The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi
Just purchase a used dry excel pedal steel, and was seaching for lube help.

An oil carried by ace hardware and I guess others, is the lube in the plastic container with the zoom spout. It is a non-migrating oil, (stays in place) does not attract dust, its a paaraffin base, and rust and oxidation inhibitor. Manufactured by Norvey inc of Santa Ana, CA, no listing for them.

hope it helps

There are many oils that can be used and many to avoid, such as WD-40. But plain old 3N1 oil will do very good and as good as some of the exoitic or high priced oils.

Singer sewing machine oil is very applicable.

TriFlow teflon lube seems to be the lube of choice these days. I've been using it since I first heard of it on here and have no complaints at all.

Another vote for the Tri-Flow teflon ...good stuff.

Automatic transmission fluid works very well too. I think that's what Bruce Zumsteg recommends. I use it in one of those little bottles you buy at a fly tying shop to hold fly head cement, and then glue a long piece of hollow brass tubing to it using super glue. That way it gets into all the little nooks and crannies where the spout from 3InOne may not be long enough. Also go to Wal-Mart and buy the little plastic fridge magnets. They are incased in plastic and they are the "rare earth" kind. Really powerful. Squeeze the plastic "handle" in a vise until it breaks(wear protective goggles because it flies everywhere.)and then take a long stemmed screw driver and cut the blade off. Super glue the magnet to the end and you've got a great "grabber" for getting those string ends out of the inside of your changer when a string breaks. Sometimes the string end falls on the floor, and sometimes it hangs in the changer. This long screwdriver magnet will get the string end out with no problem. Try it.

Michael in the Ozarks

I like to use sardine oil.
It isn't necessarily the best lubricant but my cat loves to lick it off my guitar.

gun oil was suggested. I forgot the exact brand.

I've used sewing machine oil, gun oil, and 3-in-1 oil. I apply them with a hypodermic syringe, as that lets me get into tight places and apply very small amounts. (Over-oiling doesn't really do any damage, but it will attract some extra dust and dirt, over time.) Oils that are paraffin-based might migrate less (meaning they stay in place better), and they might also gum up a little after a decade or two, but the important thing is to lubricate regularly (about once every year or two), and you'll keep wear down to a minimum. If I have to tear it down and do a good cleaning every 10-20 years, that's not a big concern for me! The dry teflon-based lubricants are pretty new, so I'll use them only after I've heard no wear problems in the long run on metal surfaces. Some plastic and nylon parts in newer steels may require no oil at all, so it's important (if you have a newer steel) to use what the maker recommends. But if you feel you must lubricate anyway, a dry teflon product would probably be most suitable in that application.

I've been using key oil for brass and woodwind instruments. I think it's like sewing machine oil, but it comes in different weights. The guy who used to work on my saxophone used motor oil for everything. He said it workes great as a lubricator and as a cleaner, and that it stayed on.

Motor oil is always available at the end of the dipstick, assuming that I can locate my pickemup truck.

I use Mobil 1 Syn. works
Vern

I use Hoppes #9 Gun Oil

I've used Tri Flow Teflon ever since I found it several years ago - now NO oil goes anywhere near my steels or 6-strings. Oil simply attracts dirt and gets gummy over time; the Teflon, once the carrying solvent dries (quickly) is a dry lubricant and I find it far superior to gun oil, sewing machine oil and other light viscosity oils. I wouldn't put 3-in1 or any "regular" oil anywhere near a guitar (they break down and get sticky pretty quickly)...and NEVER WD40. Once you flush out moving parts with lighter fluid (naphtha) to remove oils and use Teflon, your guitar works more smoothly and will need less lubrication and cleaning, period.

Please don't use 3in1 oil guys. This stuff is permanent if gets to the wood, and it has a distinct odor and worsens over time. I don't use lube as of today, but I tried some graphite spray many years ago and it was night and day difference in action and it's easy to remove without the need of a solvent.

Cliff Kane wrote:I've been using key oil for brass and woodwind instruments. I think it's like sewing machine oil, but it comes in different weights.

Cliff, the problem with a lot of the type of oils that you've mentioned (key oils, valve oils etc.) is that they are so refined that they don't have enough viscosity (not thick enough) to adhere to the application for any appreciable length of time. I'd tried using some of my trumpet valve oil, but it's so thin that it didn't help much. As a trumpet player, I don't have the need for key oil, so I'm assuming that it's a bit more viscos (thicker) than valve oil(?)

Cliff Kane wrote: The guy who used to work on my saxophone used motor oil for everything. He said it workes great as a lubricator and as a cleaner, and that it stayed on.

...And he used motor oil on your sax? There are applications were oil can be too thick for the application and actually cause sticking or slow response. I would think that motor oil would be too thick to use as instrument key oil(?)

Michael Haselman wrote:TriFlow teflon lube seems to be the lube of choice these days. I've been using it since I first heard of it on here and have no complaints at all.

Paddy Long wrote:Another vote for the Tri-Flow teflon ...good stuff.

..and this "Tri-Flow Teflon Lube" is available where? Internet only? Certain stores? Automotive stores?

Has anyone ever tried any of the types of Silicone Spray Lubricants?

I think you should stay away from any spray lubricants. It's hard to control where it's being applied.

Erv Niehaus wrote:I think you should stay away from any spray lubricants. It's hard to control where it's being applied.

Ah! Good point Erv.

Mark Trzepacz wrote:..and this "Tri-Flow Teflon Lube" is available where? Internet only? Certain stores? Automotive stores?

Always available at bike shops, as it's a favorite for use on bicycle and motorcycle chains. It's also stocked at some automotive stores.

Donny Hinson wrote:

Mark Trzepacz wrote:..and this "Tri-Flow Teflon Lube" is available where? Internet only? Certain stores? Automotive stores?

Always available at bike shops, as it's a favorite for use on bicycle and motorcycle chains. It's also stocked at some automotive stores.

Thanks Donny. I'm going to check this stuff out.

This weekend I took apart my changer, cleaned all parts, took wear marks out of the axle and polished it. I used Tri flow on the fingers and axle. I can't say that it felt like it did that great of a job of making the parts move more freely or at least not as much as I was expecting. But I have used it before on the roller nuts and a few other places and it does seem like it doesn't attract as much dirt and it seems to stay working for longer. I think those issues will be a big difference in the long run. I had used 3 in 1 on my rollers before and they seemed to get gunked up quickly. My house is a construction site right now so that's not helping with the dust getting into the parts and oil.