That white stuff is called plumbers dope. It comes in a stick with a
paper shell around it.
Seen it around for years.
Seems to be like the old grease sticks used for car door latches.
It could be a heavy grease, not sure.
Buy a tube, you'll still have it in twenty years .............. painting
everything in your toolbox.

Stan

On Sat, 19 Oct 2002 21:25:51 -0700 Alistair Bell <albell@UVIC.CA> writes:
> my dozy advice is to not use Teflon tape in gas connections, but
> rather use
> the stuff in a tube...too sleepy to remember specific brand name
> (in
> archives)...I use it at work on stainless and copper/brass tubing
> fittings...
>
> seems to work much better than tape (but does take a while to firm
> up
> consequently the damn white stuff gets everywhere *S*) and you avoid
> the
> risk of getting bits of tape stuck in valves, jets etc
>
> wish I could recall brand name...zzzzz
>
>
> Alistair
>
>
> on 19/10/02 8:04 PM, Bill Davidson wrote:
>
> > I've got my new propane tank bolted to the under side...
> > And I have cut and bent and flared tubing ends...
> > ready to connect the tubing and tighten the flare nuts...
> >
> > but a question...
> >
> > I noticed that when I took the flare nuts apart there was a dark
> colored
> > greasy like substance on the threads... and maybe on the flared
> ends of the
> > tubing... Originally I though that might be old propane decomposed
> into
> > sludge... but now I'm wondering if the previous installer put a
> dab of axel
> > grease on the flares.... perhaps it assures a better seal???
> > Anybody know what that black stuff is on the flare ends?
> >
> > thanks,
> >
> > Bill Davidson
>
>

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