Silicone Grease

[riff raff]

You gots no auto parts stores? It's the same grease you put on light bulb connections. Autozone (and the like) sell little packets of bulb grease near the counter for a buck or so.

[TWRDO]

Hey guys, how about using a drop of coconut oil or any other vegetable oil? They are petroleum free and lubricate/seal at the same time. I cannot find silicone grease in my small town. Every shop keeper looks at me in a strange manner (i believe i was the first to inform them about the existence of such a grease).

 

No! They may not be petroleum-based, but like anything petroleum-based they are also organic. For pens, it's silicone or nothing. If you've asked at auto parts stores, don't count on those clowns knowing what's in their lubes (I'm a car guy, and am well-experienced with dealing with parts store types - you have to know what you need before you go in, and not let them tell you otherwise). But even then, I'm still wary of dielectric greases. They are silicone-based, but I can't seem to find an MSDS sheet on any dielectric greases to prove there isn't any thing else in them.

 

The Dow-Corning grease gets high praises around here, but according to the MSDS sheets the GUNK brand Plumber's silicone grease is chemically identical and much cheaper. Many hardware/variety stores carry it (it's in a little white plastic tub) in the plumbing section. Your store employees may just not know what it is.

 

If all else fails, order the grease online. There are no 100% safe substitutes.

[Richard]

Is there a particular brand/type of silicone grease that is best to use to libricate a piston-fill pen (a Pelikan in particular)?

I'd like to think there is. Starting today...

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/accessories/silicone/silicone.jpg

 

(Click on the image!)

 

It's the stuff we use here at the Nashua Pen Spa, and I just put it up on the site about an hour ago. (Yeah, I'm shilling my own product. )

[burmeseboyz]

I bought some plumber's silicone grease (advertised as 100% and no petroleum additives) for a few bucks at a hardware store. Seems to be doing fine in my pens after two years so far. But if you're not sure, spend a little more and get the right stuff.

[TWRDO]

It's the stuff we use here at the Nashua Pen Spa, and I just put it up on the site about an hour ago. (Yeah, I'm shilling my own product. )

 

That's all right. Richard only sells good stuff.

 

<---satisfied customer.

[wykeite]

These greases are 100% silicone? I think not with respect. The carriers to make the oil into a grease may well be inert but it's a bold claim.

[Richard]

These greases are 100% silicone? I think not with respect. The carriers to make the oil into a grease may well be inert but it's a bold claim.

There is no carrier in our grease. It contains only dimethylpolysiloxane with silicon dioxide as a filler to thicken it into a grease.

[fuchsiaprincess]

I probably wouldn't use it in my Pelikan just in case it's not pure or has petroleum, but I bought a small tub for a small amount of money in the plumbing section at Lowe's. I use it on a Wality eyedropper, some plunger filler vintage Italian school pens I picked up, and would probably use it in Dollar and Reform pistons if necessary.

 

Probably contains petroleum. Be careful!

[Bo Bo Olson]

Hey guys, how about using a drop of coconut oil or any other vegetable oil? They are petroleum free and lubricate/seal at the same time. I cannot find silicone grease in my small town. Every shop keeper looks at me in a strange manner (i believe i was the first to inform them about the existence of such a grease).

Go to your pharmacist and get an oz of glycerin. I use that for Vintage piston pens I have that are not twist out.

I used it for my Reform P-120 also.

 

It's not quite as good or fast as silicon grease. There is no reason at all to use 95% good, when you have been told 100% is what you need to order. That 95% is bad for your pens.

Hopefully it's not vintage pens you are ruining...oh well, here comes Ebay.

 

Drink less coffee.

 

It's like telling some that they should use 100% pure talc, and not baby bottom talc when re-sac'ing...and they keep saying well it seems to work...this week.

 

It is not like this stuff costs more than a bottle of ink.

 

I was very lucky a stranger sent me some 100% pure silicon grease...we are friends now....but I was too cheap to order some from the states, because of the postage.

I was stupid....Cheap.

Be stupid cheap...buy Miller Lite and not Sam Adams.

Then you can afford to order some 100% silicon grease and talc.

 

In either or both cases it's a once in a life time buy...if you don't turn pro.

Edited September 29, 2010 by Bo Bo Olson

[TWRDO]

I probably wouldn't use it in my Pelikan just in case it's not pure or has petroleum, but I bought a small tub for a small amount of money in the plumbing section at Lowe's. I use it on a Wality eyedropper, some plunger filler vintage Italian school pens I picked up, and would probably use it in Dollar and Reform pistons if necessary.

 

Probably contains petroleum. Be careful!

 

The GUNK brand in the little white tub does not contain petroleum products, unless they lied on their MSDS sheet (which would be a whole other can of worms).

[Bo Bo Olson]

The trouble about leading a horse to water is it drowns.

 

Then the gooey wrecked pen ends up on Ebay.

What a way to save a buck.

 

The combined wisdom of the ages for pens is ignored, at the cost a cup of Stabucks coffee, so is too expensive to even consider.

 

They don't know nothing any way...even them that repair pens...

 

If you go to a junk yard, I'm sure you can get some lube off some wheel bearings with only 100,000 miles on it, for free.

Edited September 29, 2010 by Bo Bo Olson

[watch_art]

If you go to a junk yard, I'm sure you can get some lube off some wheel bearings with only 100,000 miles on it, for free.

 

 

 

:roflmho:

 

I got my silicone from a dive shop. It was $5.00 for one ounce. 100% pure. The good stuff.

[Jimmy James]

I probably wouldn't use it in my Pelikan just in case it's not pure or has petroleum, but I bought a small tub for a small amount of money in the plumbing section at Lowe's. I use it on a Wality eyedropper, some plunger filler vintage Italian school pens I picked up, and would probably use it in Dollar and Reform pistons if necessary.

 

Probably contains petroleum. Be careful!

 

The GUNK brand in the little white tub does not contain petroleum products, unless they lied on their MSDS sheet (which would be a whole other can of worms).

 

Right. The product label itself also indicates no petroleum products if I remember right. I am actually growing confident enough of it that I might just use it in a TWSBI or Pelikan. I have now used it on a number of lesser pens with good results.

[wykeite]

These greases are 100% silicone? I think not with respect. The carriers to make the oil into a grease may well be inert but it's a bold claim.

There is no carrier in our grease. It contains only dimethylpolysiloxane with silicon dioxide as a filler to thicken it into a grease.

 

Well put, however we have to also remember that silicon dioxide aka silica aka sand/quartz is an abrasive. I'll be sticking to Polydimethylsiloxane itself as an oil for pen lube. Just my personal opinion .

[Bo Bo Olson]

I had a problem...where I had to use glycerin. I think I made a slight mistake. This time I used 100% pure glycerin, instead of what I normally used which was 50-50 with water.

 

 

 

Normally I'm just trying to make an old dried out cork that has sat inked for some 20 or more years, live for a year or so more.

 

It was new mint 50-60 year old corks. I did not want them to crumble from age. I wanted the glycerin to sort of hold that cork together a bit. I did not want to try 100% water on those antique mint corks, and have them start flaking apart.

 

I soaked it for some 6 hours and then added ink. One of the two pens leaked out the back.

 

I emptied that pen. Soaked it clean, and let it dry. I thought it enough glycerin; perhaps too much glycerin.

 

Then I put some ink into it and left both with the nib down, in a cup with a paper towel, but at an angle, so the cork would now soak up ink.

 

Next time I run into a 50+ year old mint cork I'll do it 50-50 and not so long. Perhaps do it in stages. I believe I did not give the cork enough water to hydrate it. The glycerin was too slick and didn't soak enough in.

 

So for 4 days I just changed the angle of the ink to the cork; so that the air bubble got moved around.

I gave it the ink test, of turning it over so the nib was up, and it passed. No leaks.

 

 

And I'd really suggest to any one but Wykeite, that one gets an oz of 100% silicon grease for when it can be used.

 

I've been reading for two years where the experts and the pros say...100% pure silicon grease and 100% talc...

 

How odd, I believed them, right from the get go...I can sleep nights, with out insomnia of what if they were really right and I was wrong, and my pen is slowly melting.

Thats All I need, is dreaming Salvatore Dali painting a bent fountain pen instead of a bent pocket watch.

Edited October 1, 2010 by Bo Bo Olson

[gampupen]

Got my jar of pure Silicone grease today (courtesy: a fellow fpner, who was kind enough to send me.). Used it on my ebonite eyedropper atonce.

I can now use my eyedropper without the guilt of spoiling it by using substitute products.

[mikey]

I probably wouldn't use it in my Pelikan just in case it's not pure or has petroleum, but I bought a small tub for a small amount of money in the plumbing section at Lowe's. I use it on a Wality eyedropper, some plunger filler vintage Italian school pens I picked up, and would probably use it in Dollar and Reform pistons if necessary.

 

Hello Jimmy,

 

Is this what you picked up at Lowe's?

 

Thanks,

Mike

[TWRDO]

I probably wouldn't use it in my Pelikan just in case it's not pure or has petroleum, but I bought a small tub for a small amount of money in the plumbing section at Lowe's. I use it on a Wality eyedropper, some plunger filler vintage Italian school pens I picked up, and would probably use it in Dollar and Reform pistons if necessary.

 

Hello Jimmy,

 

Is this what you picked up at Lowe's?

 

Thanks,

Mike

 

That's the stuff I've used. It's chemically identical to the Dow Corning grease that many people so highly regard and accept as safe for pens.

[Jimmy James]

Yep. That's what I have and will use.

[Garageboy]

Anything from nye labs that works?