Thread locker alternatives

[woodchucker]

I have always been looking for the thread locker the manufacturers use, to prep screws (non-anarobic). Today on The Hobby Machinist's Ad's I saw Vibra-Tite VC-3, which appears to be what I was looking for. Loctite has gotten so expensive, and while this is not cheap, it's lower priced.
Anyone use it?
I know it will go bad before I use it, as it gets hard in the air.. whereas the loctite doesn't since it's anarobic. but it would be nice to be able to prep screws ahead of time and then use them.

So do you like it if you used it?

 

[Bob Korves]

I recently bought a 50ml bottle of 222 purple Loctite for cheap on eBay, direct from China. It was about $6 including shipping. Can't get much cheaper than that... Of course, it will not work for pre prepping screws for installation...

 

[pineyfolks]

I usually use my wife's clear fingernail polish for most stuff

 

[4GSR]

Pre Prepping screws, shafts, bearings, just wipe off with clean rag, apply your favorite thread locker or bearing mount juice and assemble. Hasn't failed me yet.

Brake or electrical cleaner works, too.

 

[RJSakowski]

For many years, I have used Super Glue (cyanoacrylate) as a thread locker. Most of the fasteners were under # 10 in size. For nuts and screws, I would wick the glue in on the assembled nut. For screws threaded into a threaded hole, I would wick some under the head of the screw before finally tightening. When I had to remove any of the screw/nut assemblies, I would tighten the nut to snap the screw and replace with new as I usually couldn't unscrew the nut.

 

[Billh50]

wife's finger nail polish works good.

 

[Buffalo20]

I've been using Vibra-Tite for years. Its not the usual thread lock, you put it on the bolt, allow it to dry, then assemble the fastener. The bolts have to be super clean, but when applied as instructed, it works great. I pick up a dozen bottles from a business sell off, about a year ago.

 

[Ken from ontario]

2 part epoxy worked well for me, will have to try Vibra-tite.

 

[whitmore]

I have always been looking for the thread locker the manufacturers use, to prep screws (non-anarobic). Today on The Hobby Machinist's Ad's I saw Vibra-Tite VC-3...

I've had success with Loctite (generally the 'blue' 2242, or whatever the modern number is) and nail polish
(call it 'acetone-soluble varnish' on reimbursement forms) which applies to brass and
other nonferrous metals. To keep plastic threads from loosening, a slash across the
threads with a knife is ... effective.

But deforming the threads is more generally useful, both on the squashed-to-an-oval nuts, and in
other contexts, like this:
<https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2017/cg_2.html>

 

[darkzero]

Sounds like the Vibra-Tite is what you are looking for. I've always wondered what product they use to put on screws threads as a threadlocker that's not the anaerobic type. Most laptop screws are like this & Mcmaster sells em too.

Not sure how much the Vibra-Tite is but if it's expensive or hard to get, possibly another option is Loctite's Quickstix threadlockers. Like a big crayon that looks like a glue stick. This should work for screw prep as you described. I bought a stick of the blue when they first came out. It's probably expired by now but it seems to still work ok.