Silicon Grease

[Scrawler]

I am anticipating delivery of my first eyedropper pen. The instructions say that I will need silicone grease for the threads to seal the barrel. I went to the nearest Canadian Tire and Home Hardware and in both places they told me to look in the automotive section. Now I am pretty sure that an ounce will last a lifetime in this application. However while they had things like Lithium grease and Silicone adhesives and sealers they had no Silicone Grease. So what are its regular applications and where can I obtain it in very small quantities.

[DanDeM]

I am anticipating delivery of my first eyedropper pen. The instructions say that I will need silicone grease for the threads to seal the barrel. I went to the nearest Canadian Tire and Home Hardware and in both places they told me to look in the automotive section. Now I am pretty sure that an ounce will last a lifetime in this application. However while they had things like Lithium grease and Silicone adhesives and sealers they had no Silicone Grease. So what are its regular applications and where can I obtain it in very small quantities.

 

 

I'm told that it can be had at Surf Board Shops -- probably in quantities sufficient for a private airport runway. Or here

 

http://www.tryphon.it/catalogo.htm

[jleeper]

I'm in the US, but was in Lowe's, a big-box home improvement store and they had two brands in the plumbing department, near the plumbing solder, etc. Next time try looking around that part of the store.

[mge01park]

Lowe's should have it.

Edited December 14, 2009 by mgepark

[Scrawler]

I'm in the US, but was in Lowe's, a big-box home improvement store and they had two brands in the plumbing department, near the plumbing solder, etc. Next time try looking around that part of the store.

That would be perfect. Next time I am in town I will go take a look in the plumbing section. I hope they have it, because I am loath to buy such a small item by mail order.

This is one of the problems with living out in the sticks as I do.

[mge01park]

Lowe's should have it agreed.

[Scrawler]

Lowe's should have it agreed.

Unfortunately I do not know if there are Lowes in Canada. In the nearest town to me we have Canadian Tire and Home Hardware, however there is a general store in a village about 12 miles from me which seems to have just about everything, hidden away in one section or another. I know they have extensive plumbing supplies, because the cottagers around here are constantly fixing up their holiday cottages. I suspect that that will be my best bet. I just hope they do not sell it by the gallon or pound. A while back I needed shellac to glue a new sac and the minimum quantity I was able to by would probably be enough for a billion pens.

[welfvet]

Curiously I was asking the same question today and Martin at The Writing Desk suggested electronics stores and he was right. Be careful as often silicone isn't the only ingredient in for exampe the motoring and plumbing compounds. I have seen one that has PTFE added. Apparently pure silicone grease is used in electrical switching and electronics stores seem to sell it cheaply and in small quantities. In the UK a place called Maplins sells a tub for about 4 pounds sterling.

[ZeissIkon]

I'm pretty sure Wood Bin carries silicone grease, and they're in Canada -- and will mail the stuff striaght to your house.

[rsilver000]

Or find a dive shop. They sell it for regulators/o-rings.

Rob

[Scrawler]

I'm pretty sure Wood Bin carries silicone grease, and they're in Canada -- and will mail the stuff striaght to your house.

 

I wonder why I had never previously heard of Wood Bin. I looked them up and they seem to have a lot of the stuff I need to keep me happily repairing fountain pens all winter long.

[Ray-Vigo]

Some of the plumbing grade stuff isn't really 100% silicon grease, but is maybe only 90% or with 10% additives. I have a little can that I used for an old Touchdown. It's stickier than the better stuff, but worked ok in a pinch. If I had my druthers, I'd go with a higher grade grease from a dive shop or the food grade stuff.

[FatCatNap]

Silicone grease (also known as dielectric grease) is used in automotive service to thinly coat the insides of spark plug and coil tower boots. It keeps the boots from sticking, helps keep water out and does not degrade the boot material like mineral oils might. It also slows galvanic corrosion at connections of different metals. The stuff is used for similar reasons (e.g. coating high voltage insulation and high temperature connections) in other electronic applications. Small tubes of silicone grease are stocked with ignition parts or specialty lubricants in some auto parts stores.

Edited December 31, 2009 by FatCatNap

[Scrawler]

Silicone grease (also known as dielectric grease) is used in automotive service to thinly coat the insides of spark plug and coil tower boots. It keeps the boots from sticking, helps keep water out and does not degrade the boot material like mineral oils might. It also slows galvanic corrosion at connections of different metals. The stuff is used for similar reasons (e.g. coating high voltage insulation and high temperature connections) in other electronic applications. Small tubes of silicone grease are stocked with ignition parts or specialty lubricants in some auto parts stores.

Do you have a product name for this substance. The automotive department in my local Canadian Tire only has spray on Silicone grease in pressurized canisters, which is carries in noxious solvents. The stuff in the plumbing department is not for use in plastics. The silicone grease for use in electronics is not suitable because it is heavy in metal oxides to carry heat away. The best product that I have been able to find so far is Dow Corning 111 Valve Lubricant and Sealant. This comes in 5.3 oz packages, which is enough for several lifetimes in this application. If I am unable to find a suitable product that I can just buy by next week, I shall order a tube of the Dow Corning product. There is a supplier about 60 miles from me, and I am in process of finding out if they can mail things to me.

[Scrawler]

These are all the products I have identified that are suitable for eyedropper pens:

 

Dow Corning 111 Valve Lubricant and Sealant

 

MG Chemicals Translucent Silicone Grease Cat #8462

 

Novagard G662

 

Superlube Silicone Dielectric Grease #91003

91003 is marketed for different purposes by different companies. Look for the number 91003

eg Intova SILICONE GREASE O RING LUBRICANT

 

Permatex #19751 Tune Up Grease

[Kelly G]

I use the Dow Corning Silicon Grease - I'm not sure if it is that product number, but it is for lubricating O-rings and glass stop cocks. It is quite adequate and the 5.3 OZ tube will last a foreseeable life time of fountain pen repair.

[bgray]

Not to be the contrarian, but I've never seen anything at my local Lowe's or hardware store that I would want to put on a pen.

 

Maybe I'm being cautious, but I have always recommended 100% food safe silicone grease.

 

I've always bought from Clearco.

 

http://www.clearcoproducts.com/food_grade_grease.html

 

However, your minimum order will be a lot. Since I manufacture pens, it's worth it to me.

 

Any Edison owner can always send me a quick email, and I'll send over a little tub.

 

I have also used Dow Corning High Pressure grease. I'm not sure about the food-safe qualities, of this, but I know that it's safe on pens.

 

http://secure.sciencecompany.com/Dow-Corning-High-Vacuum-Grease-150g-P16100C692.aspx

 

Also not cheap, and you'll get a lot more than what you will ever need.

 

Dive shops will usually stock this stuff, and sell it in small quantities.

 

I'm not saying that something from Lowe's won't work, or will not be safe, but I'm not going to try it on my pens when I can get this stuff.

Edited December 31, 2009 by bgray

[Scrawler]

Not to be the contrarian, but I've never seen anything at my local Lowe's or hardware store that I would want to put on a pen.

 

Maybe I'm being cautious, but I have always recommended 100% food safe silicone grease.

 

I've always bought from Clearco.

 

http://www.clearcoproducts.com/food_grade_grease.html

 

However, your minimum order will be a lot. Since I manufacture pens, it's worth it to me.

 

Any Edison owner can always send me a quick email, and I'll send over a little tub.

 

I have also used Dow Corning High Pressure grease. I'm not sure about the food-safe qualities, of this, but I know that it's safe on pens.

 

http://secure.sciencecompany.com/Dow-Corning-High-Vacuum-Grease-150g-P16100C692.aspx

 

Also not cheap, and you'll get a lot more than what you will ever need.

 

Dive shops will usually stock this stuff, and sell it in small quantities.

 

I'm not saying that something from Lowe's won't work, or will not be safe, but I'm not going to try it on my pens when I can get this stuff.

I have obtained the materials safety data sheets for quite a few products in trying to determine the best bang for the buck and to find what I can use that is locally available to me. Both the High Vacuum grease and the 111 Valve lubricant and sealant are essentially the same thing. There are minor differences in the stiffening agent. The High Vacuum grease contains Boron and the 111 contains aluminum. Both are safe for food applications in normal usage. Both will cause reproductive problems if ingested in large amounts of long periods. The Clearco Silicone Grease 3005 (food grade) is exactly the same as Dow Corning 111. The Superlube 91003 product contains a small amount of PTFE (Poly tetraflouro ethylene) in addition to the siloxane, which is the principal ingredient of all the greases. PTFE is what makes non-stick frying pans non-stick (Teflon) and is regarded as safe for food. This makes it a bit more slippery than the Dow Corning/Clearco product. Novagard G662 is food grade and is intended for use in drinking water systems and is indistinguishable from the Dow Corning High Vacuum Grease.

The Permatex product will work under all normal conditions, but is not regarded as "food grade" because it contains amorphous silicon dioxide, which if you ingest will cause irritation. Although it will probably work fine, I would not personally use it, because of the potential for abrasion of soft surfaces. This should be regarded as an "emergency only" solution. MG Chemicals Translucent Silicone Grease (8462) contains more amorphous silicone dioxide than the Permatex Tune up grease so is the last thing that will do the job that you should consider. So in order from the best to the not so good for this application it looks like this:

 

1) Clearco Silicone Grease 3005 (food grade) / Dow Corning 111

2) Dow Corning High Vacuum Grease / Novagard G662

3) Superlube 91003 / Intova SILICONE GREASE O RING LUBRICANT

4) Permatex # 19751

5) MG Chemicals 8462

 

In my location number 3 is the cheapest in dollar cost. So after all this research I suggest that if you value your pen, want a warm and fuzzy feeling that you are doing no harm, or do not know exactly what your pen is made of go for either Clearco 3005 or Dow Corning 111 (which ever you can get cheaper). If you pen is not of great value and you want to spend the least money go for any 91003 product. If it is an emergency and you cannot get anything else get Permatex 19751 or MG 8462.

 

I have looked at all sorts of potential solutions that are commonly available, and my advice on them is DON'T. If it has Lithium in it, do not touch it. If it has solvents in it, leave it on the shelf.

Edited December 31, 2009 by Scrawler

[bgray]

Great info, thanks.

 

I think that we can safely point any thread asking about silicone grease to this one!

 

Appreciated.

 

And honestly, the Clearco stuff is great, but you can only get it by the pound, or by 2oz tubes, minimum quantity of 12.

 

I buy it buy the pound, and it lasts even me almost a year. A pound is WAY too much for a typical collector.

 

Is anyone interested in buying it by the small tub? Maybe I'll figure out a fair price, and start selling it. I have these little tubs that hold 1/5th of an oz. Perfect amount to last most collectors a long time.

Edited December 31, 2009 by bgray

[Scrawler]

Great info, thanks.

 

I think that we can safely point any thread asking about silicone grease to this one!

 

Appreciated.

 

And honestly, the Clearco stuff is great, but you can only get it by the pound, or by 2oz tubes, minimum quantity of 12.

 

I buy it buy the pound, and it lasts even me almost a year. A pound is WAY too much for a typical collector.

 

Is anyone interested in buying it by the small tub? Maybe I'll figure out a fair price, and start selling it. I have these little tubs that hold 1/5th of an oz. Perfect amount to last most collectors a long time.

Unfortunately I am in the wilds of Canada, so getting you to ship some would be prohibitively expensive. I actually contacted Dow Corning to get samples, hoping for just a gram for my new eyedropper pen, but they only send sample to large companies who may potentially be ordering many pounds of it. One fifth of an ounce is exactly the right amount. As it is right now, I only have one eyedropper pen, but now that I have used it, I hope to get many more in future. I like the simplicity and the focus on the nib, rather than on the works.