people's opinion of it? Is it any good on O-rings?


----------



## paddyred

Well I've been told by foursevens that their O-rings are Silicone! So the idea of the silicone grease is out the window! I suppose Teflon grease will be used!


----------



## TinderBox (UK)

I read that you should not use silicone o`rings on surfaces that are going to be repeatably opened and closed as silicone wears out fast to mechanical friction. 



paddyred said:


> Well I've been told by foursevens that their O-rings are Silicone! So the idea of the silicone grease is out the window! I suppose Teflon grease will be used!


----------



## paddyred

TinderBox (UK) said:


> I read that you should not use silicone o`rings on surfaces that are going to be repeatably opened and closed as silicone wears out fast to mechanical friction.



I've heard the same! Unless the tech department at foursevens was wrong? Id'e love to hear from someone who's used silicone on the preon 2 and the effects!


----------



## mactavish

fyrstormer said:


> I don't know, honestly. If I'd been able to find a good store-bought lube for titanium, I never would've bothered making my own, but I had to do something to protect my precious McGizmo collection. I started selling the stuff because there seemed to be a significant gap in commercial offerings that nobody else had much luck with either. For the sake of not turning this into a sales pitch, I'll just say I have a sale thread on CPFM and the details are there.
> 
> The only thing I've seen that provides a "perfect" solution for titanium threads is to have them plated with titanium nitride or aluminum titanium nitride. They are both ceramic coatings that adhere very strongly and provide excellent abrasion resistance, but you have to be able to disassemble the light and send it away for a few weeks to be plated.



Thanks, seems one has to register separately for the "market" section.


----------



## fyrstormer

TinderBox (UK) said:


> I read that you should not use silicone o`rings on surfaces that are going to be repeatably opened and closed as silicone wears out fast to mechanical friction.


Silicone O-rings don't wear out *that* fast, especially when properly lubricated with a lube that doesn't attack the silicone rubber. It's important to keep in mind that flashlight O-rings are a *very* low-stress application compared to the applications O-ring manufacturers have to consider. What they think of are things like fuel pump seals, industrial food-processing equipment, sinks and faucets, things of that nature which are put into service and then used constantly for years at a time. Your average flashlight won't last more than a few weeks on a single battery, so you'll have plenty of opportunity to notice if the O-rings are starting to get a little loose from wear -- and even then, the wear will probably come more from fiddling than from actual use.


----------



## fyrstormer

paddyred said:


> Tbh I have a bit of an obsession with wear!


So do I. I fiddle with the brakes on my mountain bikes almost as often as I fiddle with my flashlights, and my pocket knife, and the other tools I keep in my pocket. Friction, its effects, and the best ways to protect against wear (or ensure a safe, predictable level of wear) is a topic that fascinates me. But if it really is an obsession for you, the best way to treat it is with lots of research and firsthand experience, so you'll know what's really worth worrying about. Until you can accumulate a satisfying amount of research and experience, I'll give you the summary of mine:

Some of the anodizing (<1%) *will* chip off the threads no matter what you do, because mass-produced items with anodizing always have some microscopic stress cracks in the anodizing layer. However, this will have no effect on the wear of the threads as a whole, because the exposed aluminum under the chipped anodizing won't actually scrub against anything until all of the surrounding anodizing wears down. As long as the threads are lubed with *anything*, the remaining anodizing will take so long to wear down, the light will be obsolete before you notice any wear. Consider that anodizing is chemically identical to white porcelain, and try to think of the last time you saw a porcelain plate worn down from use. I'm going to guess you never have, because aluminum oxide is ridiculously wear-resistant.

One of my mountain bikes has anodized aluminum pivots on its rear shock absorber. Those pivots were too tight from the factory, so I had to sand them down so they could rotate freely. I stuck the pivot on the end of a Dremel bit, spun-up the Dremel, and used emory paper to sand down the outer surface of the pivot. I wore out several strips of emory paper before I saw even a hint of bare aluminum under the anodizing layer. That's how strong anodizing is.


----------



## paddyred

fyrstormer said:


> So do I. I fiddle with the brakes on my mountain bikes almost as often as I fiddle with my flashlights, and my pocket knife, and the other tools I keep in my pocket. Friction, its effects, and the best ways to protect against wear (or ensure a safe, predictable level of wear) is a topic that fascinates me. But if it really is an obsession for you, the best way to treat it is with lots of research and firsthand experience, so you'll know what's really worth worrying about. Until you can accumulate a satisfying amount of research and experience, I'll give you the summary of mine:
> 
> Some of the anodizing (<1%) *will* chip off the threads no matter what you do, because mass-produced items with anodizing always have some microscopic stress cracks in the anodizing layer. However, this will have no effect on the wear of the threads as a whole, because the exposed aluminum under the chipped anodizing won't actually scrub against anything until all of the surrounding anodizing wears down. As long as the threads are lubed with *anything*, the remaining anodizing will take so long to wear down, the light will be obsolete before you notice any wear. Consider that anodizing is chemically identical to white porcelain, and try to think of the last time you saw a porcelain plate worn down from use. I'm going to guess you never have, because aluminum oxide is ridiculously wear-resistant.
> 
> One of my mountain bikes has anodized aluminum pivots on its rear shock absorber. Those pivots were too tight from the factory, so I had to sand them down so they could rotate freely. I stuck the pivot on the end of a Dremel bit, spun-up the Dremel, and used emory paper to sand down the outer surface of the pivot. I wore out several strips of emory paper before I saw even a hint of bare aluminum under the anodizing layer. That's how strong anodizing is.




Thanks for that! I've decided to use super lube on the anodized threads and both O-Rings and DeoxIT Gold on the bare Ally threads on the back of the preon that should, in theory, never have to be undone. I also used DeoxIT on the battery terminals. Everything feels smooth and it should increase the life considerably! only thing I need to do is to keep the threads clean and free from worn off anodizing so it doesn't turn the grease into a grinding paste. You were saying about anodizing chipping, the preon has very good quality anodizing in comparison to LED Lenser ect, I was impressed! Im not saying it wont chip but it feels very nice! I may invest in the Titanium version if i get on well with this one, unless you have a better Ti light suggestion for under £45. It doesn't necessarily have to be brighter (Although it would be nice), I'm training as an aircraft engineer and some of the engineering that goes into ti lights gives me more pleasure than Lumens!


----------



## american

Anybody use a oil for twists? That's not nano oil? Rem oil?


----------



## espresso

I used silicone oil if that counts. But it's good only for protecting o-rings and not for threads since it doesn't have a strong lubricating film. 
I also used Dow Corning DC-4 Electrical compound and it's very bad for threads. It's meant for sealing electrical contacts and protection so it doesn't lubricate well. 
Then I tried Super Lube and it functions superbly. I read some people reporting that Super Lube interferes with electrical connections and gives them reduced performance in flashlights. I'd like to hear something more about that. I haven't noticed any performance drop so far. 
Now, here's my extensive lube collection. Enjoy  
I'm using most of these things for electric motors, though.


----------



## paddyred

Okay so im stuck again! I've bought an Eagletac D25C XM-L2 Titanium and wondered, do i use the manufacturer recommended silicone grease (Already have some) or Super Lube? Im not worried about threads being stiff I want the most protection for the threads, not the best feel!


----------



## dc38

espresso said:


> I used silicone oil if that counts. But it's good only for protecting o-rings and not for threads since it doesn't have a strong lubricating film.
> I also used Dow Corning DC-4 Electrical compound and it's very bad for threads. It's meant for sealing electrical contacts and protection so it doesn't lubricate well.
> Then I tried Super Lube and it functions superbly. I read some people reporting that Super Lube interferes with electrical connections and gives them reduced performance in flashlights. I'd like to hear something more about that. I haven't noticed any performance drop so far.
> Now, here's my extensive lube collection. Enjoy
> I'm using most of these things for electric motors, though.





Nice pic! The "biggest" problem (one of the only?) with the superlube arises only if you coat all the contact points of the threading to the body...if the thread is bare Aluminum and makes contact with the body to complete a circuit, superlube MIGHT interfere with the circuit. I did this once just to see if it would detrimentally affect performance; the light operated for a bit, then started flickering slightly.

@paddyred,
It is a bit of a conundrum sometimes...recommended silicon grease will sometimes cause the o-rings (if silicon) to expand and stick, and sometimes tear when unscrewing a thread...Personally, I just superlube almost all of my lights


----------



## paddyred

dc38 said:


> @paddyred,
> It is a bit of a conundrum sometimes...recommended silicon grease will sometimes cause the o-rings (if silicon) to expand and stick, and sometimes tear when unscrewing a thread...Personally, I just superlube almost all of my lights



The grease Eagletac sells for their lights is a silicone grease, so I'm assuming the O-rings aren't silicone. I might give the silicone a go as it seems really thick in comparison to the superlube and may give better protection. There's a spare O-ring so if for some stupid reason there are problems its not the end of the world!


----------



## dragonhaertt

Would this do? Kroon grease
I also have silicon oil, but i guess that's not really viscous enough, and i have bikechain oil. Otherwise i will have to purchace a dedicated grease.


----------



## espresso

This grease is based on mineral oil and should not be used. However many chain oils tend to be oring safe so I guess you could use that if it's clearly stated.


----------



## Etsu

I know this thread says that petroleum jelly isn't good to use, but I've used it for years on Maglites with no problem. In fact Maglite's own FAQ says to use it: http://www.maglite.com/faq_details.asp?faqProd=D

Is petroleum jelly just a problem for rubber o-rings? Do any modern flashlights actually use rubber o-rings?

Is using a synthetic oil a better alternative? I've tried it, but I find it runnier than I like. I know the petroleum jelly will melt when the flashlight warms up, but it's nicer to apply and seems to stay in place better (and last longer).

I've read to stay away from silicone, since many o-rings are made of it, so I won't dare try that.


----------



## jamie.91

I use contralube 770 

Here's a link if I'm allowed to do so

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/s/ref...and=25568312688689792&hvdev=m&hvexid=&hvqmt=e

I've used it on all the lights I've ever owned and I've never had a problem yet!

Only downside is titanium threads still feel a bit gritty but that's titanium for you


----------



## Etsu

I emailed 4sevens about what to use on Quark lights. I asked about Petroleum Jelly, synthetic oil, Teflon lubricant, and silicone lubricant.

They said that none of them will harm the materials in their flashlights, but that since they are not electrically conductive, they could insulate contacts and lower efficiency. They recommended the product they sell, deoxit gold.

I guess if you're careful not to get grease on the contact points (or wipe it off), you can use a non-conductive product. I've never noticed a problem with loss of electrical contact due to using petroleum jelly on other flashlights. Has anyone else noticed this?

In theory, I guess they're saying that the grease could act as a resistor, and suck up some of the energy and use it to produce waste heat, rather than get it to the LED. I wonder how much resistance we're talking about. It can't be much.


----------



## paddyred

Etsu said:


> I emailed 4sevens about what to use on Quark lights. I asked about Petroleum Jelly, synthetic oil, Teflon lubricant, and silicone lubricant.
> 
> They said that none of them will harm the materials in their flashlights, but that since they are not electrically conductive, they could insulate contacts and lower efficiency. They recommended the product they sell, deoxit gold.
> 
> I guess if you're careful not to get grease on the contact points (or wipe it off), you can use a non-conductive product. I've never noticed a problem with loss of electrical contact due to using petroleum jelly on other flashlights. Has anyone else noticed this?
> 
> In theory, I guess they're saying that the grease could act as a resistor, and suck up some of the energy and use it to produce waste heat, rather than get it to the LED. I wonder how much resistance we're talking about. It can't be much.



I contacted 4sevens regarding threads and O-rings. After talking to sales i found out the O-rings are silicone so whatever you do DON'T use silicone grease! I have used Super Lube on the threads and O-rings that will be activated during battery changes and I use Deoxit gold on the bare metal contacts at the end of the battery tube where it is bare metal and on battery contacts ect. I have had no issues with greases making a bad connection wherever I use them and have in no way caused flickering ect. At the end of the day, try a grease on the threads, if it makes your light dim use a cloth and a solvent (Not tissue) and clean it off! 

Also bare in mind that Deoxit gold isn't electrically conductive (Or at least in my tests with continuity and Ohmmeters) so when they say it "Insulates" it i doubt it would be much different to grease, just thinner. Also I found that DeoxIT isn't much of a lubricant so it will only prevent oxidation rather than lubricate!


----------



## jamie.91

The stuff I use ( contralube 770 ) is for electrical connections


----------



## Etsu

paddyred said:


> I contacted 4sevens regarding threads and O-rings. After talking to sales i found out the O-rings are silicone so whatever you do DON'T use silicone grease!



Yes, I did think it was strange that they said silicone lube was okay. Perhaps pure silicone lube is okay, or one designed to be okay with silicone o-rings. I've heard that it might be only some formulations of silicone grease (different additives) that cause silicone o-rings to swell.

In any case, I'll probably use petroleum jelly if I don't get anything else, but I'll look for some conductive lube at Radio Shack next time I'm in there.

Can a thin layer of non-conductive oil have an impact on performance? I tested it out with an Ohm-meter. When touching two bare wires together (the leads of the ohm-meter), I measured about 0.3 Ohms. I then dipped one of the wires in petroleum jelly, and measured again. It eventually settled down to 0.3 Ohms, but it bounced around a bit more before settling there.

Petroleum jelly doesn't seem to affect the resistance if you have a good contact, but getting that good contact was a bit more difficult with the grease on the wire. That could explain flickering.

So, maybe there is something to be said for using a conductive grease.

Or, maybe my testing method is too simple or crude, and maybe my ohm-meter isn't sensitive enough.


----------



## fyrstormer

I've only ever had one light that was significantly affected by the electrical properties of the lubricant, and the lube I was using was a homebrew mix with baking soda added (as a rolling agent). At the low voltage flashlights run on, a microscopic film of lube just doesn't generate significant resistance.


----------



## autowood

*Re: Comprehensive Grease and Lube Thread Superlube and Deoxit*



espresso said:


> I used silicone oil if that counts. But it's good only for protecting o-rings and not for threads since it doesn't have a strong lubricating film.
> I also used Dow Corning DC-4 Electrical compound and it's very bad for threads. It's meant for sealing electrical contacts and protection so it doesn't lubricate well.
> Then I tried Super Lube and it functions superbly. I read some people reporting that Super Lube interferes with electrical connections and gives them reduced performance in flashlights. I'd like to hear something more about that. I haven't noticed any performance drop so far.
> Now, here's my extensive lube collection. Enjoy
> I'm using most of these things for electric motors, though.


I use Superlube for my fishing reels, electric motors, router bearings, linear bearings, flashlights and chains. It does not harm silicone o-rings. I use it in combination with Deoxit wherever electrical contact needs to be made such as threads. It does not gum up and I swear by Superlube, Deoxit Gold and D(red) series. I especially like the aerosol Deoxit D5 for clicker switches and potentiometers such as volume, fader and speed controls for DC motors. It penetrates and protects. It can penetrate a pot that has become corroded. I have always used the red and the gold wet. The Gold as I understand is for Gold plated electronic connections such as high power gold plated RCA and speaker connections. I have built a number of computers for use on the rainy side of Hawaii and have suffered from contact corrosion. I now put Deoxit Gold on CPU pins, Ram strips, PCI cards and have had no contact corrosion issues since. I use the red for any non gold plated connections in the computer. I use red (D series) on all flashlights and mobility scooters and electric bicycles. I have saved thousands of dollars since I was introduced to this line of products in prevention and repairs and if I can help it, I'll never be out of it ever. If you have a way of measuring the light from your flashlight try this. Measure, then put Deoxit on body threads and all contact points. Then measure the light output again. I think you will be surprised by the performance increase. The Deoxit helps keep leaking batteries from corroding your torch etc. I use it in every battery powered device (except my hearing aids) especially my remotes.


----------



## BenChiew

Is the Superlube you mentioned the same one sold at Ace Hardware?


----------



## autowood

Yes, it is sold at Ace Hardware. It comes in a tube and an aerosol. I used to use Slick 50 Number One with great success and became a fan of PTFE lubricants. I do think however, there might be a electrical conductivity issue so I use it sparingly on tail caps.


----------



## BenChiew

autowood said:


> Yes, it is sold at Ace Hardware. It comes in a tube and an aerosol. I used to use Slick 50 Number One with great success and became a fan of PTFE lubricants. I do think however, there might be a electrical conductivity issue so I use it sparingly on tail caps.



I use the same one on all of my aluminum lights. And yes, I have also learned that if you are too generous with the application, it does impede conductivity. So these days, I only apply a very thin coat taking care to avoid contact path.


----------



## Jonnor

Hello, 

I have posted a question with regards to lube for a RA Twisty in the RA Twisty- thread but it seems like this thread is not watched anymore. 

Here's my original post:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...tems)-Part-2&p=4232001&viewfull=1#post4232001

If someone with first hand knowledge of the RA Twisty could give me some lube advice for the bare aluminum threads I would appreciate it.

Thanks


----------



## fyrstormer

*Re: Comprehensive Grease and Lube Thread Superlube and Deoxit*



autowood said:


> I use Superlube for my fishing reels, electric motors, router bearings, linear bearings, flashlights and chains. It does not harm silicone o-rings. I use it in combination with Deoxit wherever electrical contact needs to be made such as threads. It does not gum up and I swear by Superlube, Deoxit Gold and D(red) series. I especially like the aerosol Deoxit D5 for clicker switches and potentiometers such as volume, fader and speed controls for DC motors. It penetrates and protects. It can penetrate a pot that has become corroded. I have always used the red and the gold wet. The Gold as I understand is for Gold plated electronic connections such as high power gold plated RCA and speaker connections. I have built a number of computers for use on the rainy side of Hawaii and have suffered from contact corrosion. I now put Deoxit Gold on CPU pins, Ram strips, PCI cards and have had no contact corrosion issues since. I use the red for any non gold plated connections in the computer. I use red (D series) on all flashlights and mobility scooters and electric bicycles. I have saved thousands of dollars since I was introduced to this line of products in prevention and repairs and if I can help it, I'll never be out of it ever. If you have a way of measuring the light from your flashlight try this. Measure, then put Deoxit on body threads and all contact points. Then measure the light output again. I think you will be surprised by the performance increase. The Deoxit helps keep leaking batteries from corroding your torch etc. I use it in every battery powered device (except my hearing aids) especially my remotes.


Have you considered getting CAIG to pay you for your advertising services?


----------



## Capolini

I am glad to see NO-OX-ID on there. In the VERY GOOD category!  A flashlight distributor first sold and recommended this to me. It is NON-TOXIC[used in food processing plants!], electrically conductive,will NOT harm O rings, lasts forever[see there website] and of course prevents corrosion/oxidation.Oh,yaa,relatively inexpensive!

I used it on my Nitecore I4 charger because the springs were too stiff!! It works great. Also used it on my Car battery terminals as the website recommends,,,the list goes on for uses!

ciao,,Roberto,"Capo di Capo"


----------



## Capolini

BenChiew said:


> I use the same one on all of my aluminum lights. And yes, I have also learned that if you are too generous with the application, it does impede conductivity. So these days, I only apply a very thin coat taking care to avoid contact path.



Suggestion: If you used NO-OX-ID, you would not have that problem!! It is electrically conductive, non toxic, ect., ect.! In fact, if you went on their website you would find that it is mostly used to prevent corrosion for electrical conductors.

ciao,,Roberto,,,,"Capo di Capo"


----------



## Capolini

I just saw that Nyogel 76G on a flashlight dealer website. It was $11.49 for 10 grams!! That is insane!! Lol! It is more than 25 times more expensive than NO-OX-ID,A great product that I use! Even if it is a thinner substance than NO-OX-ID,I doubt if it would cover more area and last as long.

ciao,,Roberto,,"Capo di Capo"


----------



## srvctec

Capolini said:


> I just saw that Nyogel 76G on a flashlight dealer website. It was $11.49 for 10 grams!! That is insane!! Lol! It is more than 25 times more expensive than NO-OX-ID,A great product that I use! Even if it is a thinner substance than NO-OX-ID,I doubt if it would cover more area and last as long.
> 
> ciao,,Roberto,,"Capo di Capo"



So, you're obviously a dealer for NO-OX-ID, own stock in the company or are related to someone who is with all of your hard selling posts of late.


----------



## Capolini

srvctec said:


> So, you're obviously a dealer for NO-OX-ID, own stock in the company or are related to someone who is with all of your hard selling posts of late.



no sir,just a "Mobster" expressing his opinion,is that ok?


----------



## srvctec

Capolini said:


> no sir,just a "Mobster" expressing his opinion,is that ok?



That's fine- no hard feelings. I should have put a little  at the end. Carry on.


----------



## OsheasTorch

I used some Hoppes #9 on all of my Light threads and O-rings. I applies a very small amount, I even wiped off any excess... Someone please tell me that I did not make a big mistake...


----------



## Jaegerbomb

Just purchased myself some Nano-Oil 10-Weight  (based on peoples reviews in the forum here) for my Olight M22 (purchase driven by reviews of members in the forum here)... 
I really hope you guys start recommending ways for me to save money rather than spend money soon! :thumbsup:

None the less, thank you all very much for your advice and help lovecpf


----------



## Yamabushi

OsheasTorch said:


> I used some Hoppes #9 on all of my Light threads and O-rings. I applies a very small amount, I even wiped off any excess... Someone please tell me that I did not make a big mistake...



Big mistake. Hoppe's #9 is a solvent, not a lubricant. According to the MSDS, ingredients are Kerosene, Ethyl Alcohol, Oleic Acid, Amyl Acetate & Ammonium Hydroxide (ammonia water). Ammonia will attack metals including aluminum, copper and copper alloys.

EDIT: BTW, kerosene attacks several types of rubber, especially silicone.


----------



## LlF

i have some panasonic hair trimmer oil, will that work? 

it looks exactly like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PANASONIC-O...0922744117?cmd=ViewItem&category=11840&ih=008


----------



## m4a1usr

Dow Molykote 55M silicone grease. Designed solely as an O-ring lubricant. It's mil spec and not too spendy. Viton and buna O-rings will swell slightly. Silicone O-rings will not. My top pick since I it use everyday in my job. And I never use a thread lubricant. It's not necessary if you keep them clean. Grease in the threads only attracts dirt and contamination, increases circuit IR and since there is no galvanic action happening thread grease is not a requirement.


----------



## Yamabushi

m4a1usr said:


> Dow Molykote 55M silicone grease. Designed solely as an O-ring lubricant. It's mil spec and not too spendy. Viton and buna O-rings will swell slightly. *Silicone O-rings will not*.



From the Dow Corning product data sheet: "Molykote 55 O-Ring Grease has been shown to swell natural rubber. However, *compatibility of the lubricant may vary with the plasticizer content of specific materials (especially elastomers)*. Small-scale compatibility testing should be conducted prior to the use of this product in any application. Molykote 55 O-Ring Grease should not be used with the following materials unless thoroughly tested for your specific application: *Silicone rubber*".


----------



## m4a1usr

Yamabushi said:


> From the Dow Corning product data sheet: "Molykote 55 O-Ring Grease has been shown to swell natural rubber. However, *compatibility of the lubricant may vary with the plasticizer content of specific materials (especially elastomers)*. Small-scale compatibility testing should be conducted prior to the use of this product in any application. Molykote 55 O-Ring Grease should not be used with the following materials unless thoroughly tested for your specific application: *Silicone rubber*".


And I did. That's why I posted. No swelling with silicone O-rings was found in all my upgrades. Granted your mileage may vary but for the last 2 years all my lights have been changed over to silicone O-rings. And using 55m has been the perfect O-ring lubricant.


----------



## lightplay22

I purchased some NO-OX-ID A special and am really satisfied so far. It is thick and made the two surefires I have used it on stiffer so that the tail caps don't tend to move while in my pocket. Previously I used teflon tape to provide some friction but this grease is much better.


----------



## nickso

I have to do some of you a favor that are asking for good lubes and mention Tuf-Glide. I know it has been mentioned before and I can't believe it is not listed in the Very Good Lube section on the first page of this thread. It is mentioned in many of the posts and has been in some of the tests with Nano Oil on the web. 

I have been using Tuf-Glide for many years and still can't believe it.
I have read posts where someone has been using Tuf-Glide for many years as well and they have tested Nano Oil and said Nano Oil was actually a little better, but for the lower price and the anti-rust bonus of Tuf-Glide you can't go wrong.

I have tried some of the sister products of Tuf-Glide and was not that impressed, but I might have not been using them for the correct purpose.

I have Tuf-Glide on all of my lights, knives, pistols, rifles and tools.

If you are going to get some don't get the cloth, but the small bottle. The cloth is mainly for wiping down weapons and the such. 

I will have to give Nano-Oil a try one day.:thumbsup:


----------



## pong

I am using Servisol silicone grease 
works fine


----------



## hjkl

Capolini said:


> I just saw that Nyogel 76G on a flashlight dealer website. It was $11.49 for 10 grams!! That is insane!! Lol! It is more than 25 times more expensive than NO-OX-ID,A great product that I use! Even if it is a thinner substance than NO-OX-ID,I doubt if it would cover more area and last as long.
> 
> ciao,,Roberto,,"Capo di Capo"



EDC+ has 1oz. (28.3g) for $6.99, and you can also often find it on ebay.

Personally, I use superlube or nyogel for aluminum light threads and o-rings and nano-oil or tuf-glide for steel lights and knives and have been satisfied.


----------



## mr.snakeman

I´ve been using "Finish Line Victory Booster Shot Pure Krytox Chain Lube" with good results on my Ti lights. Don´t know if it is still avalable on the CONUS market (live in Sweden and have a good own supply).


----------



## Slazmo

I bought and tried Chemlube Silicone grease which turned out to be the biggest waste of $20 "ever!". Silicone grease proved to be a very poor lubricant with the threads and it leaked - with the heat generated from the LED.

I have turned to using Inox MX6 which is a clay bentone grease which contains PTFE (Teflon) and is rubber friendly - food safe and can be ingested (which is good for those that hold their torch in their mouths). I have attached a generic image and the product details list. So far its on my Inova X1's, Nitecore EA4, multiple Maglites and other things like the seals on my SLR's diving case, my tough camera seals and in my fishing reels. The grease that comes in the tub's and grease gun canisters is a thicker consistency whereas the MX6 available in the 15 & 30gram tube's is slightly thinner and more suitable for threads etc.

http://www.inoxmx.com/inox/mx6-food-grade-grease/


----------



## Norm

Been using it for the last couple of years Slazmo, with no problems. Still on my first 30 gram tube, although getting close to time to repurchase.

Norm


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Sorry for the long absence, I've been having a crazy year. 
I'm currently reading through the 600-odd posts I'm behind on in this thread, and I'll be making updates to the OP in the near future.


----------



## m4a1usr

nickso said:


> I have to do some of you a favor that are asking for good lubes and mention Tuf-Glide. I know it has been mentioned before and I can't believe it is not listed in the Very Good Lube section on the first page of this thread. It is mentioned in many of the posts and has been in some of the tests with Nano Oil on the web.
> 
> I have been using Tuf-Glide for many years and still can't believe it.
> I have read posts where someone has been using Tuf-Glide for many years as well and they have tested Nano Oil and said Nano Oil was actually a little better, but for the lower price and the anti-rust bonus of Tuf-Glide you can't go wrong.
> 
> I have tried some of the sister products of Tuf-Glide and was not that impressed, but I might have not been using them for the correct purpose.
> 
> I have Tuf-Glide on all of my lights, knives, pistols, rifles and tools.
> 
> If you are going to get some don't get the cloth, but the small bottle. The cloth is mainly for wiping down weapons and the such.
> 
> I will have to give Nano-Oil a try one day.:thumbsup:


For your weapons lube use Militec-1. Its an industry standard and used by all branches of the military, NASA and most of the major govt. contractors. Still the accepted lube for use in missile fin actuators and satellites orbiting our planet. Try it once. You wont go back to the other brands claiming fame from testimony. I'm not knocking other brands. But when Government and industry all use the same product, that say's something.


----------



## batman

*Nyogel, Deoxit shelf life.*

Hi all,

Back in 2006 when I first got into Surefires, I bought a tube of Nyogel and some Deoxit, and Deoxit progold to maintain my investments. Is there any concensus on how long this stuff can be stored before it expires and should be replaced?
Thanks!

Brad


----------



## Yamabushi

batman said:


> *Nyogel, Deoxit shelf life.*
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> Back in 2006 when I first got into Surefires, I bought a tube of Nyogel and some Deoxit, and Deoxit progold to maintain my investments. Is there any concensus on how long this stuff can be stored before it expires and should be replaced?
> Thanks!
> 
> Brad



CAIG (the manufacturer of DeoxIT) states that DeoxIT and DeoxIT Gold have a storage life of 2-3 years but also state "Storage Life: If storage directions are adhered to, products will last considerably longer. Values are conservative. If coloration or separation of products occur, we recommend discarding and purchasing new product. Storage Instructions: Store in a cool, dry place. Keep container tightly closed. Do not subject to excessive heat or cold."


----------



## batman

That's interesting. I can probably throw away my Deoxit/ProGold pens now  I'm still using the Nyogel though.


----------



## SAVAGESAM

What about this stuff. http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-37/031400/Lubrication-Technology-Christo-Lube-Oxygen-Grease.html OR this http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-37/030045/Innovative-Silicone-Grease.html It SHOULD be non-flammable & non-toxic. I've heard divers grease too because it is "Food grade" and won't harm anything. If the link is a "No Go" just delete it and please accept my apologies.


----------



## SAVAGESAM

Something was bugging me about my post above, (I couldn't remember the name of the product I use) I knew it was "Food grade" & I knew it had to be of a particular type that is suitable for H.P.A./SCUBA/SCBA so, it CAN'T have any petroleum of ANY kind. I use this stuff for a P.C.P. Air rifle I have (Another one of my sicknesses, in addition to flashlights & R.C. Nitro powered monster trucks) on the "O-ring" seals. It's called "Plumbers silicone grease"


----------



## Norm

SAVAGESAM said:


> Something was bugging me about my post above, (I couldn't remember the name of the product I use) I knew it was "Food grade" & I knew it had to be of a particular type that is suitable for H.P.A./SCUBA/SCBA so, it CAN'T have any petroleum of ANY kind. I use this stuff for a P.C.P. Air rifle I have (Another one of my sicknesses, in addition to flashlights & R.C. Nitro powered monster trucks) on the "O-ring" seals. It's called "Plumbers silicone grease"





Norm said:


> I use
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Get it at your plumbing supply, Reeces etc.
> 
> Norm



Norm


----------



## Tekno_Cowboy

Got through all the posts, and added a little to Post 1. 
I'm in the process of researching some that weren't on the list before, and I'll try to get them properly listed within the week. 
If anyone feels I've missed something, feel free to point it out.
Many thanks to all that have participated in this thread. It's truly been educational for me, and hopefully many others.


----------



## tangfj

Ok, I've tried to read through the thread as much as possible to answer my question but I can't seem to come to any conclusion since opinions are so varied...

What lube is best and readily available (Amazon, Home Depot, etc) for Titanium? for Aluminum? for Stainless Steel?

Here's what I think I'm gonna get...

Titanium - Krytox (Finish Line Extreme Fluoro 100% DuPont Teflon Grease, 20g Syringe - from Amazon)

Aluminum / Steel - Super Lube (seems to be a good all purpose grease - Super Lube Synthetic Grease with Syncolon Multi Purpose Lubricant 3 oz from Amazon)

Am I on the right track? I know most people seem to go with the Krytox 50/50 for titanium but right now it's easier for me to get it from bigger box stores/etc.

Anyway, let me know if the above options would work?


----------



## ledmitter_nli

My take with aluminum: It's impossible to avoid galling with alum on alum contact. I use Nyogel and clean the threads of oxidation periodically.
My take on titanium: It's impossible to avoid galling with titanium on titanium contact. I also use Nyogel and clean the threads of oxidation periodically.

For me Nyogel 760G worked better than superlube and petroleum jelly.


----------



## tangfj

ledmitter_nli said:


> My take with aluminum: It's impossible to avoid galling with alum on alum contact. I use Nyogel and clean the threads of oxidation periodically.
> My take on titanium: It's impossible to avoid galling with titanium on titanium contact. I also use Nyogel and clean the threads of oxidation periodically.
> 
> For me Nyogel 760G worked better than superlube and petroleum jelly.



Thanks, I'll take the word of a guy with over a 1000 posts any day!


----------



## N162E

tangfj said:


> Ok, I've tried to read through the thread as much as possible to answer my question but I can't seem to come to any conclusion since opinions are so varied...
> 
> What lube is best and readily available (Amazon, Home Depot, etc) for Titanium? for Aluminum? for Stainless Steel?
> 
> Here's what I think I'm gonna get...
> 
> Titanium - Krytox (Finish Line Extreme Fluoro 100% DuPont Teflon Grease, 20g Syringe - from Amazon)
> 
> Aluminum / Steel - Super Lube (seems to be a good all purpose grease - Super Lube Synthetic Grease with Syncolon Multi Purpose Lubricant 3 oz from Amazon)
> 
> Am I on the right track? I know most people seem to go with the Krytox 50/50 for titanium but right now it's easier for me to get it from bigger box stores/etc.
> 
> Anyway, let me know if the above options would work?


Yes and they would work well. You should be able to find both locally. I use Superlube for everything, cheap and readily available. You should be able to find the Finish Line in your local bike shop. I would avoid petroleum jelly or for that matter any lube containing petrol oil as it can affect certain gaskets.

Clean your threads before applying lube and don't overuse.


----------



## tangfj

N162E said:


> Yes and they would work well. You should be able to find both locally. I use Superlube for everything, cheap and readily available. You should be able to find the Finish Line in your local bike shop. I would avoid petroleum jelly or for that matter any lube containing petrol oil as it can affect certain gaskets.
> 
> Clean your threads before applying lube and don't overuse.



Oh nice, I didn't even think about going to a bike store... there's actually an REI close to me. Can you tell me if either of these products would be the right one?

1. Finish Line Teflon Grease - 3.5 oz. Tube
http://www.rei.com/product/634916/finish-line-teflon-grease-35-oz-tube

2. Finish Line Dry Lube - 4 oz. Squeeze Bottle
http://www.rei.com/product/634907/finish-line-dry-lube-4-oz-squeeze-bottle

3. Tri-Flow Squeeze Bottle - 2 oz. (it seems my local Home Depot doesn't have Super Lube in stock... would this work instead?)
http://www.rei.com/product/546175/tri-flow-squeeze-bottle-2-oz


It looks like my local REI has most of their online selection in stock... is there something else you'd recommend other than what I've mentioned above?

Thanks guys! Also, I wasn't sure if it was ok to link to REI so MODS feel free to remove if I've done something wrong.


----------



## N162E

tangfj said:


> Oh nice, I didn't even think about going to a bike store... there's actually an REI close to me. Can you tell me if either of these products would be the right one?
> 
> 1. Finish Line Teflon Grease - 3.5 oz. Tube
> http://www.rei.com/product/634916/finish-line-teflon-grease-35-oz-tube
> 
> 2. Finish Line Dry Lube - 4 oz. Squeeze Bottle
> http://www.rei.com/product/634907/finish-line-dry-lube-4-oz-squeeze-bottle
> 
> 3. Tri-Flow Squeeze Bottle - 2 oz. (it seems my local Home Depot doesn't have Super Lube in stock... would this work instead?)
> http://www.rei.com/product/546175/tri-flow-squeeze-bottle-2-oz
> 
> 
> It looks like my local REI has most of their online selection in stock... is there something else you'd recommend other than what I've mentioned above?
> 
> Thanks guys! Also, I wasn't sure if it was ok to link to REI so MODS feel free to remove if I've done something wrong.


Interesting. The Teflon Grease 3.5 oz tube looks a lot like Superlube. If its not the same product it does look suitable for flashlight use.

If you want to match Krytox you need the "Finish Line Extreme Fluoro" in the 20gm Yellow syringe dispenser.

Tri-Flow squeeze bottle is oil, great for guns, bicycles, hinges etc but I don't think so great for our lights.

REI may also have Superlube. I have seen Superlube at Acco, Radio Shack and tool stores.

I have not seen Nyogel available in BM but available online. Several years ago I purchased a sample kit of Nyoils and greases either direct from them or I was guided to a retail source from their factory site, don't remember which.

These are all great choices, you would be happy with any one of them. You would be even happier with a few of them to experiment with.

LOL since I have had a collection of Flashlight lubes nothing in my house squeaks or sticks.


----------



## tangfj

I ended up getting the Finish Line Teflon Grease from REI. Interesting to note for those interested is that it is grease with teflon fluoropolymer.

Here's what it says on the back of the bottle: "Finish Line's legendary bicycle grease enhanced with Teflon fluoropolymer just got better! A new patented additive system delivers a grease with a 44% higher extreme pressure rating (ASTM D-2596) a 27% lower 4-ball wear rating (ASTM D-2596) a 27% lower 4-ball wear rating (ASTM D-2266) and a perfect grade in the salt water rust and corrosion test (ASTM D-5969)! For headsets, bottom brackets, hubs, stems and posts, gaskets and O-rings."

To try it out, I first tried it on a sticky threaded aluminum pill box. Worked like a charm, then I decided to put it on some other things I had that needed lubing and it worked great on everything so far... list below as to what I used it with.



Aluminum pill box from walgreens
Numyth battery pill boxes from goinggear
Incendio v3u
Muyshondt Aeon mk 1
Ti Quark mini 123
Provari Mini (ecig)

To apply I just cleaned everything with isopropyl alcohol and then used some latex gloves to put a very thin layer on the threads of each item and o-ring. I think this tube will last 20+ years! I barely used any and everything is noticeably better in terms of threading and screwing things on/off.


----------



## Blueskies123

Etsu said:


> Yes, I did think it was strange that they said silicone lube was okay. Perhaps pure silicone lube is okay, or one designed to be okay with silicone o-rings. I've heard that it might be only some formulations of silicone grease (different additives) that cause silicone o-rings to swell.
> 
> In any case, I'll probably use petroleum jelly if I don't get anything else, but I'll look for some conductive lube at Radio Shack next time I'm in there.
> 
> Can a thin layer of non-conductive oil have an impact on performance? I tested it out with an Ohm-meter. When touching two bare wires together (the leads of the ohm-meter), I measured about 0.3 Ohms. I then dipped one of the wires in petroleum jelly, and measured again. It eventually settled down to 0.3 Ohms, but it bounced around a bit more before settling there.
> 
> Petroleum jelly doesn't seem to affect the resistance if you have a good contact, but getting that good contact was a bit more difficult with the grease on the wire. That could explain flickering.
> 
> So, maybe there is something to be said for using a conductive grease.
> 
> Or, maybe my testing method is too simple or crude, and maybe my ohm-meter isn't sensitive enough.




i ruined a quark with superlube. I tried using a small amount but several days later it started flickering. I tried cleaning it completely several times but the flickering never stopped. I read somewhere to never use superlub with None anodized threads.


----------



## N162E

Blueskies123 said:


> i ruined a quark with superlube. I tried using a small amount but several days later it started flickering. I tried cleaning it completely several times but the flickering never stopped. I read somewhere to never use superlub with None anodized threads.


Sorry to hear that. Were you ever able to resolve the cause?



tangfj said:


> I ended up getting the Finish Line Teflon Grease from REI. Interesting to note for those interested is that it is grease with teflon fluoropolymer. I think this tube will last 20+ years! I barely used any and everything is noticeably better in terms of threading and screwing things on/off.


I'm ready to try a new lube and this one soundsa like a good one. I'm about half way through my first tube of Superlube and it been a good 15 years.


----------



## espresso

Super Lube has a shelf life of two years. Did you notice any oil separation? 
I suppose it can be used for non demanding applications for many years but probably wouldn't do good in extreme pressure and high temperature applications that it was originally made for.


----------



## Blueskies123

N162E said:


> Sorry to hear that. Were you ever able to resolve the cause?
> 
> I'm ready to try a new lube and this one soundsa like a good one. I'm about half way through my first tube of Superlube and it been a good 15 years.



Nope, after cleaning it up 3 or 4 times I gave up a bought another one. I kept the flickering one for spare parts. I now stay away from superlub. If I ever find a lub that is 100% certain not to contain a dialectic I might try the it


----------



## N162E

espresso said:


> Super Lube has a shelf life of two years. Did you notice any oil separation?
> I suppose it can be used for non demanding applications for many years but probably wouldn't do good in extreme pressure and high temperature applications that it was originally made for.


Nope, same as the day I bought it. I was not aware it had a finate shelf life.


----------



## Yamabushi

espresso said:


> Super Lube has a shelf life of two years. Did you notice any oil separation?
> I suppose it can be used for non demanding applications for many years but probably wouldn't do good in extreme pressure and high temperature applications that it was originally made for.



From the Synco Super Lube website: "Super Lube does not have a shelf life. It does not dry out, go rancid, or lose its effectiveness, as long as it is in its original container, has been stored under reasonable ambient conditions, and has not been contaminated with foreign material. For Warranty Returns purposes, we mark each item with a Code indicating date of manufacture. The Warranty period is for 24 months from date of manufacture."


----------



## dc38

Yamabushi said:


> From the Synco Super Lube website: "Super Lube does not have a shelf life. It does not dry out, go rancid, or lose its effectiveness, as long as it is in its original container, has been stored under reasonable ambient conditions, and has not been contaminated with foreign material. For Warranty Returns purposes, we mark each item with a Code indicating date of manufacture. The Warranty period is for 24 months from date of manufacture."



In layman's layman's terms, "We cannot definitively state what the shelf life will be, but we do guarantee that it will last at least 2 years from the date of manufacturer. If you keep it in the original container in non-extreme environments without any outside substances, it will last 5-EVER <3."

That's pretty interesting, though. My tube of Lube must've been sitting on the shelf at HF for MONTHS before I bought it...those lubes never moved. However, it's been almost 3 years now, and I have not noticed any strange phenomena occurring. This might also be because I use fresh q-tips (not my fingers or any 'foreign substance') to retrieve the dispensed portions of lube to apply to my lights. Finger oils and sweat tends to be corrosive, no?


----------



## espresso

The thing is that all grease changes in time. Some manufacturers give their warranty for as little as 6 months from the date of production. But majority state the shelf life of two years. After this time, grease can be used but needs to be inspected first. 
By frequently opening grease tubes and packages, oxygen is let in, which causes the base oil to degrade even faster. Also, oil separation comes with time. After opening my tube of SuperLube, some oil poured out which is normal to an extent. But as the time goes by, more and more oil tends to separate. Mixing it back is a temporary solution.
But as I said we're probably alright for flashlight threads.  But for heavy duty lubrication, I wouldn't use an old grease.


----------



## AnthonyMcEwen2014

Thanks techno cowboy great guide, I am glad I ordered siome silicone grease when I ordered my flashlight as the oring and threads came BONE DRY look like they never even heard of grease (although the instruction manual said it comes "perfectly greased pmsl!)

Love the light but dont understand how it has never seen lube and its not just my light, iv seen it reporters as a known issue.


----------



## AnthonyMcEwen2014

Nitecore SG7 grease gets a vote here real THICK stuff seems very good,


----------



## KDM

*Di-Electric Grease for control rings*

I have tried a new grease compound to smooth up those gritty, sticking control rings. Without disassembling the lights, working it into the gap on each side of the ring I've had great results. If any of you own the TC-R1 you know how gritty it feels, with this it's smooth as butter. I've also used it on my V10r's with great results. Sorry if this is old news just thought I'd share my experience with it.


----------



## Disciple

Tekno_Cowboy: your inbox has been full for several days.


----------



## hjkl

m4a1usr said:


> For your weapons lube use Militec-1. Its an industry standard and used by all branches of the military, NASA and most of the major govt. contractors. Still the accepted lube for use in missile fin actuators and satellites orbiting our planet. Try it once. You wont go back to the other brands claiming fame from testimony. I'm not knocking other brands. But when Government and industry all use the same product, that say's something.



Personally tried Militec-1 and did not like it. The carrier solution did not evaporate and became gunky. Also found this document that states that Militec was delisted (http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-735R), although there is a rebuttal here: http://militec.blogspot.com/2011/03/complaint-sent-to-gao.html. I ordered direct from them.. really nice folks, I just did not have a good experience with their product.


----------



## fix4dark

I haven't seen Penetrox mentioned in this thread although it is mentioned in a few other threads. It is a conductive grease that will prevent aluminium oxidation. 

I have used it in a lot of different electrical connections of dissimilar metals with good results. I don't know of any precautions regarding o-rings but it will stain cloth so application should be kept at a minimum and neat.


----------



## RI Chevy

Penetrox is too messy. But it does work well.


----------



## LightX

*Applying jetbeam silicone grease on battery contacts on my led lenser p7.2*

Mabuhay everyone,

Is it okay to Apply jetbeam silicone grease on battery positive terminal and spring contacts, battery compartment gold plated contacts and contacts inside the LL p7.2 barrel? 

Is there someone doing this?

I read an idea of applying silicone grease here: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/silicone.htm

thanks!


----------



## Disciple

Link appears broken or site appears down.


----------



## Norm

Disciple said:


> Link appears broken or site appears down.


Works fine here, checked it when it was posted and again just now.

Norm


----------



## Overclocker

LightX said:


> *Applying jetbeam silicone grease on battery contacts on my led lenser p7.2*
> 
> Mabuhay everyone,
> 
> Is it okay to Apply jetbeam silicone grease on battery positive terminal and spring contacts, battery compartment gold plated contacts and contacts inside the LL p7.2 barrel?
> 
> Is there someone doing this?
> 
> I read an idea of applying silicone grease here: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/silicone.htm
> 
> thanks!




hi! you certainly could but it's messy and not really necessary

and silicone does creep/migrate so it could get into switches and wreak havoc there. the arcing that happens at switch contact points turns silicones into nasty substances that eventually causes switch failure


----------



## LightX

Overclocker said:


> hi! you certainly could but it's messy and not really necessary
> 
> and silicone does creep/migrate so it could get into switches and wreak havoc there. the arcing that happens at switch contact points turns silicones into nasty substances that eventually causes switch failure




Alright then i just wanted to avoid scratches to contacts and to lubricate the connections by applying silicone grease..

this is what the link says:

"*Silicone grease for flashlight maintenance
*Protect your flashlight torch and make it last longer. Coat all threads, O-rings, switch contacts, bulb contacts and battery contacts with silicone grease. This will prevent corrosion and allow the threads to turn smoothly.It's especially important to protect bicycle lights, which may be outside in wet weather - even dynamo-powered lamps."


Would you recommend to just remove it?


----------



## Disciple

Norm said:


> Works fine here, checked it when it was posted and again just now.
> 
> Norm



Weird; I get this:



> Forbidden
> 
> You don't have permission to access /tech/silicone.htm on this server.
> 
> Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.



Anyone else?


----------



## Overclocker

LightX said:


> Alright then i just wanted to avoid scratches to contacts and to lubricate the connections by applying silicone grease..
> 
> this is what the link says:
> 
> "*Silicone grease for flashlight maintenance
> *Protect your flashlight torch and make it last longer. Coat all threads, O-rings, switch contacts, bulb contacts and battery contacts with silicone grease. This will prevent corrosion and allow the threads to turn smoothly.It's especially important to protect bicycle lights, which may be outside in wet weather - even dynamo-powered lamps."
> 
> 
> Would you recommend to just remove it?




it's certainly a good idea to grease your car battery's posts but on a flashlight, not necessary. just attracts dirt which will cause more abrasion and more resistance and just all around messy

that's just wrong info there DO NOT USE SILICONES ON SWITCHES

silicone greases are OK on non-silicone O-rings, and threads


----------



## LightX

Overclocker said:


> hi! you certainly could but it's messy and not really necessary
> 
> and silicone does creep/migrate so it could get into switches and wreak havoc there. the arcing that happens at switch contact points turns silicones into nasty substances that eventually causes switch failure





Overclocker said:


> it's certainly a good idea to grease your car battery's posts but on a flashlight, not necessary. just attracts dirt which will cause more abrasion and more resistance and just all around messy
> 
> that's just wrong info there DO NOT USE SILICONES ON SWITCHES
> 
> silicone greases are OK on non-silicone O-rings, and threads




Oh you're right man, that just make sense. okay i'll just wipe it real quick.. thank you! =)


----------



## fix4dark

Disciple said:


> Weird; I get this:
> _You don't have permission to access /tech/silicone.htm on this server._
> 
> _Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request._
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone else?



I get the same message.


----------



## Norm

fix4dark said:


> I get the same message.


Works fine here, it may have something to do with being in the States.

Norm


----------



## drdanke

Before I read this thread, I had read many many other threads about greases to use on flashlights, and using what I had read, I came to the conclusion that a 100% pure silicone grease was the best to use on flashlights, but hadn't even thought of the dielectric properties of pure silicone. Now, after reading this thread, I have come to another conclusion, that a (non petroleum based) synthetic grease is the best to use, even with teflon or moly added, like Super-Lube. I actually was under the assumption that even "synthetic greases" were petroleum based greases. Now that I know better, I did have a grease here that seems to fit the bill perfect.

Brownells Action Lube Plus: http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleani...tant-oils/action-lube-plus-reg--prod1147.aspx

It is a non petroleum synthetic based grease, with added Molybdenum disulfide, which was designed to slicken up firearm action parts. Now I know that a synthetic grease base is what to look for, and I went on to research the properties of Molybdenum disulfide. Wikipedia states that Molybdenum disulfide is electrically semi-conductive, and even increases thermal conductivity, while at the same time the moly is a great lubricant, just like teflon, or better. 

In the past, I have always used a silicone grease for flashlight threads, but wow, the above mentioned grease makes the threads smooth as silk. What an improvement. Now I know that all silicone based greases offer very poor lubrication, when compared to synthetic greases.

I just happen to have a tub of this grease laying here, as the stuff lasts forever. It's pretty expensive, but for its intended use, in firearms, it's not that bad. 

Does anybody see any problems with using a grease like this?


----------



## espresso

The most obvious reason against using MoS2 grease in home applications is that it will easily stain everything around it. The other reason is that you won't feel benefits of molybdenum disulphide because it requires extreme pressure to start working. It's more of a heavy machinery solid lubricant.


----------



## drdanke

I agree about the staining disadvantage espresso. The grease is very dark colored, and does stain any fabric it contacts. Other than that negative aspect, I did a lot more reading about the recommended applications for a moly grease, it appears that screw threads are a perfect application for moly (as screw threads can be an "extreme pressure" mechanical situation). Many high end "fastener assembly lube" products are moly based synthetic greases, so it appears lubing threads, is where moly excells better than any other lubricants. This also confirms what I experienced when I applied the moly grease to my flashlight threads. The moly grease made the threads unbelievably smooth, and I'm sure any thread wear from screwing is completely eliminated (which is a big benefit). I even have a couple Ultrafire 501b flashlights, which have pretty rough threads, and the grease made those perfectly smooth, which is amazing. I'm sure teflon grease would have almost the same benefits without the staining disadvantage, although any grease tends to leave stains on fabric anyways.

I guess not to mention, that moly has better thermal conductive properties than teflon, which I suppose could be a very tiny benefit.

Anyways, I'm just glad I was able to find a suitable grease that can manage flashlight duty for the time being, until I figure out if there is a better lube than this.


----------



## espresso

It's true that MoS2 is used in assembly lubricants but it acts as an anti seize component (just like copper particles in a copper paste). It provides easy disassembly of screw connections exposed to high temperatures (up to 650C). In those conditions the carrier grease degrades leaving solid mos2 particles behind. 
So, on screw connections assembly lube is used which has 50-60% of MoS2 content unlike MoS2 grease which usually has something like 5%. 

I think that in this case, any synthetic grease with EP additives would sufice.
I switched from silicone grease to Super Lube and was stunned with the difference.


----------



## drdanke

I completely agree, and I will definately be picking up a tube of Super Lube grease when I get the chance.


----------



## Scenic

drdanke said:


> I completely agree, and I will definately be picking up a tube of Super Lube when I get the chance.



Same here, trying to decide between the super lube oil or the grease. Not sure which would be better


----------



## weegidy

Call me crazy, but I use M1 10w30...  I mean, it repels water, it's good at conducting heat, and I always have some around, so it doesn't cost me anything. 

Super lube is good too. I don't always have it in my garage though.


----------



## geraldL

Hey guys, I recently bought nextorch silicone grease for flashlights. However, it's making my 47 quark pro's head gritty and tight. No matter how much I clean the threads before applying the grease, after I screw the head on, the threads would appear grey and dirty again. Am I wearing down my threads? 

*funny thing is the tailcap end twists just fine...


----------



## drdanke

geraldL said:


> Hey guys, I recently bought nextorch silicone grease for flashlights. However, it's making my 47 quark pro's head gritty and tight. No matter how much I clean the threads before applying the grease, after I screw the head on, the threads would appear grey and dirty again. Am I wearing down my threads?
> 
> *funny thing is the tailcap end twists just fine...



Absolutely it is wearing the threads. As I also found out, silicone greases do almost nothing to lube the threads and prevent wear and can actually make them feel gritty. The reason that the tailcap end feels fine, is probably simply because the thread tolerances are looser. The threads that are tighter, need a better lube to prevent wear, whereas looser threads don't rely much on lube to prevent wear. 

If you want to feel your threads get slick again, you are going to need a good synthetic grease, preferably with some teflon added. If I were you, I would pick up a tube of Super Lube grease, which is an all Synthetic grease with teflon added, and it has a nice clear color. An all synthetic grease will not mess with any of your o-ring seals either.

You can get Super Lube multipurpose grease at one of your local home improvement stores, or even the hardware store.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Super-Lube-3-oz-Tube-Synthetic-Grease-with-Syncolon-PTFE-21030/202932687#


----------



## drdanke

Scenic said:


> Same here, trying to decide between the super lube oil or the grease. Not sure which would be better



The grease will help waterproof your flashlight better, and the oil might creep out when you are carrying it, and stain your clothes. I definately don't see any benefit to using oil over a good grease.


----------



## geraldL

drdanke said:


> Absolutely it is wearing the threads. As I also found out, silicone greases do almost nothing to lube the threads and prevent wear and can actually make them feel gritty. The reason that the tailcap end feels fine, is probably simply because the thread tolerances are looser. The threads that are tighter, need a better lube to prevent wear, whereas looser threads don't rely much on lube to prevent wear.
> 
> If you want to feel your threads get slick again, you are going to need a good synthetic grease, preferably with some teflon added. If I were you, I would pick up a tube of Super Lube grease, which is an all Synthetic grease with teflon added, and it has a nice clear color. An all synthetic grease will not mess with any of your o-ring seals either.
> 
> You can get Super Lube multipurpose grease at one of your local home improvement stores, or even the hardware store.
> 
> http://www.homedepot.com/p/Super-Lube-3-oz-Tube-Synthetic-Grease-with-Syncolon-PTFE-21030/202932687#



Thanks so much for your reply! Does that mean that the whole new bottle of nextorch grease is now useless? 

It's also hard for me to get super lube here in Singapore... But I've already considered that and nyogel as new alternatives


----------



## Yamabushi

geraldL said:


> It's also hard for me to get super lube here in Singapore... But I've already considered that and nyogel as new alternatives



Not all synthetic oils are equal.

Super Lube oil and grease are polyalphaolefin (PAO) with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). According to their material safety data sheet (MSDS), they are not "all synthetic"; they can contain up to 25% white mineral oil. The grease uses fumed silica as an additional thickener. Fumed silica is a mild abrasive and I found that Super Lube grease on bare aluminum threads (such as Quarks) turned gray/black fairly quickly.

For the threads on my Quarks, I now use Krytox 205 grease. Krytox 10X series oils are 100% perfluoropolyether (PFPE). The 20X series greases are perfluoropolyether (PFPE) with only polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a thickener.

I've never tried Nyogel grease but AFAIK they use silica thickeners.

Super Lube and Krytox are readily available on eBay.


----------



## Raze

Pardon me if I missed it, but anybody tried Haynes Lubri-Film plus? I bought a 1 oz. tube for $2.99 from the Malkoffs with my recent order. 

Said that the lube was used on all of their flashlights.


----------



## Etsu

geraldL said:


> Hey guys, I recently bought nextorch silicone grease for flashlights. However, it's making my 47 quark pro's head gritty and tight. No matter how much I clean the threads before applying the grease, after I screw the head on, the threads would appear grey and dirty again. Am I wearing down my threads?



4sevens recommends (and sells for $5) Deoxit Gold for all their lights. That's what I use, and it seems to work great.


----------



## jonwkng

geraldL said:


> It's also hard for me to get super lube here in Singapore... But I've already considered that and nyogel as new alternatives



Hi Gerald,

I've been using Nyogel 760G for all of my lights. I do weekly battery swaps for all my lights when possible and have not had any noticeable thread wear on them.


----------



## BriteGeek

I am a very big SuperLube fan and have been using it for longer than I can remember. I use it on just about everything but my dive mask, and have never had any problems. Points to remember though are it is NOT food grade, and it is not designed for very high temperatures. Otherwise flashlights, car batteries, door hinges, the liquid version works quite well on my kayak's rudder... you get the idea!


----------



## Overclocker

geraldL said:


> Thanks so much for your reply! Does that mean that the whole new bottle of nextorch grease is now useless?
> 
> It's also hard for me to get super lube here in Singapore... But I've already considered that and nyogel as new alternatives




really? try RS Components


----------



## neutralwhite

hello everyone, a few things here. thanks.

firstly, excuse my daftness, 

....i have a Zebralight sc600MkII L2, and when it comes to maintaining it, the tail cap spring; do I need to lube it with anything to keep it good and ensure it works well with the battery? for example like silicone grease or something to not let it go bad, or should I just leave it?.

also is the battery tube safe from moisture ?. any need to say give the inside of the tube a wipe / spray of WD40 to keep water stuff away in case it gets to the driver?.


any other tips?.


kind thanks.


----------



## Etsu

neutralwhite said:


> ....i have a Zebralight sc600MkII L2, and when it comes to maintaining it, the tail cap spring; do I need to lube it with anything to keep it good and ensure it works well with the battery? for example like silicone grease or something to not let it go bad, or should I just leave it?.



I normally just leave springs alone. If you notice any oxidation on them (perhaps if they got wet or there was a battery leakage or something), you could apply a bit of anti-oxidation cleaner (like Deoxit) on it to clean off the oxidation. But normally, that's not necessary.

If you want to do anything preventative, then you could apply a thin film of a mild anti-oxidant, like Deoxit Gold, on the anode and cathode of your battery, and that would make contact with spring in the flashlight to keep any oxidation away.



> also is the battery tube safe from moisture ?. any need to say give the inside of the tube a wipe / spray of WD40 to keep water stuff away in case it gets to the driver?.



Never use WD-40 on your flashlight. It's a solvent. Very bad for any seals, o-rings, plastics. etc.

As for moisture in the tube, it shouldn't get in there unless you're handling your battery with sweaty fingers. If you're concerned, just let the tube air out for a few minutes whenever you change the battery, and replace the battery with dry fingers.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

The TM26 Nitecore purchased last spring came with a desiccant packet in the battery housing when it was new.


----------



## CounterAttack

Hi, I did in fact search lubricants on CPF, and most of the threads were from 2005ish and here's my main question. Can I use Silicon spray for my flashlights/o-rings. As for knives I know it is okay. I want a multi-purpose lubricant that can be used for a variety of purposes specifically flashlights and knives, it doesn't need to be great or last forever, it just needs to work and not destroy or eat up the o-ring in the light or eat the bushings in my knives. So I was thinking CRC Silicone spray or Super Lube Silicone Spray (not grease because it would be harder to apply in knives).

Thanks!


----------



## RoadStar

I've been using the Super Lube Synthetic Grease with good results in my lights for about a year now. I'm pretty sure its silicone based, so I would think the Super Lube Spray would work fine for both. Didn't know they made a spray think I'm going to check it out for my knives but I'll probably continue using the grease on my lights, I don't think a spray would be thick enough to provide the "dampened" feeling I like on my threads, and the grease should last longer on threads than a thin spray, therefore less maintenance.

Joel


----------



## Yamabushi

RoadStar said:


> I've been using the Super Lube Synthetic Grease with good results in my lights for about a year now. I'm pretty sure its silicone based, ...


Most Super Lube products are polyalphaolefin (PAO). Only the ones that explicitly state that they are silicone are such.


----------



## ryukin2000

I went to the hardware store today to pick up a 3oz tube of Super lube Silicone Grease but all they had was the “Multi-Purpose Grease”, also with PTFE. Does the Multi-purpose one have the same exact contents as the Slilcone and is it good enough for flashlight applications as well? Its seems the only way I can get the synthetic stuff is online and shipping is the same price as the product itself.


----------



## Yamabushi

ryukin2000 said:


> Does the Multi-purpose one have the same exact contents as the Slilcone and is it good enough for flashlight applications as well? Its seems the only way I can get the synthetic stuff is online and shipping is the same price as the product itself.


They are completely different. The Multipurpose grease is primarily a synthetic hydrocarbon oil (polyalphaolefin) and uses both PTFE and fumed silica as thickeners. The Silicone grease is primarily a silicone oil (polydimethylsiloxane) and uses PTFE as a thickener. I find the Multipurpose is fine for most applications but prefer Krytox, which is synthetic fluorocarbon oil (perfluoropolyether) with PTFE thickener, on bare aluminum and titanium threads.


----------



## ryukin2000

Thanks for the information. Although most of that went flying past my head. this is my real first Lube for my flashlights so i wasn't sure. I know the Krytox is sold in the market place but where do you a source it in Canada?


----------



## Yamabushi

ryukin2000 said:


> Thanks for the information. Although most of that went flying past my head. this is my real first Lube for my flashlights so i wasn't sure. I know the Krytox is sold in the market place but where do you a source it in Canada?


Krytox is readily available on eBay. It's not cheap but I like it. Also available re-branded as Finish Line Extreme Fluoro Grease which is available at some bicycle shops.

If you want to stick with a silicone grease, consider Dow Corning 111. It's available through most plumbing stores and SCUBA shops as valve lubricant, as well as on eBay.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

A cursory internet search yields differing kinds of 'Krytox', with a 2007 reference on candlepowerforums to the Loc Tite RFE version being garbage. Perhaps you could be more specific regarding which DuPont formulation you are so impressed with. And hopefully it isn't the $40 for 1/2 ounce version. Some of us want nothing to do with eBay, as well.


----------



## Yamabushi

KITROBASKIN said:


> A cursory internet search yields differing kinds of 'Krytox', with a 2007 reference on candlepowerforums to the Loc Tite RFE version being garbage. Perhaps you could be more specific regarding which DuPont formulation you are so impressed with. And hopefully it isn't the $40 for 1/2 ounce version. Some of us want nothing to do with eBay, as well.


I use Krytox GPL 205 grease which is just PFPE oil and PTFE thickener with no additives. The first post of this thread notes a potential problem with the anti-oxidation varieties of Krytox. It also lists other re-brands and sources.

A 14 gram (1/2 ounce) syringe cost me less than $20 (including shipping) and, at the rate I'm using it, will probably last a decade. I'm using it on 8 flashlights that have bare aluminum or bare titanium threads. I use Super Lube Multipurpose Grease on my flashlights with anodized threads.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

Yamabushi said:


> I use Krytox GPL 205 grease which is just PFPE oil and PTFE thickener with no additives. The first post of this thread notes a potential problem with the anti-oxidation varieties of Krytox. It also lists other re-brands and sources.
> 
> A 14 gram (1/2 ounce) syringe cost me less than $20 (including shipping) and, at the rate I'm using it, will probably last a decade. I'm using it on 8 flashlights that have bare aluminum or bare titanium threads. I use Super Lube Multipurpose Grease on my flashlights with anodized threads.



Thanks. As usual, you know what you are talking about.


----------



## ChrispyCritter

Is Radio Shack 64-2326 Lube Gel still recomended to use as lube for threads and O-rings? All the posts I find in here about it are from 2006 or older. I have half a 3oz tube (probably enough to lube any flashlights I have the rest of my life lol) from when I used to do game system repairs..works great to lube the plastic gears on a PS2 DVD drive screw and probably lubed around 1,000 of them or so  I figure it's fine but just asking to be sure..thanks for any info 

Edit: Link to data sheet on it ~> http://support.radioshack.com/msds/msd64-2326.pdf


----------



## Yamabushi

ChrispyCritter said:


> Is Radio Shack 64-2326 Lube Gel still recomended to use as lube for threads and O-rings? All the posts I find in here about it are from 2006 or older. I have half a 3oz tube (probably enough to lube any flashlights I have the rest of my life lol) from when I used to do game system repairs..works great to lube the plastic gears on a PS2 DVD drive screw and probably lubed around 1,000 of them or so  I figure it's fine but just asking to be sure..thanks for any info
> 
> Edit: Link to data sheet on it ~> http://support.radioshack.com/msds/msd64-2326.pdf


It appears to be re-branded Super Lube Multipurpose Grease (although the formulation is slightly different from that on the current MSDS). Most people seem to be happy with Super Lube.


----------



## ChrispyCritter

Yamabushi said:


> It appears to be re-branded Super Lube Multipurpose Grease (although the formulation is slightly different from that on the current MSDS). Most people seem to be happy with Super Lube.



I figured it was ok..I ended up using it anyways at least on one of my flashlights last night after getting no reply's after a few hours. Yeah it's old and I think Radio Shack stopped carrying it in like 2006 or so..still looks the same as it did when I bought it.

If it ruined the O-Rings I could have just replaced them anyways but I'm pretty sure it won't as it's anti-corrosive ect... It's a good lube at least what I used to use it for..lubing the "rails" and "screw gear" on PS2 DVD drives. Thank you for your reply


----------



## Optic Nerve

I went to my Ford dealership today and bought a Tube(87grams or 3 ounces)of their XG-12 grease for approx. 13 dollars. It is the same as Nyogel 760g. I called Nye lubricants to confirm. Best price that I could find for the quantity. I just wanted to share, because I thought it was a great find. Sorry, if this has already been mentioned.


----------



## a4d

*Flashlight Maintenance?*

Hey all, I tried searching first and didn't find much. My question is what do you do to take care of your lights? I just purchased some Nyogel and was putting it on my lights and wonders is there anything else I should be doing? How often do you use Nyogel also? just when the threads start to get dry? Would it help to put it on the contacts of the light or batteries? Thanks in advance.


----------



## Norm

*Re: Flashlight Maintenance?*

A search of CPF for Flashlight Maintenance

Norm


----------



## fyrstormer

*Re: Flashlight Maintenance?*

Don't lube the contacts unless they keep chewing up the ends of your batteries. If you do lube them, use sewing machine oil or a comparable light oil. As for re-greasing the threads, that's different for every single flashlight. If the grease gets grit or dirt in it, change it immediately. However, some greases have a break-in period before they start working really well, so changing it too often can make the threads feel rough for no reason. When you change the grease, you also remove all the little ground-off bits of metal from the threads, which were acting as a sliding agent to help prevent the threads from directly grinding against each other. Basically, you have to gauge how often to regrease the threads based on personal experience. The lights I use get their threads regreased about once a year.


----------



## a4d

*Re: Flashlight Maintenance?*

Ok great that clears that up Thank you


----------



## Stockhouse13

*Re: Flashlight Maintenance?*

Nyogel can be a bit thick for aluminum threads. I use either Nano oil or Silicone fuser oil in a very light amount and either Nyogel or No ox id Special A grease on the o rings. Just remember to NOT use too much of whatever, especially on the bezel/head threads/orings. AS, the heat will melt the Nyogel and you could have a mess inside your light. Not good.


----------



## RobertMM

I am OC and remove nyogel immediately when it turns grey. I remember reading that the particles that come off the threads and are suspended in the lube are oxidized aluminun, and the lube becomes an abrasive paste. Maybe someone can enlighten us on this.


----------



## chaosdsm

Ya know... I have NEVER thought to lube my flashlights till reading this thread just now, thanks! Fortunately, I have about a half ounce of Krytox left, so I guess it's time to go do some maintenance while I watch something on Netflix....


----------



## TheSecretPolice

*Re: Comprehensive Grease and Lube Thread FrogLube*

I actually tried froglube on my maglite. It lubes the threads up good and keeps conditions the O-Rings. I really have been satisfied with it so i figured I'd share it.


----------



## proton85

for lubing the o rings i tried various oils: Ballistol (nice, because non toxic for humans, smells nice  ), WD40 (which i use to clean my blackpowder rifles) and Break Free CLP - and engine oil.

imo best lube for old o rings: Break Free CLP!


----------



## mcnair55

proton85 said:


> for lubing the o rings i tried various oils: Ballistol (nice, because non toxic for humans, smells nice  ), WD40 (which i use to clean my blackpowder rifles) and Break Free CLP - and engine oil.
> 
> imo best lube for old o rings: Break Free CLP!



Well from your usage of some there you will be looking for o rings quicker than the rest of us.We all have favourites but a quick and easy choice is something like silicone grease which is o ring safe or co2 airgun oil which you use specifically to lubricate the o seals.


----------



## dazed1

Hi guys, i came across on some good deals on Nyogel. But it seems that the tubes are old (unused) around 10 years.

Is it still 100% usable? shell life? degradation? thanks.


----------



## Yamabushi

dazed1 said:


> Hi guys, i came across on some good deals on Nyogel. But it seems that the tubes are old (unused) around 10 years.
> 
> Is it still 100% usable? shell life? degradation? thanks.


From the manufacturer's website: "The shelf life of most oils and greases manufactured by Nye Lubricants is four years from date of shipment, provided that the oils and greases are properly stored in their original, unopened containers. ... Shelf life is the period following the lubricant’s manufacture during which it is deemed suitable for use without re-testing its physical characteristics. Functional life is determined by durability or accelerated life testing of a lubricant in a component under expected operating conditions. It should be noted that most lubricants manufactured at Nye are designed for lifetime component lubrication, which often exceeds 10 years in extreme operation conditions."


----------



## dazed1

Yamabushi said:


> From the manufacturer's website: "The shelf life of most oils and greases manufactured by Nye Lubricants is four years from date of shipment, provided that the oils and greases are properly stored in their original, unopened containers. ... Shelf life is the period following the lubricant’s manufacture during which it is deemed suitable for use without re-testing its physical characteristics. Functional life is determined by durability or accelerated life testing of a lubricant in a component under expected operating conditions. It should be noted that most lubricants manufactured at Nye are designed for lifetime component lubrication, which often exceeds 10 years in extreme operation conditions."



So what exactly does all of this means?


----------



## wrhaliburton

I've been using Nitecore SG 7 and it seems to work well without any problems.


----------



## TEEJ

dazed1 said:


> So what exactly does all of this means?



It means that, if applied to a lubed item, it could be used in a lifetime setting....IE: Its fine.


----------



## dazed1

TEEJ said:


> It means that, if applied to a lubed item, it could be used in a lifetime setting....IE: Its fine.



Thanks, i got 60 grams of "old" Nyogel 760G on order 

BTW order of quality of grease...


Nyogel











Others


----------



## Mr Whippy

*Nano Oil. Which Grade?*

I wish to purchase some Nano Oil for my new toy. However I notice that there are three grades.

Which one is best for flashlight threads?


----------



## NutSAK

*Re: Nano Oil. Which Grade?*

Nate? Good to see you on CPF.

10 wt. works perfectly for me. I've been using it for years on flashlight threads and knife pivots. 85 wt. is way too thick, and I would be concerned that 5 wt. would "run" and not stay put.


----------



## troutbum1971

Just made a cool discovery which may or may not work. Pensoil Dot 3 brake fluid has some really good lubricating properties. Here is some of the info. The last three points sound good for lights.
BENEFITS 


 DOT4andDOT3
 Safe to mix with all conventional brake fluids
 FMVSS 116
 SAE J-1703
 Federal Specification VV-B-680C
 All season protection
 High boiling point exceeds requirements of modern vehicles
 High and low viscosity control
 Compatible with rubber components
 Prevents seal hardening or softening
 Protects against metal corrosion
 Excellent lubricity


----------



## Mr Whippy

Brake fluid is highly hygroscopic. I personally would never use it for anything other than brakes and hydraulic clutches.


----------



## troutbum1971

Ahhh yes, the water absorption would not be good.


----------



## Addicted2G

Is noalox safe for orings and flashlights?


----------



## vkimo

Could I use Benchmade's Blue Lube on my O rings?


----------



## mks195

hyperloop said:


> Great thread, thanks for the pointers to places where i can get the lubes, spent some time in a local hardware shop, couldnt find any  that's singapore for you (when it comes to flashaholicism)
> 
> anyway, to chip in a bit here, i bought a set of these microfiber cloths for my wife to polish her patent leather shoes, it's cheap, not too big a size and free shipping too. You could just use one of the cloths to clean a whole load of lights and just chuck it, instead of having one of those huge microfiber cloths and have to store it and look for clean spots to use etc. For $1.80 its a steal.
> 
> *EDIT: *technically this post isnt about grease or lubes but i'm thinking its ancillary to it, to be used in the cleaning process so that's why i think its relevant but feel free to delete it if you're of a different opinion




Yes, this thread is very informative and I've learned a lot. However, and this is off-topic but, hyperloop's by-line/signature just "lightened" my day/night:
*""Why are all the contestants in Miss Universe only from Earth?""
*​LOL!!! :laughing: 

oh, sorry. and now, back to the program .......


----------



## IsaacL

I read through all 39 pages but couldn't find an answer...

Will Nyogel 760G or Krytox damage fluorosilicone o-rings?


----------



## Yamabushi

IsaacL said:


> I read through all 39 pages but couldn't find an answer...
> 
> Will Nyogel 760G or Krytox damage fluorosilicone o-rings?


Krytox is compatible with fluorosilicone. I don't know about Nyogel.


----------



## JMFWSU

*Is TW25b grease safe?*

Hi,

Would TW25b gun grease be safe to use on the moving parts and o-rings of my Malkoff MD2?

Thanks
Jason


----------



## HotWire

*Re: Is TW25b grease safe?*

I'm not familiar with TW25b grease. Petroleum based lubricants can destroy some o-rings. 
Ask here: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?126645-Comprehensive-Grease-and-Lube-Thread


----------



## lwknight

You can go to most any hardware store and buy a small container of clear soap/silicone faucet washer grease for around $5.00 or so. It seems expensive for the 1/4 oz or whatever but you can lube up 40 flashlights and still have a near full can left .

The one I found is actually called "Silicone grease" by Danco, inc. Its actually a soap with a silicone filler but they call it grease.


----------



## leon2245

JMFWSU said:


> Hi,
> 
> Would TW25b gun grease be safe to use on the moving parts and o-rings of my Malkoff MD2?
> 
> Thanks
> Jason




I tried some tw25b on a couple of flashlights just out of curiosity. Seemed to catch more dirt and of course a little expensive compared to superlube performance. Safe I think but probably better saved for slides etc.


----------



## NoNotAgain

I looked at the MSDS sheet on their website (http://mil-comm.com) , and they list no hazardous ingredients (http://mil-comm.com/images/stories/pdfs/2014-TW25B-MSDS.pdf) , so there are no petroleum distillates. Should be more than safe to use. 

I use a product called Boe-Lube developed for the aviation market. It's a waxy material that does not attract dirt, or more importantly lint and is approved for the installation of aircraft o-rings.


----------



## Norm

HotWire said:


> I'm not familiar with TW25b grease. Petroleum based lubricants can destroy some o-rings.
> Ask here: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?126645-Comprehensive-Grease-and-Lube-Thread



Merged, Title restored - Norm


----------



## Yamabushi

NoNotAgain said:


> I looked at the MSDS sheet on their website (http://mil-comm.com) , and they list no hazardous ingredients (http://mil-comm.com/images/stories/pdfs/2014-TW25B-MSDS.pdf) , so there are no petroleum distillates.


The MSDS states "Other Ingredients Include ... highly refined mineral oils." Mineral oil is a petroleum distillate.


----------



## cullen.salisbury

What about crc 2-26 cleans protects and lubricates usda approved 


Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums


----------



## cullen.salisbury

I mean I have super lube but this sounds pretty good crc 2-26 but super lube is the good stuff I highly recommend it but please feed back if any buddy has used this stuff 


Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums


----------



## fnj

I did a thread search and the only comparisons I came up with were for NyoGel 760G beling lighter viscosity and 779 being heavier. http://www.cpfreviews.com/Flashlight-Care-Nyogel-Lubricants.php agrees with that.

But it is completely at odds with Nye Lubricant's own overview page http://www.nyelubricants.com/products/nyogel.shtml. This says 760G is heavier and 779 is lighter. Lighthound also agrees with this.

Note that if you look at the NyoGel Spec sheets

http://productsearch.nyelubricants.com/pdf/TDS_English_NYOGEL 760G.pdf
http://productsearch.nyelubricants.com/pdf/TDS_English_NYOGEL 779.pdf

they only list the viscosity of the BASE OIL, and the 779 BASE OIL is thinner. But that is not the same as the viscosity of the grease as a whole. The latter would be much, much, MUCH higher than the base oil. The base oil would be an insignificant contributor. The grease is thickened with silica. Think "sand" (exceedingly fine grain).

So, once and for all, how about it? Which is the thicker grease, 760G or 779? Which one makes you work like hell to screw those threads, and which one is easier?


----------



## Yamabushi

fnj said:


> I did a thread search and the only comparisons I came up with were for NyoGel 760G beling lighter viscosity and 779 being heavier. http://www.cpfreviews.com/Flashlight-Care-Nyogel-Lubricants.php agrees with that.
> 
> But it is completely at odds with Nye Lubricant's own overview page http://www.nyelubricants.com/products/nyogel.shtml. This says 760G is heavier and 779 is lighter. Lighthound also agrees with this.
> 
> Note that if you look at the NyoGel Spec sheets
> 
> http://productsearch.nyelubricants.com/pdf/TDS_English_NYOGEL 760G.pdf
> http://productsearch.nyelubricants.com/pdf/TDS_English_NYOGEL 779.pdf
> 
> they only list the viscosity of the BASE OIL, and the 779 BASE OIL is thinner. But that is not the same as the viscosity of the grease as a whole. The latter would be much, much, MUCH higher than the base oil. The base oil would be an insignificant contributor. The grease is thickened with silica. Think "sand" (exceedingly fine grain).
> 
> So, once and for all, how about it? Which is the thicker grease, 760G or 779? Which one makes you work like hell to screw those threads, and which one is easier?


The NLGI Consistency Number (a.k.a. Penetration) indicates the overall "hardness" of the grease. It is the distance a test cone sinks into the grease under controlled conditions. The number is expressed in units of 0.1 mm. 

NYOGEL 779G Penetration Unworked 258 Worked 279
NYOGEL 760G Penetration Unworked 286 Worked 286 

indicates 779G is slightly harder (258 vs. 286) in the Unworked state but virtually the same 279 vs. 286) as 760G in the Worked state. ("Worked" means the grease is squeezed back and forth through a perforated plunger like a potato masher before the cone test.)

This means threads lubricated with 779G might feel slightly stiffer after sitting unused for a while but will soften after repetitive movement.


----------



## kahuna2793

Anyone use frog lube for flashlight threads and o rings? It comes in 2 forms liquid or paste?


----------



## LAMPARITA

*Silicone Grease for Flashlight- Do they expire?*

Does anybody knows if (any brand) of Silicone Grease for Flashlight O-ring/threads has Exp. Date?...I'm asking because this little container last forever, the one I have is 2 years old and I was just wondering if it still works the same. I sent an email to Nitecore but no response, they probably don't know either:thinking:


----------



## ChrisGarrett

LAMPARITA said:


> Does anybody knows if (any brand) of Silicone Grease for Flashlight O-ring/threads has Exp. Date?...I'm asking because this little container last forever, the one I have is 2 years old and I was just wondering if it still works the same. I sent an email to Nitecore but no response, they probably don't know either:thinking:



I use NyoGel 760G (?) and as long as it doesn't get hard, I think that we're good to go. No expiration date on my tube.

Chris


----------



## NoNotAgain

The biggest problem with greases is that most people don't store them in a temperature controlled environment. Storing grease where the temperature shifts from hot to cold causes a separation of the constituents. 
Use a clean applicator so as to not transfer mould and bacteria from your skin and it will last for many years. 
Anti seize type products, as they age have issues with causing corrosion to form on copper and high strength alloys.


----------



## LightWalker

I've had some over five year's now and it is the same as when I bought it. I keep it in the house.


----------



## WindsurfMaui

Do we have an update on this thread. Where do we stand with lubing the flashlight threads? Are there any new products to use? Can't we just use the NiteCore lube made for flashlights?


----------



## espresso

*Lubricating flashlight contacts*

I just got my first serious flashlight - TK75. The flashlight is great, no doubt about it, but it's just not usable that much in a city. But I wanted something powerfull, so I still ordered it. 

Anyway, after first looking at the circular contact area against which the battery holder contacts slide, I noticed it was mostly clean and smooth. But after a day of playing with this flashlight, I noticed tracks and scratches left by the sliding contacts.

My question is, how much wear is there really on contact areas after years of use? 

And my immediate thought after seeng this was: Why not lubricate it?  
And being a lube guy, I remembered a perfect thing that would suit flashlight contacts.


http://www.buerklin.com/images/d/KapL/L641000.jpg

Image tags removed from hot linked image - Norm

This lubricant withstands high temperatures (200C/390F) and is thin enough not to affect electrical conductivity. Plus it's recommended especially for maintaining gold plated contacts:


> KONTAKT CHEMIE Kontakt Gold 2000 is a long-lasting and temperature-resistant lubricant.
> The synthetic oil forms extremely thin layers with minimum influence on the contact
> resistance of electrical contacts. The lubricant has proved to be particularly effective for
> contacts with surface coatings of soft metals, e.g. gold, silver, tin. The corrosion-inhibiting
> effect of noble-metal coatings is improved considerably because *they are no longer
> scratched by mechanical loads* and vibrations.




So, lubricating mechanically strained, internal flashlight contacts seems like a very sane decision. But it also seems that it's heavily underestimated by flashlight users. 

What do you guys think?


----------



## ForrestChump

*Re: Lubricating flashlight contacts*

Any way we can get Froglube as a Good *VERY GOOD* lube on the front page?

First off this is more an oil than a grease but thicker than most, almost like a hybrid sauce. It is much thinner than say NyoGel, but appears to stay where you want it quite well. I just purchased some as I needed a lube for both lights and knives. 1/4 drop did both ends of my E1DL. First I completely cleaned everything applied it to the o-rings, installed o-rings and with what was left I took a quick swipe at the threads. Surefire recommends not lubricating threads but almost an undetectable amount of this stuff made a HUGE difference in sound and feel. Everything is butter smooth and seals excellent. Its also claimed to be food safe "USDA CERTIFIED 98%" smells like mint.

I also just dropped some in my Spyderco Gayle Bradley that already had a high quality lube in it. NIGHT AND DAY. I can wrist flick it without even touching anything but the handle.

I have no long term experience with this product yet, but this is the best knife / light / non toxic lube I have encountered, and I only used about 2 drops for everything above out of a 4oz bottle, so Im pretty much set for life. All for $13.00 on Amazon!


----------



## riffraff

*Re: Lubricating flashlight contacts*

I would add to that list, "Seal 1." My commercial gunsmith prefers it over Froglube and all the others, FWIW.


----------



## srvctec

This may not apply directly to lights but this is one of the best all around unbiased lube tests I've ever seen. Found it when doing a search for the best gun lube/protectant.

http://www.shootersforum.com/gun-cleaning/91566-results-gun-care-product-evaluation.html


----------



## ForrestChump

Interesting on the last 2 posts. Thanks for the info.

I only use lights and knives though, Im content with the FrogLube for now.


----------



## ForrestChump

Being that OP is no longer around, does the front page just stay stagnant?

Shouldn't be.


----------



## Norm

ForrestChump said:


> Being that OP is no longer around, does the front page just stay stagnant?
> 
> Shouldn't be.



What do you mean "the OP is no longer around"?

Tekno_Cowboy 
Join Date 04-02-2008
Last Activity 11-10-2014 09:11 AM

Norm


----------



## ForrestChump

Didn't see that. Just read the join date and saw no recent activity.


----------



## ForrestChump

So how do we get this refreshed, contact op?

I think we should make an effort to keep it current, collect some new feedback on newer products?


----------



## Norm

ForrestChump said:


> So how do we get this refreshed, contact op?


PM the OP, to avoid cluttering up the thread - Norm


----------



## robert.t

*Conductivity Problems - Nano-Oil?*

I had a problem with my Fenix E05 SS, which decided that it would remain turned on whenever the head was attached, even if it wasn't fully screwed down. I've cleaned it out with alcohol and that seems to have sorted it, which suggests some conductive contamination got in there. I'd like to figure out how that happened, so I can prevent it happening again.

As far as I can tell, the E05 doesn't rely on anodising on the threads to break contact. Rather, it uses a pair of contacts at the outside edge of the circuit board, which touch the top of the body when screwed down fully. The entire body, head and threads are fully conductive (I just checked this with a DMM). A rubber gasket keeps the contacts away from the head itself, so it doesn't close the circuit immediately on contact, as it was doing.

Therefore I think what must have happened is, rather than contamination getting into the threads, the contaminant has got into the head, making a bridge between one of these contacts and the side of the head. I couldn't see anything in there, but that seems to be the only explanation. That in turn suggests a thin coating of conductive liquid was responsible. Perhaps a lubricant that got in the wrong place.

Has anyone had a similar problem with Nano-Oil? It's not supposed to be conductive (afaik), but it's the only conduit I can think of that might have caused this. My suspicion is that some other contaminant has got in there, mixed with the oil and created a conductive sludge. It's not like I dip my lights in fine iron filings though, so I'm at a loss to think what the mystery contaminant could be.

Maybe Nano-Oil actually is conductive. It's hard to find a definitive statement one way or another about this: the StClaire website doesn't say. Resellers don't say. I don't really want to waste a load of it to test with a DMM, but I'll give it a go if necessary.


----------



## Illum

nano oil shouldn't be conductive unless you saturated it with aluminum shavings, but even then its only slightly capacitive


----------



## Jaegerbomb

I use Nano-Oil on all my lights without issue... find it to be great value for money and easy to work with.


----------



## robert.t

I guess the follow-up question would be, if nano-oil is definitely not conductive, what could have caused the E05SS to short out like that given no visible obvious cause like a piece of metal having got in there, and no obvious opportunity for anything else to penetrate the head either?

Sorry if this is a bit OT for this thread, but I started a dedicated thread about my specific problem (a short) and for some reason it got merged in here (presumably because I mentioned nano oil as a suspect).


----------



## Norm

robert.t said:


> As far as I can tell, the E05 doesn't rely on anodising on the threads to break contact. Rather, it uses a pair of contacts at the outside edge of the circuit board, which touch the top of the body when screwed down fully. The entire body, head and threads are fully conductive (I just checked this with a DMM). A rubber gasket keeps the contacts away from the head itself, so it doesn't close the circuit immediately on contact, as it was doing.



I've experienced similar problems in the past. I used a dental pick to scrap between the circuit and the head, problem fixed. 

Norm


----------



## Buck91

I have been experimenting intermittantly over the past few years on various lubes on various lights. Syl-glide, Mobile 1 grease, and a couple interesting Motorcraft products. Particularly the motorcraft products.

Motorcraft XG-3A Silicone Brake grease and Dielectric Compound - I really like this and use it for a lot of applications. First of all works great for advertised purpose. Also great as a lube/conditioner on EPDM weather stripping. I have used this on a couple lights with great results. Smooth but tacky for a firm feeling twisty. Quite rubber compatibile. VERY water resistant. Very dielectric also.

Motorcraft XG-8 PTFE Grease - Just started trying this out. Recommended primarily for lubricating driveshaft splines (very high load with short sliding action). Also advises good for use on plastic/rubber/metal surfaces on tube. Pretty thin grease, very slippery. Just tried this on my EDC Fenix L0Dce and VERY smooth. Histoically I use Finish Line Extreme Fluoro which is soem form of Krytox, unfortunately this has alwaysh had a problem with o-ring binding so I'm hoping the XG8 will work better. We will see.

Finish Line Extreme Fluoro - Have used this in a couple places. It appears to be some form of Krytox. Very inert. Very slippery. Seems to wear off the o-ring of my EDC Fenix L0Dce quickly but lasts forever on the threads...


----------



## Norm

All of the OT posting about O rings


----------



## night.hoodie

I've been reading this thread on and off for about two months. To some extent, it is getting ridiculous, no offense. There is too much information, and too much conflicting information, with no consensus. There are some older posts by members that feel very strongly that o-rings must be petroleum based because silicone is unsuitable, and conflicting posts by well-respected members that have argued there is nothing wrong with silicone o-rings. 

So all I have been able to decipher is that petroleum-based lube is unsuitable for petroleum-based o-rings, and silicone-based lube is unsuitable for silicone-based o-rings. Nano-oil seems to be the favorite, but I can't justify the cost and I don't understand how anyone can.

I have contacted the manufacturers of all my lights, and though I only have a handful, they're all using silicone-based OEM o-rings. The posts stating that silicone is inappropriate are older posts, and I'm wondering if perhaps there was a shift in the industry and more and most OEM o-rings will now, in 2015, be silicone-based rather than petroleum-based, making some of the information in the OP post slightly inaccurate if that is a basis for where a lube falls within the categories from good to poor.

There is mention of a Radio Shack lube, but it is not listed in the OP post at the top of the thread. This is what I am curious about and I'm looking for some feedback from those that have experience with it, know what it is (seal mineral oil/mineral oil/petroleum oil ingredients). 




Is this _the_ Radio Shack lube? 
If so, how does it rate among the lubes listed in the OP post, in regards to silicone-based o-rings? 
Can we get it listed there? Can the OP post be adjusted in regards to what the o-rings are made of?--meaning a petroleum-based lube shouldn't be considered inferior simply because _some_ o-rings are petroleum-based. Perhaps there should a list of rated lubes just for petroleum-based o-rings, and a separate list of rated lubes only for silicone-based o-rings, etc. Also, there doesn't seem to be any treatment of how toxic or irritating a particular lube is to human skin/eyes. I think that's a major oversight considering how enormous this thread has become.

If this is _not the_ Radio Shack lube, _what is_ the Radio Shack lube?

Thanks for replies.


----------



## N162E

night.hoodie said:


> I've been reading this thread on and off for about two months. To some extent, it is getting ridiculous, no offense. There is too much information, and too much conflicting information, with no consensus. There are some older posts by members that feel very strongly that o-rings must be petroleum based because silicone is unsuitable, and conflicting posts by well-respected members that have argued there is nothing wrong with silicone o-rings.
> 
> So all I have been able to decipher is that petroleum-based lube is unsuitable for petroleum-based o-rings, and silicone-based lube is unsuitable for silicone-based o-rings. Nano-oil seems to be the favorite, but I can't justify the cost and I don't understand how anyone can.
> 
> I have contacted the manufacturers of all my lights, and though I only have a handful, they're all using silicone-based OEM o-rings. The posts stating that silicone is inappropriate are older posts, and I'm wondering if perhaps there was a shift in the industry and more and most OEM o-rings will now, in 2015, be silicone-based rather than petroleum-based, making some of the information in the OP post slightly inaccurate if that is a basis for where a lube falls within the categories from good to poor.
> 
> There is mention of a Radio Shack lube, but it is not listed in the OP post at the top of the thread. This is what I am curious about and I'm looking for some feedback from those that have experience with it, know what it is (seal mineral oil/mineral oil/petroleum oil ingredients).
> 
> 
> 
> Is this _the_ Radio Shack lube?
> If so, how does it rate among the lubes listed in the OP post, in regards to silicone-based o-rings?
> Can we get it listed there? Can the OP post be adjusted in regards to what the o-rings are made of?--meaning a petroleum-based lube shouldn't be considered inferior simply because _some_ o-rings are petroleum-based. Perhaps there should a list of rated lubes just for petroleum-based o-rings, and a separate list of rated lubes only for silicone-based o-rings, etc. Also, there doesn't seem to be any treatment of how toxic or irritating a particular lube is to human skin/eyes. I think that's a major oversight considering how enormous this thread has become.
> 
> If this is _not the_ Radio Shack lube, _what is_ the Radio Shack lube?
> 
> Thanks for replies.


No that is not the lube referred to. The Radio Shack version is called "Lube Jell" and comes/came? in about a 4 oz grey tube, The name of the product was later changed to Super Lube and is currently available as oil, grease and a spray produck. Its cheap, inexpensive, works very well and can be found just about anywhere locally. I have been using the same tube for over 15 years. Ace or Acco usually has it on the shelves.


----------



## whatswrongwithmee

*Nitecore SRT7 ring lube?*

How can I put lube on the magnetic ring, doesn't look removable. 

I want to lube it a bit because it got a little bit harder to turn.


----------



## DrGonzo

Hello all,

Long time lurker, first time post. I just recently bought my first Surefire, E2D LED Defender Ultra, and I noticed the threads didn't appear to have any lubrication on them. So I went to Surefire's FAQ page and they state to only grease the O-rings, not the threads. Every other flashlight I own: Olight, Klarus, and Fenix all came with lubricated threads. All the maintenance tips I've ever read or seen on Youtude advise lubricating threads and O-rings with, usually, Nyogel, which is what I have always used. What is your take on lubricating threads on the Surefire E2DL Defender Ultra? Is there any reason not to lubricate the threads on a Surefire?

Thanks for any input.


----------



## nbp

As far as I can recall, my Surefires always had lube on the threads, so I am surprised that it says that, although it sure does state that. At any rate, you won't cause any problems putting a good lubricant like Nyogel on the threads. Don't go bananas with it but a thin layer will help things move nicely and keep out moisture. 



> NOTE: Grease only the O-rings, not the threads. Do not use spray lubricants. Do not use petroleum-based lubricants. Do not use acidic, alkaline, or petroleum solvents to clean any part of your light.


----------



## DrGonzo

Thanks, nbp, for some reassurance. I think I am going to go ahead and apply a little to the threads.


----------



## Throwjunkie

I Nyogel all my lights threads even my surefire lights. the o-rings get Parker O-Lube.


----------



## DrGonzo

Thanks, nbp, for the reassurance. I think I will go ahead and apply a little nyogel to the threads.


----------



## scs

I just use Super Lube Synthetic Grease. Stays clear on anodized threads, but becomes grey and black on bare aluminum threads.


----------



## CelticCross74

if I remember correctly Nitecore wants you to send the light back to them for a re lube. There is also the silicon grease that Nitecore sells. I would email Nitecore and ask but unless you email them about buying something you likely will not hear back from them...


----------



## gaswamp

was not familiar with froglube before now. I had been using eezox before


----------



## GasganoFJ60

Has anyone actually used Amsoil Synthetic Grease, or any other automotive/marine/industrial grease, for threads and O-rings?
The reason I ask is I am a longtime Amsoil user/dealer and just to happen to have some Amsoil grease on hand. 
Its Synthetic Polymeric EP Grease for heavy duty truck and chassis applications. Thats just what I have on hand. 
I was thinking perhaps High-Viscosity Lithium-Complex Synthetic Grease or Synthetic Water Resistant Grease might be suitable.


----------



## light-modder

I have wondered how well it would work as well. I don't know anything about grease especially what would make one suitable for lights and o-rings.


----------



## srvctec

GasganoFJ60 said:


> Has anyone actually used Amsoil Synthetic Grease, or any other automotive/marine/industrial grease, for threads and O-rings?
> The reason I ask is I am a longtime Amsoil user/dealer and just to happen to have some Amsoil grease on hand.
> Its Synthetic Polymeric EP Grease for heavy duty truck and chassis applications. Thats just what I have on hand.
> I was thinking perhaps High-Viscosity Lithium-Complex Synthetic Grease or Synthetic Water Resistant Grease might be suitable.


I personally wouldn't use any grease on my lights that wasn't clear (I'm guessing the grease you mention is dark gray or black). The reason being that there would be no way to tell if any wear is taking place. I use Nyogel exclusively on my lights after learning about it on CPF many years ago. It's clear and when aluminum, titanium or stainless (much less so) start showing wear, it's easy to tell by just unscrewing the threaded parts of the light. If the grease is starting to get dark, the parts are wearing and it's time to clean the threads and put on new grease. Just my two cents.


----------



## GasganoFJ60

The Amsoil I have on hand is actually a dark purple.:twothumbs
I totally get what youre saying about cleaning the threads. I'm pretty religious about my preventive maintenance on all of my toys/tools. I'm not too worried about that. 
I went ahead and tried it on my old pre-D 3D Maglite. 
I've been using petroleum jelly on it for years,as per Maglites instructions.(I know PJ is a bad word but it has the original O-rings and they're still firm and intact)
Cleaned all of the threads with microfiber cloths, O-rings as well, and applied Amsoil.
Before: head twisted slick and relatively easy for what it is.
After: it has a firmness too it that I much prefer. Not difficult at all, just definitely firmer than PJ. The threads feel smoother as well.


----------



## buddyrohr

Tekno_Cowboy said:


> *Comprehensive Grease and Lube Thread*Pure Silicone grease: This is a very common lube that can be found just about anywhere. It is generally safe for use, with the only exception being use on silicone o-rings.


sorry if this is a dumb question but how can silicone grease be bad for silicone o-rings sounds like i missed something here


----------



## Yamabushi

buddyrohr said:


> sorry if this is a dumb question but how can silicone grease be bad for silicone o-rings sounds like i missed something here


Silicone oils and greases cause silicone rubber to soften and swell.


----------



## buddyrohr

Yamabushi said:


> Silicone oils and greases cause silicone rubber to soften and swell.


wow thats counterintuitive thanks for the info


----------



## Peppie

berry580 said:


> ain't most o-rings made of silicone? *confused*



Not at all.

Compatibility chart for variuod O ring materials and exposures:
http://www.sealingdevices.com/documents/oring_chemicalcompatibility.pdf


----------



## Knapweed

I'll be using Lithium Grease for the "O" rings, petroleum ingredients notwithstanding and Ox-Gard on the threads. I've had excellent results with Ox-Gard on aluminium e-cig Mods. It only needs a really thin coating to be effective and lasts a long time. I found it better than the slightly more expensive, but thinner, Noalox.


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

Hello Peppie, where did you find that chart? 
Thanks


Peppie said:


> Not at all.
> 
> Compatibility chart for variuod O ring materials and exposures:
> http://www.sealingdevices.com/documents/oring_chemicalcompatibility.pdf


----------



## IsaacL

Nano-Oil.com said:


> Hello Peppie, where did you find that chart?
> Thanks



www.sealingdevices.com 

On the left side of the page there's a menu/list. Hover your mouse over "O-rings" and then click "Chemical Compatibility Chart".

The chart (as indicated at the top of every page) is actually part of the Parker O-ring Handbook; it's like the bible of o-ring engineering. 

Peppie, you know your stuff brother


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

IsaacL said:


> www.sealingdevices.com
> 
> On the left side of the page there's a menu/list. Hover your mouse over "O-rings" and then click "Chemical Compatibility Chart".
> 
> The chart (as indicated at the top of every page) is actually part of the Parker O-ring Handbook; it's like the bible of o-ring engineering.
> 
> Peppie, you know your stuff brother



Bonjour Peppy,
The reason I asked is because it is the exact same version that is published on my websites since 2005 along with my MSDSs , what an amazing co incidence. 
http://www.nano-oil.com/Msds.html
De ou etes vous dans le Monde?


----------



## etc

I've misplaced my dielectric grease and in a pinch used ballistol oil on threads. Everything works fine and it's a quiet now.


----------



## louie

With the recent demise of Lighthound, the OP is now outdated with respect to obtaining Nyogel 760A. I did a little research to figure out where I could replenish my supply when the time comes, or refer others to, as vendors change often and it seems a little hard to find often. Some of this may be old news to some, or maybe buried in this thread. I have no relationship with any companies mentioned here other than customer - if the mods can't allow such mention of vendors and prices, they'll be sure to let me know. 

I bought my 100g tube from Lighthound a couple of years ago for $20USD. Battery Junction used to sell it, but apparently no more.

It looks like Oveready in Oregon and Armytek in Canada sell it. Oveready sells either a 2cc tube for $4.00USD, or a package of a 25g tube with a 2cc tube for $16USD. Nye usually sells by weight, not volume, but Oveready says 2cc is about 2g. Armytek sells 5ml tubes (I'll assume 5cc or about 5g) for $5.95USD. 10ml is $10.95USD and 25ml is $12.95USD (I suspect it's all in 5ml tubes). They say they ship all product from China.

A little research indicated that Nye rebrands Nyogel 760A for OEM customers. One of those is apparently Ford/Motorcraft, where 3 oz. (85g) tubes of Motorcraft XG-12 grease goes for about $15USD online. Nye's own tech data sheet for 760A lists Ford's spec number as WSB-M1C239-A, GM's as #9986087, and "DaimlerChrysler" # MS-9469. Indeed, the Motorcraft XG-12 photos show the same spec number, although I haven't bought any yet myself. I see it online at Ford parts and that online retailer named for a river.

After finding Nyogel 767G, a heavy damping grease, at Micro-Tools.com, and trying it on those troublesome Sunwayman control rings and a turntable cueing piston, I found that it's fantastic for these applications (assuming it lasts a while). Micro-Tools carries a few Nye products, but no 760G. I went to Nye's website and filled out their form for a damping grease sample kit. After contacting me, they politely denied my request, saying they only supply samples to potential large volume users making minimum $500 orders. Small orders could be made through their distributor, TAI Lubricants in Delaware USA. If you go to their site, TAI sells several Nye products online, but does not list 760G or 767A, so I sent an inquiry for those. Their prices:
760G
30cc white syringe: $59.95
100 gram tube: $69.95

767A
50 gram tube: $69.95
500 gram jar: $109.95


----------



## Bullzeyebill

I have some 760, 2oz, and it will probably last me 30 years, if I live that long.

Bill


----------



## Kudzu

Thoughts on lip balm? 

Hey all - I'm traveling for an extended period, and loaned one of my backup lights to a somewhat dim (so to speak) acquaintance who hadn't brought one along. Nothing special, just an old Streamlight AA I happened to have with me. Months later it comes back to me with the threads completely dry and squeaking hideously. I'd like to lube it, but I'm not in a place where I have access to anything decent. 

My best option seems to be lip balm. It has some petrolatum in it, but the ingredients say it's mostly castor oil-based. I figure at worst it costs me an o-ring. Other than that, all I can easily get my hands on is olive oil (and motor oil, which I'm not going to use). 

So, would you use the lip balm, the olive oil, or just let it squeak? Or can you suggest any other household basics (things are _very_ basic, here) for a MacGyver solution?


----------



## RI Chevy

In a pinch, lip balm is a wax. It can't hurt. And the light is not a very expensive light, so I would use the lip balm if you feel the need to lubricate the threads.


----------



## Yamabushi

Kudzu said:


> So, would you use the lip balm, the olive oil, or just let it squeak? Or can you suggest any other household basics (things are _very_ basic, here) for a MacGyver solution?


Don't use the olive oil unless it's for a very short time. Over time it will go rancid and oxidize into a gummy substance.


----------



## RI Chevy

Olive oil will probably cause the o-ring to disintergrate.


----------



## xzel87

Kudzu said:


> Thoughts on lip balm?
> Or can you suggest any other household basics (things are _very_ basic, here) for a MacGyver solution?



Do you have vaseline?, or any petroleum jelly would work.

BTW, for those that do not know yet, edcplus now carries Nyogel 760G in 25g jars ($7) or 50g jars ($11).


----------



## recDNA

I have a quark ti clicky that squeaks when you press it. You can feel it as well as hear it. Drives me nuts. Is there any kind of oil or grease or whatever that will make it quiet?


----------



## ForrestChump

*A SMALL PINCH* of SupeLube oil pen with PTFE. Couple bucks online. It's Dielectric so you should be fine.


----------



## Search

Been years since I've checked into this thread.. just want to stop by to say that I'm still using Nano-Oil on absolutely everything.. guns, lights, knives, etc

Still my favorite so far. No issues.

(Sorry, not much to contribute)


----------



## recDNA

ForrestChump said:


> *A SMALL PINCH* of SupeLube oil pen with PTFE. Couple bucks online. It's Dielectric so you should be fine.


Thanks. It is the tac button so do I put the oil beside the button or take it apart and put it on spring or where? Sorry to be so ignorant.


----------



## ForrestChump

recDNA said:


> Thanks. It is the tac button so do I put the oil beside the button or take it apart and put it on spring or where? Sorry to be so ignorant.



Im guessing it's coming from the "piston" - the rod inside the switch. If you notice - all switch guts come with a tiny amount of lube around that rod or piston.

Just to be clear, it would be the part that engages the switch, under the boot cover. You could also shoot 4 Sevens an email to double, double check, but I think thats it.


----------



## recDNA

Do you happen to know how to access that piston?


----------



## ForrestChump

Never had a Quark, I believe you can unscrew the switch from the inside with needle nose pliers like on a Fenix no? There might be 2 small holes....


----------



## recDNA

Well I got in touch with 4sevens and they said they will fix it so I'm sending it in. Thanks for suggestions. I bet it would work but they said they prefer me to send it in than mess with it myself. They will just replace the innards.


----------



## ForrestChump

Cool deal.


----------



## recDNA

I miss the old days of Quarks with neutral emitters and exotic metals. Somebody would make a suggestion and it would come out 3 months later. It was like we had our own custom builder charging discount prices with great warranties. It was too good to last.


----------



## carl

I am looking for a grease to decrease friction between the battery carrier post and the gold plate on the flashlight head as the head is screwed onto the battery tube. 

As with many flashlights today, there is a 'post' (neg. or pos. I don't know) on the battery carrier which contacts a gold-plated donut-shaped ring/area on the head and the post rubs 360 degrees all the way around the entire gold-plated ring as the head is screwed back on. 

Is silicone grease ok for this? 

Thank you.


----------



## Balog

We have the Super Lube dielectric grease at work. If my understanding is correct, that is ok for the o-rings but should be avoided for threads that pass current as it acts like an insulator. So any anodized threads are safe, but bare threads may not be. How do I tell if the threading passes current on any given model?


----------



## RI Chevy

I use Superlube on everything, and have no problems at all. All my lights work properly.


----------



## 1DaveN

Balog said:


> We have the Super Lube dielectric grease at work. If my understanding is correct, that is ok for the o-rings but should be avoided for threads that pass current as it acts like an insulator. So any anodized threads are safe, but bare threads may not be. How do I tell if the threading passes current on any given model?



Interesting - that's exactly what I've seen on my E25 (but not my other Fenix lights). If I lube the threads with a small amount of Super Lube, exactly as I do my PD35, the E25 won't work at all. Usually removing as much lube as I can with my finger fixes it.


----------



## Blueskies123

If you see bare metal it is carrying current


----------



## Balog

RI Chevy said:


> I use Superlube on everything, and have no problems at all. All my lights work properly.



The dielectric grease version? Several kinds of super lube. 



1DaveN said:


> Interesting - that's exactly what I've seen on my E25 (but not my other Fenix lights). If I lube the threads with a small amount of Super Lube, exactly as I do my PD35, the E25 won't work at all. Usually removing as much lube as I can with my finger fixes it.



My work flashlight is an E25, I will test this. Is interesting as the threads are anodized.


----------



## RI Chevy

Mine says Anti corrosion gel.


----------



## Balog

Lubed the threads on my E25 with Super Lube dielectric, no change in function. As expected since they are anodized. It looks like the entire top of the tube is bare and fits into a ring on the head so I would bet that getting something on that part would be an issue.


----------



## WarRaven

Balog said:


> Lubed the threads on my E25 with Super Lube dielectric, no change in function. As expected since they are anodized. It looks like the entire top of the tube is bare and fits into a ring on the head so I would bet that getting something on that part would be an issue.


That would be the area to keep clean indeed.
I lube all my light's, no issues or flickers.

This is the one nighttime tool lube that should be used sparingly.


----------



## 1DaveN

Balog said:


> Lubed the threads on my E25 with Super Lube dielectric, no change in function. As expected since they are anodized. It looks like the entire top of the tube is bare and fits into a ring on the head so I would bet that getting something on that part would be an issue.



I thought the same about the anodized threads, and the whole thing surprised me (it's not like I'm slathering on a big layer of lube, either). It's happened twice, though, so I know it's somehow related to lubing the threads.


----------



## Balog

1DaveN said:


> I thought the same about the anodized threads, and the whole thing surprised me (it's not like I'm slathering on a big layer of lube, either). It's happened twice, though, so I know it's somehow related to lubing the threads.



I tried laying on obscene, squishing out the back levels of the super lube and it cut out. I had to clean the threads inside the head to get it to work.


----------



## RickZ

Is bicycle chain lube ok to use? Would it be better that wd40? Rock nd roll to be more specific. It is wax based.


----------



## RickZ

Frankly I don't usually use anything, I clean threads with wd-40 and then just dry it off and all my lights' threads are smooth and work fine. One never had any real problems. I buy o-rings for super cheap so I don't need to preserve them. Just no problem with them.


----------



## RI Chevy

I personally would not use wd40 on any of my lights. I use the Superlube sparingly on the orings and threads and have not had to replace an oring yet on any of my lights.


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

Balog said:


> Lubed the threads on my E25 with Super Lube dielectric, no change in function. As expected since they are anodized. It looks like the entire top of the tube is bare and fits into a ring on the head so I would bet that getting something on that part would be an issue.



In my opinion, leaving either the threads or the end of the battery barrel without any good lubrication or anti oxidant product is not a good idea, 
The inside can be a harsh atmosphere depending on battery type & lead to aluminum oxide formation & more severe contact failures.


----------



## Jiri

Guys, what do you think of XTAR GR1 - lube grease? Is it good? 

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/100-...Cream-Accessories-White-Blue/32302709864.html


----------



## cxax

Is there any alternative to Deoxit Red for EagleTac flashlight connectors? I live in Europe and Deoxit is barely available here, while shipping costs from US double its price.
What about Nyogel 760G or Molykote X5-6020 (which is recommended, inter alia, for telescopes).


----------



## neutralwhite

I'm wondering what lube hds lights Henry uses?.


----------



## softsorter

Thanks for the info, I was caught out a few years ago using vasaline on a watch back O ring which destroyed the O ring


----------



## On Edge

Anyone use Tuf-Glide or Nano Lube on their lights? Any caveats with these regarding O-ring degradation, etc.?

I own both products, use Tuf-Glide on my knives, and Nano Lube on the slides of my pistols, and both are quality products, but neither application involves contact with O-rings … any help would be appreciated.


----------



## Buck91

I would think the solvent carrier in TG would cause o-ring damage. Whether it does so quickly or eventually I don't know.


----------



## CelticCross74

Nitecore SRT6 gritty magnetic ring problem. I also collect knives and have a pen of tuff glide. Would this work on smoothing out my SRT ring? Also since Nyogel seems to have vanished I use silicone grease for my threads and rings. So far that has worked pretty well of course I am aware to keep the contact points free of any grease etc.

My SRT7 has a ring that is sweet and smooth with no grittiness. My SRT6 ring is gritty and tougher to turn....any advice?


----------



## On Edge

Buck91 said:


> I would think the solvent carrier in TG would cause o-ring damage. Whether it does so quickly or eventually I don't know.



OK, so I put some TG on my AAA Maratac Cu light (yes BEFORE I read your response) and it's been about a week and so far vast improvement with no discernible deterioration to the o-ring.
I just got a AAA Maratac Ti light, and it was awful gritty, but having read through page 1 again, I applied some Chris Reeve fluorinated grease to that one … still feels pretty ugly, but I'll give it time … 
If the o-ring holds up on the Cu light, I may switch to TG on the Ti light as well, given that TG "micro bonds" and is a dry lube - which sounds like a good fit for Ti to me.
This may turn out to be a good little experiment … time will tell.
Thanks for the help!


----------



## srvctec

On Edge said:


> I just got a AAA Maratac Ti light, and it was awful gritty, but having read through page 1 again, I applied some Chris Reeve fluorinated grease to that one … still feels pretty ugly, but I'll give it time …



I just got my Maratac Ti as well and it was pretty gritty, too. Something you might try to help it tremendously (this is what I do on any gritty feeling light and did on this one) is to remove the battery and replace the head making sure there is plenty of lube. Then just screw it all the way down and back out, putting pressure on the head as you turn it. Also pull on the head while turning it in and out. Do this until it feels smooth (took me about 3 to 5 minutes) and then remove the head. Clean off all the lube from the head and body which will be quite dirty after this process. Put on new lube and install the battery and it should be much better.


----------



## xzel87

srvctec said:


> I just got my Maratac Ti as well and it was pretty gritty, too. Something you might try to help it tremendously (this is what I do on any gritty feeling light and did on this one) is to remove the battery and replace the head making sure there is plenty of lube. Then just screw it all the way down and back out, putting pressure on the head as you turn it. Also pull on the head while turning it in and out. Do this until it feels smooth (took me about 3 to 5 minutes) and then remove the head. Clean off all the lube from the head and body which will be quite dirty after this process. Put on new lube and install the battery and it should be much better.



+1

Had some gritty feeling tailcaps so I used this method exactly and boy the clear lube became black in no time, and if you feel it with your hands the lube is filled with rough metal shavings/powder.

Before I did this, if i forcefully screw on the tailcap too tight I had to use pliers to loosen it. Now it is effortless.


----------



## Tecboy

Just curious, how do the threads get corroded?


----------



## srvctec

Tecboy said:


> Just curios, how do the threads get corroded?


They don't get corroded. It's just a little roughness left over from the manufacturing process of when the threads were cut. It's more of an issue with the standard triangular threads we're all used to which are on the Maratac lights as well as many others. If square threads are cut, there usually isn't an issue but you need more length and thickness of the material the light is made of to make square threads work which is why you usually don't see them on little AAA lights.


----------



## Tecboy

Do you apply grease on the thread of a bezel?


----------



## srvctec

Tecboy said:


> Do you apply grease on the thread of a bezel?


I never do because I don't remove and re-install bezels often- I generally just leave them on. If you need to remove and re-install them frequently then it wouldn't hurt to lube them.


----------



## usrnam

Here's a lubricant, stored in my toolbox, I'm trying out on a zoom-able LED flashlight that uses a ball bearing and spring along with threaded assemblies. Seems to make the moving parts function a little better. 

This is a lighter type of grease lubricant, originally made for electrical switch contacts in the automotive industries (switches, sockets and harness connectors).

Back of tube shows: Excellent oxidation resistance and compatibility with metal, plastics and rubber.

Lubriplate DS-ES Part No. LO137-086. 

I've read of at least one flashlight owner using it on their Maglites to lubricate the internal switches, mechanisms, threads, springs, etc.

Perhaps could be thicker in consistency. The flashlight did have some small areas around the zoom with a very small amount of what appeared to be silicon grease.

For electrical switches and contacts this lubricant works excellent. Doesn't gum up and will last a long time.

_____


----------



## Brlux

My favorite lube as of late is dielectric grease. It is kind of a milky clear grease used on electrical contacts and connectors the look and consistency remind me of silicons grease. I bought a large tube of it at the auto parts store for a about $6. They also have little single use packets of it at the check out counter for less than a buck for adding to things like trailer light connectors. I find myself putting a small dab on a finger and then wiping it on the inside lip of a tail cap that seals against the o wring. Then installing the tail cap does a good job of coating the o wrings. I figure it is a grease and intended for use in electrical environments, aiding in electrical conduction. I guess I don't know it's long term effects on o wrings but so far I have had no adverse effects. But I suppose it is intended to use with connectors which often have rubber environmental seals. 

Here is a link to the tube I am using. 

Any thoughts or advice?


----------



## CL97405

Great thread! One quibble: yes, WD-40 is a lubricant, as follows naturally since it is composed principally of petroleum fractions. It's not ideal for this application, but to assert that it's not a lubricant is incorrect.


----------



## Yamabushi

Brlux said:


> ... the look and consistency remind me of silicons grease.


It is a silicone grease so should be safe except for silicone O-rings.


----------



## teacher

Yamabushi said:


> It is a silicone grease so should be safe except for silicone O-rings.


What is wrong with using silicone grease on silicone O-rings?? :thinking:
I do it all the time.


----------



## Yamabushi

teacher said:


> What is wrong with using silicone grease on silicone O-rings?? :thinking:
> I do it all the time.


Silicone oils and greases cause silicone rubber to soften and swell. See the first post in this thread, or look up any rubber chemical compatibility chart.


----------



## teacher

Brlux said:


> My favorite lube as of late is dielectric grease. It is kind of a milky clear grease used on electrical contacts and connectors the look and consistency remind me of silicons grease. I bought a large tube of it at the auto parts store for a about $6. They also have little single use packets of it at the check out counter for less than a buck for adding to things like trailer light connectors. I find myself putting a small dab on a finger and then wiping it on the inside lip of a tail cap that seals against the o wring. Then installing the tail cap does a good job of coating the o wrings. I figure it is a grease and intended for use in electrical environments, aiding in electrical conduction. I guess I don't know it's long term effects on o wrings but so far I have had no adverse effects. But I suppose it is intended to use with connectors which often have rubber environmental seals.
> 
> Here is a link to the tube I am using.
> 
> Any thoughts or advice?



Here is what I use on all my lights and have never had any kind of problem at all. 

I use the Super Lube pictured on the left mostly, if I don't happen to have any handy I use the Dielectric Grease pictured on the right. [_Same as in your link above_.]

Get a 3ml syringe at the Drug Store, pull the stopper out, fill it about 2/3 full with Super Lube, put the stopper back in... and you have a handy dandy Super Lube dispenser. If your syringe has an 18 gauge or larger needle you can either leave it on or take it off. I have found that smaller than 18 gauge makes squeezing out the lube too difficult. 

Get a soft rag, clean the O-ring & threads real good. Clean the threads inside the tail cap &/or head with the rag & a Q-Tip.
With the handy dandy dispenser or whatever, put a small amount of lube on the O-ring & threads. [_I squirt a small amount out of the syringe and either use my finger, a tooth pick, a clean Q-Tip, or all three to spread it out_.] 

*DO NOT overdo it with the lube. Use sparingly.*

Put the batteries back in, re-assemble and call it a day. :thumbsup:

When I first got into good lights I "over thought" all of this and wasted money on stuff that did not make a hill of beans worth of difference in the big scheme of things. The lube I used was one of those things. 

Hope this helps............ 

I also hope the pictures show up........ .:thinking:

EDIT for disclaimer....
*DISCLAIMER :* This is what I do & have done for well over 10 years. It has worked for me and worked well. Your mileage may vary...


----------



## teacher

Yamabushi said:


> Silicone oils and greases cause silicone rubber to soften and swell. See the first post in this thread, or look up any rubber chemical compatibility chart.


OK, my bad. I had read that a long time ago. For the past several years I have used Super Lube almost exclusively [_occasionally Dielectric grease_], so either I have been real lucky or some of my O-rings have _*not*_ in fact been made of Silicone.
How do you tell what they are made of? Is there a color code??

*EDIT */ Looks like Silicone O-rings are Orange colored from what I could find out. Is that correct?


----------



## teacher

This chart might be of some help in identifying what material an O-ring is made of. It is not fool proof it seems, but it might be a good starting place.*

O-Ring Colors*

*Over time and in certain industries, specific color standards have been used to easily, visually identify what type of o-ring is being used.

**The chart below shows the standard colors that Global O-Ring stocks in our most common materials/compounds. 
Please note that we can supply ANY O-RING IN ANY COLOR.*
****Disclaimer: It is never safe to assume an o-ring is a certain type, material, or hardness just based on the color alone. *- - - -
*
Global O-Ring Stock Color Chart*



ColorImageMost Common CompoundsGlobal CompoundsBlack



Nitrile (Buna-N, NBR), Viton (FKM), EPDM, Neoprene (Chloroprene), HNBR (Hydrogenated Nitrile Butadiene Rubber)N70 | N90 |V75 | V90 |HNBR90Brown



Viton (FKM)BV75 |BV90White



Nitrile (Buna-N, NBR), any FDA compoundWN70Green



HSN/HNBR (Highly Saturated Nitrile or Hydrogenated Nitrile Butadiene Rubber)HSN70 GreenBlue



FluorosiliconeF70Red/Orange/Rust



SiliconeS70Clear



Polyurethane (Urethane)U70 | U90


----------



## Yamabushi

teacher said:


> ... I have used Super Lube almost exclusively ...


Super Lube grease (by Synco Chemical Corporation) is not silicone based. It is a synthetic hydrocarbon oil in PTFE thickener and will not harm silicone rubber. It is also OK for most hydrocarbon rubber compounds. There is a Super Lube Silicone aerosol lubricant but it is clearly identified as silicone based.


----------



## teacher

Yamabushi said:


> Super Lube grease (by Synco Chemical Corporation) is not silicone based. It is a synthetic hydrocarbon oil in PTFE thickener and will not harm silicone rubber. It is also OK for most hydrocarbon rubber compounds. There is a Super Lube Silicone aerosol lubricant but it is clearly identified as silicone based.


:thumbsup: ..... _*Thank you for reminding me.*_

_Trying to think back_, IIRC; that is why I started using that particular Super Lube in the first place long ago. Plus I had a couple of bigger tubes on hand that I used on fishing reel gears.


----------



## spcsys

*Suitable Water Resistant Thread Sealing Grease*

I have seen that I can purchase small packs of thread/o-ring sealant or grease online specifically packaged for high end lights. I have a light that I want to go ahead and treat if I have a good product already lying around the house. The light if relevant is a Surefire 6p metal body configuration. 

I have plenty of Abu Garcia silicone fishing reel grease available. The tube also has PTFE listed as an additive. I also have a few different brands of dielectric grease, one being GRC which I believe is clear whereas the others I believe have a blue tint (stain clothing in the field). 

Would you all recommended that I wait and buy something specifically labelled for lights or which of the two: silicone or GRC dielectric grease?

I believe this is my fist post so please let me know if I have used the wrong subforum. If you all recommend a light specific sealant what brands work good and commonly receive good feedback? If I need to buy something I would like to get a one time purchase size and maybe a field pack size (or make my own on the road size). 

Thanks for your time!
Sean


----------



## SkagSig40

Hello everyone, 
I'm new here and was hoping to find an answer to my question. I'm trying to find a good grease that I can store some rubber gaskets used on NATO fuel cans in and a friend of mine recommended this forum because flashlight guys use a lot of rubber O-rings. 
The rubber gaskets I have that I would like to store for the next 20 to 30 years are made of a fuel grade rubber and used on NATO mil spec Jerry cans. I bought a bunch of extras and I don't want them to dry out over a long period of time. Does anyone know what type of rubber these are made out of and what type of grease would be good to store them in to keep them from drying out and keep them flexible?
Many thanks for the help!


----------



## gbynum

I'm in the hydraulics industry, and we use lots of o-rings. Ours, which are "the same as military" are most often "buna" or fluorocarbon (chemical name for DuPont trademarked Viton). We either store them dry or wipe them with an oily rag and store them in sealed black polyethylene bags. Sunlight is the enemy; wrapped in aluminum foil is fine for a few smaller ones. Keep them between 40F and maybe 120F if you can.

That "oily" is, for us, petroleum hydraulic oil. A conventional motor oil would be as good. When we install them, we often use petroleum jelly so they'll slide easily. You could use that to rub on them before storage. I believe Fenix suggests petroleum jelly for their threads and seals.


----------



## Dry-cell

Does anyone know which grease ThruNite uses on the their flashlight threads and o-rings?.

Edit: Anyway... I e-mailed the question to ThruNite and am awaiting a response, I'll post it here if they get back to me.


----------



## Dry-cell

I received a reply back from ThruNite, here's the message...



> Hi,
> Thanks for contacting us.
> 
> 
> Nyogel 760G, plain silicone grease from your hardware store works well.
> Greases tend to go everywhere and can be messy at times, so if you choose a grease do not use too much of it.
> 
> 
> Hope above is helpful to you.
> 
> 
> Have a nice day.
> Best RegardsEva
> ThruNite Service Department
> Website: www.thrunite.com


----------



## Overclocker

use SuperLube and be done w/ it

flashlights are one of the LEAST demanding applications for lubricants


----------



## Dry-cell

Overclocker said:


> use SuperLube and be done w/ it
> 
> flashlights are one of the LEAST demanding applications for lubricants



For all my flashlights I've been using Nano-Oil 10 weight. When I'm had purchased my first ThruNite flashlight, the Archer 1A V2 NW, I noticed that they used grease for their threads and o-rings. I like how smooth the action was with it on there, then I got another ThruNite, the Archer 1A V3 NW, so I thought I'd find out what it was they used so I can get some for myself. The NyoGel 760G is nice, but it's a bit pricey and more difficult to get. I'll most likely stick with the Nano-oil instead.


----------



## PB Wilson

I got a tube of Mobil 1 synthetic red grease and after lubing up about a dozen lights I haven't made a dent in it. 

Guess I could repack the headset, bottom bracket and hubs on our fleet of bikes...


----------



## dugndeep

Has anyone tried Tetra gun grease on the threads of aluminum flashlights?


----------



## NathanaelTillman

how would you realize that nano-oil it is petroleum based? i just purchased a few and need to know whether i ought to be mindful utilizing it, particularly on costly lights.


----------



## Yamabushi

NathanaelTillman said:


> how would you realize that nano-oil it is petroleum based? i just purchased a few and need to know whether i ought to be mindful utilizing it, particularly on costly lights.


The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for Nano-oil lists its ingredients as:
Highly Solvent Refined Paraffinic Petroleum Oil 
Extremely Hydrotreated Heavy Naphthenic Mineral Oil 
Detergent, Inhibitor & Dispersant System Trade Secret Mixture
Highly refined Mineral base Stock distillates
Proprietary Ingredients


----------



## IsaacL

dugndeep said:


> Has anyone tried Tetra gun grease on the threads of aluminum flashlights?



Yes. But it was 5-6 years ago before I knew what I know now. Not sure I'd try it again when Nyogel and Krytox are so readily available.

I do recall it making the threads feel pretty smooth, fwiw.


----------



## Fenix Elite

Do you clean the threads thoroughly? Threads seem to be very deep, and I have a hard time to clean out the grease.


----------



## Bugdozer

I purchased two Nitecore lights and both had excessive lube on the threads and o-rings so they needed cleaned and re-lubed. I do work on Espresso machines and always have a tube of Dow 111 around. It's thick enough to give the threads a nice, smooth feel, it's safe for all o-rings and is NSF certified if you need to eat off your flashlight. As it made for valves in fluid environment, it's very durable and will not come off easily. On my older lights, I don't recall having to lube them more than once every couple of years.


----------



## hellokitty[hk]

What's a good recommendation for copper threads?

I have Krytox and mobile 1 on hand, either of those suitable?


----------



## hellokitty[hk]

Bump? Will krytox cause galling with copper threads like it does with aluminum?


----------



## archimedes

I have had no problems with krytox on either aluminum or titanium ... (but I no longer have any flashlights with copper threads, so can't really address that)


----------



## hellokitty[hk]

So this is a dead thread it seems?


----------



## Blackbeard

For a brass light Olight ii3s cu is superlube or the little container of grease olight gives with their kit flashlights okay to use?


----------



## RI Chevy

Yes. Superlube is fine


----------



## scintillator

Nice paragraph under O-Ring Lubrication Products gives good explanation of purpose of oring lubricant.

http://www.theoringstore.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=343


----------



## hellokitty[hk]

No one knows anything about copper threads?


----------



## chillinn

hellokitty[hk] said:


> What's a good recommendation for copper threads?
> 
> I have Krytox and mobile 1 on hand, either of those suitable?



from wiki:


> Krytox oils are fluorocarbon ether polymers of polyhexafluoropropylene oxide....
> The manufacturer states on Krytox tubes, "May cause mild skin and eye irritation. Contact with very hot surfaces (above 500°F/260°C) can generate fumes which can cause coughing or respiratory irritation. Large amounts could lead to lung damage which might not be apparent for several hours. These fumes may also cause flu-like symptoms."



Sounds to me like nasty stuff. What is its advantage over lubricants that are bio-friendly? Personally speaking, I do my best to avoid all of DuPont's products, though it is difficult. DuPont has a tendency to replace a perfectly good natural thing with an entirely unnatural thing, then lobby to make sure the natural thing becomes more expensive, unavailable, or even illegal, so as to create a market for their unnatural thing such that all competition is stiffled. I'm not sure one can find a better example of evil. I'd go with Mobile1, personally, if I had only those two from which to choose. Check the first page for good, better, best lube options.

also from wiki:


> [Galling] is especially common where there is inadequate lubrication between the surfaces. However, certain metals will generally be more prone to galling, due to the atomic structure of their crystals....
> A material with high stacking-fault energy, such as aluminium or titanium, will be far more susceptible to galling than materials with low stacking-fault energy, like copper, bronze, or gold.



I think you could probably lubricate your copper threads with salt and vinegar and you still won't see galling. =^..^= 

I'd be more concerned about your o-rings (and your watertight seal) than your copper threads. Need to know what the material is... natural grease is preferred for silicone rings, while rubber rings prefer silicone. But my understanding is rings are rarely rubber these days, and often when we think they're silicone, it's really something else entirely (i.e. black nitrile (buna-n or NBR)).

Hope that helps.


----------



## eaw99517

Hello, just wanted to throw out what I've been using for some time. It's called Tef-Gel. Originally designed for marine use. I've used it on all my stainless steel fasteners and it definitely works well as far as preventing corrosion between stainless and aluminum while lubricating the threads in a marine environment. It's food safe, and contains no silicone, petroleum or other volatile solvents. Comes as either a thick paste or thinner similar to the consistency of grease. Very sticky stuff and just a small amount is all you need. Doesn't deteriorate over time. It's basically a teflon powder suspended in a base. Used by several marine and aerospace companies.

Here's a link to the WEB site for specifications etc.

http://corrosionandmarine.com/index.html


----------



## TinderBox (UK)

On new flashlights do you guys remove the orings and apply grease in the groove, before replacing the oring, I normally just apply new grease over the oring as i am worried about damaging the oring when removing it, especially small orings like on AAA flashlights.

I originally used Servisol silicone grease, Until i bought a little container of ultrafire grease for a couple of $ online, and it seems to work ok.

John.


----------



## chillinn

TinderBox (UK) said:


> On new flashlights do you guys remove the orings and apply grease in the groove, before replacing the oring, I normally just apply new grease over the oring as i am worried about damaging the oring when removing it, especially small orings like on AAA flashlights.



Depends if the new light arrives sufficiently lubricated and whether the action is smooth. If it's proper out of the box, no need to undo a good job.

If not, O-rings really need to be removed, closely examined for wear, flatness, misshape (in which case, discard and replace), washed with ordinary soap and warm water, allowed to dry completely, then lightly lubricated on its _entire surface area,_ inside and outside. The o-ring channel and threads should be mopped, mopped again, until there is nothing left, and cleaned and dried as well. With metal threads and channel, we can use alcohol to better mop out the grease and leave nothing at all behind. No need to grease the o-ring channel; if your o-ring is properly lubricated the lube will transfer to the channel. Apply lubricant sparingly to the threads, and let the lube spread evenly with use. 

Applying new grease over the o-ring with used grease will have the result of forcing any dirt in the channel out and into your threads.


----------



## light-modder

I had a copper light that I had let the lubricant dry out. A friend noticed and let me know that the o-ring was indeed dried out. It had felt dry for a little while but hadn't decided what I was going to use. He said it needed lubricant right away so I used the nyogel I had. Now to get to your question. The threads were still fairly smooth. I noticed a slight difference after I greased them. I did grease them though in hopes of reducing any wear that occurs when taking the head off and on.


----------



## TinderBox (UK)

I was thinking about buying a small artists paint brush to apply grease to my flashlight.

John.


----------



## RI Chevy

I just put lube on index finger and lube over the o-ring sufficiently and it eventually spreads around the o'ring. I also keep spares just in case I need them in a pinch.


----------



## TinderBox (UK)

I have been looking for some Super Lube, I found some little yellow square tubs 14g for around £5 is this the stuff i need.

eBay item number: 370967062789

John.


----------



## TinderBox (UK)

Anybody know what this o-ring is made from, It looks translucent and from what i can find out it could be made from polyurethane or silicone, any other options??

If it`s silicone i dont want to be putting silicone grease on it as the o-ring will be damaged.

*EDIT: I contacted the manufacture, I was told they are made from silicone :sick2: and i could use normal grease (most normal grease is silicone)
*
John.


----------



## PartyPete

I looked around a bit on mobile but didn't see anything specifically about Break Free CLP...what is the general consensus about that on threads?


----------



## TinderBox (UK)

I have used ZX1 oil for a few years in my motorbike and a precision lubricator version on my hair clipper and shaver blades and it really works well.
So i though i would try the ZX1 grease on my flashlight, I emailed ZX1 asking for a sample of their grease a few grams is all i needed as we use so little on flashlight threads and orings, I received an 100g tub of red ZX1 grease today.

The red colour is a bit unfortunate but a least you can easy see where it has already been applied, I have only just applied some to one of my flashlights with aluminum threads and silicone oring`s and the turning action is very smooth, only time will tell how well it protects the threads from wear in a few weeks when i clean off the old and see how much aluminum is in the old grease.

Anyway the ZX1 grease did not cost be anything and thank`s to ZX1 for sending a sample for me to try.






John


----------



## iamlucky13

A search indicates this option is mentioned upthread, but I didn't find much detail.

I dug out an old Maglite 2D over the weekend that was in dire need of lubricating (surprisingly loud squeal from the threads).

I don't have any Nyogel on hand, but I did have a packet of "bulb grease" from the local auto parts store I've previously used on headlight bulbs. Everything I can find suggests it falls under the category of "pure silicone grease" as suggested in the first post, so after cleaning the threads, I gave it a try.

It did the trick. Noise and harshness was gone and the tailcap spun on very smoothly. This stuff is cheap, and more importantly, easily available, so it seems like a good option.

The MSDS for the specific bulb grease (Permatex / Versachem) I used indicates the composition is as follows. I looked up the three substances and noted what their function appears to be. Exact percentages are withheld as "trade secret," although the listed numbers indicate the first ingredient is actually 88-96%.

60-100% POLYDIMETHYLSILOXANE (the most common silicone oil)
3-7% MODIFIED SILICON DIOXIDE (I'm guessing this acts as a thickener)
1-5% OXIRANE, METHYL-, POLYMER (surfactant - might either help ensure the silicone oil and silicon dioxide don't separate, or might help the grease seal out water)

I tried to look up Nyogel 760g for comparison, but their MSDS keeps all the ingredients secret.


----------



## iamlucky13

Related question: I did get a little bit on bare surface that forms the electrical contact to the tailcap. As a dielectric grease, it is non-conductive. I tested it before opening it up to clean that bit off, and the light still worked - whatever wasn't squeezed out by tightening the tailcap wasn't thick enough to noticeably affect the connection.

That prompts me to ask: is cleaning grease off of contact surfaces recommended, or are electrical contact surfaces recommended to be lightly lubricated, or does it matter either way? Thanks.


----------



## srvctec

iamlucky13 said:


> Related question: I did get a little bit on bare surface that forms the electrical contact to the tailcap. As a dielectric grease, it is non-conductive. I tested it before opening it up to clean that bit off, and the light still worked - whatever wasn't squeezed out by tightening the tailcap wasn't thick enough to noticeably affect the connection.
> 
> That prompts me to ask: is cleaning grease off of contact surfaces recommended, or are electrical contact surfaces recommended to be lightly lubricated, or does it matter either way? Thanks.


I always make sure all my contact surfaces are clean, usually using De-oxit red for cleaning and then De-oxit gold for protection of those surfaces.


----------



## LeanBurn

From Thrunite,

"[FONT=&quot]Hello,[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Thank you for contacting us.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]O-ring is made of silicone.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]We recommend silicone grease."[/FONT]

Looks like I will be looking for silicone lubricant.


----------



## ank

What do you guys think about Ballistol? 
It has a wide range of uses and it's a bit cheaper

https://ballistol.com/faqs/


----------



## KuroNekko

+1 for Super Lube. I originally bought it for my polyurethane sway bar bushings on my car after other lubes did not hold up. After seeing that it came up highly recommended for lubing O-rings on flashlights, I've used Super Lube for that purpose too. Unlike petroleum jelly, it goes on thin and you can rub it down to almost liquid instead of a thick jelly. I like that this one tube can service both my flashlights and my car. It's also rather easy to find. They usually sell the tubes at Harbor Freight Tools.


----------



## louie

A careful search of Nyogel 760G TDS and MSDS PDF documents reveals this:

Copper Deactivator, UV Tracer 

A silica thickened, medium viscosity, synthetic hydrocarbon grease forlubrication and protection of electrical contacts. 

Base oil: Polyalphaolefin 
Thickener: Silica 

Components
1-DECENE, HOMOPOLYMER, HYDROGENATED --- Percent 20 - < 30

SILANE, DICHLORODIMETHYL-, REACTION PRODUCTS WITH SILICA --- Percent 10 - < 20

Other components below reportable levels --- Percent 60 - < 70

I don't really know what these ingredients mean. Does synthetic hydrocarbon mean its NOT silicone?

Nye's own PDFs also indicate Ford rebrands 760G as Ford/Motorcraft XG-12 electrical grease, and Amazon sells a 3oz tube for $20. I got a tube, and it sure seems the same.



iamlucky13 said:


> A search indicates this option is mentioned upthread, but I didn't find much detail.
> 
> I dug out an old Maglite 2D over the weekend that was in dire need of lubricating (surprisingly loud squeal from the threads).
> 
> I don't have any Nyogel on hand, but I did have a packet of "bulb grease" from the local auto parts store I've previously used on headlight bulbs. Everything I can find suggests it falls under the category of "pure silicone grease" as suggested in the first post, so after cleaning the threads, I gave it a try.
> 
> It did the trick. Noise and harshness was gone and the tailcap spun on very smoothly. This stuff is cheap, and more importantly, easily available, so it seems like a good option.
> 
> The MSDS for the specific bulb grease (Permatex / Versachem) I used indicates the composition is as follows. I looked up the three substances and noted what their function appears to be. Exact percentages are withheld as "trade secret," although the listed numbers indicate the first ingredient is actually 88-96%.
> 
> 60-100% POLYDIMETHYLSILOXANE (the most common silicone oil)
> 3-7% MODIFIED SILICON DIOXIDE (I'm guessing this acts as a thickener)
> 1-5% OXIRANE, METHYL-, POLYMER (surfactant - might either help ensure the silicone oil and silicon dioxide don't separate, or might help the grease seal out water)
> 
> I tried to look up Nyogel 760g for comparison, but their MSDS keeps all the ingredients secret.


----------



## iamlucky13

louie said:


> A careful search of Nyogel 760G TDS and MSDS PDF documents reveals this:
> 
> Copper Deactivator, UV Tracer
> 
> A silica thickened, medium viscosity, synthetic hydrocarbon grease forlubrication and protection of electrical contacts.
> 
> Base oil: Polyalphaolefin
> Thickener: Silica
> 
> Components
> 1-DECENE, HOMOPOLYMER, HYDROGENATED --- Percent 20 - < 30
> 
> SILANE, DICHLORODIMETHYL-, REACTION PRODUCTS WITH SILICA --- Percent 10 - < 20
> 
> Other components below reportable levels --- Percent 60 - < 70
> 
> I don't really know what these ingredients mean. Does synthetic hydrocarbon mean its NOT silicone?
> 
> Nye's own PDFs also indicate Ford rebrands 760G as Ford/Motorcraft XG-12 electrical grease, and Amazon sells a 3oz tube for $20. I got a tube, and it sure seems the same.



It would seem that is correct. I was mistaken in thinking 760G was a silicone grease, but it seems it does contain *some* silicone oil (silane) even though it is predominantly a hydrocarbon grease.


----------



## PierceFan

Hmm, I see a lot of blow-back against using petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on these forums, but I have to say that I've been using the stuff for 30 years on my Maglites with no issues whatsoever. In fact, it's the only lubricant Maglite has ever officially recommended for their flashlights, which says a lot given they have a lifetime warranty on them. Clearly they would not recommend a product that could damage the o-rings or aluminum threads, that would be counterproductive.

My 3D incandescent, which was purchased new in 1992, has only ever been cleaned and lubed once. I applied the Vaseline way back when I first got it, and it's still in top form today with absolutely no deterioration of the o-rings. 25 years of being coated with petroleum jelly and the flashlight operates as well as it did when it was new.

So, with all deference to the wide array of opinions from both the novices and flashaholics alike who frequent these forums...I'll stick to what Maglite officially recommends, coupled with 30 years of personal experience!


----------



## STREAMHAWAII

Sorry late to the party. What Grease do I buy for the threads?


----------



## MAD777

I'm using this stuff and I'm happy with it.


----------



## iamlucky13

STREAMHAWAII said:


> Sorry late to the party. What Grease do I buy for the threads?



The first post in this discussion provides several recommendations.


----------



## Trenchant

I've been happy with Nyogel 779ZC.


----------



## GRAY LITNIN

MAD777 said:


> I'm using this stuff and I'm happy with it.



Same here. I like that its not thin as alot of others and stays where you put it. 

Sometimes i'll use Slip 2000 EWG in a pinch.


----------



## tom-

Your local hardware store may well have 'plumbers grease' mostly silicone if not all silicone-used on faucet/cartridge o rings among other things.


----------



## Cekid

some things are still confusing me...today i have ordered xtar lubricant...but, later i found some thread where people contacted manufacturer and asked for clarification and they were said it is petroleum based...ok, petroleum could be bad for some o-rings, especially rubber ones, but since all of them modern flashlights have silicone o-rings, why petroleum based products, or vaseline itself, still has bad rep here? and on top of that silicone grease is bad for silicone o- rings? is there ANYTHING good for silicone o-rings?

and i wonder why such a company like xtar would made and sell some product which could damage its own flashlights, be it metal or o-rings?

i have ordered the same, but not here though....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/XTAR-Flash...light-Torch-Light-MF-/182365879353?rmvSB=true


----------



## andydviking

I just sent them an e-mail asking them if petroleum or silicon based for you. I'll post back when/if they reply. From reseller sites it suggests to me it is a silicone product so hopefully xtar will clarify. 



Cekid said:


> some things are still confusing me...today i have ordered xtar lubricant...but, later i found some thread where people contacted manufacturer and asked for clarification and they were said it is petroleum based...ok, petroleum could be bad for some o-rings, especially rubber ones, but since all of them modern flashlights have silicone o-rings, why petroleum based products, or vaseline itself, still has bad rep here? and on top of that silicone grease is bad for silicone o- rings? is there ANYTHING good for silicone o-rings?
> 
> and i wonder why such a company like xtar would made and sell some product which could damage its own flashlights, be it metal or o-rings?
> 
> i have ordered the same, but not here though....
> 
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/XTAR-Flash...light-Torch-Light-MF-/182365879353?rmvSB=true


----------



## Cekid

@andyviking

thanks man...


----------



## nightshade

For anyone who is interested, this is the most recent version of the Nye damping grease sample kit. MUCH better product than what was originally used in so many (but not all) Jetbeam rotary ring lights.


----------



## louie

I requested that damping grease sample kit from Nye's website a few years ago, and they called me back, asked me some questions, and denied me. I wasn't a potential large-scale buyer, apparently, and I honestly told them it was for a University repair shop, and that I'd used Nye 767G on a turntable cueing lifter. They told me to buy the kit and referred me to a company, which wanted quite a bit of money for their Nye products.


----------



## andydviking

Whats the difference between the damping grease and 760g for threads? Just a smoother feel?



nightshade said:


> For anyone who is interested, this is the most recent version of the Nye damping grease sample kit. MUCH better product than what was originally used in so many (but not all) Jetbeam rotary ring lights.


----------



## andydviking

@Cekid according to Xtar it is indeed silicon grease. PM me if you wanna see the email. If you want other confirmation just google "xtar flashlight lube" and look at the re-sellers. Many have in the description that it is silicone. I think you're good. 

The only reason others might have thought it was petroleum based is because 1. old formula/product or maybe because something was lost in translation. It's a Chinese company so maybe language barrier made for some confusion. I had to ask in a couple different ways myself. Just my guess.



Cekid said:


> some things are still confusing me...today i have ordered xtar lubricant...but, later i found some thread where people contacted manufacturer and asked for clarification and they were said it is petroleum based...ok, petroleum could be bad for some o-rings, especially rubber ones, but since all of them modern flashlights have silicone o-rings, why petroleum based products, or vaseline itself, still has bad rep here? and on top of that silicone grease is bad for silicone o- rings? is there ANYTHING good for silicone o-rings?
> 
> and i wonder why such a company like xtar would made and sell some product which could damage its own flashlights, be it metal or o-rings?
> 
> i have ordered the same, but not here though....
> 
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/XTAR-Flash...light-Torch-Light-MF-/182365879353?rmvSB=true


----------



## Cekid

@andyviking

good to know, thanks...


----------



## louie

andydviking said:


> Whats the difference between the damping grease and 760g for threads? Just a smoother feel?



Damping grease adds resistance to movement. Nye makes a range of damping greases with varying amounts of resistance, and difference chemical recipes for various uses. These greases are typically used to smooth out movement and keep things from moving too easily, such as in rotary controls and camera lens mechanisms.

Any damping grease will make turning things harder to move. You'd have to try various strengths to find the one you need, and a recipe that's compatible with your materials and environment. I happened to find some 767G for sale and tried it on some Sunwayman rings, and luckily it works great. It's usually pretty expensive, so the sample kit would've been nice and last a hobbyist a lifetime, but it was not to be.

https://www.nyelubricants.com/damping-greases

Other threads on CPF mention other brands and sources.


----------



## nightshade

louie said:


> I requested that damping grease sample kit from Nye's website a few years ago, and they called me back, asked me some questions, and denied me. I wasn't a potential large-scale buyer, apparently, and I honestly told them it was for a University repair shop, and that I'd used Nye 767G on a turntable cueing lifter. They told me to buy the kit and referred me to a company, which wanted quite a bit of money for their Nye products.



Sorry to hear that, I purchased mine.


----------



## nightshade

andydviking said:


> Whats the difference between the damping grease and 760g for threads? Just a smoother feel?



There are many videos pertaining to Nye products, if you search just a bit. Here is a good one for ballpark estimates of viscosity. 

https://youtu.be/tFSe-9v8tuk

and another: 

https://youtu.be/59F9qUDNwnQ

Rocol also makes a excellent quality product, but it can be hard to source in the US.


----------



## louie

nightshade said:


> Sorry to hear that, I purchased mine.



It didn't seem worth it for me to buy the kit since I already had bought 767G. It would've been interesting to try others, then know what to buy for various uses. Their website said simply fill out the form for a free kit. I had a nice phone chat with their sales engineer. I can't blame them for being selective, but I'm used to semiconductor companies, which in my experience gladly send anyone a few "engineering samples."


----------



## andydviking

Thanks louie and nightshade for the information. I did try to google it but couldn't find much. I also got further confused by the fact that when I searched "Nyogel damping grease" some resellers had "760g damping grease" which made me wonder if 760g was considered a light damping grease. I gathered what it was because Nyogel explains that it's used for dials and so forth. However, I was wondering if it had the protective qualities of a 760g and if it would be good for flashlight threads. In particular titanium threads as I was also wondering if it would help remove the "gritty" feel that titanium has. lol, this thread is very informative but can confuse the noob a bit with all the different opinions. I ordered viton o-rings for my lights so I know what I have that way.

This was linked in nightshades first video. Good info. https://shop.newgatesimms.com/damping-grease/


----------



## louie

It's a confusing field. Your questions could probably be answered by a Nye sales engineer.

760G has long been recommended as a general flashlight lube here, maybe because it was said that Surefire used it. I'd consider it no more damping than most other general purpose greases. I tried it on my Sunwayman V11R ring and it was too loose for me. It seems to be fine for all other flashlight threads and other general greasing. It seems fine to me on my titanium Eagtacs.

The stuff sold as helical or damping grease has a wide variety, and I think they must quantify how stiff it is, the temperature range, the chemistry and so on, but I haven't figured out exactly how to pick what you need, and they are pretty expensive. Too expensive to buy bunches to experiment with, for me.

Nye sent me to TAI Lubricants for small orders including the $90 damping grease kit with 5 samples.
https://www.tai-lubricants.com

I bought my 760G and 767G from Micro-Tools, but in the future, I'll buy Ford/Motorcraft XG-12 which appears to be Nye 760G for much less.


----------



## andydviking

760G seems to be recommended all around the web for o-rings and threads. Here is 767a that is heavier viscosity for a decent price. I haven't used this site before but I think I may buy some and see if I like it. https://www.oveready.com/flashlight/nyogel-767aa-damping-grease-10g-tube/. Tai lubicants looks like they sell more bulk stuff for other stuff besides flashlight threads. Very pricey.



louie said:


> It's a confusing field. Your questions could probably be answered by a Nye sales engineer.
> 
> 760G has long been recommended as a general flashlight lube here, maybe because it was said that Surefire used it. I'd consider it no more damping than most other general purpose greases. I tried it on my Sunwayman V11R ring and it was too loose for me. It seems to be fine for all other flashlight threads and other general greasing. It seems fine to me on my titanium Eagtacs.
> 
> The stuff sold as helical or damping grease has a wide variety, and I think they must quantify how stiff it is, the temperature range, the chemistry and so on, but I haven't figured out exactly how to pick what you need, and they are pretty expensive. Too expensive to buy bunches to experiment with, for me.
> 
> Nye sent me to TAI Lubricants for small orders including the $90 damping grease kit with 5 samples.
> https://www.tai-lubricants.com
> 
> I bought my 760G and 767G from Micro-Tools, but in the future, I'll buy Ford/Motorcraft XG-12 which appears to be Nye 760G for much less.


----------



## louie

Note: I've previously mistakenly called 767A by 767G.

$13 for 10g of 767A comes out to about $37 per ounce, I think, but at least there's not much waste to go bad. Other discussions mention other brands on internet auction sites that work similarly.

760G sold as Motorcraft is more like $4.40/oz.

Seems like even some vendors don't really know how to quantify the damping of greases. There's a dramatic difference between 760G and 767A, I would personally not recommend 767A for general purpose grease use, it's too stiff.


----------



## SKV89

I spent some time reading this thread but can't really decide which one is the best. I have a ton of flashlights of all materials so price is not an issue here. I'm kind of leaning towards the NO-OX-ID because it is electrically conductive. However, I would appreciate your recommendations and why you think one is better.

NO-OX-ID A-Special Electrical Grade Conductive Grease

Nano-Oil

Nyogel 760G

Super Lube Oil


----------



## louie

SKV89 said:


> I spent some time reading this thread but can't really decide which one is the best. I have a ton of flashlights of all materials so price is not an issue here. I'm kind of leaning towards the NO-OX-ID because it is electrically conductive. However, I would appreciate your recommendations and why you think one is better.
> 
> NO-OX-ID A-Special Electrical Grade Conductive Grease
> 
> Nano-Oil
> 
> Nyogel 760G
> 
> Super Lube Oil



I haven't used half of those, so I don't know. Any of them should be just fine for flashlights, unless they attack the O-rings.


----------



## zespectre

Here is the best I can tell anyone else.
At this point I have a collection of over 100 lights ranging from my oldest (a 1937 Brass Miners flashlight) to the Klarus Mini-One I just bought.
Somewhere in the area of 98% of my lights are functional with just a few being too rusted or whatever for me to risk trying to restore them.

In 2012 I purchased a 2oz tube of Nyogel 760G and as of right now I have used about half of it.

I have a "circle" of 6 lights that get regular daily use and that includes a couple of twist-head style pocket lights where the "O" rings get a workout from constant on/off at work and contamination from whatever you usually find in pockets. I also introduced a friend (a farmer) to Nyogel 760G because his lights get a lot of outdoor, dusty, gritty, wet, use and he used to have a fair amount of trouble with "O" rings getting worn/torn and then water intrusion into his light(s).

Since I started using the Nyogel I haven't had to replace a single "O" ring due to use/wear and I haven't had any contamination intrusion (dust/grit/moisture) in any light that was a result of something getting past the lubricated "O" ring.

To be clear, I do a regular maintenance cycle of cleaning old Nyogel off (with alcohol) and re-applying about every 6-8 months on my heavily used lights, especially the twist-head ones, but I also have lights where the same Nyogel has been on them since 2012 and though it has thickened/stiffened a bit, it was still perfectly serviceable.

So I can't speak to other stuff, but the Nyogel 760G has worked great for me and since the rate of use is so low (1oz in 6 years) the price (currently $12 for 1oz at amazon) is pretty reasonable for the use.


----------



## neutralwhite

hi I have some Lubri Film as well as Nano Oil and would like to know as the flashlight has some FLUOROSILICONE FVMQ O rings, is it ok just to carry on using Lubri Film Grease ( someone stated it has some petroleum in it ) on the O rings too, as they are resistant to Petroleum, or just lube them with nano oil to be safe?.
thank you.


----------



## trailhunter

Anyone tried lubri film?

Food Grade O-ring Lubricant- Haynes,1oz Tube Sold by Kegconnection https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CTM3IFQ/?tag=cpf0b6-20


----------



## coffeeandlifting

Can someone back up the claim that motor oil would damage o-rings? This seems like a myth. I'm pretty sure O-rings are made of EPDM... or the same stuff that all the seals in your car engine are made of... you know, the ones that seal the motor oil in without dissolving? :thinking:


----------



## Buck91

coffeeandlifting said:


> Can someone back up the claim that motor oil would damage o-rings? This seems like a myth. I'm pretty sure O-rings are made of EPDM... or the same stuff that all the seals in your car engine are made of... you know, the ones that seal the motor oil in without dissolving? :thinking:




Many lights use silicone, nitrile or butyl o-rings.


----------



## seery

Started using Nyogel 760G in 2003.

Fast forward 15yrs and it's still the only lubricant I'll use on my lights.


----------



## peter yetman

Could someone just tell me if Nyogel is more slippery than Silicone Grease?
I'd just like my Twisty lights to operate more easily one handed.
Thank you.
P


----------



## LeanBurn

I use simple silicone grease on mine. It is stiffer to turn than say petroleum jelly is, but it also means there will be no accidental on or twisting off of parts. I prefer the stiffer turning action but still am able to turn on any light one handed. I have never tried Nyogel as it is too $$ in my country.


----------



## thslw8jg

The Nyogel 760G seems thinner in viscosity compared to the nitecore silicone grease that I’ve tried and is easier to turn. I’m breaking in a twisty ITP A4 that I modded with a new driver and emitter. I used Nyogel 760G and was still too stiff causing mode jumping when twisting on, so I cleaned up the o-ring & threads and switched lubricants to superlube synthetic oil with ptfe and is by far the easiest to turn yet.


----------



## peter yetman

Thanks chaps, I'll give the Superlube a try.
P
Edit: Just taken one of the two O Rings off the tail of my MD2, and now it turns super easy - and that's with my usual Silicone Grease.
Hurrah!
P


----------



## Fenix Elite

I recently bought an EagleTac T25C2. The threads are inside the head and tailcap and are hard to reach. How do I clean the threads and apply grease in hard to reach threads?


----------



## trailhunter

Fenix Elite said:


> I recently bought an EagleTac T25C2. The threads are inside the head and tailcap and are hard to reach. How do I clean the threads and apply grease in hard to reach threads?


Wipe old grease off and add new grease


----------



## peter yetman

Fenix Elite said:


> I recently bought an EagleTac T25C2. The threads are inside the head and tailcap and are hard to reach. How do I clean the threads and apply grease in hard to reach threads?



Q-tips


----------



## knucklegary

I accumulate drawer full of complimentary tooth brushes given during dental hygienists cleanings. Tooth brushes works well cleaning off lube internal and external threads, and for getting crud out of grooves..


----------



## Fenix Elite

These look like the grooves are too deep.


----------



## knucklegary

^ In the case of inaccessible threads, although your parts appear very clean, if dirt gets into try silcone spray using red tube to wash out grit then compressed air (safety glasses) Afterwards, use dampening grease sparingly🤓


----------



## Infinite01

Just ordered a host and thanks to this thread, I also ordered a Nyogel 1 oz/28g jar


----------



## DanielBoone

NanoLube and Nano-Oil work okay. I don't think to replace them.


----------



## N/Apower

I have some thread lube from some time ago. 2010-2014. It is in a small, clear, unmarked snap tub lid about the diameter of quarter, and 1/2" tall. The grease is clear. I think I got it from customlights or overready or someone, but am curious what product was in it, if anyone remembers this container and who sold it, etc. Long shot, but ty!


----------



## neutralwhite

so NANO OIL for O rings and grease for threads work well, or just grease?.
grease is HAYNES LUBRI FILM.

thanks.


----------



## CREEXHP70LED

I have been using Nyogel 760G for probably 15 years or so. I still haven't used but maybe half of the 2-oz tube. The lot number is MX020404 if that is traceable to the manufacturer date. I guess this stuff never goes bad. I took the Molykote 55 off an Elzetta and replaced it with Nyogel 760G as soon as I received the light. The stuff Malkoff uses which is Haynes Lubri Film, I might possibly switch to. I am not sure yet. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it and...Malkoff uses it.

neutralwhite...I would never have the patience for oil and grease, besides they will bleed onto each other when using the light. I would just stick with one good grease.


----------



## neutralwhite

I am using Malkoff's Haynes Lubri for some months, and its very good stuff. if malkoff is using it, that's saying something which is a good sign to me.



CREEXHP70LED said:


> I have been using Nyogel 760G for probably 15 years or so. I still haven't used but maybe half of the 2-oz tube. The lot number is MX020404 if that is traceable to the manufacturer date. I guess this stuff never goes bad. I took the Molykote 55 off an Elzetta and replaced it with Nyogel 760G as soon as I received the light. The stuff Malkoff uses which is Haynes Lubri Film, I might possibly switch to. I am not sure yet. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it and...Malkoff uses it.
> 
> neutralwhite...I would never have the patience for oil and grease, besides they will bleed onto each other when using the light. I would just stick with one good grease.


----------



## trailhunter

Haynes Lubri-Film food grade grease all the way.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


----------



## alphaBRAVO

How frequently does everyone grease their threads (and O rings(?)). Doesn’t it attract dust and dirt? Is this stuff inert should it come into contact with a battery?


----------



## CREEXHP70LED

alphaBRAVO said:


> How frequently does everyone grease their threads (and O rings(?)). Doesn’t it attract dust and dirt? Is this stuff inert should it come into contact with a battery?





I clean mine once or twice a year. I just take a clean cloth and wipe all the threads clean everywhere on the light. Some people use alcohol pads but I am not sure if they are bad for the o-rings drying them out. Then I just re apply the lube on the threads and the o-ring, and screw and unscrew the parts 2 or 3 times to disperse the lube.

No, you should remove the batteries before cleaning the lights in my opinion, you don't want lube on your cells.


----------



## KooDeRR Whistle

Anyone else ever use chapstick? My preon 2 was dry as a bone real dirty and gritty. I wiped it off at work, took my chapstick out of my pocket, put a dap in between my fingers and put it on the clean threads and o ring. Worked like a charm, havent touched the threads or o ring since, been a couple years now.


----------



## peter yetman

I would imagine that's a bit like Vaseline, it works just fine until it gets hot.
Been using Vaseline on one of my lights, just to see, and it worked well until last night when I did a sustained runtime test at full power. At the end I could hardly move the tailcap.
Still, Chapstick smells better.
P


----------



## CREEXHP70LED

peter yetman said:


> I would imagine that's a bit like Vaseline, it works just fine until it gets hot.
> Been using Vaseline on one of my lights, just to see, and it worked well until last night when I did a sustained runtime test at full power. At the end I could hardly move the tailcap.
> Still, Chapstick smells better.
> P





May I ask what flavor you used? Perhaps cherry? LOL


----------



## Rexlion

Hm, maybe I should try Burt's Bees lip balm in peppermint....

Nah.


----------



## desert.snake

I just found this topic yesterday and read it all, there were a lot of interesting observations here. Some time ago (0.6-0.7 year) I took care of lubrication for the lamps and used local products - medical petrolatum (it is safe, you can eat, but be ready for diarrhea), it is poorly suited as it flows out quickly and the threads become dry; I further tried lithium and calcium industrial lubricants, they flow from the lantern when it is heated to 40-50 degrees; I read about neogel somewhere on the forum, but it's not for sale here, then I bought Teflon-added silicone grease
***
Silicone grease ***** is a high-temperature silicone grease for low- and medium-loaded friction and rolling assemblies, bearings with a rotational speed of up to 5000 rpm. Uniform ointment of white color, a plastic consistence. It is long efficient at a temperature of 180 degrees C, briefly - up to 230 ° C. penetration at 25 C - 250-300 units. Colloidal stability - no more than 7%. Does not spread over the node. Slightly changes viscosity with temperature, does not oxidize and does not change properties under the influence of atmospheric oxygen. Due to the high inertia - does not affect the rubber .... .... COMPOSITION: dispersion medium - silicone fluid, ultrafine fluoroplastic, thickener, pigment.
***
Contrary to the instructions, it spreads very well on the threads and oozes out of them + in 2-3 weeks it dries out and you have to apply it again + it is poorly laundered from hands, clothes and is not washed off with alcohol and gasoline. Maybe I got a fake or a bad party this silicone grease.

About six months ago, I received from a friend a jar of super-moly grease and from that time I use only her. It does not spread, gives good water protection and smoothness when screwing / unscrewing the cap. Wear of thread I can not see. But there is a feeling that the rubber rings slightly absorb this grease and become slightly larger in diameter, it is about the ring on HDS lantern on body. Grease called "ARH Super-moly paste".


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

ignore, could not delete.


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

RobertMM said:


> I am OC and remove nyogel immediately when it turns grey. I remember reading that the particles that come off the threads and are suspended in the lube are oxidized aluminun, and the lube becomes an abrasive paste. Maybe someone can enlighten us on this.


The abrasive paste will form specially on new freshly machined threads so break in is advised, 
to break in: 
- use a lubricant of your choice, apply to male thread , 
- screw in you tail cap and while doing so push in on both body and end cap as you screw in, this will condition one side of the thread 
- then unscrew while pulling . this will do the other side of the thread, 
- very important to apply AS MUCH FORCE as you can and go back and forth,
this will create the abrasive paste in question but by doing so you have rendered both side of the thread much smoother 
Now do a good job of removing the grey gunk on both the male and female threads, take you time and be thorough. 
Use the best possible Anti Friction Lube you can find and reapply, 
At this point, the grey aluminium gunk should not form at the same rate you experienced when first using the flashlight because you just kind of polished the threads with its own mating part (eliminating a lot of micro conflicts ).
Hope this helps, please let us know,


----------



## jon_slider

Nano-Oil.com said:


> - screw in you tail cap and while doing so push in on both body and end cap as you screw in, this will condition one side of the thread
> - then unscrew while pulling . this will do the other side of the thread



I tried this ^ approach using Nano Oil, and after Hundreds of twists, wiping off the blackened residue, and repeating, and repeating, it did NOT solve the gritty feel of the Titanium threads on my Thrunite AAA.



Yamabushi said:


> I use Krytox GPL 205 grease which is just PFPE oil and PTFE thickener with no additives.



I have not tried any of the Krytox products listed in the first post, but am curious.

Recently I bought Munky Spunk, which completely eliminated the galling gritty feel of my Thrunite AAA Titanium Twisty.

Has anyone here tried *both* a Krytox product and Munky Spunk, on Titanium threads? 
IF you have tried Both, which one do you prefer, for Titanium?


----------



## CREEXHP70LED

I just did the first thread cleaning and re lube on my 3 Malkoffs. I actually used alcohol to remove the old black grease, and then put my Nyogel 760G back on the lights. It being a thicker lube than the Haynes lube, it is much smoother when screwing the threads on the head or tail cap. I am in no rush to switch to Haynes yet.


----------



## nzoomed

Ok, just stumbled across this thread and now feel so much better its not just me having issues with rough, squeaky or binding threads!
Aluminium seems to be a terrible metal to cut threads on!
I have one maglite that has a very bad thread from the last owner who may have mistakenly cross threaded it. My mini maglite never had a nice thread on the tailcap from new either but i was always careful with it.
It seems that anodized threads dont have this issue.
I have some cheaper chinese lights with rough or squeaky threads too.

What lube does everybody recommend?
Should I go with nyogel or krytox?


----------



## TeronG

Hello,
yesterday I received Olight I3E EOS and I3T EOS. They came in a factory sealed carton boxes. When I opened them to remove those little plastic washers breaking electrical circuit for transport I noticed the threads of both are wet with something like oil I think. Or is it something that leaked from batteries? Is it normal that new flashlights come with oiled threads? And what I am suppose to do with this if this is oil? For now I wiped it with clean wipe. Should I use isopropyl alcohol on them and then apply one of recommended greases or what?

p.s.
Sorry for newbie questions, until I found this thread today I didn't even know that flashlights require grease at all :thinking:


----------



## Nano-Oil.com

TeronG said:


> Hello,
> yesterday I received Olight I3E EOS and I3T EOS. They came in a factory sealed carton boxes. When I opened them to remove those little plastic washers breaking electrical circuit for transport I noticed the threads of both are wet with something like oil I think. Or is it something that leaked from batteries? Is it normal that new flashlights come with oiled threads? And what I am suppose to do with this if this is oil? For now I wiped it with clean wipe. Should I use isopropyl alcohol on them and then apply one of recommended greases or what?
> p.s. Sorry for newbie questions, until I found this thread today I didn't even know that flashlights require grease at all :thinking:


I think it is almost impossible for both of the light to have a leaky battery, what are the odds, besides, they would have to be Alkaline for a potential leak 
so first thing first, can you confirm the chemistry of the batteries, thx


----------



## TeronG

Yes, the lights came with alkaline batteries. Some unknown brands. I threw them into battery recycle bin.


----------



## CREEXHP70LED

TeronG said:


> Hello,
> yesterday I received Olight I3E EOS and I3T EOS. They came in a factory sealed carton boxes. When I opened them to remove those little plastic washers breaking electrical circuit for transport I noticed the threads of both are wet with something like oil I think. Or is it something that leaked from batteries? Is it normal that new flashlights come with oiled threads? And what I am suppose to do with this if this is oil? For now I wiped it with clean wipe. Should I use isopropyl alcohol on them and then apply one of recommended greases or what?
> 
> p.s.
> Sorry for newbie questions, until I found this thread today I didn't even know that flashlights require grease at all :thinking:




Yes, it is normal for quality lights to come lubed, even some cheap lights come lubed. I would buy a tube of Nyogel 760G, or some Haynes Lubri-Film and lube the threads and the orings. 

They will make the lights smoother to use and also help with water ingress to a degree. (If you lube the orings which you should to extend the life).

I know all of my Olights came lubed, but with a very light oil I believe, not a nice medium thick grease like Nyogel 760G. Haynes Lubri-Film comes on Malkoff lights which are very well made and while it is thinner than Nyogel, it works great. I think I prefer the thicker Nyogel, but to be honest they all work.


----------



## Buck91

Recently started switching from Super-Lube grease to silicone after noting that the EPDM o-rings used by some manufactures are not compatible. Currently using 3M Silicone Paste which is great on o-rings but a bit too viscous for threads. Is there a good alternative silicone grease which is slightly thinner?


----------



## jon_slider

Buck91 said:


> Is there a good alternative silicone grease which is slightly thinner?



Nyogel 760G

some informative quotes from the first page:

"_Pure Silicone grease: This is a very common lube that can be found just about anywhere. It is generally safe for use, with the only exception being use on silicone o-rings.

Nyogel is silicone grease
760G is tuned more for threads,

Nano-Oil: A highly-recommended lube by forum members. The lube uses oil as a carrier for nano-particles that are designed to act as a bearing surface_."


I have not tried 760G
I have been using Nano Oil on O rings and threads.. it is OK, but it dries out and then the light is harder to open.. not ideal
otoh, I like not having sticky greasy threads and orings...

let us know what works for you


----------



## louie

My understanding is that Nyogel 760G is not a silicone grease.

I am not a grease expert, but in looking for information about various Nyogels, especially damping grease, I found various Nye documents that say:

-760G is a synthetic mineral oil, PAO (polyalphaolefin) grease, thickened with colloidal silica.

I have a Nye PDF TDS (technical data sheet) that states:
"Nyogel 760G - Copper deactivator, UV tracer - A silica thickened, medium viscosity, synthetic hydrocarbon grease for lubrication and protection of electrical contacts...Base oil, polyalphaolefin.... Ford: WSB-M1C239-A, GM: 9986087, DaimlerChrysler: MS-9469" and other specs. The car manufacturers all specify it to reduce contact fretting on electrical contacts. I'm not sure where I got the PDF, but can send it if you PM me. I'm not sure I'm allowed to post it.

My reading of this is that PAO is different than silicone.
Nye's site has a chart showing various synthetic oils they use, where silicones and PAOs are separate.
https://www.nyelubricants.com/technical-reference

(edit: clicking on the chart brings up a PDF version you can save and keep handy)

Any clarification by a grease expert is welcomed.


----------



## neutralwhite

im still trying to work out if nano oil is ok to use alongside Lubri Film Grease or just stick to grease. 
thanks


----------



## jon_slider

louie said:


> My understanding is that Nyogel 760G is not a silicone grease.
> ...
> My reading of this is that PAO is different than silicone.
> Nye's site has a chart showing various synthetic oils they use, where silicones and PAOs are separate.
> https://www.nyelubricants.com/technical-reference



thanks for the link and excellent research
it shows that Nyogel is Fair for Silicone Orings and that Silicone is Poor for Silicone O rings.

So I agree with you, Nyogel is PAO, not Silicone. Thanks!

in both cases, Silicone O rings seem like a poor choice.

fwiw, my google showed Nyogel 760g being called Silicone, but dont believe everything you read on the internet.. LOL!
https://www.hkequipment.net/product-p/760g.htm
“NYOGEL 760G FLASHLIGHT SILICONE GREASE”



neutralwhite said:


> im still trying to work out if nano oil is ok to use alongside Lubri Film Grease or just stick to grease.
> thanks



Im not aware of a problem w mixing, but I would want more info whether to avoid Lubri Film w certain O ring types, because it is petroleum based.

per the MSDS:
_This product is a Food-Grade Petroleum Lubricant._
https://haynesmfg.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/16PTMSDSLUBRIFILM-2011.pdf
Note that mineral oil is considered food grade, even though it is an indigestible petroleum oil.

note also what it says on page 1, post #1, about petroleum lubricants:



Tekno_Cowboy said:


> O-Ring Compatibility
> 
> Use caution when using petroleum products, as they can damage some types of o-rings.
> Don't use silicone lubes on silicone o-rings. The o-rings can swell and make your light almost impossible to get open.



Im no expert, just like to google, so here is the MSDS for Nano Oil
https://nano-oil.com//Nano-Oil_MSDS_NLNA-5-10-85_20070415_.pdf

my reading is it contains PAO and Mineral Spirits (both are also petroleum products)..

so now Im wondering, what kind of O rings do my lights have, and is there an issue w Nano Oil w certain types of O rings?


----------



## peter yetman

Most of mine are Nitrile, if that helps.
P


----------



## jon_slider

peter yetman said:


> Most of mine are Nitrile, if that helps.
> P



thanks, it is helping me learn more
google sez Nitrile O rings are not affected by petroleum nor silicone
whereas silicone O rings should not me used w either lube type

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/v...and-o-rings!&p=2845636&viewfull=1#post2845636


kicken_bright said:


> After doing a little bit of reading, I have come to this conclusion.
> For silicone o-rings, you should not use petroleum or silicone products.
> For Buna-N (aka Nitrile), you can use both petroleum and silicone products!


----------



## louie

The only problem I've had with red silicone O-rings was with Superlube grease. It seems to be a silicone base, and started to dissolve the O-rings. No problem after going to Nyogel 760G.

I just stick to 760G, since I bought the large tube from Lighthound and will probably never use it all up. It's a decent lube, and is nice and clear so it doesn't leave stains. I also don't think the grease itself is conductive. I also ran across Nye documents describing how their greases don't insulate electrical contacts, the metals always bite through the grease.


----------



## Rossymeister

The majority of my collection consists of hds lights. What brand of grease do they use?

Ive been using nyogel since 2008, and im looking for something a bit different.


----------



## thaugen

I am wondering which brand HDS uses as well...


----------



## BattleBrat

I use Nyogel almost exclusively on electrical contacts that get connected disconnected often (like USB connections) the tool guy who introduced me to Nyogel said that’s basically was it was for. As for O rings and threads I use Sylglide (it’s a silicone based lubricant) UNLESS the flashlight grounds through the threads, then I use Caig Industries Preserve it. I clean any contact areas and battery contacts with Caig industries Deoxit, then apply Preserve it. I’m a mechanic and use a Mag Tac rechargeable to inspect cars and a Mag Mini LED Pro+ while working I’ve had em for years and have no flickering issues.


----------



## Husker

The 1st post hasn't been updated since 2013, so I'm guessing things have changed?

I would prefer not to have to use two different lubes.

I only have 4 lights (REV ARDOR, ZEBRA LIGHT, JAXMAN & SHADOWHAWK) Is there a single product/brand of grease/oil that is recommended for both of the Threads & O-Rings?


----------



## Husker

KuroNekko said:


> +1 for Super Lube. I originally bought it for my polyurethane sway bar bushings on my car after other lubes did not hold up. After seeing that it came up highly recommended for lubing O-rings on flashlights, I've used Super Lube for that purpose too. Unlike petroleum jelly, it goes on thin and you can rub it down to almost liquid instead of a thick jelly. I like that this one tube can service both my flashlights and my car. It's also rather easy to find. They usually sell the tubes at Harbor Freight Tools.



I see Super Lube makes this product> https://www.super-lube.com/o-ring-silicone-grease would it be good for the threads as well?


----------



## LanceMoreland

Luminescent said:


> Tekno_Cowboy,
> 
> The reason that I ask is that on my lights where bare aluminum threads are part of the twisty switch, and therefore get used frequently (with moderately high tension as the head is cinched down), I have found that ALL greases with PTFE thickeners are at least mildly abrasive.
> 
> - Luminescent



I bought some PTFE at great expense years ago when this thread first started and and always suspected this. My lights just did not feel smooth when using PTFE. I have several Surefire twist on lights. It also bothered me that they lube quickly turned black or dark grey. That told me that it was trapping aluminum particles. I just cleaned the PTFE from my lights and replaced it with Mobil 1 red synthetic grease and things feel much smoother now.


----------



## berniev

Apparently contradicting much of this thread LED Lenser state: 
"You can treat the O-ring which can now be seen on the light compartment with silicon-free grease."

Any ideas on a good product?


----------



## peter yetman

Change your O ring. There's plenty on Ebay, just get the right size and you're away.
P


----------



## berniev

peter yetman said:


> Change your O ring. There's plenty on Ebay, just get the right size and you're away.
> P



But what grease to use? Just about every post win this thread talks about silicon based greases, but LEDLaser specifically state silicon-free.

My understanding from reading here is that a silicon o-ring must not be lubed with silicone but for a nitrile o-ring it doesn't matter. But then there's the aluminium body to consider. Gees this seems ridiculously complicated for a torch!!


----------



## peter yetman

It's the ring that the silicon grease affects, so I use Nitrile rings and PTFE Silicon grease. The aluminium is impervious to such.
P


----------



## PaperKnife

Optic Nerve said:


> I went to my Ford dealership today and bought a Tube(87grams or 3 ounces)of their XG-12 grease for approx. 13 dollars. It is the same as Nyogel 760g. I called Nye lubricants to confirm. Best price that I could find for the quantity. I just wanted to share, because I thought it was a great find. Sorry, if this has already been mentioned.




This is very relevant. 
I contacted Nye Lubricants and confirmed the same. 
Went to a Ford dealership and paid $18.xx total out the door. 

That’s roughly 75% off what I found elsewhere for Nyogel 760G. 
Thanks to your post @OpticNerve I was able to get a 3oz tube quicker and cheaper. 

Others may find this info useful as much as I did. 

Thanks.

Edit
|
|
V

Went ahead and tested to see if Ford's Grease had the UV Tracer in it. 
Threw some on a piece of toilet paper and hit it with UV light. 
Glows just like NyoGel 760G!
well well well..... Ford's Grease appears to be the same indeed.


----------



## Baggs

So the XG-12 is harmless to Orings ?


----------



## PaperKnife

Baggs said:


> So the XG-12 is harmless to Orings ?



Depends what kind of O-rings are being used in your product or light. 
There’s always a potential for a compatibility issue when grease is introduced to certain chemistry make-ups of plastics or rubbers. 

Some rubber o-Rings are compatible with many lubricants. 
Best to check out a compatibility chart if you can locate one.


----------



## louie

Ditto on getting the Ford branded 760G, much cheaper and exactly the same thing. Nye's April newsletter repeats info on automotive use of 760G and gives part numbers for Ford, GM and Chrysler.
https://www.nyelubricants.com/service-bulletin-nyogel-760g

For O-ring compatibility, my understanding is that silicone rings will be orange/reddish or blue, and you shouldn't use silicone based lube on them, as it seems to make them rot. Black rings are usually nitrile/buna or the like, and it seems you can use any lube you like. Nye also has a chart describing this compatibility - click on their chart for a PDF version you can keep handy.
https://www.nyelubricants.com/technical-reference


----------



## Burgess

Just saw the Nyogel 760G datasheet,
and it says a Shelf Life of 4 Years !

I was unaware of this fact !

FYI . . . .


----------



## louie

Yeah, but I'm not going to worry about it, I just keep using my 2012 tube from Lighthound. It seems fine to me!


----------



## PaperKnife

louie said:


> Yeah, but I'm not going to worry about it, I just keep using my 2012 tube from Lighthound. It seems fine to me!



Like you, I wouldn't worry about it either. 
Nyogel 760G is considered a "Lube For Life" according to NewGate Simms (UK Authorized Distributor of NyoGel).
Youtube video: At 3:20 minutes in, he mentions it. 
Source


I did see the datasheet as well that mentioned 4 years shelf life, but again, not a concern really...
I'd be more concerned if the lube was compatible with certain o-rings.


As an example: 

Buna-N (not to be confused with Buna-S) is essentially Nitrile Rubber. 
With a base of Polyalphaolefin (PAO) in 760G; according to Nye Lubricant's compatibility table, it's safe to use with with Buna-N (Nitrile). 

At least that's my understanding.


----------



## Katherine Alicia

I use RICO premiun Cork grease, it`s for the joints on my clarinet. 
I don`t know what`s in it, but it`s harmless to O rings and threads so far, non toxic and doesn`t have a smell as such, it`s in a chapstick type tube and goes on the same way.


----------



## chillinn

Optic Nerve said:


> I went to my Ford dealership today and bought a Tube(87grams or 3 ounces)of their XG-12 grease for approx. 13 dollars. It is the same as Nyogel 760g. I called Nye lubricants to confirm. Best price that I could find for the quantity. I just wanted to share, because I thought it was a great find. Sorry, if this has already been mentioned.



Nice. Thank you thank you. FYI Motorcraft XG-12 is trending on zahBay for $19.60. I'll be locating and visiting the nearest Ford dealership.


----------



## louie

The Amazon price for Ford XG-12 is also about $19.32, but Ford parts dealers on Amazon seem to be charging about $16 including shipping. Hopefully if you have a Ford dealer nearby, you can get a competitive price, and much easier than trying to find Nyogel.

Now if only we could find damping grease like Nyogel 767A at a discount.


----------



## PaperKnife

louie said:


> Now if only we could find damping grease like Nyogel 767A at a discount.




Bought some off of amazon for $30.xx
50gram Tube


----------



## louie

PaperKnife said:


> Bought some off of amazon for $30.xx
> 50gram Tube



Not much of a discount. I paid $22.80 for 50g in 2015.


----------



## bigburly912

You can get the squeeze tubes off a dealer on eBay for 19.90


----------



## Cemoi

I'm looking for a very thick conductive grease to fix the wobbly head of my Astrolux M01.
NO-OX-ID seems to fill the bill from what I read in this thread.
Do you know a way to have it shipped to France without being charged stratospheric shipping fees?
litchfieldstation.com sells the 2oz. can for less than $2, but charges at least [FONT=&quot]$[/FONT][FONT=&quot]24.50 to ship it to France [/FONT]
On ebay, even the tiny 7gram tubes which cost $2 imply a minimum $19 shipping fee


----------



## xzel87

is that normal for that light?, sounds like a manufacturing defect.


----------



## Cemoi

xzel87 said:


> sounds like a manufacturing defect.


It does. Other owners have reported a similar issue on BLF.


----------



## madmardigan2

Wow, I found this super helpful. Great post. Thanks


----------



## adamlau

Cemoi said:


> I'm looking for a very thick conductive grease to fix the wobbly head of my Astrolux M01. NO-OX-ID seems to fill the bill from what I read in this thread.


It's good stuff and the default I reach for when I am looking for light dampening. Though I will admit that Nano-Oil feels different, very smooth. I may switch to it having used it on pivots many years back and not being excitted about the results. Probably mix it in with some Krytox 205 for rings and threads...


----------



## ghostguy6

Husker said:


> I see Super Lube makes this product> https://www.super-lube.com/o-ring-silicone-grease would it be good for the threads as well?



It should be ok as long as you dont use it on silicone O rings. It seems to be one of the only products readily available in Canada for a decent price. $12 shipped for 4 oz on Amazon.The ford version of Nyogel sells for $42 here and its special order with a 6 to 8 week delivery time. No one seems to carry true Nyogel unless you order from the states.

I got a bottle today and it seems to work well. Cant comment on the longevity yet but the initial impression is very good.


----------



## bluedog225

Holy moly! 71 pages on flashlight lube. I love this place!

And Dow 111 I believe is an excellent lube for this purpose.


----------



## Buck91

What is the choice version of krytox to use on ti threads? Just the plain pfpe GPL205? Or the thicker 206 or 207 versions?


----------



## timbo114

I use my own mix of Krytox GPL206 Grease and Krytox GPL-105 oil.
May be similar to Sandwich Shoppe Krytox 50/50 blend.

_Krytox™ oils and greases are silicone-free.
They do not contain any VOC materials or chlorine, and are not hazardous to the atmosphere or ozone layer.
They are biologically and environmentally inert._

*Just like Brylcreem ...
a little dab will do ya.


----------



## Olumin

I have a jar of silicone grease that is used for watch gaskets & thats what I use on lights too. I already have to remember all the different oils for watches and clocks so I keep it simple for lights.


----------



## OregonMedic

Just to double check, both Nyogel and Super-Lube are NOT silicone based, correct? And thus should not cause swelling or decay to silicone based O-rings? I ask because I was informed by the owner of Sofirn that his O-rings are silicone based. Thanks in advance


----------



## louie

OregonMedic said:


> Just to double check, both Nyogel and Super-Lube are NOT silicone based, correct? And thus should not cause swelling or decay to silicone based O-rings? I ask because I was informed by the owner of Sofirn that his O-rings are silicone based. Thanks in advance


I -think- regular Superlube grease is silicone-based. I used some once many years ago with red O-rings and ruined them. YMMV. My guess is that their silicone O-ring product is not silicone.

Nyogel 760G is not silicone. The Ford version is usually cheaper and easier to get.


----------



## louie

Then again, reading the Superlube O-ring lube page, it seems to say that it is silicone for silicone O-rings, which makes no sense to me. Maybe it's not the silicone but some other ingredient that ruins silicone rings.


----------



## pnwoutdoors

Buck91 said:


> What is the choice version of krytox to use on ti threads? Just the plain pfpe GPL205? Or the thicker 206 or 207 versions?



For years, I've been using the Krytox GPL 105 for general use around the house and vehicle, and the GPL 225 grease for more corrosive (incl outdoor) and threaded instances where I need a good non-reactive grease with good temperature range. Have another tube of the GPL 225 grease coming soon (just ran out, recently). Will re-lube the threads on my flashlights once it comes. I'll use the lights in all weather, including in the rain, cold down to 0ºF. It's a bit thick, and almost certainly overkill, for flashlight threads. But it ought to be compatible with all of the o-rings and should certainly keep things from seizing up.


----------



## MacKai

What does everyone think od Prometheus's munky spunk?


----------



## Johns957

I have starte to use Haynes Lubri-Film Plus. It is non-toxic and seems to work good.


----------



## OregonMedic

louie said:


> Then again, reading the Superlube O-ring lube page, it seems to say that it is silicone for silicone O-rings, which makes no sense to me. Maybe it's not the silicone but some other ingredient that ruins silicone rings.


That’s what I’m thinking (and hoping). I found one of my old Foursevens flashlights (it was sitting in a storage container for about 4 years untouched). Cleaned off the old lube and dirt with rubbing alcohol then used Superlube to condition the O-ring and help with water resistance. Hopefully it doesn’t ruin the o-ring but from what I’ve read SuperLube does pretty well with silicone based O-rings.


----------



## OldGreyDog

I’m cleaning a couple of old torches and found this mostly old thread. I have a bit of silicone grease but don’t know what the o-rings in these torches are made of. I think i’ll try a tiny drop of Napier Gun Oil which does not seem to react with the o-rings in airguns.


----------



## desmobob

I also sometimes use an airgun oil on O-rings. Mac1 "Secret Sauce" is a hydraulic lube that is supposed to be safe for various types of O-rings.


----------



## dc38

Is deoxit gold still a thing?


----------



## desmobob

dc38 said:


> Is deoxit gold still a thing?



It is for me for contact cleaning/maintenance and trying to rejuvenate battery compartment springs and contacts that have been damaged by leaking alkaline batteries in older electronic devices.

I keep an aerosol can of Deoxit Silver and tubes of Deoxit Silver and Deoxit Gold in my tool box.


----------



## seery

All of our lights are maintained with Deoxit Gold.


----------



## neutralwhite

I have some LUBRI FILM , and noticed there is one called LUBRI FILM *PLUS.
what is the difference there then ? , or is it the same maybe ? *


----------



## danstheman

OregonMedic said:


> Just to double check, both Nyogel and Super-Lube are NOT silicone based, correct? And thus should not cause swelling or decay to silicone based O-rings? I ask because I was informed by the owner of Sofirn that his O-rings are silicone based. Thanks in advance





louie said:


> I -think- regular Superlube grease is silicone-based. I used some once many years ago with red O-rings and ruined them. YMMV. My guess is that their silicone O-ring product is not silicone.
> 
> Nyogel 760G is not silicone. The Ford version is usually cheaper and easier to get.





louie said:


> Then again, reading the Superlube O-ring lube page, it seems to say that it is silicone for silicone O-rings, which makes no sense to me. Maybe it's not the silicone but some other ingredient that ruins silicone rings.



Regular SuperLube synthetic grease is NOT Silicone based. In the Technical Data Sheet (linked here, and attached) it states _'There is no Silicone in Super Lube® Multi-Purpose Grease with Syncolon® (PTFE)'_.

There is also a compatibility chart (also linked and attached) which indicates that the compatibility is 'Excellent' with Nitrile (aka Buna-N) and Neoprene, but only 'Good' with silicone. So perhaps there is an ingredient which is less than ideal for silicone, I'm not sure what to make of that.

Note that Super Lube makes multiple types of grease, including a silicone grease (which of course is NOT compatible with silicone). But their synthetic grease, which is their most common / standard product, is not silicone based.


----------



## louie

So complicated!


----------

