Standup Zone Forum
The Foil Zone => Foil SUP => Topic started by: Caribsurf on February 07, 2020, 10:02:55 PM
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I found a convenient lubricant that I use on my foil hardware. “Boat zipper and snap lube” It’s by a company called Better Boat I’ve used it for a while on zippers at my home in the Grenadines ( board bag zippers, seat cushion zippers and snaps) it’s much like a glue stick and easy to apply as a lubricant and anti corrosive on your foil screws and nuts. I use this and Teflon tape.
It’s available on Amazon
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If you're screwing stainless into aluminum or stainless you want something better than that. I prefer tef-gel or MRO Solutions 1000. Anti-galling lubricants need to keep the oxide layer from being rubbed off as the bolt is tightened--that requires an extremely high-pressure lube. Wax and most silicon lubricants flow away from heat and pressure. Stainless, aluminum, or titanium hardware will weld together if the oxide layer gets stripped. Whenever I see someone using a drill motor to screw their foil together I cringe, but there's no point in explaining that spinning a stainless bolt too fast is like spinning a roulette wheel. Sometimes it comes up 00.
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I applied my first tefgel this week. So messy, but yes, it feels like it will work and it’s sort of all the boat guys seem to use on bolts.
Do I just have to live with PTFE in my sunscreen to be a foiler? Asking for a friend.
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I've been testing this Eco Grease for months, so far so good, even tried it on an aluminum tapered fuse into a carbon wing and it came loose after a month or so.
https://www.green-oil.net/Ecogrease.html
A bike shop did a long term review of several greases.
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Ok, so Clay, you’ve hit on a great topic. What’s the lifespan of one of these connections?
I left my stuff assembled today and figured I’d tear it down after tomorrow’s session. Is every couple of weeks ok or do I need to break it down more often?
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Ok, so Clay, you’ve hit on a great topic. What’s the lifespan of one of these connections?
I left my stuff assembled today and figured I’d tear it down after tomorrow’s session. Is every couple of weeks ok or do I need to break it down more often?
Depends.
I've gone months with stainless bolts into aluminum fuse and mast and they have loosened easily as long as I grease them - all the contact areas.
Putting aluminum into carbon or vise versa, especially a tight fit, that stuff is much more likely to freeze up. With adequate grease a couple weeks give or take, after that might be asking for trouble. Try a couple days, then go a little longer...
Armstrong are made not to corrode, claim they can be bolted and left at the bottom of ocean for decades and not freeze.
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I have left foils assembled one year and took them apart to sell without any issues. Mine are coated heavily with Tef-Gel.
You learn how to deal with that sticky goo. I only break down my foil daily at the mast to fuse connection. The rest stays assembled forever. Two screws with TefGel are all I have deal with. I keep my fingers clean and sticky free.
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Dwight do you occasionally try to loosen a bit just to check that they aren't stuck?
I will probably continue using the teflon tape and zipper lube for now and disassemble and rinse everything after 3-4 sessions. Then reapply repeat
I have some tefgel but man is that stuff a mess and gets everywhere..I think id rather rinse and take the foil apart more often than deal with that stuff.
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Thanks Clay, thanks Dwight, as usual, gold from you both.
I’ve got mostly stainless to aluminum (for now) I’m going with the DW method. Well coated and keeping main parts assembled (fuse and wings, mast and plate. Less screws.) I’ll try them monthly or so. I’m laughing as I write this as I’m pretty sure this whole assembled thing is gonna go in the back of my ride in 2 weeks or less. (Is it justifiable to buy a new van to hold foils? Asking for a friend.)
Caribe, did you get the mascara brush? If not, hit a beauty supply. Once I got the heads wiped off, just from touching them, it is much better. I suspect it’s like anything, you get better at it. But I hate surf wax and this reminds me of that.
Ok, my next business. Coconut scented tefgel, who’s in with me?
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Cowboy thermal tube of tefgel I ordered did come with a brush but haven't use that one yet. The dealer where I bought my Neil Pryde foil gave me a half used tub of some of the stuff and that was a mess to use, but I have to say that stuff is GOOD. .
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tefgel also Non toxic.
Other key features that make Tef-Gel™ unique are
Non Toxic and Non Harmful to Marine and Land Based ecosystems, and us
Non-reactive and chemically stable
Has an Indefinite shelf life and working life
Working temperatures of -60° to 280°C without changing viscosity
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Thx JEG, Caribe, I just brushed the lightest amount on my threads. Painted them enough to get coverage, but if you’re dipping or using too much that might make you hate it. Hard to put on but seems to stay.
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One of the reasons I use TefGel is that one application lasts a very long time. Maybe years. Most of my experience with it comes from motorsports, and I considered it a one-time thing. Of course, we weren't immersing stainless and titanium suspension parts in salt water, but they got the shit pounded out of them, much more so than foil bolts. You don't have to have a visible coating for the anti-seize to work. It's protecting an oxide layer that might be 20 molecules thick. And a little damage isn't a huge thing, it's when the oxide gets wiped off over a large area--like one entire turn of a thread face, that your parts weld together and you can't get them apart without breaking shit.
a lot of galling happens because bolts get turned too fast. I watched a friend use a drillmotor on high speed/low torque to tighten expensive little 4MM stainless torx bolts and stainless locknuts, holding a windscreen on--no anti-seize. . I told him he was making a mistake. He waved me off and finished--25 bolts. I said "try to loosen one". Nineteen of the 25 were welded.
I can be staggeringly stupid and lazy myself. I used stainless bolts and nylocks to mount the solar panels on Fritz. No TefGel and used a drillmotor. What a maroon! about half the bolts were welded when I tried to take the panels off to weld the rack, I had to torque past the breaking point to get them apart. Dumbass.
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I should explain that last paragraph. I learned a long time ago that knowing something is a shitty idea does not necessarily reduce the probability that I'll do it.
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tefgel also Non toxic.
Other key features that make Tef-Gel™ unique are
Non Toxic and Non Harmful to Marine and Land Based ecosystems, and us
Non-reactive and chemically stable
Has an Indefinite shelf life and working life
Working temperatures of -60° to 280°C without changing viscosity
Um, tefgel is 40% PTFE, supposed to wear gloves and make sure not get any in your mouth. Definitely toxic and harmful.
https://www.tefgel.com/contain.php?param=tefgel_infor
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Clay, yes, TefGel says wear gloves, but the safety info for PTFE claims it’s stable and non-toxic at low temps. Hmm.. conflicting info on the internet, who knew?
I’m for sure not bathing in it but it may not be the worst thing I touch daily. 😅
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytetrafluoroethylene
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I have a 1/2 oz syringe of TefGel that might be as much as 20 years old. I've probably used a third of it. You don't butter your bread with it, you brush a tiny dab on the threads.