[R-390] TD Lubricant Straw Poll

[Tisha Hayes]

Further comments on the long term use of Tungsten Disulphide;

I have been using the TD compounds for +4 years on radios, precision
machinery and even in the engine of my Mercedes. No problems yet.

The powder/alcohol combination is great for things like sliding surfaces
like in a pistol or the bolt of a rifle. It applies like a thin paste and
once it dries it takes on a dull grey sheen. I use an old white cotton sock
turned inside out to buff down the surface after it has dried and the metal
takes on this iridescent grey color (like an oil sheen on water). It gets
EVERYWHERE so you want to really buff down surfaces if your hands are going
to come in contact. I also use that technique on things like the little
rails on the R-390A RF deck and with a dab on the load surface of the cams.

You can mix it with a light oil like sewing machine oil or Mobil 1
synthetic. When I add it to my car it is two tablespoons to one quart of
Mobil 1 and I swap in one quart during an oil change with this stuff. It
makes the oil look black as sin but affords some lubricating properties to
the oil that I think would be most useful on a cold start (those first few
seconds when the oil pump has not begun its work). I have seen no fouling
or problems with this addition. (you are entirely on your own taking on
this risk).

For a radio, the powder in oil might be good in a pen oiler with one drop
for shaft bushings (LET ME REPEAT THAT, ONE DROP!).

The greases are very strange. (Perry is not offering that). It is difficult
to contain and I was giving away small amounts in little glass apothecary
bottles with the plastic friction plug. Just the pressure of the air inside
of the bottle, the extreme friction reduction of the grease and the plugs
meant that the caps kept being pushed out of the bottles. I ended up
friction taping the caps on because it was taking on a mystical ability to
escape.

Coefficient of Friction (COF) is a measurement of lubricity. Here are some
comparisons;

.02      ice-ice
.03      Tungsten Disulphide (this powdery stuff)
.05      teflon-steel
.10      diamond-diamond
.10      tungsten carbide-steel
.12      carbon-carbon seals (high speed shaft seals on pumps)
.13      sintered bronze and steel, lubricated (sealed bushings)
.19      bronze and steel, lubricated (bushings)
.20      sapphire (watch jewels)
1.0      dry tires on dry asphalt

COF is easy to explain. If you have a 100 pound weight it would take 100
pounds of pull to make an object slide if the COF=1, that 100 pound weight
would only need 3 pounds of pull if the COF=.03

I have no financial interest in what Perry is offering. I provided him with
a few little sample containers of the grease at the Huntsville hamfest. He
made a bulk purchase from the manufacturer.

I have also been using tiny amounts of the grease as an anti-seize compound
on stainless steel antenna brackets where the bolts AND the nuts are both
made of 316 SS. If you know anything about metallurgy it is generally a bad
idea to make parts out of the exact same alloy as if a gall starts on a
threat it will completely gum up and lock the connection. You will be
getting out the hacksaw or torch to remove those parts.


-- 
Ms. Tisha Hayes/ AA4HA

*Republics decline into democracies and democracies degenerate into
despotisms.*