Greasing worries

[Zutankhamun]

i always come to this forum to ease my worries.
Thanks to sparkky1 who recommended 'loctite dielectric tune up grease'.
It has been 4 months that I have had and used my mechs everyday but I have only just lubed and greased the threading today.
The threading felt absolutely fine but is the end drawing nigh for my mods and the damage is done or do I have nothing to worry about for leaving the greasing so late? Thanks

 

[Eskie]

If they look fine and thread fine, I'd say you're good to go.

 

[Ianperry]

Greasing threads. Never done it and some if my mech mods are three years old. Just strip them down, wash them, dry them and put back together.

Very occasionally I will use some 'Noalox' grease on a real old Ela. To be honest I don't know if it makes any difference.

The rest of my tubes get nothing.

 

[Zutankhamun]

Ta. Ok, just want to prolong the life of the mods as much as I can.

 

[Rule62]

I don't use tube mechanicals anymore. I only use REOs. But when I did use tubes, I stopped using Noalox entirely, after a very short time. I found it messy, hard to clean off as it dried, and didn't seem to enhance performance at all. I do know of people who use it on battery contacts. I don't. If the contacts are gold plated, as they are in the REOs, I use a tiny bit of a product called Deoxit Gold. A few others are using another product called No-ox-id.

 

[Zutankhamun]

Cheers Rule62. I want to eventually get started with reos but I'm into the tubes for the moment. The problem is the mods I like keep using brass contacts, switch and top cap threads and pins.

 

[Rule62]

I don't like mods with brass contacts for that reason. PITA keeping the contacts clean.

 

[sonicbomb]

Regular cleaning with ketchup is all that I find I need to do. I sometimes use Noalox if I have threads that get hot from micro-arcing.

 

[VHRB2014]

Where and how to use grease is a moving target. I have found some of my switches benefit from conductive grease, at least until they are bedded (worn) in. Others don`t like it and it causes problems. I never use it on my threads as it just attracts dirt. Learning how to "snug" these up and not over-tighten I believe is much more important then grease. In fact, using grease on threads has the tendency to allow over-tightening, which is bad.
Dielectric Grease vs Conductive Grease

 

[Zutankhamun]

Where and how to use grease is a moving target. I have found some of my switches benefit from conductive grease, at least until they are bedded (worn) in. Others don`t like it and it causes problems. I never use it on my threads as it just attracts dirt. Learning how to "snug" these up and not over-tighten I believe is much more important then grease. In fact, using grease on threads has the tendency to allow over-tightening, which is bad.
Dielectric Grease vs Conductive Grease

Ok cool. I'll make sure I'm extra careful. I try to never over tighten my stuff. The reason I had to use grease is because my locking ring was getting very very stiff. The pushing and pulling was making me over tighten, so I hope in this case it helps out

 

[DC2]

This whole topic confuses me.

Just don't strip your threads.
That's what I do.

 

[Zutankhamun]

This whole topic confuses me.

Just don't strip your threads.
That's what I do.

Thanks for your input sir, I do try ever so much but it can happen. Things have become increasingly tight and the brass has become flecked and I imagine it is due to oxidation.
I have very little info regarding this chemical process but I think that brass is an alloy? It is made with copper and the patina of this copper is the aesthetic changes I am seeing. I think?
This is not a concern but the fact that brass and copper are softer metals than SS worries me.

 

[DC2]

Hmmmm...

So I've been using regular 510 atomizers on an Ego Twist for well over 5 years.
And I've never stripped anything, or even come close.

Maybe it has to do with the type of metal?

I'm not a rocket scientist...
But I am careful not to screw something in to something else if there is any resistance.

 

[Zutankhamun]

Hmmmm...

So I've been using regular 510 atomizers on an Ego Twist for well over 5 years.
And I've never stripped anything, or even come close.

Maybe it has to do with the type of metal?

I'm not a rocket scientist...
But I am careful not to screw something in to something else if there is any resistance.

That's fair enough. I have become really interested in tubular mechs. The Greek authentics I've got plus the new Greek mod I'm buying tomorrow all have brass connectors and threading! I think this is to do with conductivity but as I'm mouth to lung puffing atm, voltage drop is not a huge concern.
I don't grease the 510s on my normal devices and they're fine apart from the sig 30 & the istick 20 but I think they have weak alloys. It's just on the threading where the top caps and switch keep being turned for new batteries and adjustments. These are expensive mods and I wanna keep 'em around for the long haul.

 

[daviedog]

Thanks for your input sir, I do try ever so much but it can happen. Things have become increasingly tight and the brass has become flecked and I imagine it is due to oxidation.
I have very little info regarding this chemical process but I think that brass is an alloy? It is made with copper and the patina of this copper is the aesthetic changes I am seeing. I think?
This is not a concern but the fact that brass and copper are softer metals than SS worries me.

Brass is made of copper & zinc.
Paraffin & antimony crystal are used to "flux" in air. Needed to deal with the dissimilar gravities of the above elements..

 

[daviedog]

As far as cleaning aids for threads, i Don't. I use a cotton cloth, sometimes dampened with Napetha. Or, don't laugh, saliva.
Read many books on Vintage guitar repair, the above 2 fluids are mentioned often.
Alcohol can promote pitting on many alloys & should be used judiciously..