Force Silicone Grease/vaseline for stabs

[xepova]

Hey,

it's not easy to get any of the commonly recommended lubes where I live. I was wondering if this would do the job well too:

https://www.cyclebrother.com/accessories/lube-grease-and-maintenance/cleaning-and-maintenance/force-silicone-greasevaseline-30-ml

Thanks

[-Jerry-]

I know that regular vaseline is bad for stabs as it can degrade plastics, so I'm not sure about this, though I'd imagine being silicone rather than petroleum and being advertised for plastic, it would probably be okay, but wouldn't like to say for sure.

I'd imagine you should be able to get Super Lube wherever you are, it's sold on Amazon. It's dielectric grease and what I use on my stabs.

[jamster]

"Vaseline" is typically used to refer to a petroleum based lube, which is something to avoid with plastics. No idea what "silicone vaseline" means in this context as the link contains no actual chemical information.

I have Superlube on the way for the same use, though I also just dug up an old tube of PTFE grease that I will use instead.

[xepova]

Thanks. Is this the same one? The label is a bit different, but I think it's the same.

[-Jerry-]

Yup, that's the one - I think the label content just depends how much space there is, smaller tube, less words, hehe.

[-Jerry-]

This is the one I have at home that I got from CandyKeys, but the one on Amazon appears to be the same, just says multi-purpose in a smaller font, hehe.

[jamster]

Just look for the part number at the bottom, which in this case is 21030.

[-Jerry-]

Just look for the part number at the bottom, which in this case is 21030.

Hadn't even noticed that there, had been looking for a SKU code or something, but yes - that confirms it, haha.

[xepova]

Perfect, I can get this from a local shop Thanks both!

[jamster]

Just look for the part number at the bottom, which in this case is 21030.

Hadn't even noticed that there, had been looking for a SKU code or something, but yes - that confirms it, haha.

I went and looked up the differences between the various Superlube grease numbers a while back, far as I could tell, as long as it was PTFE based, the specific grease number didn't see to make a whole lot of difference for something simple like keyboard stabs.

[-Jerry-]

I went and looked up the differences between the various Superlube grease numbers a while back, far as I could tell, as long as it was PTFE based, the specific grease number didn't see to make a whole lot of difference for something simple like keyboard stabs.

That makes sense, it's only two moving parts, so long as the grease is preventing the parts from rattling, it'll do the job.

[Leslieann]

Silicone and PTFE based are fine for plastics, just avoid petrolum.
A popular one for stabs is their Dielectric Grease.

Most greases safe for plastic will say so, if it doesn't say so and you aren't sure, don't use it.

[xepova]

Got it and it's exactly the same as yours. I guess the image on their website was older packaging... It was only 6 EUR, which is much less than what I was able to find online (I would pay more for just shipping).

[tokkel]

I beg to differ. Quoting from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_jelly:

It acts as a plasticizer on polypropylene (PP), but is compatible with most other plastics. […]
It was also recommended by Porsche in maintenance training documentation for lubrication (after cleaning) of "Weatherstrips on Doors, Hood, Tailgate, Sun Roof". […] Petroleum jelly can be used to fill copper or fibre-optic cables using plastic insulation to prevent the ingress of water, see icky-pick.

So fear of vaseline, i.e. petroleum jelly is largely overrated. Even if your stabilisers were made from PP, adding plasticiser actually prevents these from becoming brittle. I did apply it on the stabilisers of several of my keyboards, and have not experienced any ill effect. I works really well.

If it is good for a Porsche, it certainly will be good enough for your stabilisers…

[Leslieann]

If it is good for a Porsche, it certainly will be good enough for your stabilisers…

MOST is a great way to destroy SOME.

It very well could be safe for most stabs, but not all stabs are the same, and more importantly, why risk it when there is plenty of lubes that we know will work without that risk. Many of us have keyboards worth hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars, why run that risk to save a few dollars/Euros? If you want to use it on your own board and put yours at risk, go for it, but personally, if you can't afford a couple bucks for the proper lube on your $300+ luxury keyboard maybe you would be better spending your money elsewhere.

If you can't afford the maintenance on something, you can't afford the something, that can be an expensive lesson to learn.