Next message: Ken Gebhart: "Re: Cleaning and protecting my Freiberger"
Renee-
<I don't see any recommendations for:
* Hydrophobic dry coatings (like sailkote, which contains Krytox)
and I wonder why. Jared Sherman is of the opinion that these
spray-on coatings just don't last very long.>
I wouldn't recommend SailKote as the first choice. It consists of a pinch
of Krytox, diluted in white paraffin (wax) because undiluted Krytox is
simply damned expensive. Maybe $10 for a tube half the size of your little
finger.
The idea of diluting in in wax is because white wax is non-staining, cheap,
and inert. A great way to "extend" Krytox when you have to, and will be
putting it someplace where you want to let it wear away and be replaced. But
no, it is not the best choice for "permanent" application.
Lanacote is organic and will break down/migrate, as most organics will. The
Freiberger I had, had old congealed brown grease presumably from the
factory. And that stuff can and will stain, even stain on enameled parts.
Krytox, pure or diluted, will never stain. I'd splurge and spend the ten
bucks for the tiny tube.<G>
But for screws that you plan to assemble and want to stay put--like the
handle/frame--use Loctite. The green "removable" kind is sufficient. Just
clean the screws and sockets with a little mineral spirit or alcohol first,
Loctite works best on clean surfaces.
On the things that need to be lubricated...the advantage of Krytox is that
it never will migrate or stain, and it will work with the same viscosity
from -60F to 600F, which is generally a wider range than most lubricants or
sextants want to be found in.<G> On a winter day in hell, it won't freeze
over. Regular grease often gets real firm on any icy winter day, even down
around 30F.
I'm sure there are plenty of other good choices, I just ordered a sample of
Krytox when I first heard of it, and decided to stick with it for things I
only want to access and lube once. Comes as grease and oil, your choice, but
you won't find it at the local WalMart.<G>
