Jump to content

Substitute For Silicone Grease

sajiskumar

By sajiskumar
in Repair Q&A

 Share

Recommended Posts

sajiskumar Rare

sajiskumar

Posted
Posted

Hi,

 

In my place it is difficult to get Silicone Grease. Can I use Petroleum Jelly as an alternative?.

Is there any adverse effect in using this substitute in materials other than rubber/ebonite?

 

Please advise.

 

Thanks

-saji

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 69
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Ron Z

    6

  • Pen Nut

    5

  • Scrawler

    4

  • sajiskumar

    4

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Ron Z Museum Piece

Ron Z

Posted
Posted

Bruce - time for your comment here......

 

No. Petroleum jelly is... a petroleum product, which will damage rubber and may damage plastic parts. You won't get away with using it unless you are absolutely sure, dead certain that the "rubber" is buna-N, or some other chemical resistant rubber, and most pen parts aren't.

 

Silicone grease is available from a wide range of sources. It can be ordered from folks like Pendemonium if you don't have a local source. Buy some.

spacer.png
Visit Main Street Pens
A full service pen shop providing professional, thoughtful vintage pen repair...

Please use email, not a PM for repair and pen purchase inquiries.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
UltraMagnus Extremely Rare

UltraMagnus

Posted
Posted

Silicone is a rather recent invention, what did they use before it was invented?

politician and idiot are synonymous terms - Mark Twain

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Left FPN Donor Pen

Left FPN

Posted
Posted

Silicone is a rather recent invention, what did they use before it was invented?

 

Probably an animal biproduct....from a pig perhaps.....o'ink,o'ink.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sajiskumar Rare

sajiskumar

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thank you Ron Z, Ray-Vigo, UltraMagnus and Force for your comments.

 

I will clarify my purpose. It is to use in section threads( joining barrels) in EDs to prevent any possible ink leakage and there is No rubber parts involved.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
viclip Vintage

viclip

Posted
Posted

Teflon or plumber's tape may put too much stress on the fine threads esp. if they're black hard rubber, leading to cracking.

 

I believe that back in the 1890s-1910s, eydroppers were sealed using beeswax. Living in Canada I find it easier to locate silicone grease than beeswax, I haven't a clue who might sell beeswax let alone what it's predominant use is nowadays, but it should do the job.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OcalaFlGuy Museum Piece

OcalaFlGuy

Posted
Posted

At least from my reading on some of the major U.S pen makers, I think their most often used materials for sealing were either shellac or a section sealant. Parker used a proprietary Rosin based sealant that I don't think anyone has replicated. Ron Zorn has replicated and sells the section sealant that Sheaffer used. He has also seen the Sheaffer repair department with gallon jugs of the same readily available commercial shellac that can be found in hardware and home improvement stores today.

 

You could probably use a good section sealant just fine.

 

While the Silicone grease is a newer development it also offers much less effort to separate and (contrary to popular belief) IS available in more places than proper section sealant. It was also probably more beneficial to the vintage pen makers to use a stronger than really necessary sealant to prevent pen owners from accidentally separating parts that shouldn't be. (A lesson certainly taken to heart by many modern restorers.)

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL-really, just get the real deal and be done with it

Link to comment
Share on other sites
UltraMagnus Extremely Rare

UltraMagnus

Posted
Posted

Silicone is a rather recent invention, what did they use before it was invented?

 

Probably an animal biproduct....from a pig perhaps.....o'ink,o'ink.

I guess lard could actually work quite well.... :hmm1:

politician and idiot are synonymous terms - Mark Twain

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ron Z Museum Piece

Ron Z

Posted
Posted

If you're using something to seal the threads of an early eyedropper (typo was eyedripper, which may be accurate), the pen is hard rubber, and grease could still harm the pen. You may not want to use a rosin based thread sealant because its quite sticky, and gets on everything if you're taking a pen apart regularly as you will with an ED. Silicone grease is OK, but I rather like the idea of bees was. It's a bit sticky, and would seal well. I would expect that it would not harm the pen.

 

PTFE pipe thread sealant is a mess to clean off. I wouldn't want to use that either.

spacer.png
Visit Main Street Pens
A full service pen shop providing professional, thoughtful vintage pen repair...

Please use email, not a PM for repair and pen purchase inquiries.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pen Nut Donor Pen

Pen Nut

Posted
Posted

I once bought a nib tool of Fountainbel and got into a long discussion regarding nib sealing with him.

 

Eventually, I think to shut me up, he actually sent me some beeswax to try and have used it on a few occasions with great results. Warmed it in a spoon first and the few impurities that were contained in the wax sank to the bottom and the heat made application easy.

A wise man once said    " the best revenge is wealth "   but a wiser man answered back    " the best revenge is happiness "

 

The true definition of madness - Doing the same thing everyday and expecting different results......

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ron Z Museum Piece

Ron Z

Posted
Posted (edited)
Molykote 111 will do a perfect job.

 

....and do we know what's in said product, and what it is compatible with? Always ask, and know your materials before you use it on a pen.

Edited by Ron Z

spacer.png
Visit Main Street Pens
A full service pen shop providing professional, thoughtful vintage pen repair...

Please use email, not a PM for repair and pen purchase inquiries.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Chthulhu Collectors Item

Chthulhu

Posted
Posted
Molykote 111 will do a perfect job.

 

....and do we know what's in said product, and what it is compatible with? Always ask, and know your materials before you use it on a pen.

 

We do if we look at its MSDS:

 

https://msds.canon-europe.com/Environment/CENVMSDS.nsf/0/5C47FDBBE28F73C5802571E9004DC5E4/$FILE/TKC-0920%20MOLYKOTE%20111%20COMPOUND%20.PDF

 

It's silicone grease, and apparently nothing else.

Mike Hungerford

Model Zips - Google Drive

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OcalaFlGuy Museum Piece

OcalaFlGuy

Posted
Posted

Silicone grease masquerading as Molliekote 111?

 

We may make it to Hydrogenated Yak Squeeze before the end of this thread afterall...

 

:P

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL-can't wait to see the new improved mobetta shiny name for shellac

Link to comment
Share on other sites
daniel0731ex Mint

daniel0731ex

Posted
Posted

Can you find silicone grease in an "adult toy" shop?

 

Right now I uses the silicone fillings in gel pen inktubes. Collected from over 5+ pens :o

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33559
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26744
    5. jar
      jar
      26101

  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      Links to web pages or articles about Chinese typesetting, signwriting, etc.

      By Shanghai Knife Dude · Posted

      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By adamselene · Posted

      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By adamselene · Posted

      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o

  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More

  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...