geekhack
geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: danielucf on Fri, 15 February 2013, 02:00:16
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So I was looking up what Krytox is used for traditionally, and one of the uses is in scuba equipment. Because of this I decided to look up other lubes for scuba equipment because the properties could be similar with a cheaper alternative available. This was when I found Tribolube 71 which is an O2 compatible lubricant like Krytox GPL-105 and 205 are. How ever Tribolube 71 can be purchased for considerably cheaper at around $30-36 for 2 ounces where Krytox 105 and 205 that I've been able to find in 2 ounces are priced around $48-56.
EDIT: The Tribolube 71 has arrived and it made a Vintage MX Black tester feel buttery smooth. Once either my Phantom, LZ-GH, or ErgoDox arrives I'll do an entire board with it and report back again.
Information link (http://www.divegearexpress.com/hardware/orings.shtml)
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so i'm a little curious that people have settled on wet lubes here. the danger of wet lubes is that grit falls into the switch body and the grit/lube compound turns into an abrasive solution that wears down the stem (although well applied stickers probably make this less of a danger). there are also quite a few plastic-safe options for dry teflon lubes available that don't have this problem (but do best with a prepped surface to adhere to). i don't remember what the exotic korean favorite was called, but tri-flow makes a good one (tri-flow dry) that's available as a fluid, and blaster (as in PB blaster) makes a spray (blaster PTFE dry or something) version that i've used for other applications.
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So a wet lube may wear out stems over time but a dry lube may require another application later on? What kind of time frames on wearing down a stem, and how long until another application of teflon lubricant?
With dry lube being so cheap, and all the newer plates allowing housing removal it may not be too bad if you need to reapply dry lube every 1-3+ years and less often on the keyboard(s) you rarely use.
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I've got an aerosol can of dry teflon lube in my locker at work, will have to give it a shot and compare to the Permatex Ultra-Slick white lithium grease I used in my keypad.
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I got my Tribolube 71 in the mail and did a spring and stem/slider of a vintage black and the feel is amazing. I should get some Krytox GPL-103 in a week or so and will compare that, but this stuff is thick and white which I think GPL-205 is (not completely sure).
I'll have to do more testing to see if I like Super Lube, Victorinox, or Tribolube 71 better for springs.
PS: I also tried out some Finish line Dry Teflon and Tri-flow and while they are better than no lube on switches I think I am sold on Tribolube 71.