SS Anti Galling lubricant

[Steve Bean]

I'm a bit puzzled by hellosailor's comments about lanolin. Lanolin is exactly sheep grease, and not water soluble, in my experience. Ask any sheep. It is used as a water-resistant lubricant by rowers and others around boats and for weather proofing by sheep. It can be up to 25 percent of the weight of the wool sheared from sheep. Doesn't Lanocote contain lanolin? Is Lanocote water-soluble? I have no experience with it but I have a strong feeling that it is waterproof. Besides the pound of lanolin that I bought a couple of years ago, I have a spray can of a product called Fluid Film, which is mostly lanolin and leaves a persistent corrosion-resistant film.

[coopec43]

Originally Posted by Steve Bean

I'm a bit puzzled by hellosailor's comments about lanolin. Lanolin is exactly sheep grease, and not water soluble, in my experience. Ask any sheep.

Well I have no idea whether Lanotec is or isn't water soluble because it doesn't worry me as I won't be using it. I am going to take the advice of leftbrainstuff "you could use the cold fat from a lamb roast" (I'll store it in an airtight jar to avoid any putrid smells).

Citra-Force (Australia) - Lanotec

https://www.lanotec.com.au/product/citra-force/
Rating: 5 - ‎1 vote
Features. Biodegradable; Non-toxic; Water soluble; pH neutral. Ideal for the following industries: Agribusiness; Around the home; Construction; Defence ..


Technical Data Sheet – 3220 CRC LanoCote Natural I ... - Sea-Screw

www.seascrew.com/PDF-Files/lanocote.pdf
Blended from lanolin, an all-natural product, CRC LanoCote Natural is ... Lanolin is naturally hydrophobic (water-repellant) and due to its affinity to metals, CRC ... DISCLAIMER: All information on this data sheet is based on testing by CRC ...

[hellosailor]

Dunno Steve, I've never slathered a water wall with lanolin to see how long it lasts.(G)

I do know that when I looked into it years ago, I kept getting the same answer. That lanolin IS water soluble, even if it is not easily or readily water soluble. I think PS also compared lanolin when they were looking at BoeShield and other preventive coatings, and found pretty much the same thing. Lanolin works better than nothing--but nowhere near as well as modern engineered products. (And of course, some of them are klunkers too.)

[jimbunyard]

Seems like there's some room for definitions...

But, for those interested in real-world application, again any lubrication is better than none.

If you need an inexpensive, teflon-loaded solution. any of the PTFE pipe dope selections work very well indeed.



For those of you that have containers that last for years, I'd have to say that you're not really doing much fastening....

[coopec43]

Thanks for that Jimbunyard.


I will in future be using the Teflon based anti-seize as research has shown it to be superior to others. (I don't think the 250gm of Molytec anti seize I've got is going to go very far as they say to use it "liberally")

[Mike Banks]

Clear nail varnish. The cheapest you can buy. It is waterproof, fills the thread spaces and acts as a mild thread locker.


However, stainless through hulls I would keep for above the water line. Below waterline I use a nylon or bronze product, and if using nylon, it is a good idea to shield them.

[jamieh]

Hi there, a good article above (ASSDA are the best), I am in the stainless fastener game and a yachtie so I hope I can offer a little help.

As you probably already know, stainless steel is protected from rusting due to its chromium oxide passive film on the surface. Any metal with an oxide layer has the tendency to gall or cold weld. It locks at the molecular level and will have to be cut away.

From my experience and as mentioned above, lanolin is both an excellent stainless lubricant for stainless screws and lanolin (E.g Lanotec) is really good at protecting the passive film and preventing the stainless from tea staining.

BUT, if you are going into Ali or another dissimilar metal, then you need to isolate the metals and Tef Gel is both an excellent lubricant for stainless screws AND preventer of galvanic corrosion.


BUT if you just want the best lubricant for stainless to prevent galling, then a nickel anti-seize will do - Loctite 771 is great for lubricating bigger stainless bolts.

but end o f the day every boat should have lanotec, great stuff!

[billdomb]

Confused by the series here.

Understand the uses of a decent lubricant in dogging down threaded connections, but seems to me Loctite goes further than this and actually sets up over time--presumably by exposure to air.

So, it acts as a lubricant initially, but also may help to keep these connections from backing out.

Different animals, no?

[rbk]

Originally Posted by billdomb

Confused by the series here.

Understand the uses of a decent lubricant in dogging down threaded connections, but seems to me Loctite goes further than this and actually sets up over time--presumably by exposure to air.

So, it acts as a lubricant initially, but also may help to keep these connections from backing out.

Different animals, no?

Yes threadlocker/locktite can prevent backing out but is much easier to back off with tools than galled bolts.

[MEC]

Recommend that you consider using Loctite Marine Grade Ant-Seize, item number 34395 or an equivalent product.



This material is ABS certified for use on stainless steel fasteners in seawater applications.

[CaptMDG]

I have read what everyone has said and recommended and they are all good. As for me, I use anhydrous lanolin. I got a pint of it from Walmart's drug store over fifteen years ago and still have 3/4's of it left. It cost about $7.00 back then. This is an ordered item generally. They do not have a lot of it hanging around.

[Bentwings]

I’ve used Never Seize for ever on SS and everything metal that might gall upon installation of removal. You do have to be carefull on fasteners that require torque rated dry. We often used a stretch gage but we just reduce the applied torque appropriate for the fastener size.

[sosail]

need to use ANHYDROUS LANOLIN

[Reefmagnet]

How tight are you guys doing up bolts? Seizing is rare at worst if you torque bolts and nuts up sensibly and not be like your typical tyre shop guy. One of the most versatile products on a boat is lanolin grease because it has multiple uses. For example; electrical terminal coating, general corrosion protection, lubrication of slow turning parts, prop antifouling (I kid you not) and anti-galling.


I've had the same tub of grease on the boat for years, and I just dip the end of a bolt into a bit of grease and then (usually) rattle it up with a small impact gun.

[coopec43]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

How tight are you guys doing up bolts? Seizing is rare at worst if you torque bolts and nuts up sensibly and not be like your typical tyre shop guy. impact gun.

I've wondered that myself.

I've done my anchor winch bolts quite tightly but my sheet winches only "firmly". On the engine mounts bolts I've nipped them up using "nyloc" nuts.

But how much torque do you need on a skin fitting which has been bedded using Sikaflex 291?