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Silicone Grease

nevermore_66

By nevermore_66
in Fountain & Dip Pens - First Stop

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nevermore_66 NOS (New Old Stock)

nevermore_66

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

"There is no exquisite beauty…without some strangeness in the proportion."

~Edgar Allan Poe, "Ligeia"

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Pen Is Mightier Extremely Rare

Pen Is Mightier

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You want to make sure that none of the silicone grease you use has any petroleum or petroleum distillates in it as this can destroy the plastic of pens. As for what I would use I have heard that the dielectric grease you get at automotive stores will work, as well as what watch_art said about the dive shop silicone. There are also pen places online that sell it, you would just have to pay shipping. Hope this helps.

The Pen Is Mightier than the sword.

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EnviroDawg Near Mint

EnviroDawg

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I use Dow Corning High Vacuum Silicone grease which has no additives. It is very thick and we use it to seal stopcock and other glass joints for lab equipment. It is available in 150 gram tubes at roughly 32-cents per gram. The tubes are relatively large and I dare say that you would never run out unless you repair pens for a living.

Edited by EnviroDawg
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LisaN Vintage

LisaN

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So many chemists here...

Sometimes the cat needs a new cat toy. And sometimes I need a new pen.

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Jimmy James Antique

Jimmy James

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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.

<a href="Http://inkynibbles.com">Inky NIBbles, the ravings of a pen and ink addict.</a>

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OldGriz Donor Pen

OldGriz

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How about lithium grease, like bicyclists use? The hubby is an amateur bike mechanic, and we're drowning in it...

 

Lithium grease IS NOT silicone grease... do not use it...

 

I originally got my first jar of silicone grease from Tryphon... then when I started to restore pens professionally I got some from my local dive shop...

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LisaN Vintage

LisaN

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Hey, I'M not a chemist. I'm an art teacher...:P

I mean chemists like me who raid their laboratories for stopcock grease (dow corning) USP talc, disposable transfer pipets, etc.

I suspect art teachers do the same thing to a lesser extent. Art teachers are good because they can ask someone to fire the terra cotta pen holders we make :P

Sometimes the cat needs a new cat toy. And sometimes I need a new pen.

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WillSW Vintage

WillSW

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How about lithium grease, like bicyclists use? The hubby is an amateur bike mechanic, and we're drowning in it...

 

Lithium grease IS NOT silicone grease... do not use it...

 

I originally got my first jar of silicone grease from Tryphon... then when I started to restore pens professionally I got some from my local dive shop...

 

Also got mine from Tryphon. Nice people.

paintings

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nevermore_66 NOS (New Old Stock)

nevermore_66

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Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

I got some of the di-electric grease from an auto store (the label said it was safe with rubber and plastics). I swabbed a little on and the piston is like knew.

"There is no exquisite beauty…without some strangeness in the proportion."

~Edgar Allan Poe, "Ligeia"

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LisaN Vintage

LisaN

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ooooh... I COULD make terracotta pen holders.... good idea.

 

Like a Colima dog, please...

http://www.gomanzanillo.com/features/dog/corndog.jpg

 

I might make one like this dog:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_nsPJVMfHDsQ/SUmOuhbt7OI/AAAAAAAAAFw/Uj1rJGFWuEI/s512/12-17-08_1715.jpg

who needs a walk right now...

Edited by LisaN

Sometimes the cat needs a new cat toy. And sometimes I need a new pen.

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watch_art Museum Piece

watch_art

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ooooh... I COULD make terracotta pen holders.... good idea.

 

Like a Colima dog, please...

http://www.gomanzanillo.com/features/dog/corndog.jpg

 

 

Would the pen go in his mouth or in his tail hole? I could put ridges down his back to put them there...

fpn_1432247667__cropped-20150427_0641231 http://www.penturners.org/forum/signaturepics/sigpic14481_1.gif http://mob984.photobucket.com/albums/ae327/VintagePen/vanness.jpg?t=1321916122

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LisaN Vintage

LisaN

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You could make him carrying a pair of baskets, or have him standing up,

Or have a pair of them sleeping together...

 

I plan to model mine after the way my dog sleeps on his back, and have the pen ridges across his belly

These little pre-columbian xolo dogs are awesome

Edited by LisaN

Sometimes the cat needs a new cat toy. And sometimes I need a new pen.

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GirchyGirchy Extremely Rare

GirchyGirchy

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How about lithium grease, like bicyclists use? The hubby is an amateur bike mechanic, and we're drowning in it...

Probably not the best idea....lithium is petroleum based and can eat rubber. Silicone is best - personally I use a little tube I got from the hardware store in the plumbing section, used for o-rings.

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PianoMan14 Extremely Rare

PianoMan14

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I have used 90% pure plumbing silicon grease when I was in a pinch, but try to get 95-100% pure.

Soli Deo Gloria!

 

Void your warranty, violate a user agreement, fry a circuit, blow a fuse, poke an eye out!

 

 

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nevermore_66 NOS (New Old Stock)

nevermore_66

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Silicone is best - personally I use a little tube I got from the hardware store in the plumbing section, used for o-rings.

 

 

Yeah, the di-electric grease I got said it was good for plastic, rubber, and o-rings.

"There is no exquisite beauty…without some strangeness in the proportion."

~Edgar Allan Poe, "Ligeia"

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gampupen Mint

gampupen

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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).

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