Ikelite Silicone grease question

With my new Ikelite housing, I got a teensy little single-use type tube of lube. Ikelite brand. The directions clearly state that you need to use Ikelite brand silicone grease to prevent the O-ring from swelling. I had been using Sea&Sea silicone grease with my old (Sea&Sea) camera.

top: Sea&Sea silicone-easily spread, middle: Canon silicone for their housings-about the same consistency, bottom: Ikelite silicone-very,very thick and hard to spread.

The tear-off Ikelite grease is a pain. There's no way to reseal it once you use it, and although it would look like it's single-use, it's not. There's quite a bit of lube in there. So once it's open, it can now squoosh out and all over everything. Give me a tube with a lid please!

Well, doing an internet search today it would appear that Ikelite ONLY makes the 'single-use' type tubes. Four for about $2.

Anyone know if there's something else that works well, or do you stick to these pain-in-the-toosh little containers?

And does Ikelite make a real tube with a screw-on cap?

- Janna

What color is the o-ring? If its black (buna-n) buy a tube of good quality silicone grease. It will last for years. The blue o-rings that S&S uses are a different compound. My fix was to replace these with buna. If the o-ring is red/orange its silicone based. Don't grease these, even with "special grease". Just use a little spit as lubricant. None of the housing manufacturer's make their own grease. They just like to sell these little pre-packaged tubes at substantial cost to the user.

Dow Corning Molykote 3451 can be used on any O-ring safely.

Dow Corning Molykote 1292 can also probably be used on all O-rings but is not listed as a recommendation for all. Others on this site have used it for all their O-rings.

I have used both the Molykotes listed with several O=ring types will success, including Silicone and buna.

You might a search on O-ring or perhaps grease at this website. Perhaps +O-ring +grease would be a good search as well. Using the plus signs will only show threads with both O-ring and grease present at this site.

Dave

Dow Corning Molykote 3451 can be used on any O-ring safely.

 

Dow Corning Molykote 1292 can also probably be used on all O-rings but is not listed as a recommendation for all. Others on this site have used it for all their O-rings.

 

I have used both the Molykotes listed with several O=ring types will success, including Silicone and buna.

 

You might a search on O-ring or perhaps grease at this website. Perhaps +O-ring +grease would be a good search as well. Using the plus signs will only show threads with both O-ring and grease present at this site.

 

Dave

There are lots of threads about these new lubricants. I would personally avoid the 1292 since it is thickened with Polyurea. The 3451 is thickened with teflon so it should be OK. Look at

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=27279

for more info. Christolube and tribolube should also be safe for any oring.

Bill

[quote name='jcclink'

If its black (buna-n) buy a tube of good quality silicone grease. None of the housing manufacturer's make their own grease. They just like to sell these little pre-packaged tubes at substantial cost to the user.

good to know and what I would have thought

just more $ for them

But Ike does usually toss a tube or two in with almost ANY product: port extension, zoom ring, housing, etc. They also send them back with your housings after a repair and cleaning session. I just throw them into a ziplock once opened...because it is so thick, unless you pretty intently "squoosh" the tubes, they don't really tend to goo out much even inside the ziplock inside the gear bag.

I think I'm up to like 10 backup tubes at this point, and the vast majority of my gear was bought used aside from one new port for the 7-14mm lens, and I did send the housing in for a cleaning/repair session.

And it is a good reason to keep those last film containers :-), I keep them in those.

If your set on the Ike grease, get a very small screw top make up jar from your female friend.

Squeeze about 10 of the mini-Ike tubes into it .

I keep my mini Ike-tube also in a small zip-locked plastick bag and nothing is coming out from the tube. Neither is the grease drying inside the tube.

One tube has lasted more than a year, so personally I don't see any need to buy some extra silicone greases. I have also atleast 4-5 tubes for spare - so that's like 4 years stack

Personally I love the little Ike packets, got loads.

As they are small always have to hand and not a problem if lost.

Also as they are nearly single use its dificult to contaminate.

Wish I could get some Oxygen comparible ones so I could use on by rebreather.

Cheers,

Richard B.

Richard,

What model rebreather do you dive?

We have oxygen compatible grease in 5 gram single use packets.

follow this link to view the packaging:

www.aerospacelubricants.com/tribolube/scuba

We will work something out via the manufacturer or a distributor close to you.

Regards,

David Lodwick

Personally I love the little Ike packets, got loads.

 

As they are small always have to hand and not a problem if lost.

Also as they are nearly single use its dificult to contaminate.

 

Wish I could get some Oxygen comparible ones so I could use on by rebreather.

 

Cheers,

Richard B.