Lanolin spray

[hihosland]

Greetings Flying folk,

 

As an anti corrosion treatment I have been spraying the various exposed bolt heads, wires and linkages with a lanolin spray.

 

Despite wiping off the excess I am getting black/brown mud/oil accretions that blows off in nasty staining spots onto the

 

Dacron fabric.

 

Looks nasty and won't clean off completely.

 

Is there a more suitable lubricant/protectant that

 

a...won't bleed off in the slip stream

 

b...won't attract dust

 

c...won't stain.

 

I believe that cyclists use some solid chain lubricant that looks like candle grease and that there are very sticky lanolin preparations.

 

I have no experience with either of these

 

Any and all advice greatly appreciated.

 

Davidh

 

 

[Guest Roger]

Hi David,

 

I use a wax lubricant on my mountain bike and have done so for the last six years or so.

 

The current product is a spray-on made by Finish Line (any good bike shop will have this or similar). Its called KryTech and is a formulation containing DuPont's Krytox and paraffin wax.

 

It bonds to metal. Sets up dry and is non-greasy - no oily film. Its the ducks guts for a bikes moving parts. I spray it on everything! A word of warning though....it isnt easy to get off surfaces when you do need to replace it. I use a hot pressure washer and presoak with kero.

 

Will it do a job for you?? I certainly think its worth a shot - it definitely prevents corrosion and is a top lubricant! Make sure you allow it to set well, I would leave it for at least 24hrs before you fly.

 

The best thing about this stuff? Its cheap at about $13.00 for a 255gm can!

 

Cheers

 

Roger

 

 

[hihosland]

Sounds like just what I need

 

many thanks Roger

 

Davidh

 

 

[Guest Juliette Lima]

Hi hihosland,

 

Just out of interest, were you using Lanox (from the inox family).

 

It was recommended to me, but I hav'nt had the need....as yet!

 

Thank you

 

JL

 

 

[hihosland]

Yes Lanox was the product

 

perhaps suffering from a surfiet of enthusiasm in the

 

application rate.

 

Kry teck certainly sounds as if it is worth checking out

 

best of wishes

 

Davidh

 

 

[Wilfred]

An aircraft owner I know sprays MR Sheen Furniture Polish on all exposed parts that are likely to corrode

 

He says it works great is cheap & clean and also can be used to clean the rest of the aircraft.

 

 

[Guest Juliette Lima]

Thanks David, I'll talk to the guy who recommended the product and ask what his experience is.....he flys from Port Macquarie, and is subject to salt air.

 

JL

 

 

[Admin]

Mr Sheen does sound cheap and easy although I have been told not to use it on Carbon Fibre aircraft:

 

http://www.recreationalflying.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6324&highlight=sheen

 

As Turtle says Mr Sheen would be good in putting a coating of wax on parts that are likely to corrode.

 

 

[Guest brentc]

I've seen people using Mr Sheen on Jabiru's and it works really well, but ultimately you're using it to clean what amounts to automotive paint and I doubt if you would use Mr Sheen to clean your car, would you? I use Mr Sheen to clean my perspex windows. I'm pretty happy with it and how it treats the scratches. I've also seen someone use Lanoline on their yellow Gazelle and it made one hell of a mess of the paint afterwards. I dread the thought of having used it on a fabric aircraft.

 

I wouldn't use Mr Sheen on a carbon aircraft that isn't painted, such as the Texan. Ian, is the CT actually painted with 2Pac paint? I have noticed a couple of Texans a couple of years old now and they are showing signs of age without paint.

 

 

[Guest check-in]

An old trawler skipper put me on to Inox. The spray, not the lanolin product. Unlike WD40 etc which leaves a sticky residue to attract dirt, it is very clean and does not appear to harm plastics.

 

I have not used in on aircraft ('cos I don't yet have one of my own and don't have to maintain the ones I fly) but have used it on several sailing boats and motorbikes over the years and it appear to provide excellent corrosion ihibiting and lubrication and it definitely does not stain. It is not heavy enough for applications requiring grease or for special jobs like control cables where they run over pulleys. Having said that, I do use it on engine control cables instead of grease and (touch wood) have yet to have any breakages.

 

 

[Yenn]

I have used Inox spray for several years and it is very good, better than WD40 in my opinion. I use it on cable pulley bearings and a little overspray on the stranded wire cable can only be good. A squirt in the throttle and choke cables keeps them free.

 

 

[Modest Pilot]

The stuff to use is LPS N0. 3. Your local LAME will be able to sell it to you or point you in the right direction. The pressure pack is dangerous goods so it's going to cost more than the Aircraft Spruce price. ($9.75)

 

 

[Barefootpilot]

In the whitsundays on the seaplanes we used INOX which was pretty good as the aircraft was exposed to salt water everyday and it did help slow down the corrision on some parts. Down here in Sydney on the seaplanes we are using LPS 3 pretty much similar stuff.

 

I still like the smell of INOX reminds me of sitting around having an amber ale as the sun sets! Ah the Whitsundays.. why would you leave!!

 

Adam

 

 

[Yenn]

Funny sort of amber ale if it smells of Inox, it reminds me more of burnt jet fuel.

 

 

[planedriver]

One other point to consider is: Dont use WD40 on any rubber as is causes it to swell.

 

For any of you guys that have roller doors that don't run as well as they used to, clean the guides with steel wool or scotchbride pad, and give a good spray with Mr Sheen or 3-In-One silcon spray.

 

If you use WD40, the rubber inside the nylofelt edging strip swells and gets progresively tighter in the guides, and the doors then stuffed.