Airgun lubrication- alternative sources and mixing your own

[TonyL]

Many people swear by CV joint grease, but I find it to be a bit too thin for lubricating pistons. Hence the idea of adding graphite powder to get it more tacky/sticky, but I have not tried it yet. Where do you get the open gear grease?

The stuff that I've been using is the Molyslip OGL from Drake Tooling in the UK. Purchased a few years ago. When I looked recently I couldn't see it listed anymore, but there were what looked to be direct replacements from Molyslip but under different names. I seem to also remember seeing how the smaller quantities of the AS60 were no longer listed. Well worth perusing the various Molyslip products.

[TonyL]

I used to work for a company called Würth, this is where I learnt a lot about different lubes and their properties.
Get yourself a can of their spray chain grease, it is solvented so goes on as a liquid, spreading evenly. The solvent then evaporates leaving a very sticky, high quality white grease. Great for springs!

It has been said in the past that the sticky stuff applied to the V-Mach spring and guides when you bought a kit was some type of spray on chain lube, Nick, so makes perfect sense.

[TonyL]

Thanks! I have seen the 30 Weight non-detergent referred to several places, but it is a bit difficult to locate a source. The detergent is supposedly harmful for seals. If i understand correctly, the non-detergent oil is suitable for older and simpler engines where harmful particles should not be suspended in the oil. One possible source may perhaps be 30-Weight lawnmower oil?

Thanks! Sounds like a great suggestion, perhaps it will work for vibration dampening on loose steel guides too?

(I've considered trying the Bum-slide for piston lubrication when I run out of the ARH Moly paste, as shipping from the UK is still reasonable )

Yes to the lawnmower oil, evert.

And the Bum-Slide is excellent.

[TonyL]

I use this on springs :- https://www.greenpartstore.com/John-...se-TY6333.html

£1.80 a tube.



All the best Mick

I seem to remember you showing me your tube (wot?) once at Quigley Hollow, Mick?

[TonyL]

I am now into shotguns rather than springer airguns, but I have just discovered SCHMEIRFIX LIQUI MOLY. A German product and its marvellous stuff. Very sticky and slick. Well worth a try. Obtainable on that auction site.

A friend is restoring a 1928 Hillman 12 which has been in his family since new and has become a family heirloom. After he'd rebuilt the engine,he gave me a jam jar of assembly oil which he thought I might be able to use when working on some of my old air guns. This stuff looks like & has the consistency of golden syrup & is very sticky. Apparently he coated the engine parts in it so they would be lubricated as the engine started up & wouldn't run dry until the sump oil started to circulate. I've found it works very well on the loading taps on my old BSAs,Webley Mk3 & other guns & cures any slight leakage. I also had success with some bicycle chain lube called White Lightning, some sort of waxy lubricant which evaporates to leave a coating on mainsprings. It sounds rather like the German stuff Tinbum mentions except it isn't sticky. I put a drop or two of chainsaw oil into the appropriate hole on my Webley pistols every so often.

I've often looked at stuff on the Liqui Moly site and I think there are a few products there that may be of use.

Plus Morris Lubricants (amongst others) for the Assembly Oil.

[PhatMan]

Hello to All,

For 'Krytox' like per-fluorinated greases, the easiest to come by in the UK is FinishLine Extreme Fluro, available from bicycle shops.

Krytox oils & greases can be bought in the UK from GBRTech - make queries to:

info@gbrtech.co.uk

Similar per-fluorinated oils & greases, and solid lubes (sub-micron moly, tungsten disulphide, & graphite) and other lubes can be bought from Microlubrol in the USA :

http://www.microlubrol.com/index.aspx

I have bought from both GBRTech & Microlubrol, and the service is excellent.

Have fun

Best regards

Russ

[Phil Russell]

Re the white teflon bicycle grease ... I bought some a couple of years ago (Finish Line) but have not used it because I was told it could promote dieseling. I tried to find a Safety Information Sheet for it but failed to get one that gave all details. So I continued using Moly CV joint grease. I guess you have not had any problems?
Cheers, Phil

[Tazman1995]

I seem to remember you showing me your tube (wot?) once at Quigley Hollow, Mick?

Way too much information there lads. Just wondering what ye get up to when shooting.

[evert]

Hello to All,

For 'Krytox' like per-fluorinated greases, the easiest to come by in the UK is FinishLine Extreme Fluro, available from bicycle shops.

Krytox oils & greases can be bought in the UK from GBRTech - make queries to:

info@gbrtech.co.uk

Similar per-fluorinated oils & greases, and solid lubes (sub-micron moly, tungsten disulphide, & graphite) and other lubes can be bought from Microlubrol in the USA :

http://www.microlubrol.com/index.aspx

I have bought from both GBRTech & Microlubrol, and the service is excellent.

Have fun

Best regards

Russ

Thanks!
What are you using these for? Spring lubrication or seal lubrication?

[evert]

Re the white teflon bicycle grease ... I bought some a couple of years ago (Finish Line) but have not used it because I was told it could promote dieseling. I tried to find a Safety Information Sheet for it but failed to get one that gave all details. So I continued using Moly CV joint grease. I guess you have not had any problems?
Cheers, Phil

I've only used it on springs/guides, and not the outside of the piston. Used in small amounts it has been great on well fit delrin guides in a TX and the HW97 and 77k.

[evert]

Yes to the lawnmower oil, evert.

And the Bum-Slide is excellent.

Thanks! And thanks to everyone who has contributed so far, some very interesting info is turning up here now!

[PhatMan]

evert,

The innards of my rifles are run virtually dry.

The spring & piston (and if present, the outside of the compression cylinder) are sprayed with three (3) or four (4) light coats of a dry moly spray - I use Ambersil, and leave thirty (30) minutes between coats

I allow the dry film film to cure overnight, then burnish with 75% graphite/25% Tungsten disulphide powder on a chamois leather.

The piston seal and spring guide are then burnished with the graphite mixture - turns them a cool silver colour.

The inside of the compression chamber / cylinder is also burnished with the graphite mix

A very small wipe of Krytox grease is smeared around the outer of the seal, and on the guide.

A wipe of grease is then applier to the end of the top-hat, and the base of the spring guide, and powerplant assembled.

Trigger sears are given a light coat of extreme pressure grease at their pressure points.

Have fun

Best regards

Russ

[gunstock]

evert,

The innards of my rifles are run virtually dry.

The spring & piston (and if present, the outside of the compression cylinder) are sprayed with three (3) or four (4) light coats of a dry moly spray - I use Ambersil, and leave thirty (30) minutes between coats

I allow the dry film film to cure overnight, then burnish with 75% graphite/25% Tungsten disulphide powder on a chamois leather.

The piston seal and spring guide are then burnished with the graphite mixture - turns them a cool silver colour.

The inside of the compression chamber / cylinder is also burnished with the graphite mix

A very small wipe of Krytox grease is smeared around the outer of the seal, and on the guide.

A wipe of grease is then applier to the end of the top-hat, and the base of the spring guide, and powerplant assembled.

Trigger sears are given a light coat of extreme pressure grease at their pressure points.

Have fun

Best regards

Russ

Why does the chamois leather come into it

[PhatMan]

gunstock,

The chamois leather is used to rub/burnish the lube powder onto the relevant objects.

It is much better at doing this than is a piece of cloth.

Have fun

Best regards

Russ

[evert]

The innards of my rifles are run virtually dry.....

Now that is an interesting option! I guess you have a good guide/spring fit?
Looks like you are shooting a quite heavily modified setup there.
How does the dry moly/graphite mix last? does it wear or move fast, or can you shoot the gun without servicing for a long time?