Neatsfoot oil drawback

I’ve used mineral oil (3-in-1) to lubricate pump cup leathers for years now with no problems.

Aware of neatsfoot oil’s reputation as perhaps the premier lubricant for this use I got some.

Big disapointment.

Cold temperatures cause it to become more of a grease than an oil. Consequence was ‘missed’ pump strokes on lanterns and stoves I’d used it on. Just to be clear, the pump cup leathers were otherwise in mint condition.

I wiped off the neatsfoot oil from the affected pump cups, re-lubricated them with mineral oil and flawless pump action was restored.

John

 

I've had exactly the same results, I stopped using Neatsfoot oil on pump leathers ages ago. I really don't know why I still recommend it to others.

When I was a lad, castor oil was the recommended fluid to keep the leather supple and lubricated enough to ensure your bicycle pump worked at maximum efficiency.

 

Thanks John and Henry.

I've been using Carr & Day & Martin's 'Vanner & Prest Neatsfoot Compound' ("contains neatsfoot oil") for a number of years without any problem. Well, either that or extra virgin olive oil depending on if I can be bothered to go a-searching for the neatsfoot if it's not immediately to hand. I didn't have any problems with the lantern I used on my 'Snowy Walk' recently but I pumped it up indoors before I went out i.e. at room temperature so that might explain it, otherwise it could have been one I lubricated with olive oil, I suppose. There's nothing on the can of oil advising against using it in cold weather although it's something I'll definitely look out for in future.

Carr & Day & Martin are suppliers of equestrian products to H.M. The Queen, no less, so it must be a premium product. I presume that's what she (or an underling) uses it for rather than lubricating pump leathers - I'm not aware that she and Phil have a lamp collection of any size!

 

@David Shouksmith

It's quite possible that your "premium product" is not affected by low temperatures. However, it seems that lower (adulterated) grades are.

From Wikipedia,
" . . . . a blend of pure neatsfoot oil and non-animal oils, generally mineral or other petroleum-based oils."

Neatsfoot oil - Wikipedia

 

Other way around, Henry - my premium product is adulterated. It's a compound and is described as containing neatsfoot oil i.e there are other oils/substances in it.

Possibly it's the so-called "pure" neatsfoot oil that has given rise to John's problem, which I'm hoping he'll confirm (or not, as the case may be!)

I can't claim any credit for finding a tin of neatsfoot compound (as opposed to the pure version) because it was all the local cobbler had in stock. It was a mere £5.99 for 500ml so unlikely to break the bank (or The Bank of England in Q.E.II's case!)

I imagine my 500ml can of oil is sufficient to keep me going well into the 22nd century. Oh wait...

 

I've never tried neatsfoot oil on leather. I don't find any for sale around here. There's neatsfoot compound available but I've not tried that either.
Even if I did, the weather around here is never cold enough to solidify any of those.
I've used a myriad of mineral-based oils on leather without any appreciable problems so far. I've even used grease at times for compromized leather cups.

 

I have a five litre can of straight 20w oil which is a throwback to when I restored vintage motorcycles. Then I used it as damper oil in the forks. It seems happy being re-purposed as leather lube for lamp pumps as I have used lamps recently in the cold weather.

Just be warned, do not use EP gear oils as it can damage brass.

 

‘Key’ ingredient, other ingredients not mentioned.




It says on there ‘store in a cool, dry place’. My shed to a T.

7 degrees Centigrade ‘cool’ today. Cooler, it gets even thicker than this.

 

I've never used the stuff on any of my lanterns, although I have used it on car upholstery where leather was involved. Had an old '48 Buick Roadmaster with some leather trim. It worked a treat. Kept the leather very soft.

I use just plain 3-in-1 oil or 30w motor oil. I use it sparlingly and wipe off excess oil. If the excess oil gets into the NRV it will play hell with it.

 

Never tried neatsfoot. Wouldn't even know where to get it. Have been using this stuff for pump leathers

 

It’s extra virgin olive oil for me, always got some of that in the cupboard.

 

Well Jean, have to admit I've used olive oil, too - when wife was looking! lol

 

@presscall that does look sticky.

 

Odd ?? .. Pretty sure mine doesn't look like that.. Its a brand called Gold Label??

I have seen Olive oil go cloudy in cold temperatures as well..

 

Multigrade neatsfoot oil required.

 

Well, I'm off out soon so I've put my can of Neatsfoot compound into the fridge and I'll check its viscosity when I get back in...

 

Is it a bit Naf(f) - sorry John @presscall?! >>>door

I'm thinking of SU carburettors where 3 in 1 was required in the dashpot. The SU in the name stood for Skinners Union and I suppose it was about leather used in the contruction. I don't want to open a discussion about car parts but if leather ever was employed what did it do? And if it was there what was used to keep it supple? There wasn't any used in my day but I have never researched the history. Icing in carburettors is an enemy so hardened leather seals and leaks would be too?

Then there was Brunel's Atmospheric Railway in Devon. It is said to have failed due to an inability to keep the leather sealing the pistons and the pipe slot...
What did that use?

 

Quite by accident ... I tried normally cooking vegetable oil . destined for the pan , grill , kitchen
and as cheap as chips ...to lubricate a few pumps ... it is rather good and caused my old pumps liitle problems .... your missus can stand a loss of an eggcup full of two without blinking ..

 

The Atmospheric Railway used some sort of fat, as I recall.. Lard or similar...

I'm sure I read somewhere recently, that somebody (another country) was trialling another one?..
Presumably with more modern bits and pieces

 

My can of neatsfoot compound has been in the fridge for 10 hours now and it's much the same as when it went in. It's still a free-running oil and nothing like the gloop John shows in his video clip.

I'm off for my late-night stroll around GL but I'll try to upload my own video later...

 

God knows what I bought! Fare thee well Nightwatchman.

 

It looks like some kind of petroleum jelly or vaseline to me.

 

Looks like bloody wallpaper paste to me!

Anyway, my video file appears to be too large to upload here - there's obviously a 'knack' which I don't have...

 

@David Shouksmith

One cannot load a video to CPL or CCS. What folk are doing is posting links to YouTube or similar hosts.

When you link to YouTube an image of your video appears.

Cheers

Tony

 

I've used Shep's for years on leather gloves, razor strops, cup leather etc. Easy to use and works really well, a good product. Its consistency is a slightly thick but runny oil and a little goes a long way so it lasts forever.

 

A star even in death, Shep.

 

I've been using neatsfoot for over 2 years and have never had a problem, I must say mine has never gone thick at all.
Works extremely well for my lamps, and most definitely restores old pump leathers back to new life.

 

I have been bringing back old leather to life with it for years. Although interestingly the Swiss Army used to use grease "Automattenfett" in their rifles over oil due to temperature concerns. I wonder what they used in their lamp pumps ?

 

I've not heard much about people using silicone oils on pump leathers. I've never tested it in this area of interest as well.
Despite that, I've a hunch that it'll do just as well as mineral and neatsfoot oils. In addition, its not biodegradeble, does not support microbe-growth, does not attack rubbers and useable over a wide temperature range. Some of them have a range spanning from sub-zero(say, -50 ~ -40°C) to nearly 200°C.