Greasing electric mirrors
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Fleet Mechanic
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Remember graphite can be conductive, so be careful where you spray it. There’s graphite and Teflon based dry lubes
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Remember also that white lithium grease over time may become inadvertent SUPER GLUE.
30 years ago I couldn't afford a ball bearing drawer slide tool box (still can't), so I settled on a big four section Waterloo tool box with cantilevered friction slides.
I thought I'd be "slick" and add some grease to these slides when the box was brand new, before I loaded it with tools. With 37 drawers, each having two slides each, plus the deep drawers had four slides each, that was about 100 compound slides that needed to be greased, so I had an assistant do that job, and it took him a couple of days to get grease in every groove, upper and lower, drawer side and cabinet side, first slide and second slide, and finally get it all done.
And boy to I rue those days. Some of those drawers I haven't been able to open for years. Others I had to bend the face plates just to get enough of a pry point to use a crow bar to lever out the drawer to extract my tools out one at a time through the gap.
So don't use white lithium grease. Maybe try silicone grease, if "grease is the word."
30 years ago I couldn't afford a ball bearing drawer slide tool box (still can't), so I settled on a big four section Waterloo tool box with cantilevered friction slides.
I thought I'd be "slick" and add some grease to these slides when the box was brand new, before I loaded it with tools. With 37 drawers, each having two slides each, plus the deep drawers had four slides each, that was about 100 compound slides that needed to be greased, so I had an assistant do that job, and it took him a couple of days to get grease in every groove, upper and lower, drawer side and cabinet side, first slide and second slide, and finally get it all done.
And boy to I rue those days. Some of those drawers I haven't been able to open for years. Others I had to bend the face plates just to get enough of a pry point to use a crow bar to lever out the drawer to extract my tools out one at a time through the gap.
So don't use white lithium grease. Maybe try silicone grease, if "grease is the word."
Laughing Gas
Joined: Dec 2019
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From: MA
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Posting Guru
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I think your locksmith is wrong. WD-40 isn't a lubricant. It's a solvent that displaces water. I don't ever use WD-40 to lubricate anything. It doesn't last. Personal experience over many years. It's great for penetrating a corroded nut or a rusty lock, removing bugs and tar from your car, and many other things. But lubricating? No. Not that. For a liquid lube, I use sewing machine oil. It's very light body and persists for lubricating machine parts or as drilling oil. As far as graphite...well, it's labeled as a lock lubricant, so you'd kind of think that it does a good job at that.
But I really don't care what anyone uses or likes. Nothing is ever perfect enough so you go by what makes the most sense or fall back on your experience.
But I really don't care what anyone uses or likes. Nothing is ever perfect enough so you go by what makes the most sense or fall back on your experience.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 863
Likes: 35
From: MA
I think your locksmith is wrong. WD-40 isn't a lubricant. It's a solvent that displaces water. I don't ever use WD-40 to lubricate anything. It doesn't last. Personal experience over many years. It's great for penetrating a corroded nut or a rusty lock, removing bugs and tar from your car, and many other things. But lubricating? No. Not that. For a liquid lube, I use sewing machine oil. It's very light body and persists for lubricating machine parts or as drilling oil. As far as graphite...well, it's labeled as a lock lubricant, so you'd kind of think that it does a good job at that.
But I really don't care what anyone uses or likes. Nothing is ever perfect enough so you go by what makes the most sense or fall back on your experience.
But I really don't care what anyone uses or likes. Nothing is ever perfect enough so you go by what makes the most sense or fall back on your experience.
I'll agree with most said..I'll give him some credence as he takes apart more locks than most, in the end it's just his experienced opinion.
I like silicone spray. I use it on my plow stuff, power equipment and truck. I've used lithium grease in past years, I think it's more tenacious and lubricating but it's messy and attracts everything.
Posting Guru
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I don't know if you are aware of this; you can buy liquid silicone lubricant. I have a big bottle of it since it does quite good on some things not suited to petroleum-based oil. It's primarily used for treadmill lubricant.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 863
Likes: 35
From: MA
Wasn't aware C12. Thanks.
