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View Full Version : Silicon Grease Bargains



Armstrong
April 1st, 2016, 11:07 AM
Silicon grease, as you know, is used to seal up eye dropper pen threads and to lubricate pistons in piston fill pens. Pen stores sell it but at inflated prices. Using Goulet's, which tends to have good prices on things, as an example - 1/8th ounce costs $3.00. That doesn't include shipping. For about $3.30 I got a 1/2oz tub of silicon grease at Home Depot and maybe a nickel worth of gasoline for shipping. So, four times the amount for approximately the same price. I suspect you could get it at other stores like Walmart or other big discount chains. FYI, this is US specific information though I would be surprised if similar situations don't exist in other places.

If you do buy silicon grease at hardware stores make sure it is 100% silicon grease with no other additives for your pen's sake.

mhosea
April 1st, 2016, 11:29 AM
The name of the compound "silicone" derives from the name of the element "silicon", but the names are not interchangeable. I suppose in some super stretchy way, you could argue that silicone grease is "silicon grease" because silicone derives from silicon in some sense, but the substitution sounds pretty abrasive to my ears. I don't think silicone generally stretches that far, and I know silicon doesn't. ;)

Armstrong
April 1st, 2016, 11:33 AM
OK Mike, good grief. Let's be specific then. Silicone Faucet Grease. Happy?

mhosea
April 1st, 2016, 12:36 PM
OK Mike, good grief. Let's be specific then. Silicone Faucet Grease. Happy?

I was, and remain, completely unaffected one way or the other.

I bought 2 ounces of Trident Pure Silicone Grease off Amazon for a little over $8 about 4 years ago. Doesn't look like I will ever need more of it. This grease is slightly on the thick side, though.