100 replies to this topic

[Draconis]

This lube issue is truly vexing me. It's so difficult to find a good lube.
I went to Walmart and Home Depot today. Looked at everything I could find that said lubricant on it.
Many lubricants have some form of petroleum in them. This is bad, correct? Also, a lot of them have some sort of penetrant. This is also bad, right? A couple of the guys at Home Depot who helped me find the lubricants were commenting about the price difference between two different cans they found. "I thought silicon is silicon," one of them said half-jokingly. Ahhg. At least they're friendly.

First off, if you are asking for silicon, then you may end up getting a shiny gray glassy material commonly used to manufacture electronics. Silicone is a compound which does contain atoms of silicon, in addition to other stuff. That's what you want. But get grease from the plumbing department. Don't get spray.

[moosa]

Thanks. Yes, I beefed, but I don't think typos apply to in-person vocal communication. Couldn't find any "grease" or non-spray stuff that was good either. I'm considering traveling to ACE. I think the closest one is a half hour away though...

Edit: Ick! The closest one is 30 miles away. And I don't know my way around that town.

Edited by moosa, 06 March 2010 - 05:26 PM.

[Kingster]

Does anyone know how to fix a big blast plunger tube that had Crc 5.56 (stupid me) and left streaks of rubber residue from the o-ring? The o-ring broke too.

[moosa]

Finally found some at Lowes. Woot.

Edited by moosa, 20 March 2010 - 10:26 PM.

[clutchjunkie]

I notice there are a lot of posts in this thread going back and forth on what works and what doesn't.

This is what works FOR SURE and if you want to try other stuff, it's your blaster so feel free.

Look for a hobby shop in your area, the kind that carries radio control cars. Expensive, hobby grade stuff like Traxxas, Losi, Team Associated, HPI, ect. Go to this store and ask for silicone shock oil.

Silicone shock oil is almost pure silicone and is intended for o-rings and plastic, as well as abuse.

You will be asked what viscosity you want. You can get as low as 15 weight (15 through 30 weight will be best for plunger o-rings and will depend on personal preference, for the plunger I'd go with the thinnest stuff they have) to as high as 10,000 weight "differential grease", which is just super thick silicone grease. The diff. grease from 3,000 to 7,000 makes a good lubricant for sliding parts, it's honey thick and a little sticky and no matter how much you use the blaster, a thin coat will always be there.

This stuff isn't "cheap" cheap, but it is by no means expensive either. Expect it to be around $3-$5 a bottle, but that bottle should go a looOOong way.

[Londonbrig0]

Everyone I've seen that's used liquid wrench says it works fine, but I used some in my NF and it has definitely increased the friction. Would this be because of the solvent used to spray it? I put the plunger in pretty much immediately, so that might be the issue. Would the solvent cause permanent damage, or would an O-ring replacement fix it?

[cynthiamyra]

lubricating plastic components is essential to reduce friction and wear, and increase the life of the plastic components. For most of my Fabricating application i use, Machining Molybedenum. It is remarkably plastic safe, for machinery applications.

 

USER WAS MILDLY CHASTISED FOR THIS POST

WRONG MOLYBDENUM, DUDE. THAT'S A SOLID BLOCK OF MATERIAL. THEY TALK ABOUT MOLYBDENUM DISULFIDE EARLIER IN THIS THREAD.

Edited by Ice Nine, 22 June 2016 - 03:25 PM.

[MavMaster]

What about chapstick? Works fine for me. Am I slowly killing my guns?

i have used that, it depends on what kind you use. if its petroleum based it will probably wreck your o-rings. i used some i had lying around made from beeswax. so you really just dont want to use te cheap stuff. however, it also makes a difference what kind of rubber your o-rings are. if its natural rubber you have to be more careful.

(this is not well researched info, its based on some web info, and personal experience. i have been using white lithium grease for quite a while, but i have tried other stuff with varying levels of success.)  dont use liquid wrench. i have used two liquid wrench products, both swelled my o-rings.

Edited by MavMaster, 15 June 2016 - 10:03 AM.

[CaptainSlug]

OP updated, might as well sticky this.

[3nerfiteers]

Informative.

[JohnB]

Bike lubricant is a good lubricant. I've used this for a while with no negative effects, but it did somewhat form a very, very thin gunk-ish thing on the outside my Retaliator's breech. Probably my fault. 

 

Long story short: It is plastic and O-ring safe.

 

 

Don't actually trust this until I do a bit more research, but this stuff seems okay. It's blackish brownish with a hint of green.

[justajolt]

I'm pretty sure that any silicone based lubes are fine. 

 

Doubtless, someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I always use them

[Dino]

What about marine grade grease? I use something called Lubriplate. label says it's petroleum oil.

Edited by Dino, 17 January 2017 - 12:44 AM.

[Draconis]

label says it's petroleum oil.

 

Any lubricant made from petroleum products is unlikely to be plastic safe.  This is partly because plastics are usually made from petroleum, and the hydrocarbons attack the bonds in the polymer structure.

[Bubba Longshot]

Hello,
I am wondering which lubricant would work better in a Longshot with a 5kg spring load in it.
1. Link: https://www.homedepo...autoSuggest=pip
Info:
Moen brand
Silicone lubricant
Used for faucets and such

2. Orange mod works PTFE white lithium grease
I know that it is Orange mod works branded, but some people have reported that it may react with some plastics.
Link ( comes in kit ): https://www.orangemo...uct_p/u-ls3.htm

Basically wondering which one I should use to lubricate the plunger.

Thanks,

Bubba

[CaptainSlug]

Clear silicone grease like that Moen tub is the safest thing you can use. But it's almost twice the price of Super Lube or Oatey's brand silicone grease.

 

https://www.lowes.co...Grease/50236505

 

So use it if you have it.

[Bubba Longshot]

Thanks for the quick reply Captain Slug.

I have looked into Superlube, but it's really expensive up here in Canada, and none of the stores in my area have it in stock. It looks like I'm stuck with the Moen grease...
It really is a pity that Orange mod works stopped including silicone grease, and switched to White lithium. Has anyone tried their White Lithium, and if you have, is it rubber safe?
Also, what about instrument slide grease? Has anyone tried that?

Thanks,
Bubba.

[The2ndBluesBro]

I have looked into Superlube, but it's really expensive up here in Canada, and none of the stores in my area have it in stock. It looks like I'm stuck with the Moen grease...
Also, what about instrument slide grease? Has anyone tried that?

 

You can buy Superlube at Home Depot and on Amazon up here in Canada. White lithium grease in general should be fine, people have been using that for years with no negative effects. Canadian Tire also sells white lithium grease, although I haven't tried it on nerf blasters yet. It's in the Auto section. 

[Bubba Longshot]

Sooooo, the Orange mod works white lithium grease will be ok for my Longshot? I just want to be 100% sure, since I don't want to be breaking the blaster that I've grown so fond of.
Also, when you guys refer to Superlube, are you talking about their synthetic grease, or their silicone lubricant? Both of then should be safe right?

Thanks,
Bubba

Edit: I ended up getting the Moen silicone lubricant. It was a little thick and not really greasy feeling, but when I put it into the plunger, it worked like a charm. The prime is much smoother, and ranges have increased by at least 5 feet. When I opened the blaster up again, I did not notice any o-ring swelling or plastics melting. Great lube Moen.

Edited by Bubba Longshot, 16 April 2017 - 09:23 PM.

[The2ndBluesBro]

Sooooo, the Orange mod works white lithium grease will be ok for my Longshot? I just want to be 100% sure, since I don't want to be breaking the blaster that I've grown so fond of.
Also, when you guys refer to Superlube, are you talking about their synthetic grease, or their silicone lubricant? Both of then should be safe right?

There can't be much difference between different brands of 100% white lithium grease. And I was referring to the synthetic grease with PTFE. 

[Bubba Longshot]

To summarize my lube finding adventure, I'll post all the lubes that I know of that actually work.
1. Moen, Ace, or Oateys silicone lubricant.
I used the Moen one, and it works great. It's designed for faucets, but will not make o-rings expand and will not melt plastic.
2. Superlube synthetic grease
After doing some research, this is safe and will work in Nerf plungers.
3.Superlube silicone grease
Even better than their synthetic variant. On the Superlube website, it says that it will work with all types of o-rings.
4. Orange Mod Works PTFE white lithium grease
This is the only WLG that I trust. I have never used it, but have read enough reviews to conclude that it is safe. Don't trust other lithium greases unless they specifically say that it's rubber safe.

Bubba

[BigBlackCajun]

Vasoline....

[Bubba Longshot]

Vasoline....

Wrong, Vaseline will NOT work in nerf blasters. It is petroleum based, and will break your blasters internals. Rub it off immediately, before it's too late.
Silicone grease is the one and only thing to use.

[meatball3000]

What about silicone safe wd40, it works well (for me) on air blasters, and springers

[CaptainSlug]

What about silicone safe wd40, it works well (for me) on air blasters, and springers

"wd" stands for "water displacement". It's not an actual lubricant, but rather and cleaning/isolating solution. And as such its base component is typically a solvent. The aerosol components from spray cans are also not safe for application directly onto plastics.

 

You are better off using a clear silicone grease with as few additives as possible.