Vaseline

Q: Why do young married couples with small children keep vaseline?

A: To rub on the doorknob outside Mummy and Daddy's bedroom on Sunday
afternoons.

**********
Vaseline is a trade name for a semi-opaque, whitish petroleum jelly. I
keep a pot of it on the workstand for my bikes, and use it liberally
for greasing threads and as a general lubricant and protection layer.

Does anyone know the limits of Vaseline? What about packing bearings
with it, say in the headset?

Omnia vincit nexus.

Cyber Nexus (1)
Pontiff
http://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/B...20CYCLING.html

(1) The cyclist who before his elevation was known as Andre Jute

Does anyone know the limits of Vaseline? What about packing bearings
with it, say in the headset?


If it was wartime and it was all you had, but seeing as grease is so
cheap, get the real deal. Automotive quality is fine. Alternately
white lithium household grease works as well if you want something
less smelly.

dunno about as a lube for bearings, however, "Aquaphor" seems to work better
than either vaseline or "Butt Paste" for riding.

"landotter" wrote in message
...

Does anyone know the limits of Vaseline? What about packing bearings
with it, say in the headset?


If it was wartime and it was all you had, but seeing as grease is so
cheap, get the real deal. Automotive quality is fine. Alternately
white lithium household grease works as well if you want something
less smelly.

On Oct 2, 5:48*pm, landotter wrote:
Does anyone know the limits of Vaseline? What about packing bearings
with it, say in the headset?

If it was wartime and it was all you had, but seeing as grease is so
cheap, get the real deal.

It's not about money. Cycling is an obscenely expensive hobby where I
live. Almost everything I want has to be ordered and delivery charges
of over over USD 30 are not uncommon. Only one supplier has a free
delivery policy (Chainreaction outta Belfast; they ship free in
Ireland and the UK) and you can guess who gets my business when they
carry what I want. But they're mainly into derring-do for the
immature, no Nexus for instance, and they don't carry Rohloff, which
is probably where I'll go next.

It's about clean hands. Vaseline is pretty clean. For the same reason
I like lubricating my chain with White Lightning Liquid Wax.

Automotive quality is fine. Alternately
white lithium household grease works as well if you want something
less smelly.

The white lithium sounds the business. Thanks, Landotter.

Andre Jute
Visit Jute on Amps at http://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/
"wonderfully well written and reasoned information
for the tube audio constructor"
John Broskie TubeCAD & GlassWare
"an unbelievably comprehensive web site
containing vital gems of wisdom"
Stuart Perry Hi-Fi News & Record Review

"Andre Jute" wrote in message
...

It's not about money. Cycling is an obscenely expensive hobby where I
live. Almost everything I want has to be ordered and delivery charges
of over over USD 30 are not uncommon. Only one supplier has a free
delivery policy (Chainreaction outta Belfast; they ship free in
Ireland and the UK) and you can guess who gets my business when they
carry what I want. But they're mainly into derring-do for the
immature, no Nexus for instance, and they don't carry Rohloff, which
is probably where I'll go next.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...px?ModelID=980

12 quid for a pot which will last you for ever.

Lithium grease from the local motor factors should be cheaper and will be
just fine.

Andre Jute wrote:
Q: Why do young married couples with small children keep vaseline?

A: To rub on the doorknob outside Mummy and Daddy's bedroom on Sunday
afternoons.

**********
Vaseline is a trade name for a semi-opaque, whitish petroleum jelly. I
keep a pot of it on the workstand for my bikes, and use it liberally
for greasing threads and as a general lubricant and protection layer.

Does anyone know the limits of Vaseline? What about packing bearings
with it, say in the headset?

Omnia vincit nexus.

Cyber Nexus (1)
Pontiff
http://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/B...20CYCLING.html

(1) The cyclist who before his elevation was known as Andre Jute

Don't use it on pump washers. This can lead to an explosion, which
usually wrecks the pump or its hose.

Zog The Undeniable wrote:
Andre Jute wrote:
Q: Why do young married couples with small children keep vaseline?

A: To rub on the doorknob outside Mummy and Daddy's bedroom on Sunday
afternoons.

**********
Vaseline is a trade name for a semi-opaque, whitish petroleum jelly. I
keep a pot of it on the workstand for my bikes, and use it liberally
for greasing threads and as a general lubricant and protection layer.

Does anyone know the limits of Vaseline? What about packing bearings
with it, say in the headset?

Omnia vincit nexus.

Cyber Nexus (1)
Pontiff
http://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/B...20CYCLING.html

(1) The cyclist who before his elevation was known as Andre Jute

Don't use it on pump washers. This can lead to an explosion, which
usually wrecks the pump or its hose.


Wow. Seriously? This sounds like urban legend/myth to me. Someone
with just (not) enough science knowledge thinks, "hmmm... petroleum
based jelly... high pressures in a bike pump... friction... PV = RT ...
all "petroleum" products are combustable... ergo, petroleum jelly as a
pump lube will EXPLODE!!! Danger Will Robinson, DANGER!!!"

But, it's the first I've heard of it, so I dunno, could be true. But
seems somewhat implausible to me.
-KC

KC wrote:
Zog The Undeniable wrote:

Don't use it on pump washers. This can lead to an explosion, which
usually wrecks the pump or its hose.


Wow. Seriously? This sounds like urban legend/myth to me. Someone
with just (not) enough science knowledge thinks, "hmmm... petroleum
based jelly... high pressures in a bike pump... friction... PV = RT ...
all "petroleum" products are combustable... ergo, petroleum jelly as a
pump lube will EXPLODE!!! Danger Will Robinson, DANGER!!!"

I know the guy who wrote this in Real Life (TM), and he's a reliable
source (he's also a career scientist):

http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?to...8249#msg128249

Harold Rothgar wrote:

Don't use it on pump washers. This can lead to an explosion, which
usually wrecks the pump or its hose.

Wow. Seriously? This sounds like urban legend/myth to me.
Someone with just (not) enough science knowledge thinks,
"hmmm... petroleum based jelly... high pressures in a bike
pump... friction... PV = RT ... all "petroleum" products are
combustable... ergo, petroleum jelly as a pump lube will EXPLODE!!!
Danger Will Robinson, DANGER!!!"

I know the guy who wrote this in Real Life (TM), and he's a reliable
source (he's also a career scientist):

http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?to...8249#msg128249

That doesn't make him immune to MAS (Male Answer Syndrome) even if he
doesn't know the answer. You'll find the "pump leathers" are
traditionally lubricated with oil of one kind or another, most of it
motor oil. It's the "faintly credible" part that makes BS so
dangerous. How about a warning label from someones pump advising
against such an explosive mixture.

Jobst Brandt

Zog The Undeniable wrote:
KC wrote:
Zog The Undeniable wrote:

Don't use it on pump washers. This can lead to an explosion, which
usually wrecks the pump or its hose.


Wow. Seriously? This sounds like urban legend/myth to me. Someone
with just (not) enough science knowledge thinks, "hmmm... petroleum
based jelly... high pressures in a bike pump... friction... PV = RT
... all "petroleum" products are combustable... ergo, petroleum jelly
as a pump lube will EXPLODE!!! Danger Will Robinson, DANGER!!!"

I know the guy who wrote this in Real Life (TM), and he's a reliable
source (he's also a career scientist):

http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?to...8249#msg128249

I'm not saying your friend didn't witness a pump explode. But I do not
believe his explanation. Even if he used gasoline for a lubricant, I
doubt that combustion of the vapors could be caused simply by pumping.
Keep in mind that he claims the pump cylinder is what exploded. The
pump cylinder gets new fresh, cool, and free of vapor air every stroke.
So vapor concentration in the pump cylinder is very low (mixing of air
in the tube & hose with pump cylinder air against a pressure gradient
would be minimal, I think). Combustion is, IMO, highly unlikely.

I call BS. But I'm interested in the idea... if I'm wrong and it is
possible, someone explain it.

-KC