I have extolled the qualities of Nano Oil for a couple of years. It does lubricate extremely well. HOWEVER!!!! it is NOT compatible with all plastics!!!
I was talking to Geoff Baxter at Hollywood Foundries today and I happened to mention how happy I was with Nano Oil. He advised me to not use it any longer on anything where it might come into contact with plastic. He explained that he used to recommend it and sell it but after a short time he had drive systems "falling apart everywhere". It will destroy plastic over time. He further suggested washing the Nano Oil off with alcohol and going back to LaBelle products.
EDIT: Geoff's cautions refer to polystrene, but other similar plastics may be affected. He did say that Delrin didn't seem to be affected.
Sorry to have mislead you. I hope you can save your stuff in time if you have used it.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I had noted the references to Nano oil over the years but never seemed to find the stuff and thus never gave it a try. Thanks for giving this warning. Maybe you should re open those old threads (at the risk of annoying some folks) and repeat it there.
Dave Nelson
dknelsonMaybe you should re open those old threads (at the risk of annoying some folks) and repeat it there.
That's what I'm doing right now.
Does he have a specific timeline to failure? Also has he reported the failures to the manufacturer (of the nano-oil). The website still says its plastic safe.
The Nano Oil website (http://www.nano-oil.com/Model%20RailRoad.html) declares in Red Letters that it is compatible with all plastics. I wonder who is right?
Dave: Have you had any failures in the equipment that you used Nano Oil on?
Joe
Joe:
I had been going by the word of the Nano Oil mfrs' that it is plastic compatible. Apparently that is not true, at least not in "all" cases.
I have not had anything that I own fail. I'm not willing to take the chance that Geoff's experience was a fluke. There is too much money involved to say nothing of having to rebuild the locomotives.
I'm going by the word of a manufacturer who has used and sold Nano Oil in the past. He is Geoff Baxter, owner of Hollywood Foundry in Australia. He makes Bull Ant drives. He explained that after he had been recommending Nano Oil for some time he started to experience significant numbers of failures with his drive mechanisms. The plastic frames were cracking and falling apart. He contacted Nano Oil directly but they refused to admit that there was a problem, and they refused to refund his stock of Nano Oil. When Geoff stopped using Nano Oil the problem ceased.
The choice is yours obviously. You can take a chance and continue to use it or you can stop. I'm not willing to take that chance, and more importantly, I thought I owed it to those to whom I had recommended Nano Oil to make them aware of the problem. If people experience failures as a result of following my initial recommendation, and I had not issued a warning, I would be remiss.
BMMECNYC:
He did not give me a time line for the failures. Sorry, I re-read his e-mail and he said "several months". He did approach the manufacturer and they refused to admit there was a problem. The problem started after he started to use Nano Oil and it stopped after he stopped using it.
Dave,
As it happens I have never heard of it. The thought came to mind, if you still have some and some scraps of various plastics around, run a test and let folks know what you find. Obviously long term results will take a while, but some things happen quickly with plastics and solvents.
Just a thought.
Good luck,
Richard
Hi Richard:
Unfortunately I'm already conducting an experiment so to speak. I have used Nano Oil on all sorts of things. I'm going to cut the experiment short though, and clean it all out. That will be a PITA!
Before you run around yelling the sky is falling, I would be cautious about making these unsubstantiated claims concerning a companies product.
He posts on the MRH forum occasionally, I'll see if he would like to comment here, I would be interested on hearing his take on this
I have used the product, experienced nothing but excellent results with no adverse side affects at all.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
Geared SteamI have used the product, experienced nothing but excellent results with no adverse side affects at all.
So far, I have experienced excellent results as well. However, as I responded on another thread, I trust my source and I would be remiss to not report his experiences given that I have strongly recommended Nano Oil in the past.
hon30critter I have extolled the qualities of Nano Oil for a couple of years. It does lubricate extremely well. HOWEVER!!!! it is NOT plastic compatible!!!
I have extolled the qualities of Nano Oil for a couple of years. It does lubricate extremely well. HOWEVER!!!! it is NOT plastic compatible!!!
Geared Steam Dave Before you run around yelling the sky is falling, I would be cautious about making these unsubstantiated claims concerning a companies product. He posts on the MRH forum occasionally, I'll see if he would like to comment here, I would be interested on hearing his take on this I have used the product, experienced nothing but excellent results with no adverse side affects at all.
The manufacturer insists that the oil is compatible with plastics.
Dave says that it is not, but that statement is based upon hearsay and does not match up with Dave's own experience with Nano Oil.
If it were me, I would not recant my earlier testimonial in favor of Nano Oil. Why not call the manufacturer yourself, Dave, and discuss the issue?
Anyone who uses Nano Oil and who reads this thread is going to be in a real quandry. Just sayin'.
Rich
Alton Junction
Like cowman, I've never heard of the stuff ; hopefully that means I'm safe.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
I don't use the product. So I don't have a dog in this fight. But if its as bad as ''one'' person is claiming, would we all not heard about it long ago?
hon30critter he had drive systems "falling apart everywhere". It will destroy plastic over time.
he had drive systems "falling apart everywhere". It will destroy plastic over time.
I suppose a person could put a nano-bit of the type of plastic Geoff uses into some Nano-oil and see for one's self. Might even heat it up a bit to speed the reaction. If a person was a user of such oil. And I am one who isn't. Nor do I use Geoff's product.
I wonder how Nano-oil is working out in Athearn gearboxes. Surely somone here would know something about that.
Ed
Hi Ed:
7j43kI suppose a person could put a nano-bit of the type of plastic Geoff uses into some Nano-oil and see for one's self.
I sent an e-mail back to Geoff and asked for a few more details. It turns out that he did exactly what you are suggesting. He placed two Bull Ant frames in oil, one in Nano Oil and the other in LaBelle oil. After being in the oils for about a week the Nano Oil frame crumbled like cheese. The other one was not affected.
He also explained that it was not just a few of his frames that failed, it was 100% of the frames where Nano Oil had been used.
Just to indicate what sort of businessman Geoff is, he recalled all the drives where Nano Oil had been applied at the factory and rebuilt them all at his expense.
He did say that the Nano Oil did not seem to affect Delrin.
hon30critter He did say that the Nano Oil did not seem to affect Delrin.
Thanks for that tidbit. I was going to ask you specifically whether Delrin was affected or not.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Did Geoff say what the plastic is that he had the problem with?
It's looking like Nano Oil doesn't affect "engineering" plastics. Like Delrin.
But lots of oils affect others. Which could explain why Labelle had "plastic compatible" oils.
Ed,
I'll ask him.
Rich:
richhotrainbut that statement is based upon hearsay and does not match up with Dave's own experience with Nano Oil.
You are right, my own experience with Nano Oil so far has been great and that is why I have been pushing the stuff. However, we now have evidence that Nano Oil will affect some plastics and therefore a caution should rightly be issued. For those who would suggest that Geoff is full of it, please tell me why he would stop using it and selling it if he hadn't actually had a problem. He was also one who extolled the virtues of Nano Oil because it had worked so well for him at first.
richhotrainWhy not call the manufacturer yourself, Dave, and discuss the issue?
Geoff did exactly that and got nowhere. I choose not to question his word on that. Obviously if the Nano Oil web site still claims that their products are compatible with "all" plastics they haven't changed their tune. Geoff's plastic frames were damaged after being immersed in Nano Oil. I choose to take that as a given. Others would seem to be implying that he is lying. Why would he? What's to be gained?
My experiences are with Bachmann Shays and the second generation plastic driveline gears and many Bachmann rod locos and the 44 tonners.
It has been at least a year from application, possibly two, I can't find my old reciept.
I have only had very positive experiences with its use, and if that ever changes, I will be happy to report it.
Geared Steam:
Geoff just got back to me about the type of plastic that was affected by the Nano Oil. It was polystyrene. I suspect that your locomotives wouldn't use polystyrene in the mechanisms for obvious reasons, and he did state that Delrin didn't seem to be affected. In the case of the Bull Ant drives the polystyrene is used to form the chassis that supports the drive components as well as the shell, and because the drives are so small, transference of the Nano Oil from the moving parts to the chassis would be pretty easy.
The fact remains that Geoff experienced significant failures after using and endorsing Nano Oil, and I thought it appropriate to pass that along.
FWIW, I haven't tossed my Nano Oil tubes in the garbage. In fact, I just used some 10 wt. to lubricate the controls on my 10 year old gas BBQ this afternoon and it worked wonders. I though I was going to have to replace the valves but apparently not.
FWIW, I just changed the title of the thread to say that Nano Oil is not good for "all" plastics.
Regards,
Does it effect evergreen styrene in the same way? This would be good to know, a lot of scratch builders use styrene in their models, and oil may get on internal parts of a scratchbuild.
Evergreen styrene is, uh, styrene. Styrene does not enjoy the company of many oils.
Geoff should not be surprised that oil and styrene have relationship problems. It is common knowledge.
BUT.
He perhaps relied on Mr. Nano Oils's comment that Nano Oil "loves" plastic.
What it looks like we have here is that Nano Oil loves (some) plastic. Just not Geoff's plastic. Which appears to be styrene.
I do believe I will place the blame on Nano Oil. If they do not specify which plastics their oil is compatible with, they are being irresponsible and/or dishonest.
The name alone should be a warning, I suspect. It is VERY clever. And I mean that in a bad way. Though I have never investigated the line.
hon30critter Rich: richhotrain but that statement is based upon hearsay and does not match up with Dave's own experience with Nano Oil. richhotrain Why not call the manufacturer yourself, Dave, and discuss the issue? Dave
richhotrain but that statement is based upon hearsay and does not match up with Dave's own experience with Nano Oil.
richhotrain Why not call the manufacturer yourself, Dave, and discuss the issue?
I was not one of those who suggested that Geoff "is full of it", nor was I was of those who "seem to be implying that he is lying".
The reason that I suggested, Dave, that you call the manufacturer yourself is that your name is possibly being maligned on the Internet. Just Google 'Nano Oil plastic' and your "WARNING!!! Nano Oil is NOT for plastics!" is the first search item to appear. Why not call Nano Oil yourself to discuss your concerns? If it were me, I would.
Regarding polystyrene, I have read that many lubricants attack polystyrene. It may be that even Labelle 108 does that. I don't know that for a fact, but it may be worth looking into.
That leaves open the question about the Nano Oil web site proclaiming that "Nano-Oil is compatible with all plastic and/or metal surfaces". Again, why not call Nano Oil directly and discuss your concerns?
I'm getting a kick out of all the old threads that are popping up as Dave spreads the word....
I got caught a couple of times. Now I look at the dates.
Mike.
My You Tube
I am surprised a manufacture would say all in regards to plastic as there are too many formulations to count and it would just be a mater of time before one was incompatable.
JoeinPA declares in Red Letters that it is compatible with all plastics.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
richhotrainWell, since my name and my quotes are associated with this reply, let me clear my good name on a few points.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you personally were maligning Geoff Baxter. Obviously my post could be interpreted that way so I apologise.
Geoff has asked me for the link to this thread and I just sent it to him. Hopefully he will chime in.