Homemade Grease?
#26
Expired Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: TN
Posts: 11,526
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3662 Post(s)
Liked 5,408 Times
in
2,747 Posts
Now check OP's mag wheel thread in General!!
#27
~>~
#29
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Maryland
Posts: 347
Bikes: Nashbar Race SIS, Spalding Road Step Through Single Speed, Kent Road Single Speed, 630 Cruiser, Fuji Odessa mountain bike
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 109 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
#30
Full Member
Well, my home-made rim strip has lasted for about a week. So what's wrong with home-made grease?
#31
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Maryland
Posts: 347
Bikes: Nashbar Race SIS, Spalding Road Step Through Single Speed, Kent Road Single Speed, 630 Cruiser, Fuji Odessa mountain bike
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 109 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I have a feeling the new crankset is going to be pre-greased (replacement from manufacturer). If not I may first try my homemade idea (available for a cost).
#32
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Morris County, NJ
Posts: 1,102
Bikes: 90's Bianchi Premio, Raleigh-framed fixed gear, Trek 3500, Centurion hybrid, Dunelt 3-spd, Trek 800
Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2167 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
In case you are serious, the way they give grease "weight" (thickness) is NOT by adding glue, mud, flour, maple syrup, etc. Leave it to the experts.
#34
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Morris County, NJ
Posts: 1,102
Bikes: 90's Bianchi Premio, Raleigh-framed fixed gear, Trek 3500, Centurion hybrid, Dunelt 3-spd, Trek 800
Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2167 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
As with the OP's post, I'll assume you are serious and point out that soap, although slippery, contains a de-greaser (lye). I doubt that commercial bearing grease has lye in it. Also, soap is intentionally water-soluble - not a desirable property in grease.
#35
Senior Member
Grease generally consists of a soap emulsified with mineral or vegetable oil.
Likes For mconlonx:
#36
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,394
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,694 Times
in
2,516 Posts
grease is oil plus soap plus additives. The "soap" probably wouldn't have a surfactant For example, the soap can be lithium, molybdenum, others. I am not sure what Park or Phil uses for the soap, it doesn't seem to be metallic in nature
#38
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Rural Minnesota
Posts: 1,604
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 75 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
At WalMart 8 oz of castor oil is $4.49 Castor Oil Home Health 8 oz Liquid - Walmart.com and a 16 oz can of general purpose grease is $3.97 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Super-Tech...-1-lb/16795246
Are you talking about the crankset (pedal arms and front gears aka chainrings) or the bottom bracket (the bearings and spindle around which the cranks revolve)? Cup and one bottom brackets require hand greasing and adjustment but are obsolete and rarely used any more. Cartridge or External bottom brackets are sealed so the only grease required is a small amount on threads and crank interfaces.
Last edited by GravelMN; 09-30-15 at 08:18 AM.
#39
Senior Member
#40
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Morris County, NJ
Posts: 1,102
Bikes: 90's Bianchi Premio, Raleigh-framed fixed gear, Trek 3500, Centurion hybrid, Dunelt 3-spd, Trek 800
Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2167 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Here's the thing about soap, the stuff we use at home every day. It contains lye (sodium hydroxide or NaOH). Take that away and you have the "stearates" mentioned in the link as soaps. They are animal fats that have reacted with various acids to produce a greasy substance that can dissolve away some of the dirt on our hands.
However, the lye is what dissolves the grease, leaving our hands clean and non-greasy. In ancient times, people smeared oil or grease on themselves and scraped it off with a blade-like instrument and thought they were "clean". In recent centuries, they found that the addition of lye improved their cleanliness (and their aroma!).
My main point: we don't want lye in our bearing grease. So home-brewers shouldn't use household soap in their home-made bearing grease. Sure enough, though, you were right according to the link.
Last edited by habilis; 09-30-15 at 09:32 AM.
#42
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Maryland
Posts: 347
Bikes: Nashbar Race SIS, Spalding Road Step Through Single Speed, Kent Road Single Speed, 630 Cruiser, Fuji Odessa mountain bike
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 109 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I'm moving away from the glue idea. Maybe castor oil and glycerin for the pedals.
#44
Sunshine
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,610
Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10954 Post(s)
Liked 7,483 Times
in
4,185 Posts
Well bring a tub of this recipe in during an interview for sure success!
2oz bacon fat(strain thru a cheese cloth)
1oz fresh peanut oil(chop and blend, then press)
3oz baby tears
a pinch of lemon juice to keep grease from spoiling
Mix well. This is like egg whites where the longer you mix the fluffier it gets. You need equal parts oil to tears to ensure the grease is both slick and long lasting. The tears chemically bond to the grease.
This stuff will last you about 5 bikes, assuming you repack all the bearing points on each bike.
Last edited by mstateglfr; 09-30-15 at 10:12 AM.
#45
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Maryland
Posts: 347
Bikes: Nashbar Race SIS, Spalding Road Step Through Single Speed, Kent Road Single Speed, 630 Cruiser, Fuji Odessa mountain bike
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 109 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Like with most occasions when people try homemade items to replace marketed items the reason regards quality - in terms of both usefulness of the product and environmental. Of course, like with anything else, in my opinion, there are no proven theories, there are different opinions.
#46
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Morris County, NJ
Posts: 1,102
Bikes: 90's Bianchi Premio, Raleigh-framed fixed gear, Trek 3500, Centurion hybrid, Dunelt 3-spd, Trek 800
Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2167 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Like with most occasions when people try homemade items to replace marketed items the reason regards quality - in terms of both usefulness of the product and environmental. Of course, like with anything else, in my opinion, there are no proven theories, there are different opinions.
I'm reminded of Leonardo Da Vinci, who thought walnut oil would make a good substitute for linseed oil in his paints. He painted The Last Supper, a mural, using his new formula. The paint never dried. He tried speeding up the drying with lamps, but the paint ran and the image blurred.
Last edited by habilis; 09-30-15 at 10:38 AM.
#47
Full Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: North Seattle
Posts: 387
Bikes: Davidson ’81
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 120 Post(s)
Liked 229 Times
in
121 Posts
Get some crude oil. A barrel is $45 and should be plenty.
Make a fractional distillation column. You can find instructions on the internet. The part of the crude you want boils around 350 °C, ensure your heating apparatus can get this hot. Collect the 350-375 °C fraction and save it. This is the "base stock".
Make the "soap" by reacting stearic acid (tallow) with aluminum hydroxide powder (available from pet supply companies).
Combine 9 parts base stock with 1 part soap.
Simple enough?
Make a fractional distillation column. You can find instructions on the internet. The part of the crude you want boils around 350 °C, ensure your heating apparatus can get this hot. Collect the 350-375 °C fraction and save it. This is the "base stock".
Make the "soap" by reacting stearic acid (tallow) with aluminum hydroxide powder (available from pet supply companies).
Combine 9 parts base stock with 1 part soap.
Simple enough?
#48
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: So. Jersey
Posts: 596
Bikes: LeMond Reno
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
^^Excellent story/info however poor comparison.
Reason (IMO) The Last Supper could be the greatest "experiment" (mistake) ever. Other than the Sistine Chapel, possibly the most "valuable" (from many perspectives) painting (fresco) in the world.
Sidenote: How much better would it have been with a better medium? Your comment induced curiosity and a quick wiki read, informed me that "Due to the methods used, and a variety of environmental factors, as well as intentional damage, very little of the original painting remains today, despite numerous restoration attempts, the last being completed in 1999."
Reason (IMO) The Last Supper could be the greatest "experiment" (mistake) ever. Other than the Sistine Chapel, possibly the most "valuable" (from many perspectives) painting (fresco) in the world.
Sidenote: How much better would it have been with a better medium? Your comment induced curiosity and a quick wiki read, informed me that "Due to the methods used, and a variety of environmental factors, as well as intentional damage, very little of the original painting remains today, despite numerous restoration attempts, the last being completed in 1999."
I'm reminded of Leonardo Da Vinci, who thought walnut oil would make a good substitute for linseed oil in his paints. He painted The Last Supper, a mural, using his new formula. The paint never dried. He tried speeding up the drying with lamps, but the paint ran and the image blurred.
#49
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Morris County, NJ
Posts: 1,102
Bikes: 90's Bianchi Premio, Raleigh-framed fixed gear, Trek 3500, Centurion hybrid, Dunelt 3-spd, Trek 800
Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2167 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
^^Excellent story/info however poor comparison.
Reason (IMO) The Last Supper could be the greatest "experiment" (mistake) ever. Other than the Sistine Chapel, possibly the most "valuable" (from many perspectives) painting (fresco) in the world.
Sidenote: How much better would it have been with a better medium? Your comment induced curiosity and a quick wiki read, informed me that "Due to the methods used, and a variety of environmental factors, as well as intentional damage, very little of the original painting remains today, despite numerous restoration attempts, the last being completed in 1999."
Reason (IMO) The Last Supper could be the greatest "experiment" (mistake) ever. Other than the Sistine Chapel, possibly the most "valuable" (from many perspectives) painting (fresco) in the world.
Sidenote: How much better would it have been with a better medium? Your comment induced curiosity and a quick wiki read, informed me that "Due to the methods used, and a variety of environmental factors, as well as intentional damage, very little of the original painting remains today, despite numerous restoration attempts, the last being completed in 1999."
Last edited by habilis; 09-30-15 at 01:29 PM.
#50
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Rural Minnesota
Posts: 1,604
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 75 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Like with most occasions when people try homemade items to replace marketed items the reason regards quality - in terms of both usefulness of the product and environmental. Of course, like with anything else, in my opinion, there are no proven theories, there are different opinions.
Green Grease: Environmentally Friendly Industrial Lubricant Developed | CleanTechnica
The process uses cellulose derivatives as thickening agents. The article mentions that the resulting bio-grease is not stable at high temperatures and doesn't stay put very well under high pressure or in high rpm applications, but in the relatively low temp, low rpm environment of a BB, hub, or pedal bearings, or in a relatively static bearing like a headset, it just might work.
OP, if you are insistent on a DIY experiment, your idea of adding glycerine is not completely wacky as glycerine is a common biological soap base, usually combined with steric acid to produce glycerol monostearate, which would indeed emulsify a vegetable oil. It should be available at any hobby or craft shop that carries home soap making supplies. As a cellulose derivative thickener, I'd think that carboxy-methylcellulose might work and is readily available as a food and cosmetic additive. It is commonly used in combination with glycerine and isotonic saline solution as soothing eyedrops (artificial tears). Other possibilities would be polysaccharides like guar gum or xantham gum which are used as thickeners and food texture modifiers. Other bio additives that the OP might want to consider include coconut oil and carnauba wax. The biggest obstacle I see is the relatively rapid breakdown and rancidity of the base oils that might be used. The addition of BHT or BHA in proportions far higher than would be allowed as a food additive, might stave this off. Other big questions are: Will it provide the required lubrication and corrosion resistance? Is it compatible with the various metals and other materials with which it will come into contact? and How would it perform under various cycling conditions of heat, cold, humidity and wet weather?
From a bike maintenance standpoint, I am sticking with my advice to just buy some decent grease and learn proper maintenance. But if the goal is to experiment with creating a sustainable and environmentally friendly product using a bicycle as a test vehicle, what the hell. As noted, pick a cheap garage sale bike that you don't mind seeing destroyed in the process. I still think you will waste a lot of time, money and effort to create an inferior product as, even if you want to go with a "green" grease, there already some on the market.
Here is some other info the OP might find interesting:
New biodegradable grease meets demand for environmentally friendly products in engineering industry - WaterWorld
ELM
Environmentally Friendly Grease Based on Ricin Oil and Cellulose Derivatives
Eco-Safe - UltraLube lubricants
What You Should Know About Environmentally Friendly Lubricants
Last edited by GravelMN; 09-30-15 at 06:49 PM.