Silicone Grease Or Oil ?

[kl122002]

Hi,

I got a sheaffer snorkel pen recently with a cardbox. Everything appears original and untouched in these years, but I notice it is quite hard to extent the snorkel out. Some sandy sound are noted while extending the metal tube.

 

I opened the pen and find out the spring has been slightly rushed. But the sac, and sac holders and else are fine. The ink goes well into and writes well

 

I want to lube the mechanics and I am looking for silicone grease. After failed many time, I finally got 2 grease from a watch-repair tools shop.

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y35/kl122002/DSC_0163_zpsvnv5bp2h.jpg

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y35/kl122002/DSC_0166_zpshuxuccly.jpg

 

 

But can I use them? I can't find the grease (vaseline like ) one in local.

The white cover one says grease but the clear fluid looks like thick silicone oil instead. And the black one, Bergon 7055 do have some silicone oil-like on the blue sponge. Which one sound better on old pens ?

 

Thank you,

Edited October 3, 2016 by kl122002

[Ron Z]

I would go with the grease rather than the oil. I prefer to use grease because it is thicker, and stays where you put it. When you get into lubricating piston seals, plunger rods etc. you want a grease like Molykote 111 because it will resist washing off, which an oil won't nearly as well.

[graystranger]

Ron, thanks for the explanation for using grease vs. oil. Good to know about Molykote 111 too. Molykote products are fantastic when you use the right one for the application.

 

I would avoid any grease that is not 100% silicone. Petroleum greases have been known to degrade rubber seals over time.

 

You can get silicone grease from SCUBA diving suppliers, it is used to grease the O-rings in regulators, tank valves, etc. I'm sure you have places in Hong Kong that supply SCUBA divers. Suppliers to the food industry also carry food grade silicone grease for use in food processing equipment.

 

I did a search on Amazon for Molykote 111 and found a number of sources. Some were large quantities and some were small containers. One was labeled with a dive flag for SCUBA use.

Edited October 3, 2016 by graystranger

[Ron Z]

I also have it in 1/8 Oz jars.

[kl122002]

Thank you Ron and Graystranger.

Molykote 111 sounds nice but I afraid I can not order it from online. Last time after I received my radio bought from Amazon, I was asked to complete a complicated Import Declaration papers in HK. That's really frustrating and I have to keep all receipts for 2 years!

 

I have tried the diving supply shop but I can't find any pure silicone grease from them. They do have grease for sell but they can't tell whether it is 100% pure, such as the IRON silicone grease from Japan.

 

Should I try the chemicals sellers?

[praxim]

One might also find tubes of it in automotive stores as I did, there being no skin-diving going on around here. Make sure it is marked specifically for use on rubber O-rings and for plumbing purposes. It is usually possible to check the MSDS for unwanted additives, even after the data on the packaging raises no alarms.

[DustyR]

The dive shop silicone grease is fine: it should be thick, 100% food grade silicone.

 

 

Thank you Ron and Graystranger.

Molykote 111 sounds nice but I afraid I can not order it from online. Last time after I received my radio bought from Amazon, I was asked to complete a complicated Import Declaration papers in HK. That's really frustrating and I have to keep all receipts for 2 years!

 

I have tried the diving supply shop but I can't find any pure silicone grease from them. They do have grease for sell but they can't tell whether it is 100% pure, such as the IRON silicone grease from Japan.

 

Should I try the chemicals sellers?

[nhw]

Hi, may I know which watch tool shop you got the grease from? I've been having trouble getting it here in Hong Kong too.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Hi,

I got a sheaffer snorkel pen recently with a cardbox. Everything appears original and untouched in these years, but I notice it is quite hard to extent the snorkel out. Some sandy sound are noted while extending the metal tube.

 

I opened the pen and find out the spring has been slightly rushed. But the sac, and sac holders and else are fine. The ink goes well into and writes well

 

I want to lube the mechanics and I am looking for silicone grease. After failed many time, I finally got 2 grease from a watch-repair tools shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

But can I use them? I can't find the grease (vaseline like ) one in local.

The white cover one says grease but the clear fluid looks like thick silicone oil instead. And the black one, Bergon 7055 do have some silicone oil-like on the blue sponge. Which one sound better on old pens ?

 

Thank you,

Edited November 18, 2016 by nhw

[PAKMAN]

Ron Zorn who answered you above has it for sale for pen use.

[praxim]

Freight from the US tends to be high to here in Oz, probably much the same going to Hong Kong, especially disproportionate for something so small. Much better to find a dive, watch or auto shop locally.

[tamiya]

HK has many RC Hobby shops around Mongkok area ask for any common RC brand of "shock absorber damper oil" 50-100wt if you want something that flows, or "diff=differential locking grease" 50,000-100,000wt for silicone sludge. Lots in between.

 

Snorkel has many moving parts that cause sluggish mechanism, least of all is rusty spring IMHO

 

Point seal & snorkel's path needs to be unobstructed & lubed, new seals can be draggy etc. Sac protector's 4 fingers can't be too mangled after latest resac job, else it won't slide thru section too well.

 

I've been using Kyosho's 7000wt diff oil for my Snorkel jobs so far, both point & barrel seals. It's fluid enough to flow in, thick enough to hang on & not make a big mess where it's not wanted. Doesn't wash off with water but most spirit cleaners take it off easy.

[Ron Z]

Your post makes me wince. I've seen silicone and silicone oil glopped all over the inside of the pens, and it's awful. This is another case where using something because it is available rather than using the right material can cause harm. What a mess. A little (and I do mean a little) silicone grease applied to the right spots will take care of things without making a slippery mess.

[nhw]

Thanks! RC hobby shops that should be easy then. Good pointers!

[praxim]

As a former RC hobbyist, user of those oils and greases and still possessing them, I don't use them for pens and have neither plans nor expectations to do so. Good sources were well-advised.

[JCC123]

Hi @Ron Z, sorry to revive an old thread, but I have a question regarding the use of silicone grease on Montblanc pistons. Since I assume they're also made of silicone, should we use it on Montblancs? What else can we use? Vasoline?

[Ron Z]

The seals are not silicone, but a harder plastic. It is not effected at all silicone grease.   Some say Vaseline, but the best MB mechanic says to use silicone grease.  I also talked with a friend who at the time was the head of the Chemistry department at the college a few blocks away.  His comment was that silicone grease is safe with plastics.  I do recommend the Molykote 111.  Not only does it lubricate well and resist washing off, but it is also designed for use on 0-rings.  It's what I've used for almost 15 years on piston seals, plunger rods, and all that.  I sell it so that it is available to amateurs who want to repair their pens.

[JCC123]

Thanks @Ron Z, do you know if this is true with vintage 60's 149's as well? Not sure when they switched to using plastic instead of silicone? Or did they never use silicone for their pistons?

[Cliff O]

You don't need anything with a fancy name, or expensive.  I've been using divers' food grade pure silicone grease for 15 years without a single issue with any pen.  It's designed to work on O-ring seals.  It should set you back about 10 bucks and last a lifetime.  My Pelikan M1000 was last lubed in 2013 and still works better than it did when new.  That's probably 75-100 ink fills and countless cleanings since then.  Just search Amazon or your local dive shop for: food grade pure silicone grease.

[Ron Z]

My jars of Molykote 111 are $5 plus the shipping...

[Dillo]

On 1/21/2025 at 6:21 PM, JCC123 said:

Thanks @Ron Z, do you know if this is true with vintage 60's 149's as well? Not sure when they switched to using plastic instead of silicone? Or did they never use silicone for their pistons?

 

They never used silicone for pistons. I don't actually know of many people who do. It was originally a cork seal many many years ago, but after that they used the plastic seals very similar to what they still use today.

 

There are a few modern pens out there that use silicone O-rings and such. On those pens I usually use a perfluorinated lubricant on the seals because they're not compatible with silicone grease.