new lube: Nano-Oil

[WhiteFireDragon]

I just found out some potentially great lube to use called Nano Oil. The concept of this lube is that it has particles the size of ~1 micron that acts as a ball bearing to minimize surface friction. Since it could be mixed with almost any other lubricant, I was thinking a mixture of Krytox GPL-205 grease with these Nano Oil could make some extremely slick MX switches. The nano bearings could fill the surface imperfections of the plastic switches, and also allow the two surfaces to glide easier.

These look pretty expensive for how much you get, but it could be worth it if they work better than GPL-103. A quarter fluid ounce (0.27oz) is roughly $21 shipped. The actual cost doesn't seem too bad, but you don't get very much of it. They come in 3 different types and viscosity.


Although, I'm not sure how credible these guys are. These are from Nano-Oil company by StClaire. The website is very unprofessional, and when I tried to look up datasheets or more specific info on these lube, they are nowhere to be found. Without a CAS Registry Number, their claims could be anything. I'll try to contact them for more specific info on these.


3 pack grade, $53 shipped
single tube (10wt), $21 shipped

[Jocelyn]

Interesting! Going to do some searching and see if I can find anyone who's used this stuff for items other than keyboards.

Flashlights and knives is what I found before posting.

Those are the same two things I ran into immediately lol. I was all like "There are flashlight forums?" to Nezumi ROFL!!

[WhiteFireDragon]

Flashlights and knives is what I found before posting.

[mkawa]

flashlights are _serious business_

assuming the solids in the nano-oil are teflon like every other dry lube, this is just like every other dry lube. i think i've said this before, but the cheapest, most accessible i've found are a) blaster dry PTFE, b) tri-flow dry. both are a substrate of very small PTFE particles suspended in a very light oil for delivery. this nano-oil might have the smallest PTFE particles yet, but the idea is the same, and personally, i think everyone here should be using a PTFE-based dry lube in their switches, and not an oil-based wet lube. i believe i've voiced this opinion before. dry lubes are preferred in any situation where are a contaminants could get caught in the suspension of an applied wet lube that are harder than the two materials that the lube is mating.

[fohat.digs]

Those are the same two things I ran into immediately lol. I was all like "There are flashlight forums?" to Nezumi ROFL!!

Of course, there are forums for everything. My wife bought a vacuum cleaner recently, and she found multiple vacuum cleaner forums.

They have histories, subcultures, and gurus just like everything else.

there should be a contest for "most obscure forum"

[Jocelyn]

mkawa, which kind is Krytox? I know it's synthetic, but it's wet, right?

Of course, there are forums for everything. My wife bought a vacuum cleaner recently, and she found multiple vacuum cleaner forums.

They have histories, subcultures, and gurus just like everything else.

there should be a contest for "most obscure forum"

Haha! Immediately after I posted that, empathy kicked in and I began thinking how weird it would be if someone accidentally wound up here on GH while searching for something completely unrelated to keyboards

[Thechemist]

Ebay has it for $18 shipped for either the 5,10,85. If you don't specify which one in the paypal msg, #10 will be sent by default.

[mkawa]

it turns out the flashlight forums are mostly about optics and bleeding edge surface mount LED efficiency, which are pretty serious engineering topics btw and very hot (both in the engineering world, and temperature-wise lol). i'm guessing that the vacuum cleaner people focus a lot on dc blower and filtering efficiency. kudos to the internet for allowing us to come together and collaboratively dissect and refine the engineering of otherwise boring consumer products

[fohat.digs]

it turns out the flashlight forums are mostly about optics and bleeding edge surface mount LED efficiency, which are pretty serious engineering topics btw and very hot (both in the engineering world, and temperature-wise lol). i'm guessing that the vacuum cleaner people focus a lot on dc blower and filtering efficiency. kudos to the internet for allowing us to come together and collaboratively dissect and refine the engineering of otherwise boring consumer products

There are at least as many factors at play in vacuum cleaners as keyboards.

Wide variations in noise, both qualitative and quantitative, cleaning many different substances from many different surfaces, product durability in various environments .....

Then the whole human factors thing in how to use, transport, weight, ease of use and maintenance - in short - an entire world to explore!

[mkawa]

yep, I <3 my dyson for exactly these reasons. such a great set of engineering tradeoffs!

[TotalChaos]

Rainbow and Dyson FTW!

[takaki]

The title in the ebay post just reminded me that I have access to a awful load of used to be very irritating cleaning/lubricant in the armskote.
Why didn't I think of that earlier geez...

[mkawa]

armskote? you have a ton of that stuff? you can sell it cheap or something? some interesting looking products in there.

[takaki]

Basically it is use to clean and lubricate rifles, more or less in plentiful amounts but of course the process of acquiring it must be in stealth.