Difference in NLGI Grade 1 and Grade 2 lithium grease?

[famdoc2892]

I know some of you guys have studied your tribology enough to steer me straight on this, being a newcomer to the sport of make-your-own! Trying to search out low-budget lithium for MML, not that MAG-1 would break the bank, but I'm thinking stockpile! Finally broke down and shelled out for 10 lbs of BW-43001, need a matching supply of other ingredients.

[Eutectic]

Doc,

The NLGI is an acronym for National Lubricating Grease Institute. The number in layman's terms refers to thickness... NLGI calls it consistency.
Numerically, the bigger the number the thicker the grease. (#2 thicker than #1) Thinner yet may be O or OO... Thicker #3 or higher. The thinner (smaller numbers) are usually used for colder operating conditions. The grease formulation can change as well for the cold. The base oil viscosity can be different between #1 and #2 in the same brand and type of grease; but the base oil might stay the same vis and the #2 grade have more percent lithium soap (thickener) in the mix. One needs to look at the product data sheets for the choice picked.

Personally, I would be pretty sure of my formulation before I 'loaded up' on components. Beeswax is always good though!

Eutectic

[geargnasher]

#2 grease can be made with low-viscosity (thin) oil and lots of metal soap thickener, or heavy oil and less thickener, it's the final consistency that makes the grade.

"00" will almost flow under it's own weight, while #7 is solid, brick grease about like room temperature cheese.

Gear

[runfiverun]

you are most likely to find #2 grease at your local store.
you can get wheel bearing grease which is bout the same thing [visc wise] but has a higher drop point. [which is how it gets the desigantion]
and number one grease which is basically assembly lube [white lith]

i wouldn't make 10 lbs of mml i don't think max has 10 lbs of mml made up.
it's a specific lube designed for cold weather and specifically for the first shot in cold weather.

[btroj]

I bought about 6 pounds of MML from 357 Max a few years back. I have been using it for about everything. No issues in heat other that the fact I can tell it gets a bit loose at 90 plus degrees. I can feel that on the loaded rounds where a bit got on the case.

I wouldn't make 10 pounds of anything until I knew for certain that it worked well in almost all my shooting needs. That is a whole heap of shooting to use 10 pounds of lube.

[bruce381]

normally the difference is in the amount of soap thickener used example a #2 will take say 10% soap a thinner #1 will take 7% soap rest of grease foemula the same

[geargnasher]

I have some lithium soap brick greases that are in the 21-25% thickener range, rated at NLGI #6+.

Gear

[famdoc2892]

Thanks for the comments, guys. Here in NW GA, we can get Fall hunting temps as high as 80 degrees and as low as the teens; if I'm working up loads in the summer, I can be out in the 90s routinely and 100s frequently. Cold-barrel hunting accuracy is most important to me, so Max's Michigan experience is of interest. Many thanks to each of you for your active participation in this board!

[geargnasher]

MML might be the way to go if your hunting conditions don't exceed 80. Much above that, it needs some adjustment.

Gear

[Eutectic]

you can get wheel bearing grease which is bout the same thing [visc wise] but has a higher drop point. [which is how it gets the desigantion]

This made me laugh Run! Yeah the high drop point even synthetic base is good for hard disc brake useage with modern cars because of rotor heat transfering to the wheel bearing housing....

But my hearty laugh was about memories of 50 years and more ago when wheel bearing grease was an entirely different duck!

Many of you older readers can remember when front wheel bearings were ball bearings instead of tapered roller bearing like today..

Back then I was intrigued by Standard Oil's grease mixing vats.... The greasemaker stood above the tank with internal mixing blades... Base oils and thickeners were metered in via piping when starting a new batch and the mixer started. A manway on top was usually left open (before OSHA) and speciality additives were sometimes added by the bucket or bag through the hole!

I remember the Standard Oil Wheel Bearing grease. It came in a navy blue can like a small paint can.... You needed a screwdriver to open it.

Those ball bearing front hubs were a pain for 'loosing' a bearing! I've changed a few that rumbled into my peaceful driving.

Then my Dad gave me some of the Standard Oil Wheel Bearing Grease. I NEVER LOST ANOTHER BEARING!!!!

The grease was stringy and made a string-like strand(s) when you pulled your fingers out! Not as good as these modern polybutene enhanced greases mind you, but not like the chassis lubes of that time...

One day those many, many years ago I was watching a greasemaker work. I stopped as he poured from a bag into the manway something that looked cotton-like or maybe even more like wool!

When he finished I asked him, "What you mixing?"

"Wheel Bearing Grease." He answered.

"What were you putting in there?" I continued....

"Wool" He replied spitting Copenhagen AWAY from the mixer.

"Wool !!! Why do you put wool in the grease?"

"Helps hold the grease in with the balls so the bearings last better."

So there you go. Technology that WORKED from over a half century ago!

I have wondered about wool added to our boolit lube formulas a few times but have been afraid to mention it until now....

Eutectic

[felix]

Why, Eutectic? Remember, Gear has even tried adding paper. Anything goes provided it can be repeated easily on demand, so don't be afraid of anything! ... felix

[uscra112]

An old shop trick with that stringy grease was to put a golf-ball size blob on a cigarette pack, then stick the pack to the ceiling of the mens room just inside the door. In a few minutes the weight would pull the grease out into long spiderwebs, and the first guy through the door, well. . . . . . .

Worked best if the victim had a real need, y'know?

[geargnasher]

Gear

[runfiverun]

maybe i'll remind everybody of the dryer lint lube fiasco.
it'd do,, well it'd make a lube cookie.
it wasn't easily applied to boolit grooves though.
anyway
i could never get any fibrous strands to distribute throughout a lube, it always wanted to clump up.
and i have no way to shorten the strand lengths [short of a pair of scissors]

[felix]

Scissors prolly won't work much better. Might search and find several celluous softener chemicals and see which one dissolves dryer lint the best (without its complete vanishing?) ... felix

[PineTreeGreen]

Years ago,most railroad cars were "hot box" type. The maintenance crew would throw in a stick of lube. The lube stick was a stiff,black that had cotton fibers and as the "hot box" warmed up,the grease and cotton was pulled into the clearance. Worked until the roller bearing came along.

[geargnasher]

I had good luck making and applying wood pulp (Kleenex Viva paper towels in the blender is reduced to individual fibers in a few seconds), but golly it leaded the guns. You could see where a small fleck of lube/paper would get blown out ahead of the boolit and then run over and ironed onto the bore, I could flake off bits of the stuff like a scab, paper one one side and lead on the other and a lead streak downwind of it in the barrel. I did shoot one outstanding group with it in one of my rifles, but I think it was a fluke as I could never get it to work again.

If anyone else wants to try it, mix an oiled wax about the consistency of what you'd normally use for a SOFT boolit lube with the paper fibers until the paper absorbs the melted lube with no big puddles underneath it. Mat it down and let it cool. It will work in a sizer, and if you breech-seat it might work in a gun.

Gear