Rubber grease?

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no@spam.noo - 12 May 2005 14:17 GMT

I'm having trouble finding silicone grease in my area and I'm
wondering if I can substitute automotive red rubber grease for it?

(Logic: it's meant for lubricating moving rubber seals in automotive
brakes and clutches...surely it can work for mere underwater lights
and cameras?)

Has anyone tried this? Your comments welcome...

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Lee Bell - 12 May 2005 15:23 GMT

> I'm having trouble finding silicone grease in my area . . .

What, you have no dive stores in your area? How about an internet
connection that will access Google? It took me all of a minute to find a
tub of silicone grease for $6.00. Try it, you'll like it.

> . . . and I'm wondering if I can substitute automotive red rubber grease
> for it?

Easy way to test. Get a finger full of the red rubber grease and stick it
in your mouth. If it doesn't taste bad or make you feel bad, feel free to
use it.

At best, you're talking about something you'll put on a couple thousand
dollars worth of camera or other equipment. At worst, you're talking about
something that will be in contact with the gas you breathe and the parts you
breathe it from. Is this something you think you should ber experimenting
with? Is it something you really think we experimented with?

> (Logic: it's meant for lubricating moving rubber seals in automotive
> brakes and clutches...surely it can work for mere underwater lights
> and cameras?)

They're your lights and cameras, go for it. My underwater camera, lens and
strobe are worth something over $2,000. I think I'll stick with the
silicone grease I can get for $6.00 a tub instead of using something
intended to be used on my car. YMMV.

Lee

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no@spam.noo - 12 May 2005 15:46 GMT

>What, you have no dive stores in your area? How about an internet
>connection that will access Google? It took me all of a minute to find a
>tub of silicone grease for $6.00. Try it, you'll like it.

Please share your source! where did you get it?

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Lee Bell - 12 May 2005 17:24 GMT

I didn't get it, I looked it up. I went to Google.com and entered Silicone
Grease in the search criteria. When the results came up, the third item on
the right side, where Google puts their advertising, was a selection called
"Silicon Grease Prices" at the nextag.com website. When I clicked on the
link, the website took a few seconds to check prices and came up with a
list. The one I quoted you actually comes from LeisurePro. It's $6.00 for
a 2.0 oz Jar and $3.00 for a .25 oz Jar.

Follow the steps and you should get to the same place. Go to Google, enter
silicone grease and click on the silicone grease link to nextag.

> Please share your source! where did you get it?

Lee

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no@spam.noo - 12 May 2005 15:58 GMT

I forgot to mention...today I just spend half the day running all over
my town and *nobody* sold O ring silicone grease. The closest thing I
could find was the rubber grease and also a small tube of electronics
silicone grease. I wasn't sure if the latter was the "correct" type
of silicone grease so I didn't buy it (it says it's a heat resistant
high conductivity grease... nothing about it's usefullness wrt O
rings).

Google turns up lots of junk...maybe I'm just searching for the wrong
words...:-(

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Lee Bell - 12 May 2005 17:30 GMT

As you'll see from my previous message, I didn't actually use the Google
results, I used one of the Google advertisements that came up as a result of
my search. The search results are on the left, the adds are on the right.
This time, the add was the quicker way to the answer.

I just went back in and used the search terms silicone grease scuba and got
useful information. One of the links appears to be local to me. It has the
same area code. If you can't find anything else, try
http://www.island-scuba.com/page/001/PROD/gcr/M26114 .

I'm sure there are plenty of other mail order suppliers that can help you
out. This just happens to be the first one, after LiesurePro, that I found.
I'd bet LeisurePro is cheaper, but heck, it's not going to be more than a
couple of bucks regardless.

Speaking of silicone, you do know that you should not use it on O rings that
go into tanks that are partial pressure filled with nitrox or are used for
high PPO2 deco gas, right?

Lee

>I forgot to mention...today I just spend half the day running all over
> my town and *nobody* sold O ring silicone grease. The closest thing I
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Google turns up lots of junk...maybe I'm just searching for the wrong
> words...:-(

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Dave C - 12 May 2005 16:04 GMT

n...@spam.noo wrote:

> I'm having trouble finding silicone grease in my area and I'm
> wondering if I can substitute automotive red rubber grease for it?
>
> (Logic: it's meant for lubricating moving rubber seals in automotive
> brakes and clutches...surely it can work for mere underwater lights
> and cameras?)

I'd follow the manufacturer's recommendations for compatible lubricants
for their seals.

Some rubber seals will degrade, swell or otherwise not perform when
exposed to petroleum-based lubes.

Dow 111, a grease containing silicone, works well with my my Ikelite UW
camera housing seals (and with regulator o-rings). My local dive shop
ordered a 5.3 oz tube for me for under $10.

Ikelite will also sell you tiny packs of their silicone lube for about
a dollar each.

http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/qmaintain.html

HTH

Dave C

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James Connell - 12 May 2005 19:05 GMT

> I'm having trouble finding silicone grease in my area and I'm
> wondering if I can substitute automotive red rubber grease for it?
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Has anyone tried this? Your comments welcome...

visit your local McDonald s restaurant - the silicon grease used for
scuba is the exact same stuff restaurants use ( Micky Ds uses it in
their shake machine). It's only about 1/4 the cost as well.

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Lee Bell - 12 May 2005 20:53 GMT

> visit your local McDonald s restaurant - the silicon grease used for scuba
> is the exact same stuff restaurants use ( Micky Ds uses it in their shake
> machine). It's only about 1/4 the cost as well.

Unless they're feeling generous, he's probably going to have to find an in
at a restaurant supply store, but you're right. It's the same grease and
it's probably cheaper.

Lee

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Greg Mossman - 12 May 2005 23:14 GMT

> Unless they're feeling generous, he's probably going to have to find an in
> at a restaurant supply store, but you're right. It's the same grease and
> it's probably cheaper.

I would just ask for a dollop of it on my cheeseburger, then scrape it off.
A little goes a long way.

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Nobody - 16 May 2005 04:11 GMT

>>Unless they're feeling generous, he's probably going to have to find an in
>>at a restaurant supply store, but you're right. It's the same grease and
>>it's probably cheaper.
>
> I would just ask for a dollop of it on my cheeseburger, then scrape it off.
> A little goes a long way.

Hey, what's all this about Rubber Grease ... mine always come out of the
foil pre-lubricated.

Bart F.

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Dillon Pyron - 13 May 2005 16:48 GMT

>> visit your local McDonald s restaurant - the silicon grease used for scuba
>> is the exact same stuff restaurants use ( Micky Ds uses it in their shake
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
>Lee

If he buys the requiste gallon, he can start a rec.scuba silicone
grease store.

Signature

dillon

Women should be obscene and not absurd.

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D Vince - 13 May 2005 19:42 GMT

You can always try a outdoor-Camping store.
If they sell almost any of the water filters, they will probably have
small tubes of silicone grease, just like the ikelite ones.
Water filters like Katadyne, or sweetwater both use them in the service
kits.
Cheers
D Vince

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ajtessier - 14 May 2005 00:50 GMT

What you're looking for is "food grade" silicone. I think you can also buy
this at plumbing supply stores, I "THINK" this is what is used on o-rings on
any drinking water valves and appliances.

Al

> You can always try a outdoor-Camping store.
> If they sell almost any of the water filters, they will probably have
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> Cheers
> D Vince

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