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Gibbs Brand penetrant |
Last updated on February 24, 2008 |
Introduction to Gibbs Brand
Gibbs Brand is a mega penetrant, an ultra lubricant, a corrosion inhibitor, and a water
repellant. It's also one of the most amazing products that I have ever used.
Here are some facts about Gibbs Brand:
In 1969, Gibbs Brand was invented by Paul Gibbs, a Harley-Davidson mechanic with a background in
chemistry.
Gibbs Brand is the first true penetrant in US history. Gibbs Brand was the first penetrant that was patented,
and it established that category.
Gibbs Brand has proven itself to be able to penetrate gaps that are as small as one micron, one-millionth of
an inch.
The viscosity of Gibbs Brand is lower than the viscosity of water.
Gibbs Brand is the only penetrant / lubricant / waterproofer on the market that undercoats metal and can be
painted over. It is completely suitable for use in body shops and paint booths.
You can take some bare metal that has been treated with Gibbs Brand and touch it with a dirty hand without
leaving a stain.
Gibbs Brand leaves metal slippery, not sticky. Surfaces that have been treated with Gibbs will not attract
dust or dirt. Any dust that does settle on metal that has been treated with Gibbs can easily be wiped off.
Gibbs Brand could not be put into spray cans until the 1990s, because it would penetrate the valves when it
was pressurized.
Gibbs was originally sold in two-ounce squeeze bottles by mail-order ads in Popular Science and other
magazines for many years, to thousands of people throughout the United States and around the world.
In more than 35 years, no one has ever returned Gibbs Brand dissatisfied.
Gibbs Brand can be used on all metals, including aluminum, brass, bronze, cast iron, copper, magnesium,
titanium, and on all types of steel including chrome-moly, mild steel, stainless, and tool steel.
In addition to working wonders on metals, Gibbs Brand has also been used successfully as a surface treatment
on glass, leather, plastic, rubber, and wood.
Audio engineers and electricians use Gibbs Brand to prevent electrical connectors from oxidizing.
Cabinet makers use Gibbs Brand to lubricate tools and machinery, and to protect saw blades and router
bits.
Classic car restoration shops use Gibbs Brand to protect master cylinders and many other bare metal
surfaces on cars that have to look completely original when they are judged in competition.
Computer technicians use Gibbs Brand to lubricate computer hard drive bearings, and to protect
connectors from oxidization.
Gunsmiths know that Gibbs Brand is the world's finest gun oil. Gibbs is especially effective when it's
used on the firing mechanisms of automatic and semi-automatic weapons. Gibbs is used by a great many gunsmiths and
rangemasters, as well as by at least two manufacturers of firearms. The Chicago Police Department and the Detroit
Police Department use Gibbs Brand exclusively on all of their firearms, and in the mechanisms of their handcuffs.
The DEA, the FBI, the US Marshals Service, and several SWAT teams also use Gibbs Brand on their firearms. Gibbs
will not let you down when you need it.
Locksmiths use Gibbs Brand to clean, free up, and lubricate lock mechanisms.
Machinists and tool and die makers use Gibbs Brand to lubricate and protect blades, machinery, stamping
dies, molds, tooling, tools, and all metals, and for cutting, drilling, and tapping.
Mechanics and millwrights use Gibbs Brand when disassembling old or frozen parts, and to protect the
threads on fasteners during assembly.
Race car chassis builders use Gibbs Brand to protect bare metal frames, and many other race car
parts.
Racers use Gibbs Brand to flush out and protect the fuel systems on race cars that run on
alcohol.
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No abrasives
No acids
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No arsenic
No carcinogens
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No corrosives
No graphite
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No kerosene bases
No masking perfumes
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No pigments
No silicones
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No Teflon
No waxes
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I used to use WD40, but won't again. In 2001, I carefully bead-blasted a cherry pair of American Racing magnesium
wheels that had never been polished. I wanted them to remain looking untouched, just as they had been made. After
spraying them with WD40, I found that they were pretty much impossible to keep clean, because when I wiped them
off, the WD40 had left them so sticky that the wheels would pull dirt and lint out of what I was wiping them off
with. What kind of lubricant leaves something sticky?
In the summer of 2003, Ed Norton, a friend of mine in Michigan who restores 1960s sprint cars, told me about
something that he used to protect the bare metal surfaces on his restored race cars to keep them from oxidizing.
Like thousands of people, Ed also uses Gibbs as an extremely effective penetrating oil, as a cleaner, and as a
rust remover. He said that although it was hard to find, it worked exceptionally well, and he offered to send me a
can of it to try out.
The first parts that I used Gibbs Brand on was one of my pairs of Halibrand magnesium wheels, which are shown
here. These are 16 by 13s that were used on Top Fuel cars back in 1969.
Having spent more time than I'd like to think about using emery cloth and Scotch-Brite by hand to get their
surfaces uniform and smooth, I wanted the magnesium to stay free of dust, fingerprints, and oxidization, without
resorting to the limitations of paint or powdercoating.
Clear paint, or any paint, does not prevent rust from occuring underneath it. One of the worst things you can do
with a magnesium wheel is to paint it. Moisture will creep in through the slightest scratch, and you won't know
that the wheel has areas that are rotted away until you remove the paint (or X-ray the wheel). Gibbs Brand works
its way into the pores of the metal and protects it.
It's been more than three years since I first put Gibbs Brand on these wheels, and I have put more Gibbs on them
twice since then. In terms of protecting bare metal from oxidization and fingerprints without any drawbacks, Gibbs
Brand has proven itself to be more effective than anything else that I know of. It is superb.
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Here is another example of how Gibbs Brand protects magnesium. All of the parts in these pictures are NOS, for a
Halibrand magnesium Champ quick-change center section.
In the upper picture, notice the tiny white "freckles" of oxidization on the case, the side bell, and the rear
cover that are shown on the left, which when this picture was taken were all still in bare magnesium that has
never been coated with anything.
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The second picture was taken in early 2005, a month after I heavily coated the same magnesium center section and
rear cover with Gibbs Brand. I stood the center section up on end, and sprayed it down like you would spray carb
cleaner on something you were cleaning. As the Gibbs ran down the surfaces, it took the years of dust with
it.
Once the Gibbs had been given a couple of days to completely soak into the magnesium, all traces of oxidization
had disappeared, leaving the magnesium clean and protected.
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In the third picture, taken in early 2006, a year after I put the Gibbs Brand on the center section and rear
cover, the patina on the magnesium is no longer glossy.
The patina that naturally develops as magnesium ages remains completely intact. The center section and the end
cover are now so dark they're almost charcoal, with a slight dark green tint. The parts were restored without the
need to use any abrasives on them, which would have removed the patina. And that's just another neat thing that
Gibbs Brand makes possible.
There isn't a hint that there was ever any oxidization anywhere on any of these parts. They look new.
Now you can see why I say, "Magnesium that's coated with Gibbs Brand is happy magnesium."
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I use Gibbs to protect many other car parts of mine that are bare metal, including the bead-blasted, cast-aluminum
Keith Black valve covers and brushed aluminum breathers shown here, and the brushed aluminum Enderle timing cover
shown below.
The picture of the pair of Keith Black valve covers was taken in March of 2006, two hours after I gave them a
heavy coat of Gibbs Brand. I had done this three years earlier, but the second treatment was given to wash away
the dust and dirt that had settled on them. Before long, as they gradually become dry to the touch, they will lose
their gloss and turn flat or satin.
I bead-blasted these valve covers back in 2002, and put Gibbs Brand on them for the first time in 2003. Now look
at the picture that was taken in 2006.
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In addition to using it on aluminum and magnesium, I also use Gibbs Brand to keep bare steel parts looking
new.
In 2005, I sandblasted this 1932 Ford rear crossmember and then gave it a heavy coat of Gibbs Brand. A year later,
I took these pictures of it.
As was mentioned earlier, you can take some bare metal that has been treated with Gibbs Brand and touch it with a
dirty hand without leaving a stain.
There are bare metal parts all over my shop. Now, when someone touches them, it doesn't matter.
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This aluminum Halibrand Engineering fuel cap was made decades ago, and has never been installed. It retains its
original, bead-blasted finish.
It has been protected with a coat of Gibbs Brand for three years.
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This old cast-aluminum Enderle timing cover has been sanded smooth and given a brushed finish using Scotch-Brite,
and then given a light coat of Gibbs Brand.
This picture was taken two years after the Gibbs went on. No fingerprints and no oxidization.
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Gibbs is also excellent at removing rust.
I bought the Chevy 454 engine block that's shown here from a machine shop back in 1997. The block had been
completely stripped-down and hot-tanked, so it was clean and free of any paint, grease, or oil.
To fully season the block, I left it in the back of a truck that sat outside in Washington state for six
years.
When I brought the block to my shop in Phoenix in the summer of 2003, it was completely covered with orange rust.
When I touched it, it left orange powder on my hands.
I wiped the cobwebs off it and sprayed it with a heavy coat of Gibbs Brand. By the next day, the block had turned
from orange to dark brown, and the rust had completely disappeared.
The pictures on the right show that same block. I have done nothing to it other than letting it sit outside for
six years, wiping the cobwebs off it, spraying it with Gibbs Brand, and putting it on the engine stand.
The cast-iron block certainly has a patina, but there is no indication that the metal had ever been rusty.
The label on a can of Gibbs Brand claims that it not only removes rust, but also actually reverses the effects of
the oxidization process. When I read that, it didn't make sense. But it really does. I've seen it happen.
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This picture shows the body for my
1932 Ford three-window coupe project the way it was when I found it
in 2003.
The car was a neglected project that had been this way for years, with much of the body left in unprotected, bare
metal.
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Here's the same body after I covered the outside of the body with Gibbs Brand, gave it time to soak in, and then
sanded it down with a D/A sander.
It took less than a can of Gibbs to get the entire outside of the body good and wet. I then let it soak in for a
couple of days before starting to sand it down.
On the outside of the body, there is now no indication that there was ever any oxidization on the car.
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Here's my coupe in May of 2007, after having been protected by Gibbs Brand for three years.
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Once all of the sheet metal on my '56 Ford panel truck is in bare metal, we're going to use Gibbs Brand to protect
it. I've also used it to loosen up dozens of fasteners on the truck.
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Pat Foster at
Foster Pro-Fab used Gibbs Brand
to protect all of the bare metal surfaces on one of the dragsters he built recently,
The Surfers Top Fuel dragster.
The car is shown here with Gibbs Brand on the many of the interior parts, the steering linkage, and the Halibrand
magnesium wheels.
In early 2005, shortly before the car was delivered, Pat bought his first case of Gibbs Brand. A few months later
he told me that he was very happy with it, and got another case.
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Pat Foster's son, Cole Foster, runs a hot rod, race car, custom car, and motorcycle fabrication shop in Salinas,
California, called
Salinas Boys Customs.
Cole used Gibbs Brand to protect the bare metal body on the
1936 Ford coupe that he built
for Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett.
The coupe features many subtle tricks. To give you an idea of the level of skill involved here, this chopped
three-window coupe used to be a stock five-window. Look closely at the body. Can you see any seams?
In March of 2005,
this car was featured in issue 27
of
The Rodder's Journal, with the entire body
protected with Gibbs Brand.
Since the summer of 2004, Cole has bought several cases of Gibbs.
When I asked him about his experiences using Gibbs Brand on the '36, he said, "I really like it. It's everything
you promised for sure."
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Gibbs Brand price list
One 12-ounce can
Two 12-ounce cans
Four 12-ounce cans
Six 12-ounce cans
Twelve 12-ounce cans
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$20
$35
$55
$75
$120
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including shipping
including shipping
including shipping
including shipping
including shipping
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All of our Gibbs Brand orders are shipped by Fed-Ex Ground. Since Gibbs is pressurized, it cannot be shipped by
air. Your order will be shipped within a few days of when it is received.
To order your Gibbs Brand, please use our
order form. Thanks!
We will not be undersold. If you see genuine Gibbs Brand being advertised anywhere for less, mention where you
saw it when you place your order and we will match their price.
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How to apply Gibbs Brand
Because Gibbs Brand is a "mega penetrant" that is thinner than water, it works its way right into the pores of the
metal. You can think of applying Gibbs Brand as being similar to using wood stain on hardwood — and not at
all like paint.
Before using Gibbs Brand, shake the can well, and make sure to only use it in a ventilated area.
Penetrating Oil
Put a couple of drops of Gibbs Brand as close as possible to the area where it's needed. Gibbs Brand begins to
work right away.
In extreme cases where fasteners or parts are completely frozen, use as above and then apply another couple of
drops of Gibbs Brand a day later. Give it time to work. If at all possible, wait until the third day to carefully
free up the parts.
Rust Remover
Gibbs Brand not only protects metal surfaces from oxidizing, but when it's applied to rusty surfaces, it actually
reverses the effects of the oxidization process. That may not make sense, but if you visit my shop, I will show
you some
proof of this.
Spray a light coat of Gibbs Brand over the rusted area. Where needed, use a paper towel to gently wipe it into a
uniform coat. Let it work overnight. On badly rusted surfaces, spray on a heavier coat, and don't wipe it down.
Let it work for a couple of days.
Surface Conditioner
Correctly applied on bare metal, a light coat of Gibbs Brand will minimize the possibility of oxidization. When we
put Gibbs on metal, it's similar to putting stain on wood, because of the way that it penetrates into the pores of
the metal. Over time, the more times Gibbs Brand is applied, the more effective it will be.
Follow these directions exactly:
If possible, start with a clean surface. Spray a small amount of Gibbs Brand in a few streaks across the area that
you're working on. Then, use a clean paper towel to gently wipe the Gibbs over the entire surface that you want to
protect. You can then use another clean paper towel to lightly wipe off any excess. Whenever you're using Gibbs,
always wipe gently with a very light pressure, leaving it where it's needed.
As soon as any clean, bare metal has been treated as explained above, you can touch it with a dirty, sweaty hand,
without leaving a stain.
To order your Gibbs Brand, please use our
order form. Thanks!
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Painting over Gibbs Brand
The label on a can of Gibbs Brand says that "you can paint right over it". However, common sense will tell you not
to paint over an oily surface that isn't clean.
To paint metal that has been treated with Gibbs Brand, simply begin by wiping it down with whatever surface
cleaner is recommended by the manufacturer of the particular paint system that you are using, and proceed as you
normally would.
Due to the tremendous variety of ingredients that are used in paints, it is not possible to be absolutely certain
that Gibbs Brand is compatible with every paint on the market. However, we are not aware of any compatability
issues with any particular paint.
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All text and images on Roadsters.com are Copyright 1996-2007 Dave Mann
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