grease

[Adam Selene]

ok, i know that i'm going to get as many different answers as there are respondents but, what kind of grease do you use when assembling your motors?


TIA!

 

[daveyfire]

DOW 111 on O-rings

DOW 55 (or marine/automotive grease) on liners... it doesn't seize up and create a vacuum when you try and get a liner out.

Both available from Binder Design.

There's a discussion on ROL about this currently as well

Hope this helps!

 

[jrogers]

Depends on what motors your using. On AT motors we used to used Super Lube, on AMW motors we use a high temp wheel bearing grease.

AT motors are not grease friendly ( use very little )
AMW motors are the complete opposite ( The more the better, just not on the propellant )

Joel

 

[als57]

Originally posted by jrogers
Depends on what motors your using. On AT motors we used to used Super Lube, on AMW motors we use a high temp wheel bearing grease.

AT motors are not grease friendly ( use very little )
AMW motors are the complete opposite ( The more the better, just not on the propellant )

Joel

Joel:

Used to use Super Lube ; but supplies kind of dried up around here. Have been using Radio Shack Lube Jell which seems to have simular properties. Works OK on AT motors anyway.

Al

 

[BlueNinja]

I use the radio shack stuff; works good for me. It is mainly used on AT hobby RMS.

 

[Adam Selene]

Yeah, i'm talking about aerotech RMS

is the radio shack stuff really diferent than say a tube of white lithium from the hardware store?

has anybody tried the spray type lithium grease?

 

[BlueNinja]

I think the RS stuff is teflon actually....

 

[als57]

Originally posted by Adam Selene
Yeah, i'm talking about aerotech RMS

is the radio shack stuff really diferent than say a tube of white lithium from the hardware store?

has anybody tried the spray type lithium grease?

The RS stuff is teflon based and higher temp rated.

I've see guys use white lithum grease with decent results.

The spray stuff...don't know. It needs to stay put. Maybe someone else has an opinoin.

Whatever you decide to use ; do it sparingly on AT reloads. A tube of the RS stuff lasts a long time.

Al

 

[Chilly]

I've used the stuff AT includes with the 29/40-120 casing, which is supposedly the same stuff Radio Shack sells. Also used White Lithium last weekend, and it seemed harder to spread around than the RS stuff. If RS's has a higher temperature rating then it'd make more sense to use it.

 

[karatekicker271]

we use vaseline... is that o.k.

 

[gerbs4me]

I heard vasoline can ignite, thats why I use Dow 111

 

[BlueNinja]

Yeah...Ive heard its not that good for RMS.

 

[Stones]

we use vaseline... is that o.k.

I heard vasoline can ignite, thats why I use Dow 111

Yeah...Ive heard its not that good for RMS.

FWIW,
This is directly from the pdf instructions for rms from Aerotech:

"Apply a light coat of grease to all threads and all 3 o-rings. This
will facilitate assembly and prevents the threads from seizing.
NOTE: When all the grease that is supplied with the motor is
consumed, ."use petroleum jelly or similar grease."

 

[KermieD]

People tend to put a bit too much importance on grease for O-rings. Whatever you use, the type of grease will not be the difference between a good launch and a CATO. The only place it really matters is on the outside of the liner to ease cleanup.

 

[Adam Selene]

Originally posted by KermieD
People tend to put a bit too much importance on grease for O-rings. Whatever you use, the type of grease will not be the difference between a good launch and a CATO. The only place it really matters is on the outside of the liner to ease cleanup.

that's where i thought that the spray stuff might be good, easy to coat the whole liner. of course the spray probably has some kind of solvent in it so that might not be good. i guess i'll just use the RS stuff.

 

[KermieD]

Originally posted by Adam Selene
that's where i thought that the spray stuff might be good, easy to coat the whole liner. of course the spray probably has some kind of solvent in it so that might not be good. i guess i'll just use the RS stuff.

I'll bet it works fine. If you're ever in WI, bring it along and we'll use it to launch an H or I motor.

 

[UhClem]

First what grease I use and then a story.

I use the "Lube Gel" from Radio Shack for O-rings and other small stuff. I do not lube the liner tubes but instead I spray down the inside of the motor case with the spray version of Super Lube. This starts out very runny (which helps to get an even coating) but as the solvents quickly evaporate it ends up with the same consitancy as the Lube Gel. Which makes sense as they are both made by the same company. The last time I purchased a can of Super Lube it was at either Home Depot or Lowes and there were two varieties. I grabbed the "Multi-Purpose Synthetic Lubricant with Syncolon (R) (PTFE)" Part No. 31110.


I have used these lubricants on motors ranging from E to M with very good results. Mostly Aerotech but also a couple of AMW motors.


The story:

Long ago, in 1996, I was watching Gary Rosenfield assemble one of five K turbo hybrid motors. Someone else who was watching asked him why he was using Slick 50 grease. (Obviously in the non-critical areas that didn't need a special N20 safe grease.) The response was simply that Gary had found the Slick 50 before getting to the Crisco.

 

[Adam Selene]

ok! that's kinda what i figured.

great story!

thanks!

 

[Justin]

I've heard the grease they cook turkey legs in at the rennaisance festival works. It won't rot or burn..

 

[Elbmod]

I've never used the brands mentioned, but I use spray grease around the home a lot - comes out like an aerosol, rapidly loses solvent left with grease - probebly will be quite easy to coat (and indeed oercoat) with it...

Just my two pence!

 

[Ryan S.]

I used dow 111 on a snap ring case I used the other day. Worked great, I put some on the plugged aft closure ( and pretty much on everything) afterwords everything popped right out, wiped off the aft closure(which had turned black) and it was completly clean!

 

[solrules]

At Rockets For Schools 2004 in Sheboygan, WI, there were three different people assembling reloads, all using different grease. One used the dow, one used superlube, and yet another used "super rocket grease" (Vaseline ). Each person assembled about 10-15 motors apice. None of the motors failed.

I don't think the type of grease matters as much as how you assemble them.

 

[Zak Orion]

on my first HP launch I used lithium grease, which left a burnt reside in the case(friend handed me a baby wipe and it cleaned right up). On the rest of the launches I have used Dow 111, which left a greasy residue and was easily cleaned with soapy water. With both types the O-rings came out clean and in good shape.

 

[Stones]

Originally posted by Zak Orion
...
With both types the O-rings came out clean and in good shape.

Do you mean as far as dismantling a reload because you were not able to launch? I only ask because it's my understanding that they can't/ shouldn't be reused after firing.

 

[Zak Orion]

Originally posted by Stones
Do you mean as far as dismantling a reload because you were not able to launch? I only ask because it's my understanding that they can't/ shouldn't be reused after firing.

No, I meant after launch. But still, I would not use them again. But I was thinking of trying them in some non-critical, non-rocketry related purposes just to see how they work out. But again, I would strongly suggest not using them again in a rocket motor.