The Steel Guitar Forum

Hey all,

Newbie here asking what is I'm sure a standard question. (I did attempt a search, but with no luck.)

What would be a good lubricant for my Carter Starter?

Would 3 in 1 oil be OK?

Thanks for your information.

Depending on the part, either blood, sweat or tears.

Tri Flow my friend!

You might find this helpful:


Steel Guitar Lubrication


Greg

Marvel mystery oil.

Marvel mystery oil is what i use, have also used
5W-30.

I'd say 3-in-1 is just fine. Will it gum up and dry out? maybe, after 15-20 years.

Personally, I prefer to use gun oil or sewing-machine oil, but any general purpose oil will be fine.

You did a search and didn't find anything? That's weird - it seems to come up at least once a week!

I recommend NEVER letting any oil near your guitar. Not only does it gum up (and faster than 15-20 years) but it's a dirt magnet and will cause MORE wear on parts unless you flush the junk out regularly and reoil.

I use Tri-Flow as well (there are several others - Pedros is one carried in bike shops) - but stay with a dry lubricant, in the case of Tri Flow and Pedros - teflon. If there's any oil on the parts now flush it out with lighter fluid (naphtha), a mild solvent that doesn't hurt guitar finishes, and apply teflon lube sparingly - you don't need much. Wipe and residue; after the carrier dies out you're left with a dry teflon film.

Doing that about once every 3-6 months (the flushing only the first time, and only if there's oil present) and your guitar...and you....wil be much happier.

I've been in coatings/solvents/lubricants for 35 years. Oils are old technology for this stuff, and proven to be counter-productive unless flushed out and reoiled very often. It's a messy job and unnecessary.

Jim,

When I hear "lighter fluid" I think charcoal.
But could also be lighter fluid for a Zippo.

Dumb question, but I gotta know.

R2

Listen to Jim S. He set me straight after over 50 years of 3 in 1....Triflow is the answer and Naptha the bath first.

phred

I buy about $2500 worth of lubricants a month where I work. We buy a lot of different brands of stuff from Triflo, gear lube, hi-temp grease, Vactra-4, synthetic compressor oil, way lube, etc. This is all to keep 190,000 square feet of machines running. The variety and types of lubricants and additives is staggering as is the need for very specific lubricants for very different applications. The oil engineers I buy from don't even agree with each other on some points. So this is something we could debate all day.

But, on most of these machines, we regularly lube and oil them on a monthly or weekly basis. The new oils push the old out along with all the dirt and water and other contaminants. So the grease/oil never has a chance to gum up.

On the steel guitar most of these lubricants would gum up over time and there's no easy way to push out the old lube with the new unless you want to disassemble everything.

My MSA just became a whole new guitar with tri-flow! It wasn't gummed up at all and was only a few years old when I triflo'ed it. Even when it was new, it was never anywhere near as smooth or as easy to activate pedals as it is now. The teflon in the triflo is far more slippery and a far better lubricant than what's in any of the common oils.

Greg

All your insight is much appreciated. I'm going with Tri-Flow

Greg, it sounds like if anybody knows, you do. So I will ask: What about that powdered graphite that you inject into locks? I used that on the entry door lock on an apartment building..the lock got LOTS of use. The tumblers never gave me any trouble in the 8 year I owned this building . I've been thinking...this should be ideal for the parts on the steel..it's completely dry and does not collect any dirt. Also it lubricates very well. Any thoughts?

Bent,

I don't have any experience with graphite except like you, it works great on locks. The TriFlo has a light oil base which helps it to carry into nooks and crannies. So to be truthful, you are getting both a light oil AND teflon with TriFlo. I'm not sure the graphite will cling to and stay put on all the surfaces of a pedal steel to which it is applied. It certainly creates a sludgy mess when it's mixed with oil.

Greg

I mix up some transmission fluid with turbine oil and whatever else is close by!

Greg, here's what I'll do..I'll use it on my own homebuilt and report on it every now and then.

Triflow. I've been using naptha and Triflow for a long time on guitars, and it makes even more sense on a pedal steel, where it's really a pain to tear it apart regularly.

I tore apart my Legrande apart a few weeks ago, and Bobbe Seymour through Carl Dixon recommended this stuff to clean a really gummed up and sticky changer:



I cleaned all the metal parts with it, chasing it with this:



I shook everything out, completely dried the parts off, applied a bit of Triflow to the changer, put it back together, adjusted the leverages to my liking, and it felt like a new guitar - smooth as silk. Caveat - this stuff is foul, toxic, and very flammable - do this all outside and definitely don't smoke or have any type of flame around it. I put all the metal parts in a pan with the penetrating catalyst, went to work, and when I got home, stuff was pretty durned clean.

You may not need this cleaning stuff unless the guitar is already badly gunked up like this one was - the amount of dirt that came out of the changer was mind boggling from years of oiling and dirt buildup.

On graphite - I used it for years on 6-string guitar nuts, but once I discovered the Triflow 10-15 years ago, that was that. But for general lubrication, I don't think graphite stays in place well at all.

Ron, I defined it in the post - lighter fluid=naphtha. The Ronson stuff in the blue and yellow squeeze bottle is cheap and convenient, or you can but it by the gallon.

Charcoal fluid is primarily kerosene - which leaves all sorts of nasty residue.

As far as graphite goes, like Dave I've used it in spots (only on 6-string nuts, really) - it's very messy and is easily displaced; teflons form a film while graphites don't stick to anything (except your clothes!)

Interesting, that most all manufacturers will tell you to simply use 3 & 1 oil or 10w30, or 30 weight.

Good old Singer Sewing Machine oil, has worked great for me.

How long has Tri-Flow been on the market? Surely not back when I started playing..

I installed a couple of grease fittings on the end plates of my Sho-Bud years ago, & give it a few pumps with the old grease gun every now & then

I have a new guitar and it would be nice if I could use TriFlow from the beginning. Any idea where Triflow can be purchased in Canada?

Dennis, check your local bicycle shop. That's where I buy TriFlow.

I found Tri Flow at the local Ace & True Value hardware stores and online.. get the liquid not the aerosol... made by Sherwin Williams about $3.00