Favorite undercarraige lubricant

Gordon Titcomb · Post by **Gordon Titcomb** » 7 Dec 2003 4:44 pm

O.K . ......., let's keep it clean right from the get-go here.
Serious question:
Aside from running your steel down to Jiffy Lube for a lube, oil & filter, what is your preferd oil or other lubricant for your steel, and why?
Thanks

p.s. I only ask because the lard on my bellcranks is becoming a bit rancid, and I'm a tad concerned about the negative effects of cholesterol as well.

------------------
Best regards-Gordon
http://www.gordontitcomb.com

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 7 Dec 2003 4:57 pm

spray graphite on my Fender 1000

[This message was edited by Jay Fagerlie on 07 December 2003 at 04:57 PM.]

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 7 Dec 2003 5:20 pm

I clean out my changers with wd40 and lube them with that Duralube stuff.

Axles and brass swivels get cleaned with lighter fluid and graphited.

EJL

ProIII

David Deratany · Post by **David Deratany** » 7 Dec 2003 6:30 pm

I think there is a common misconception that WD40 is a lubricant, in the sense of an oil. It is a penetrant, among other things, useful for freeing up stuck and/or rusted assemblies, and I think that is how it came to be thought of as a lubricant.

Actually, it is a cleaner/degreaser, and so I think Eric has it right. Use the WD40 to clean, penetrate and degrease; then relubricate.

I used to use it on a kitchen cabinet hinge that squeaked. WD40 would make it go away for a day or two. A couple of drops of oil did it for many months.

Peter Timaratz · Post by **Peter Timaratz** » 7 Dec 2003 7:08 pm

My Carter manual says, in bold letters, not to use WD40 because it leaves a sticky residue.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 7 Dec 2003 8:03 pm

WD40 is only good for fence hinges and lawn mowers.

WD40 leaves the worst, nastiest coating on everything you spray it on. Takes a little while to turn into a black goo. I had to totally take apart my brother in laws pistols that he had sprayed with this crap.

DO NOT USE IT on a changer.

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 7 Dec 2003 9:33 pm

Well I guess I'm about 25 years of steady gigs too late for that advice...

One guys light penetrating oil is another's black goo.

I know starting fluid has a lube in it that you don't want to paint or seal a gasket over.

You learn something new every day..

Actually I took my changer apart after 15 years and found no build up. Just a bunch of string ends and a couple room keys.. Found no wear at all and decided to give it another 15.

( just kidding about the keys..)

Around here people use Wd40 to spray their salmon lures with . Me, I either spit on them or have the dog lick them. I have better luck.

I'd say that rust is the pedal steel's worst enemy.

I pack my guns in marine grease. I never use them anymore on advice from my mother. If I ever heaven forbid have to actually shoot anybody I'd need a day to clean them up.

EJL

[This message was edited by Eric West on 07 December 2003 at 09:39 PM.]

David Friedlander · Post by **David Friedlander** » 7 Dec 2003 10:04 pm

When I visited the Emmons factory, Ron Lashly Jr told me to use 10/30 weight motor oil, applied with a small paint brush.
This works wonders, and does not mess up your guitar. Does wonders for your gas mileage too.

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 7 Dec 2003 10:13 pm

About 20 years ago I mixed a quart of 50/50 mix of 10 weight motor oil and STP. I still have over a pint of it left. A small brush or stick match works great.
Jerry

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 7 Dec 2003 10:56 pm

Jerry. My Sho~Bud manual says NEVER use STP.

I've lubricated it with juices from about anything that's walks or crawled at one time....

Just ONCE I'd like to try it "dry" and see what it does.

EJL

SCOTT TYLER · Post by **SCOTT TYLER** » 8 Dec 2003 5:30 am

I de-grease my changer with Birchwood-Casey Gunscrubber (available at your favorite gunshop)and lubricate with Gunk-brand Super Oil (available at a department store/auto store.) It doesn't smell and it doesn't attract dirt/crud.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 8 Dec 2003 6:23 am

CMD All-Purpose Turbine Oil works about as good as anything. Carter Steels used to sell it.....maybe still does. Of course, before using any lubricant, the area should be air-blown free of dust.

www.genejones.com

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 8 Dec 2003 6:43 am

WD-40
W=Water D=Displacement
formula 40

(I wonder if WD-38 would work better?)

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 8 Dec 2003 7:41 am

I use just about anything that comes in a "needle nose" applicator. That includes one from Radio Shack, Singer sewing machine oil, gun oil and good, old 3 in 1.

Erv

Nicholas Dedring · Post by **Nicholas Dedring** » 8 Dec 2003 9:01 am

Roy Thomas recommended Hoppe's #9 oil to me when I got the steel I now have. Seems to work like a charm... gun oil, so it's stable, doesn't thicken or get rancid, and thick enough to cling, and still penetrate.

WD40 is a pretty good degreaser... I guess I could see cleaning a changer with it. A bike shop owner I know swears by it to degrease chains, but says it's no good for an actual lube.

George Kimery · Post by **George Kimery** » 8 Dec 2003 10:28 am

On the subject of WD-40, here is a trick even the paint stores don't know about. Next time you get paint stain on your hands, spray you hands with WD-40. The stain just melts off! Also, I was told to use the 3 in 1 oil in the blue can for steel. I think it is a heavier weight than what comes in the normal red can, but seems like sewing machine oil would be good also.

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 8 Dec 2003 10:29 am

There's a difference between oil and grease. Vasoline or other petroleum jelly or axle grease works good and lasts longer than oil for crude high force joints like pedal rods and bell cranks. Machine oils (3 in 1, sewing machine, gun, etc.) may be better for precision joints like the changer axle. Motor oil is somewhere between grease and fine oil. Eric probably gets away with using WD40 because he lubes after it, which keeps it from drying out and causing the dreaded buildup.

Dale Bessant · Post by **Dale Bessant** » 8 Dec 2003 11:00 am

White graphite after a thorough cleaning..

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 8 Dec 2003 11:48 am

N D I myself used to use Hoppes No 9. I loved the smell, and since I was using my PSG in what I considered "robberies" I felt it was appropriate..

I spose it is among the best stuff.

Actually I've tried ATF, which is a great lube, Slick 50, 3/1, Mobil 1 synth, and like I said, about everything I could find.

Lately now I've used that dry moly lube on my brass works and axles. It has to be put on dry however, and not over an oil film. Works great on industrial apps.

Long as I play it a lot, I don't think it really matters that much.

EJL

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 8 Dec 2003 2:11 pm

Marvel machine tool oil. Its the best there is. Hopps works well also. I degrease and clean once a year with a whole can of electronics cleaner sprayed into the changer.
You can see the yellow nicotine run out onto the news paper. Get it at the auto parts store. Its disolves old oil build up. Then I use the Marvel machine oil.

Nicholas Dedring · Post by **Nicholas Dedring** » 9 Dec 2003 9:36 am

Isn't there a problem with degreaser sneaking under the mica? I'd like to clear up some residue on the changer at some point, but I don't want to drench the wood with grease and chemicals under the mica and the flocking. Is that a problem I'm just imagining?

Robert Parent · Post by **Robert Parent** » 9 Dec 2003 9:50 am

Tri-Flo It's a teflon based material. I have used it for many years with good results.

Loren Morehouse · Post by **Loren Morehouse** » 9 Dec 2003 10:12 am

WD-40 is a great cleaner/degreaser. If you have your changer apart and want to clean the gunk off it, I find that works the best. But make sure your parts are dry and reassemble with whatever your lube is. I like 10/30 motor oil with a half mix of Slick 50. I like a high pressure lithium grease on the changer shaft such as JT-6 or Texaco Starplex 2. Anything lithium made for extreme operating conditions like they use on wheel bearings etc. When you've done that, your mileage should improve dramatically!! Loren.

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 9 Dec 2003 6:11 pm

Eric, my Emmons pushpull builder in 1981 Mr. Bryan Adams himself told me to use a 50/50 mix of 10 weight motor oil and STP.

Bryan built my '81 D10 new in 1981. I sold it once but got it back. I never intend to sell it again. I did that for years until I discovered Lucas gun oil which is what I normally use now.
Jerry

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 9 Dec 2003 8:37 pm

Nicholas, if you turn your guitar on its end
on newspapers and you a spray degreaser with
the tube on the nozle to direct the spay, all of the residue just spills out of the end plate and never gets a chance to contact any mica or body parts. Electronics cleaner also evaporates very fast.