Duralac vs Tef Gel

[Neeves]

Simple stuff - which is better.

I've always used Duralac. Its messy, the contents of the tube settle out and are impossible to mix, the cap on the tube cements its self to the tube and the tube breaks when you wrestle with the cap - but the stuff works. Tef Gel (is that the correct spelling?) looks cleaner, does not settle - does it work as well as Duralac.

I carefully have not used the 'A' word.

Jonathan

 

[geem]

Simple stuff - which is better.

I've always used Duralac. Its messy, the contents of the tube settle out and are impossible to mix, the cap on the tube cements its self to the tube and the tube breaks when you wrestle with the cap - but the stuff works. Tef Gel (is that the correct spelling?) looks cleaner, does not settle - does it work as well as Duralac.

I carefully have not used the 'A' word.

Jonathan

Tefgel is way better. I will never go back to Duralac. Horrible messy stuff. Tefgel is excellent on s/s to aluminium connections. All my bolts, screws and rivets get a coat of Tefgel.
I helped a pal strip some fittings off his mast that it put on 15 years earlier using Tefgel. Everything came apart easily. We were both pleasantly surprised

 

[richardh10]

Me too for Tefgel

 

[Neeves]

Tefgel is way better. I will never go back to Duralac. Horrible messy stuff. Tefgel is excellent on s/s to aluminium connections. All my bolts, screws and rivets get a coat of Tefgel.
I helped a pal strip some fittings off his mast that it put on 15 years earlier using Tefgel. Everything came apart easily. We were both pleasantly surprised

I had not appreciated that Tefgel was so old, I had thought it a recent introduction. I'm not sure that I need to get out more or if their marketing is questionable.

Jonathan

 

[geem]

I had not appreciated that Tefgel was so old, I had thought it a recent introduction. I'm not sure that I need to get out more or if their marketing is questionable.

Jonathan

I think it has been around for about 20 years now

 

[rogerthebodger]

My understanding is that Durlac has a chemical corrosion inhibiting function where Tefgel prevents sea water getting into the joint thus preventing any corrosion.

Doing thhe same thing different ways

 

[Neeves]

My understanding is that Durlac has a chemical corrosion inhibiting function where Tefgel prevents sea water getting into the joint thus preventing any corrosion.

Doing thhe same thing different ways

So....

Does Tefgel have any advantages over any other grease and specifically those greases with apparent 'waterproof' or water resisting properties. I inherited a tube of a water proof grease (how I became the owner is lost in there mists of time) for application on an American brand of outboards - I had ignored its potential for coating stainless in aluminium castings..... until now.

Instead of searching out Tefgel might any old (or new) grease sold for the marine environment offer the same advantages (maybe at a factorially lower cost).

I'm not denigrating the advantages of Tefgel - but is it unique.

The big question that develops from my thought processes is - why is it that windlass installers (choose any other application you can think of) don't, bother to, isolate the stainless from aluminium - if any old grease will do.

Jonathan

 

[geem]

So....

Does Tefgel have any advantages over any other grease and specifically those greases with apparent 'waterproof' or water resisting properties. I inherited a tube of a water proof grease (how I became the owner is lost in there mists of time) for application on an American brand of outboards - I had ignored its potential for coating stainless in aluminium castings..... until now.

Instead of searching out Tefgel might any old (or new) grease sold for the marine environment offer the same advantages (maybe at a factorially lower cost).

I'm not denigrating the advantages of Tefgel - but is it unique.

The big question that develops from my thought processes is - why is it that windlass installers (choose any other application you can think of) don't, bother to, isolate the stainless from aluminium - if any old grease will do.

Jonathan

It's surprising how little Tefgel you need to coat a bolt thread. A small tub lasts a long time

 

[doug748]

So....

Does Tefgel have any advantages over any other grease and specifically those greases with apparent 'waterproof' or water resisting properties. I inherited a tube of a water proof grease (how I became the owner is lost in there mists of time) for application on an American brand of outboards - I had ignored its potential for coating stainless in aluminium castings..... until now.

Instead of searching out Tefgel might any old (or new) grease sold for the marine environment offer the same advantages (maybe at a factorially lower cost).

I'm not denigrating the advantages of Tefgel - but is it unique.

The big question that develops from my thought processes is - why is it that windlass installers (choose any other application you can think of) don't, bother to, isolate the stainless from aluminium - if any old grease will do.

Jonathan

This blogger is coming from the same direction:

Tef-Gel vs. Lanocote - Practical Sailor

Forespar Lanocote Grease

.

 

[vyv_cox]

The original version of Duralac contained either zinc or barium chromate, although there is a 'green' version today that contains something less contentious. It was found almost 100 years ago that chromates inhibited the corrosion of aluminium, although research continues to this day on the mechanism. It would seem that chromium rich films form on the surface, reducing the corrosive effects of chlorides. Duralac was used extensively on riveted aircraft components between the wars and is still used today.

Many learned papers can be found by Google, here is one. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/ADA399114

Tef-gel appears to be PTFE in an inert grease-type carrier. Its MSDS data shows no active ingredients.

It would appear that both rely on being sticky greases to exclude water but Duralac has the additional advantage of resisting chloride attack chemically.

 

[Boathook]

So....

Does Tefgel have any advantages over any other grease and specifically those greases with apparent 'waterproof' or water resisting properties. I inherited a tube of a water proof grease (how I became the owner is lost in there mists of time) for application on an American brand of outboards - I had ignored its potential for coating stainless in aluminium castings..... until now.

Instead of searching out Tefgel might any old (or new) grease sold for the marine environment offer the same advantages (maybe at a factorially lower cost).

I'm not denigrating the advantages of Tefgel - but is it unique.

The big question that develops from my thought processes is - why is it that windlass installers (choose any other application you can think of) don't, bother to, isolate the stainless from aluminium - if any old grease will do.

Jonathan

When my boat had new rigging the rigger used tefgel on the bottle screws to stop the threads 'binding'. I'm also using it in preference to durulac that I find is a very messy product to use.

 

[captainboo]

You can get a small 56g pot of it off ebay for about £20. Comes with a brush easy that makes it far easier than Duralac to apply - just wipe brush around threads etc. Having said that I never had cleanup problems with Duralac either - just use trade wipes to remove excess. The only real problem with it was the cap glued itself to the tube then it was impossible to get in without ripping the tube apart as Neeves said! If it was in a plastic tube with a nozzle and screw cap it would be so much easier.

 

[colind3782]

You can get a small 56g pot of it off ebay for about £20. Comes with a brush easy that makes it far easier than Duralac to apply - just wipe brush around threads etc. Having said that I never had cleanup problems with Duralac either - just use trade wipes to remove excess. The only real problem with it was the cap glued itself to the tube then it was impossible to get in without ripping the tube apart as Neeves said! If it was in a plastic tube with a nozzle and screw cap it would be so much easier.

Tikal Tef Gel - Anti Corrision and Seawater Resistant Lubricant Paste - 10g

 

[vyv_cox]

Interesting that people find Duralac to be difficult to use cleanly. Not a problem I have met, but I worked in a lab in the bitumen processing industry for seven years. Learning to work with sticky stuff is a skill never forgotten.

 

[Ian_Edwards]

I bought a tin of Duralac about 20 years ago, it's still over 1/2 full. With a tin you don't have the problem of the cap getting glued to the tube, and you can simply dip the end of the bolt, or pop rivet into the Duralac, which I find much less messy.
But it still separates and you have to stir it up with a bit of stick or a screwdriver.