The right grease for our lights

[Teofilo]

   There are plenty of branded grease and oil out there in the market. The silicone grease spray (cyclo, waxco, etc.),  the ceramic grease (tamiya grease), Wd-40... What is the right grease for our torches? that won't damage the O-rings and threads?

[NutSAK]

Any silicone grease will not attack any type of o-ring, so I usually suggest the inexpensive silicone grease from the plumber's section of your hardware store.  This is not a very good lube for non-anodized threads, however.

Petroleum-based lubes (oil or grease) will attack some types of o-rings, so I stay away from them.  They usually cause the o-ring to soften and "swell" over time.

There a few brands of oil/grease that I have used that work very well on threads and o-rings, but they are a more expensive solution:

Radio Shack teflon "super lube" in a pen-type applicator see here
Nano-Oil (very expensive oil) http://www.nanolube.com/
Nyogel (very expensive grease) http://www.cpfreviews.com/Flashlight-Care-Nyogel-Lubricants.php
DeOxit https://www.4sevens.com/index.php?cPath=25_62

I can recommend any of the above, but I definitely prefer a very thin film of Nano-Oil for threads.  I typically will use a combination of Nano-Oil on the threads and Silicone grease on the o-rings.

DO NOT use WD-40, please!  WD-40 is not a good quality lubricant.  It is a solvent that is designed for water displacement (WD) and has some lubricating qualities.  It is petroleum based, and will thicken to a sticky mess in the long term.

[edap617]

Gene, for me the best lubrication for our flashlight is silicone grease. I hope to receive the silicone grease in tube you sent late this afternoon.

[Teofilo]

Thanks very much Nutsak!!

Yes Ed, Silicone grease is the right one for our torches!

[jock1]

I now  use silicone grease on my torches after reading very recently that vaseline is a real bad idea but I will have a look for some of the recommended lubricants when I can afford them
Cheers Terry

[duckman1975]

how about mineral oil? good thing I read this thread my torch is bone dry no lub.

[Neil]

I use Nyogel but part of me wonders if any old silicone grease wouldn't work just as well 

Neil

[edap617]

I received this afternoon the Silicone lubricant that Gene (Teofilo) sent yesterday. It only took less than 24 hours to ship the stuff from Manila to my place here in the province.

In my own opinion this is the right stuff for lubricating flashlight o-rings and threads. It really made a big difference in the smoothness in twist of the besel in all my Fenix lights.

Thank you so much Gene.

[NutSAK]

If you're using an oil that runs, such as what you have pictured there, be sure not to use too much.  You don't want it running down the threads and interfering with the electrical contacts.

[edap617]

Thanks for the advice Terry. This stuff has a high viscosity and it is almost like grease. I just applied a very small amount of this stuff in  each light using the tip of a toothpick.

Eddie

[Styerman]

I get mine from the local dive shop , will not attack O rings .

Chris

[edap617]

Yeah, it is also best for spark plug rubber boots and the thread of the spark plug. It makes it easy to remove spark plug later.

[Pacu]

Would lithium grease work? I use it for my shocks on my mountain bike.

[Teofilo]

Lithium grease resists moisture and not petroleum based, works well on metals and more on heavy duty use, I think .
See this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-based_grease

[cyberspyder]

It depends on what type of O-rings you're lubricating...I'll used Tuf-Glide on O-rings, especially the Arcs and it works.

OK, I contacted our o-ring supplier and got the skinny on how to care for the o-rings in the Arc:

They are made from Bunu-nitro which is very resistant to petroleum-based products. They work find around oil, gas, etc.

Neoprene has the problem with petroleum, but we do not use neoprene in any of our products.

As far as what lubes to use, there are many choices. Vaseline is a "great choice" and commonly available. You can even use "PAM" in a pinch.

Silicon or teflon based lubes are great. Here's the link to the Radio Shack Teflon Lube Gel. Which I have used before with good results.

Lithium grease also works well.

Because we use the buna-nitro, how to lube your flashlights doesn't have to complicated. You have a lot of good canidates. Basically you want something that will stick in place, not dry out too quickly and not run or stain.

Peter Gransee

Cheers, Brendan

[Teofilo]

Thanks for the info Cyberspyder.

[Mike]

I still have a 3 ounce tube of Radio Shack's "Multi-Purpose Lube Gel" which is silicone, part number 64-2326 which I hear has been discontinued. Though maybe it's still on some Radioshack store shelves.

I also use this http://doitbest.com/Pipe+joint+tape+and+compound-William+H.+Harvey-model-050092-doitbest-sku-450383.dib

Mike

[Splat]

Radio Shack teflon "super lube" in a pen-type applicator see here

Terry, could this be used on annodized threads and o-rings?

[NutSAK]

Radio Shack teflon "super lube" in a pen-type applicator see here

Terry, could this be used on annodized threads and o-rings?

Yes, the base stock is synthetic, so it shouldn't harm o-rings.  Apply sparingly--it's a fairly thin lubricant.  It's thicker than most oils but thinner than a grease.

[SteveRacer]

I use [for everything] either:

Permatex / Super Lube Grease w/ Teflon

-OR-

Tetra Gun Grease

Clearly the latter is preferred for EDC items, as it has a distinct tactical advantage!     Heck, "gun" is part of its name, so you just know it could make the difference when the chips are down.   

The Tetra stuff does come in a small tube with a precision spout and dispensing orifice - it's very easy to apply it exactly and only where you need it.

best-

-steve

[Splat]

Thanks gents! Radio Shack is near so a trip is in order.