Castor Oil As Leather Lubricant

[Hsing-ee]

I am about to use this on an old Milbro Diana.

Please predict the result.

[Muskett]

Every night?

[TonyL]

Castrol R? Aaaaaahhhhhhh

[Kuyajonathan]

I am about to use this on an old Milbro Diana.

Please predict the result.

Could be a slippery result . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[coburn]

I am about to use this on an old Milbro Diana.

Please predict the result.

I now have a fantasy about castor oil and the rather lovely buxom lady who was on the Milbro Cougar poster.

[Mattblack]

Iirc, Ballistol can be used on leather.

[rapidresponse1]

quite a few can

[Shed tuner]

I think it'll work to rejuvenate the seal, but I' not sure about it's lubrication or combustion properties under high pressure... it's also quite viscous, so might end up being sticky and robbing power ?

Edit.. then again:
https://www.morrislubricantsonline.c...lubricant.html

[Neil54]

I had to Google the poster.

[Shed tuner]

I had to Google the poster.

actually already covered on this site: https://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread...er-like-Milbro

[coburn]

actually already covered on this site: https://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread...er-like-Milbro

The poster is different from that, included the nubile young lady and a chap holding a Bobcat. Shame I can't host photos.

[TonyL]

I think it'll work to rejuvenate the seal, but I' not sure about it's lubrication or combustion properties under high pressure... it's also quite viscous, so might end up being sticky and robbing power ?

Edit.. then again:
https://www.morrislubricantsonline.c...lubricant.html

I think maybe like Al suggested when I asked a similar question a while ago.......use neatsfoot / castor oil to rejuvenate and a little motor oil / motor oil & moly mix to lubricate?

[TonyL]

actually already covered on this site: https://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread...er-like-Milbro

Lovely! I remember it well. And wasn't there also a rather attractive lady on the BSA Buccaneer advert?

[crowbar]

Why do folk soak leather piston seals in oil to make them soft and squidgy increasing the drag and dieseling when a lump of lard would be better .

Leather piston seals are made from pigskin so pig fat (lard) is the natural softener and after you have marinated the seal for a week in a warm place when the seal cools the lard will solidify so the seal retains its form and drags less .

[Mr Pusk]

Castor oil was used as a lubricant in aircraft rotary engines of the WW1 era.

According to this https://warwickshireias.org/the-bentley-br1-br2/ "An important consideration for all rotary engines was lubrication. The absolutely preferred lubricant for rotary engines was castor oil, a vegetable based oil derived from the castor bean. Castor oil was and still is a superb lubricant, but lacking additives is not really suitable for modern engines, except possibly those used for racing purposes and likely to be stripped down very frequently. The problem with castor oil is that it has a propensity to rapidly gum-up and is temperature sensitive. However, in rotaries it was ideal. Because the rotary engine worked on a total loss lubrication system, a proportion of castor oil was ejected unburnt from the exhaust ports. Most rotaries were closely cowled in order to contain exhaust gases and expelled oil, which were then generally dissipated on the underside of the aircraft. There does seem to be something of a current debate as to whether the ejected castor oil had an adverse effect upon pilots, making them sick, or not, as the case may be. After much reading on the subject, the author is still uncertain as to whether castor oil sickness amongst pilots was a reality or has just become an urban myth. Castor oil may have affected some pilots, whereas others experienced no problems.

I find the description of it being "a superb lubricant" and "it has a propensity to rapidly gum-up and is temperature sensitive" slightly contradictory! I guess the author is saying that it's fine as long as you make sure you get rid of it in use! That doesn't really sound suitable for airgun use.