Question on Lube

[kmh]

Before we start, this is not a question of what do you think the best lube is. I assure you, I have read many of those threads on the forums here and don't wish to open that can of worms =).

I am just curious as to if anyone has tried using gun oil to keep a lock working smoothy. Firearm enthusiast are about as crazy as the lock community is it seems when it comes to types of cleaners and lubes to use. So it stands to reason that firearm oil is high quality or some of it is at least. So the question or more so my question is will it work for locks long term.

There is a gentlemen by the name of Gear Obsession on YouTube who does a nice series by the name of “The Plate of Truth”. Essentially he takes everyone's favorite gun oil and applies it to a high carbon steel plate and throws it out side till there is only 1 or 2 squares that don't have rust.

One of the winners is a oil I use M-Pro 7 LPX. From experience the oil never gums up and it goes on very thin and even after wiping it, it leaves a nice protective layer. It was specificity designed with the military at mind so it can hold up to extreme temps and weather very well. In fact I believe on the Plate of Truth he eventually gave up waiting on it after 2 months.

I applied some to my 700 series American Lock that was made back in 86 as it was very stiff in turning the key and the pins were sticking. Now this thing springs right open and the pins are nice a springy again. I tried a few different lubes around the shop (I work at a car dealership) and none of them really seemed to help that much. Now I know it is working but, I have no clue as to long term effects if I was to leave this lock in the weather (which I'm not). As in, if dirt will stick inside more than it would with one of the 10-20 popular lubes I see people on here talk about.

And of course this is for just general maintenance not so much cleaning and freeing a lock up. From testing out products at the shop to get one of the pins that was jammed in the bible back down, I did find PB Blaster works extremely well. Just encase anyone is curious =).

[fgarci03]

Kenny, very nice insight!

I have no idea of the answer, but I think it's a very logic idea, so I'll also be waiting for a reply for this

[smokingman]

I use Rem Oil with teflon.
Dries and leaves a teflon powder residue to lubricate dry and keep things smooth.
I have no affiliation with this product or any other.
Just my 2 cents.

[Raymond]

My all time favorite lube for everything except the plug and pins is a military lube called LSAT. It is basically the same as CLP but is a semi-liquid and after several hours sets into a waxy consistency. It creeps and wets everything it can reach before setting, it frees rusted bearings and bolts, and has a 50 degree higher flash point than CLP so it doesnt burst into flame from the barrel of a 50 caliber machine gun during full auto fire. LSA is good but the LSAT has teflon added.

[zeke79]

For freeing up lock mechanisms I'll probably be the odd duck here. I actually use zippo fluid (naphtha/coleman fuel) with powdered graphite mixed in. I keep it in a ronsol lighter fluid bottle with the pin stream tip. When I need it I can stream it into tight areas and the naphtha carries the graphite into the tightest areas and then evaporates quickly leaving only the graphite.

This has worked flawlessly on lock cylinders also as long as they are in climate controlled areas and no one sprays them with anything else.

Shake well before using .

[cledry]

For freeing up lock mechanisms I'll probably be the odd duck here. I actually use zippo fluid (naphtha/coleman fuel) with powdered graphite mixed in. I keep it in a ronsol lighter fluid bottle with the pin stream tip. When I need it I can stream it into tight areas and the naphtha carries the graphite into the tightest areas and then evaporates quickly leaving only the graphite.

This has worked flawlessly on lock cylinders also as long as they are in climate controlled areas and no one sprays them with anything else.

Shake well before using .

That's what I use on camera aperture mechanisms. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to work well in locks here in Florida plus it is too messy. I use brake cleaner to clean the lock and Super Lube Teflon dry on the now clean lock.

[Squelchtone]

Perhaps you will find that LockSaver from MilComm is both good for locks and guns.

http://www.mil-comm.com/index.php?Itemi ... &task=view

[pridelock]

My favorite is Tri-flow. The aerosol, it will help clean the lock before it dries, after that it leaves a coat of teflon for lubrication.
I've used it on countless hinges, internal mechanisms, lock cylinders. It really is an all-in-one and a staple of my toolbag. To any of my customers I recommend any PTFE-based spray.

The only things I don't use it on are auto ignitions, safe mechanisms, and gears. Not to say it doesn't work for these applications, I would just use something else preferably.

[kmh]

smokingman

Never thought about Teflon. While I doubt it would ever become a problem now a days with refined processes, I wonder if it would build up over time and create issues or if it would just wear off between applications. Few years back Teflon became everyone’s favorite things to use on automotive paint and a few years after that, everyone who waxed their car a lot had a white haze embedded in their paint. But then again I suppose you did say it turned to powder.


Raymond

Does LSAT stand for anything? I tried looking it up on Google and got 2 results to do with gun oil and it didn't seem to give much details. I imagine since it is made for machine guns it isn't a problem in the least but, I would think a waxy build up would be a bad thing as wax is typically kind of tacky.


zeke

That's is honestly a pretty clever trick, thanks. I imagine I could likely use lacquer thinner for that purpose as it evaporates extremely quickly. I have some from working with auto paint and etc. There is also brake clean like cledry mentioned, which we have in 55 gallon drums at work.


Squelchtone

Interesting, thanks for the link. Perhaps I will order some when I get some spending money back in my account. It definitely sounds like some good stuff. Looks like there is a 10 minute review on it over on YouTube, have yet to check it out though.


pridelock

I remember a few people mentioning this before in some of the older threads I was browsing through. These guys seem to make all sorts of lube, thanks.

[MBI]

I use various gun lubes all the time on locks.

[KPick]

I use WD40 on every lock I pick. It works well and Its everywhere.

[Jestertac1]

I live in the Pacific Northwest, so dust is not a problem and I can get away with a lubrication that doesn't dry out (ie. grease).

For keeping rust away I use a spray lubricant called Corrosion X Aviation. Keep in mind it leaves behind a wax film to form a protective barrier (invisible to the naked eye) so it's possible it might gum up delicate pin and tumbler cylinders. I have never had that problem, but I suppose it's possible.

I use Tetra for metal to metal contact where there may be some shear forces and it works very well. It contains a fluoropolymer (teflon) and it keeps things very slick while also protecting from corrosion. It might be a bit overkill for a lock, but I don't think it would hurt if you had it disassembled and it was carefully applied. A little goes a long way.

For really delicate stuff I use TW25, a synthetic grease made by Mil-Comm. Here is a product they carry specifically for locks: http://www.mil-comm.com/index.php?optio ... r&catid=16

I'm not a WD-40 snob, but I only like to use it for cleaning. In a pinch it will help with a lot of things, but there always seems to be a better product and I won't use it unless it's all I have handy.

When I want to do a deep clean on metal parts, I clean with mineral spirits (the real stuff, not the eco-friendly) and wash the parts off with hot soapy water afterwards. I then bake or heat the parts with a heat gun/hair dryer to drive out the moisture before applying some type of oil or rust protectant. This works well on small delicate parts during a complete tear down and disassembly.

[dll932]

I have used the following for many years with success:
*WD40 (note: I'm not in a dusty climate)
*Tri-Flow
*Regular Rem-Oil
*Poxylube (powdered teflon in evaporating vehicle. Recommended by Best and Medeco)
I am not a fan of graphite except in mechanisms with lots of clearance, like mortise locks. Powdered molybenum disulfide is better but even messier.
Lighter fluid would be good to dissolve gunk but I generally use brake & electric motor cleaner for that. WD40 can melt certain plastics and some circuit board materials. For high friction load areas with enough clearance (like boltwork in mortise locks) I've been using sythetic based grease with teflon, like Loctite Viperlube. Greases like these are good over wide temp ranges and don't tend to separate like lithium grease.

[teamstarlet]

Anyone know where to pick up some ProxyLube? I'm not having much luck searching for it on the interwebz...

[Squelchtone]

Anyone know where to pick up some ProxyLube? I'm not having much luck searching for it on the interwebz...

http://www.sandstromproducts.com/applic ... butor.html