Nyogel; Scarce or What?!

(Lurker here...)
Evidently, most flashlights are inadequately or improperly lubed at birth. This seems nearly universal, since the first thing everyone does upon receipt is pull the poor things apart and examine their innards...which is invariably followed by a detailed description of the inadequacies of their movement(s)!!

Okay - maybe it's not that bad, but you get my point.

Anyway, as usual in specialty forums, there is a product -- or sometimes a couple -- that is/are oft-mentioned as the ultimate solution to whatever the issue is with the item(s). In this forum, it is Nyogel.

Well...I have been searching for this bloody stuff for awhile, and I guess it is only secreted by a half-dozen Tibetan virgins once every 24 months, because BOY! is it RARE!

However, I've also discovered that -- surprise surprise -- it is used by non-flashaholics too!! And -- even more interestingly -- they describe it as "di-electric" grease. This is immensely gratifying, because I already have di-electric grease; I use it in my auto electric connections to guard against rust & corrosion!

So. By now, some of you will be saying "Yeah - so what? Everyone knows Nyogel is di-electric grease." Well, I wasn't sure. And I didn't want to be one of those arrogant fools that thinks he knows everything and just plow ahead and smear [automobile] di-electric grease on the threads of my brand new $100 flashlight...only to later learn that it was the wrong stuff...and that it will destroy my o-rings. Or eat my aluminum. Or dissolve the magical LED connectivity dust that makes these machines perform like they do. :tinfoil:

So. Should I wait for the virgins to do what they do? or is there another source for Nyogel that is NOT outta stock? Or can I just use the goop that I already have?

Many thanks!

I ordered a tube from lighthound yesterday...it ships today. That's www.lighthound.com, and don't forget the cpf discount!

I just checked a few places and sure enough... sold out. I got a tube from here ... it will last years.

got mine at lighthound.

Holy crap... just checked prices... lighthound wants $14.49 before CPF discount for 50g tube of Nyogel 760G - same thing was $7.95 before CPF discount at batterjunction. No wonder they are sold out :eeksign:

^ ^ Yeah - that's the other aspect of material that can only be harvested from a tiny, forgotten island on the other side of the world...it's EXPENSIVE. However, that's not to say that it's stupid. If this exact product is wonderful, and there's really no substitute, okay; it's worth it to protect my multi-hundred buck investment. But if it's fairly basic goop...and/or it's artificially overpriced, hmm.

Oh - and I neglected to mention tht I'm on the other side of the ditch. So the "postage" is $11.00 for the $9 tube. <gulp>

Nyogel is an industrial grease for high-temps and high-speed tools and aplications. We really don't need that stuff on flashlight o-rings. Any Silicone or R/C hobby grease will do the trick nicely.

ronemca,

Which Nyogel were you looking for? The 760G or the 779ZC? And wow, I didn't realize that they've gone up in price that much. I was lucky enough to buy some 760G off another CPF member in CPFMP that was selling some last year for $11 shipped for the 57g/2oz tube, which is like a lifetime supply for most flashaholics... unless you have 100+ lights. BTW, a little goes a long way with this stuff. I have a film canister full of the 779ZC stuff that I bought probably a couple years ago from another member and I've barely used maybe a lid full of the stuff to lube the o-ring on all my lights... I think I've lubed around 50 lights.

BTW, just in case you didn't know, the 760G is recommended for the threads because it is thinner and designed for use on conductive surfaces, but the lube itself is not conductive. The 779ZC is recommended for the o-rings because it's thicker and provides a better water-tight seal than the 760G. Here are links to the PDF spec sheets for the 760G and 779ZC. But that's only if you're picky like me. Most guys just buy one or the other and use it on both the threads and o-rings. They're both safe for o-rings if that's what you're worried about.

I don't think I'm gonna use it all since I switched to nanolube for the threads on my lights so if you still can't find any, send me a PM and I'll see if I can find some small plastic containers and I'll squirt some outta that tube for ya. Just re-imburse me for shipping. I've been looking at krytox 50/50 too, now that stuff is expensive ($20 for 5cc, $33 for 10cc shipped int'l) but the nanolube doesn't seem to smooth out the threads on my Ti PD-S like it did on my aluminum lights so I may get some krytox too.

I am looking for the 760G. I was also under the impression that the 779ZC was discontinued(?)

Thank you for the kind offer. Let me look around a bit more first, and meanwhile I wanna pursue the possibility of using something a little less...exotic. This is not the first time I've come across some fancy-schmancy stuff that is supposedly so wonderful & exclusive...only to discover that it is really just [basic/normal] stuff in gold-plated packaging.

Personally, I am not that impressed with Nyogel, either the 779 or the 760 versions. It leaves this black junk in the threads, which really bothers me. What is it, anyway? Furthermore, the Nyogel seems to get sticky when cold. (Is this true of all lubes?). When, I first try to move the head on a cold light, one that hasn't been used for a day or 2, it seems to take a couple of twists to get the lubricant moving and the head freely turning. I am still looking for a better lubricant that is more cold friendly.
Anybody, know of one?

Is Nyogel what the SF lights come lubed with? I find it to be too thick to twist the tail caps with one hand.

I use one of those nanolube or something like that oil.

Ahh! So the blush is off the rose, eh?! Interesting.

Well then, I am keenly interested in a recommendation for alternative goop. There's no sense me tearing up the 'net searching for this stuff if there's something as good or better at my local store!

Sil-Glyde works just as well.

What I do for my lights is to clean the threads before I lube, use a clean finger to apply the lube, and that's it. Do that and that tube of lube should last you a very, very long time. How do I know? I have a small tin of pure silicone lube I bought several years ago. I've lubed many lights and have so far mostly just used the residual lube that was on the inside of the lid of the tin. I've left the amount in the tin itself virtually untouched. I figure that it's cheap stuff if you consider that it's in it for the long haul and that "a little dab'll do ya," as we used to say a very long time ago.

BabyDoc said:

It leaves this black junk in the threads, which really bothers me. What is it, anyway?

Click to expand...

That would be Aluminum particles that are ground off the threads by the mating threads (goes both ways on both sets of threads) that oxidizes (hence the dark black color) and builds up in the grease looking ugly.

IcantC said:

Is Nyogel what the SF lights come lubed with? I find it to be too thick to twist the tail caps with one hand.

I use one of those nanolube or something like that oil.

Click to expand...

I don't think SF uses Nyogel in their lights, the feel and smell are very different.

My understanding is that Nyogel is a silica (ie, glass) thickened silicone grease, and is what Surefire uses on their aluminum threads (don't quote me on that, it may just be a rumor). Very fine amorphous silica (typically sub-micron particles) is commonly used as a thickening agent, but I sometimes wonder if that contributes to the blackening of the lube as it gets worked into the threads since even amorphous silica has reasonable hardness. Anyway, I don't believe this blackening causes any adverse effect on the lights function, except maybe the action becomes not so smooth after a lot of use and relubing is required.

There have been a TON of recent threads on lubrication, a simple search should turn up plenty of info regarding alternatives. A popular one is Nanolube, also Krytox 50/50 seems good especially for Ti (actually, teflon is pretty much mandatory for close fitting Ti threads to prevent galling).

Here is my favorite post from one of these threads:

Originally Posted by Luminescent
I have tried about a half dozen lubricants, and have found that different lights have different requirements.

'Twisty' lights with bare aluminum threads (like the old Jetbeam C-LE v1.0 and v1.2), are the most critical. The wrong lubricant will not only make for rough operation, it can cause excessive thread wear leading to early failure.


Here is a wrapup of some common lubricants and their applications:

Krytox
Krytox is hideously expensive (a 2 oz tube of Loctite Krytox will set you back about 40 dollars), but it is exceptional at reducing galling in stainless steel and Titanium. It will also completely eliminate o-ring sticking. Not for use on bare aluminum threads or lightly anodized surfaces because it is abrasive to these surfaces and will lead to excessive wear. I use Krytox with my little L0D-Q4. The L0D has hard type III anodized threads which do not grind or wear with Krytox. The decision to go with Krytox over Nyogel 760G in the L0D was based on the need to eliminate o-ring sticking. My L0D has a very tight o-ring which was having sticking problems with every other lubricant that I tried. With Krytox, my L0D now has perfetly smooth one handed operation. BUT REMEMBER KRYTOX IS NOT FOR LIGHTS LIKE THE C-LE, WHICH HAVE BARE ALUMINUM THREADS. In the C-LE, it was NOT smooth at all, and eventually caused enough wear to lead to thread failure.

Nyogel 760G
A synthetic silicone based grease, but much smoother and lower wear than other silicone greases like silicone plumber's grease or Dow Molykote 111. Nyogel helps to minimize thread wear, even in soft alloys of bare aluminum, and shows only slight o-ring sticking with tight o-rings. It's a good choice for Twisty lights with bare threads like the Jetbeam C-LE. Overall Nyogel is a fantastic general purpose grease to have around, and you can get a large 2 oz tube from battery junction for just over $10 shipped (if you use the lowest cost USPS shipping option).

Moble 1 Automotive Grease
Moble 1 Automotive Grease works a LOT better than you might expect. This grease actually gives smoother operation than Nyogel 760G in my C-LE, and I have had no problems at all with o-ring sticking or deterioration (even after several months of use). Other general purpose Lithium Greases may also work, but some have expressed concerns that greases with volatile components might release vapors that could fog your flashlight's main lens. I haven't had any problems with this while using Mobil 1 Grease, but anyone who is concerned should stay with Nyogel 760G which is fairly close in performance and is known to have very low volatility.

Dow Molykote 111 or Generic Silicone Plumber's Grease
Poor lubricant properties and heavy o-ring sticking (o-rings will almost weld if the light is left unused for a few weeks). Not Recommended.

Tetra Lube G (or other PTFE or Teflon based grease)
These greases are a fraction of the cost of Krytox, and work just as well at providing effective lubrication, but are not quite as effective at eliminating o-ring sticking. In my testing, these greases were slightly less abrasive to bare aluminum threads than Krytox, but I still would not recommended them for lights like the Jetbeam C-LE (or any other twisty lights which use bare aluminum threads).


So, again, the bottom line is that different greases work best for different applications in different lights. If you pressed me, and I had to recommend ONE general purpose flashlight grease, it would be Nyogel 760G. It's clear, clean, odorless, thick enough to stay put, gives smooth operation, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

I know I'm not alone in using plumber's silicone grease. I bought mine at Lowe's for $3. The same stuff is sold at TruValue and Home Depot under different brands. Mine is called "Gunk".

Been using the same jar for over a year now, and I service my lights every 3 months or sooner, depending on use. Never had a problem.

To the OP: I had posted in an earlier thread about dielectric grease, saying that mine was working fine....however...since that time, I've noticed that it is just too stiff for thinner o-rings.

When unscrewing the bezel from my IncenDio, then trying to screw it back on, I've noticed that the o-ring pinches and I have to use my fingernail to force it back into its groove. I would definitely recommend you keep that in mind if deciding to use dielectric grease, because it doesn't seem to lube very well at all.

EDIT: never mind my question, AvidHiker basically answered it...thanks, man.

Zounds! I just knew this would be more complex than it seemed. :hairpull:

Clearly I need to stay on the learning curve for awhile longer, whilst continuing my search for alternatives!

Keep the discussion alive, gents! We'll all be the better for it. :thumbsup: