Lube for Plastic Threads

[swall]

I need advice on lube for 3/8-16 stainless (type 304) bolts assembled into female plastic threads. Material is nylon and appears to be glass filled. Threads are tapped and have been re-tapped to clean up some of the burrs. These pieces are U-Clamps to hold short pieces of plastic pipe together in a process washer/zinc phosphate system. Much of the assembly will be in tight quarters and out of position, so we want to make the bolts assemble as easily as possible.

 

[Carburize]

A spot of any hand cream containing lanolin makes an excellent lubricant for plastic.

 

[swall]

Thanks Carburize. I'll give it a try and let you know how it works.

 

[yates]

Graphite powder is best for plastic threads

 

[swall]

Carburize--the hand cleaner trick seemed to work fairly well.
Yates--for graphite, do you mean dry or solvent based?

 

[yates]

Swall, the dry stuff in dust form that comes out of a puffer. Any solvent-based lubricants may eat away the plastic.

 

[ornerynorsk]

a crayon or a candle makes a handy lube source for plastic assemblies. Beeswax isn't bad, either.

 

[Heckler]

Depending on the end use environment...food mfg, vaccum or dirty. I would use lanolin or a dry film lubricant.

 

[unclesyd]

Here is the company that supplied the lubricants we used in the testing instrument labs on plastic components. I would give them a call with your particular set of materials and conditions and get a recommendation.

http://www.nyelubricants.com/index.htm