Please recommend a flashlight grease for dummies (ie me)

I think I heard someone else mention the teflon tape. Would it work equally as well with anodized vs. non-anodized threads?

I wonder if it makes the threads waterproof? (it’s real job in the plumbing world)

The teflon tape is only $1 at any home improvement store.

I was wondering if anybody has tried White Lithium Grease. I had some leftover from my paintball craze. From what I found it was accepted as one of the best lubricants for the tank threads and o-rings in a paintball marker.

I use this stuff, although I got it for like $3 locally.

http://www.amazon.com/Panef-Corp-White-Lithium-Grease/dp/B000BXKZ4C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1370236925&sr=8-2&keywords=white+lithium+grease+panef

**I got some of the “flashlight maintenance” grease from fasttech and it turned my non-anodized aluminum threads black as tar within a. couple minutes. that is not a good reaction. they turned gritty. it took a while to get that stuff off finally.

ok, I am a paintballer and for us lube is very important…

I will write you a list of lubes and if you wany details on any of them you can google them or ask me…

I have used all of them extensively on buna and urethane orings and on metal to metal theads.

1. Superlube synthetic multi perpose grease with ptfe

2. lurker lube (one of the best paintball lubes, fully synthetic, safe on any oring, with ptfe)

3. krytox gpl-205 (really expensive O2 safe staff)

4. slick honey also known as slickoleum (super slick staff)

5. dow 33 (low temp silicone grease used by almost any paintball gun manufacturer)

6. dow 111 (super thick and sticky staff used in some regulators and to achieve better sealing, also uses on scuba equipment like underwater cameras for sealing against water)

7. dow55 (silicone oring grease, swells oring slighly to achieve better sealing)

I am curently using Superlube on my flashlights as I have a ton of that staff…

Apologies for bumping an old topic, but I had to read a LOT to find this. Figured it may help other newbies out.

As far as “best” is concerned, I don’t know; however, I was waiting and waiting on my silicon grease from FT (seems to have been held up at HKP because of the batteries in the same order). The flashlight which I baked (cleaned all contaminates off of prior), its threads were getting rather rough so I figured I should look for an “in a pinch” solution. After reading the quoted post and subsequent replies I grabbed my teflon spray lubricant I use on my guns and went to town on my flashlight.

The threads are now smoother than they have ever been. I’m not sure if prolonged exposure will damage the O-rings or not, but the ones on it currently are cheap junk anyway. If someone can confirm teflon spray lube is fine on O-rings then I’ll promptly go about spraying all my lights asap. :slight_smile:

Old thread so a bit of a “nekro post” but went for superlube/oil/grease.
And this is one of these stupid post asking after ordered :slight_smile: is it still a good products to use or is there something much better “out there” to use?

Will come in handy after resurrection of a old maglite 6d and destroyed batteries that been lying and irritating for years :slight_smile:
Good amount of spares on eBay and went for a led bulb as well, going to be interesting to see how it appears as resurected from the “dead” and killing my bad conscience having it there in a cripled state all these years :slight_smile:

-lyse99

Some greases are electrically conductive, and work better on dissimilar metals.
NO-OX-ID is an electrical contact grease, claiming to do both,
along with being non-toxic, and even certified for use in the food industry.
You can get it at Illum.Supply.

Anybody tried ZX1 grease, I got a free sample today and have been giving it a go.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?126645-Comprehensive-Grease-and-Lube-Thread&p=5046847&viewfull=1#post5046847

John.

Ordered this:
https://www.fasttech.com/p/1333106
“High-grade Lubricative Heat-resistant Silicone Grease for Machine Printer”
Hope the aluminum will be okay with it.

Got my Super Lube grease and small tube of oil from a web based hunting store here in Sweden, no expert and never heard of this product before reading of it in this thread.

Used some on a very old maglite cap and that grease will get used on more stuff than flashlights, not so expensive either probably the cheapest thing I bought from a Swedish web store with no shipping cost :slight_smile:

-lyse99

I’m not a good reference for cheap grease. I use DuPont Krytox GPL215.
Wilkey

Has anybody ever tried this Noalox

It sounds like it’s comparable to NO-OX-ID.

Not sure because I have never used it, some research I did claims Noalox might get harder with the passing of time.
Quoting : “noalox which is an anti corrosive/anti seize which will get hard over time”

Also, its advertised for use inside and outside the joint. This makes me believe that it is a dielectric grease where as no-ox-id is electrically conductive. I would like to know for sure though as im looking for this item as well.

I use this stuff:
http://flashlight.nitecore.com/product/sg7
seems to do the trick.

astroglide works great…

Seriously, my take on this, any lube, grease, oil, etc… will work fine.Just use plenty of it.

The grey/black gritty stuff you see/feel, is not because of the lube, its from not enough lube.
Its aluminum powder that wears off the threads from lack of lube or burrs on the threads.

Now a days most all o-rings are not made of pure rubber, they are most all a synthetic polymer that is impervious to most any lubes or high detergent oils and solvents.
Use to be true that a pure rubber o-ring would swell and then possibly break from the wrong lubricant. That hasn’t been the case for decades now. Synthetic oring materials have higher heat resistance, resistance to abrasion better elasticity, and impervious to many solvents/lubes.

Imo, take everything apart. Must get all the grey/black gritty alum powder off or it acts like a grinding compound multiplying the problem.
Clean all threads, inner and outer, with some brake clean or mild non caustic solvent. Carefully cleaning/getting deep into all threads. Blow them off completely with compressed air. Check threads for any manufacturing burrs/nicks/ruff spots and use a small file or crocus cloth to remove them. Then re-clean threads.
Then lube threads liberally with your favorite grease/oil/silicone. Use plenty of it, especially on the o-rings.

Depending on the type of aluminum of flashlite used, no matter what lube used, probably always will be some grey stuff after continual continued tail-cap removal/assembly. A good synthetic automotive/marine grease might keep that grey/black stuff to a minimum, maybe.

jmo

Honestly I just go to a hardware store and get oatey silicone grease. Says its 90% pure silicone it can get a little runny when warm but works great on the threads Lowe’s home depot etc carry it. The plumbing section of a hardware store has silicone grease of some brand

Sorry, not sure if this has been asked earlier. But does flashlight silicone grease have an expiration date in general?

Also, what storage conditions to prolong shelf life?

I do not believe that grease will “expire”. Remember, though, that grease is an emulsion of oil in a semisolid material (“soap”). If stored on the shelf, most greases will slowly separate at differing rates depending on the formula. It will look like the grease is “weeping” oil. If a significant portion of your stored grease supply is separating, it’s time to replace your stock.

Noalox is definitely conductive. As a long-time vaper, I use Noalox on the positive contact point and negative spring contact on my mod and have for years as directed by the mod manufacturer. It prevents oxidation and arcing in sub-ohm setups. As to its qualities as a lubricant—I just don’t know. Never been applicable to my uses.