Grease or Oil on the Arbor

[Bad Karma]

In keeping with Colt's PC/HC lubrication ideas, I propose we all chip in to kill a whale, boil its blubber and use that oil on our reproduction arbors.

Apparently the wind farms off the eastern seaboard are killing sperm (and other) whales. We can just wait until one washes up on shore.

 

[Griff093]

In keeping with Colt's PC/HC lubrication ideas, I propose we all chip in to kill a whale, boil its blubber and use that oil on our reproduction arbors.

My maternal grandmother's family were involved in whaling until shortly before WWII... still using rowed boats. I'm not sure that I desire to return to my roots quite so thoroughly!

 

[bpd303]

Looks like 26 foot monomoy surf boats. Great boats, when I was in the USCG we had races with them 9 man crew, 8 rowers and a coxswain on the tiller.
https://www.cmmaritime.org/Monomoys

 

[Griff093]

Looks like 26 foot monomoy surf boats. Great boats, when I was in the USCG we had races with them 9 man crew, 8 rowers and a coxswain on the tiller.
https://www.cmmaritime.org/Monomoys

The boat in the foreground was my GGrandfather's, built in 1860's, now on display at New Zealand's Canterbury Museum in Christchurch. I don't know it's exact length, but it seems in memory to be in excess of 30'.

 

[CaptainVane]

Not to get too far off topic but Ive read some authentic whaling accounts and I swear those guys were insane. Dangerous beyond belief. But then a fast track to riches if on a good ship.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

The boat in the foreground was my GGrandfather's, built in 1860's, now on display at New Zealand's Canterbury Museum in Christchurch. I don't know it's exact length, but it seems in memory to be in excess of 30'.

It looks like a classic New England whale boat. Elegant.

 

[Snydly]

I use white lithium grease on the arbors and nipple threads. No matter how long a range session is, the cylinder rotates with no problem. When I clean at the end of the day I just wipe off the arbor and replace the grease. The nipples always come out easily, get cleaned (which I do every time), and new grease applied with a pipe cleaner. The tube of white lithium grease I got on sale at a car parts store should last several lifetimes.

Effective and cheap is always appealing.

Jeff

I am with you on the white lithium grease. Been using it on the arbors of all my cap and ball pistols since 1968. Have had nothing but great luck with it,,, no problems...ever! Keeps everything turning nice and smooth. Each tube I have bought has lasted at a minimum 5 years.

 

[maillemaker]

I'd suggest a test:

Fire off 5 cylinders on an oiled arbor and 5 cylinders an a greased arbor, without cleaning, and see which one gets you farther.

 

[AlexB]

I'd suggest a test:

Fire off 5 cylinders on an oiled arbor and 5 cylinders an a greased arbor, without cleaning, and see which one gets you farther.

I tried lithium grease for a couple sessions and went back to lard,beeswax and olive oil.

 

[fishmusic]

I bought some unsalted butter by mistake.

Hmmm...

Makes good pie crust!

 

[64Springer]

Biscuits!

 

[Bunk]

In keeping with Colt's PC/HC lubrication ideas, I propose we all chip in to kill a whale, boil its blubber and use that oil on our reproduction arbors.

Lubriplate works for me but i usually only shoot five or six cylinders full at a time.
However the project Slixshot nipples came and that is next on the list.
Making smoke
Bunk

 

[M. De Land]

I have used both, lithium grease for a while and oil now. I prefer oil since the fouling buildup in front of the cylinder isn't mas bad. What do you guys use and why?

One of the main stress points I have noticed that needs a good grease as opposed to oil is the bolt cam on the hammer. I have seen many of these worn out of shape to the point it changes the timing. Very often the bolt finger/leg will have a groove worn in them. Both need to be hard to resist wear but also all the edges need to be broken smooth so as not to gall one another. Proper shape, hardness , edge dressing and then a good grease to lube the interface is needed.

 

[BillinOregon]

When I google mixing jojoba with beeswax I get endless links to food wraps. Weird.
My guess is that the subject of bullet lube has been discussed at least as much as the Old Testament.

 

[SOLANCO]

When I google mixing jojoba with beeswax I get endless links to food wraps. Weird.
My guess is that the subject of bullet lube has been discussed at least as much as the Old Testament.

Our armorer's axiom: If it slides, grease it. If it rotates/spins/turns oil it.

 

[Boston Bill]

Our armorer's axiom: If it slides, grease it. If it rotates/spins/turns oil it.

lol, maybe more.
Bore Butter works great for me.
Synthetic goes inside the frame.

 

[ernbar]

Mobil1 grease.
Won't thin and run out.
Maintains a barrier for fouling.

Mike

Been using Pam that works pretty darn well but will experiment with Mobil 1 Synthetic and Rand CLP next time at the range just for ***** and giggles.

 

[Gee Dog]

Lubriplate white lithium grease.

 

[Crow Choker]

Sometimes 'googling' on the web will bring results ten light years from what you want. All depends on the choice of words you enter. Even on this forum and others, at times I know there is info sitting in cyber space on the forum but will bring up topics remote from what I want and/or state no posts found when typing into the search box.

Reference arbor lube, can't recall what grease I used back in the early days of cap n ball shooting, never an oil but sometime back in the early 90's I started using a red grease in a plunger tube marketed by a gun lube outfit that worked very well. My thoughts is it was some form of synthetic. I quit using it as I had to get it from an online outfit and I found that white lithium that I could buy locally worked just as well. I slather up the arbor and spin the cylinder on to distribute, might have to wipe off a bit of excess. Will smear a bit on the ratchets also for a harmonious outcome. No matter how many shots I make on a revolver with white lithium, the grease will still be the sort of off white it was when I put it on except for maybe a 1/8" or less at the forward portion that would be brownish from firing. Recently a friend gave me a container of Mobil synthetic that I've always been going to try. I did shoot around 60 shots with it not long ago using my ROA and had no problem with it.

FWIW when cleaning and replacing the nipples I put a small dab of 'ant-seize' on the nipple threads. Have never had a nipple hard to remove. White Lithium works very very well. I've read that some contend the reason they lube over the ball is so as when firing, the grease that is sprayed everywhere and on everything is what lubes the arbor and other needed friction areas. Biggest male cow dung theory in the world. That grease that is sprayed out from the front of the cylinders has about as much chance of entering fully into the arbor/cylinder area other than the front as I have trying to orbit a bottle rocket around the moon. I would hope those that contend this practice and idea would grease the arbor when they do a teardown. Oh well.

 

[CaptainVane]

Just my experience. I was using RIG gun grease but when temps hit upper 90s it was melting and oozing out and making the pistol a greasy mess. So i swithed to Hoppes gun oil which seemed to work fine in high heat. Last week temps dropped to upper 70s so i slathered the gun grease on arbor and shot 80+ rounds without having to break down the revolver at the range. So for now im back to grease. Have a feeling when it gets into the 30s and below i may go back to oil.