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Boelube Equivalent/Substitute

BobbyLucas

Well Known Member
As a newbie I've never used Boelube... Does it have some magical pixie dust in it to keep the plane in the sky, or is there a more convenient substitute I can use until my Aircraft Spruce order arrives? :D

(Edit: This is in regards to screw threads on the -12iS belly skin)
 
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I use boelub mostly in drilling application, especially when drilling out all the brand new holes in the RV8 longerons or drilling steel parts. It is less messy than cutting fluid. For fasteners, I just spray the LPS #2 lube on the new fasterners before using them on nutplates.
 
3 in 1

Any light oil will work. I keep an old film container with a hole in the lid. 1/2 filled with 3 in 1. Quick dip and bit is ready.
 
if you are using cobalt bits to drill aluminum, boelube (or any lube) is really overkill. Doesn't hurt, but you are not going to see a ton more life out of the tool. For HSS bits it does make a difference.
 
Great responses, thanks! To clarify, I'm at the spot on my -12iS build where I have to install some screws and nuts into the belly skin and it calls for Boelube on the threads. Thinking Kyle's bar soap is a good fit here...
 
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I had success with coconut oil. Has the convenience of being somewhat solid as long as it isn't too warm. It also smells very nice.
 
I had success with coconut oil. Has the convenience of being somewhat solid as long as it isn't too warm. It also smells very nice.

Soap, coconut oil... at this rate my plane will smell like a gentlemen's club before I'm done; not that I would know of course. ;)
 
I've been using the same wax for 25 years on screws which go into nut plates. Toilet ring wax. About a buck or two. Stick the end of the screw in the wax and you're good to go. Plus, the look of horror on people's faces makes it fun to use. One ring is about 1000 year's worth.

Most likely not a problem with most brands, but without knowing the ingredients in the various soap brands, I'd be hesitant to use it.
 
Great responses, thanks! To clarify, I'm at the spot on my -12iS build where I have to install some screws and nuts into the belly skin and it calls for Boelube on the threads. Thinking Kyle's bar soap is a good fit here...

I like beeswax for lubricating threads.

A wax toilet ring will give you a multi year supply.

Also works well for tapping threads.
 
Soap?

Bar soap works reasonably well, and you get to choose your favorite fragrance.

A little speculation on my part here, but be cautioned that bar soap is typically alkaline and may be corrosive to Aluminum if the residue isn't washed away.

Skylor
 
Boelube is Cetyl Alcohol. The chemical name for .....wait for it.....whale oil. :)
A fact I find quite funny.

Wax might be the closest useful chemical in the same family of carbon backbone hydrocarbons.
 
Boelube also comes in three consistencies, the waxy push-up stick, a paste and a liquid (like 3-in-one oil). I like the liquid for tapping threads and the wax for screws into nutplates.
 
I built my airplane in the my house. I was drilling some holes and needed a lubricant but I didn't have anything available and I didn't want to take the time to stop and go buy something. I got the idea to use Pam cooking spray. It worked great! Necessity the mother of ideas and inventions. :)
 
Some others have mentioned it a little bit gently, but I would not let bar soap anywhere near an aluminum airplane. In short order, you will have a very corroded mess.

By 'short order' I mean a few years maybe. But steel screws will rust, aluminum will corrode. It will be ugly.
 
Parafin Wax and Cetyl Alcohol

Boelube is simple..Parafin wax shaved and mixed with Cetyl Alcohol. We made it at my airline job because we used a LOT of it..Boeing folks tipped us off on the recipe.
 
Thanks for the clarification on the soap. Guess I have to go remove and wash some hardware. :eek:

Also thanks for the info on what Boelube is made of. I've got a block of paraffin I could rub the threads with. Fresh out of glitter-infused cetyl alcohol though.

...or I can pretend to have some patience and wait until my order arrives Monday. Ugh. I got the 1.6 oz push tube version.

On a related note, did you know WD-40 is the lube of choice for machining aluminum? At least according to all the YouTube machinists I watch.
 
Water..

I forgot to add, we just used a little water, blend it up into a paste. As soon as any heat builds during drilling it gets very fluid.
 
I have a candle that I use for screw threads. Won't foam into a nice rich lather, though.
 
Beeswax!

An old WWII US Navy Aviation Metalsmith taught me to use beeswax. It?s a good lubricant, no odor that I can detect, melts at just the right temperature, and it?s very low cost.
 
Thanks for the clarification on the soap. Guess I have to go remove and wash some hardware. :eek:

Also thanks for the info on what Boelube is made of. I've got a block of paraffin I could rub the threads with. Fresh out of glitter-infused cetyl alcohol though.

...or I can pretend to have some patience and wait until my order arrives Monday. Ugh. I got the 1.6 oz push tube version.

On a related note, did you know WD-40 is the lube of choice for machining aluminum? At least according to all the YouTube machinists I watch.

Yes, WD-40 is good for machining aluminum. I would not call it a lubricant though. It somehow removes aluminum's affinity to stick to itself. An old-school model-maker at IBM taught me that when I was a student intern there. He used it as the coolant when grinding aluminum. (need to have the right stone too, of course). But in a pinch if you must use a grindstone on aluminum, keep it saturated with WD-40 and it won't load up the stone (much). ** Note this is considered a dangerous practice for course carborundum grindstones, because the aluminum can imbed in the stone, then expand when it gets hot, and shatter the stone. **
 
WD-40

I was told WD-40 was basically Varsol. I think it's a solvent.
My spray preference is Blaster. Excellent multi purpose lubricant. Blaster Catalyst is great for stubborn nuts and bolts
 
Penetrating Oil

Was going to thread drift a bit as PB Blaster was mentioned but I'll start a new one instead.
 
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