Dustless Lubricant recomendation needed

[Ken Shoemaker]

I just made all the mouldings for my new shop out of MDF. Got 1/2" 4X8' sheets and cut on table saw then ran it through the router table. It was very rewarding until I realized that MDF dust it the NASTIEST S#@* (CRAP) on the globe!!!!! My shop is a mess. I need to clean everything it touched.

Did a search and found out about Dupont multi-use lubtricant which is reported as a Teflon based product. Does anyone have a better solution?

Thanks, in advance, for your input.

Ken

[Neil Brooks]

Ken,

I'm a tad confused.

Do you mean that ... you need to thoroughly clean everything ... including your ww machinery, and ... once you do ... you'll want to re-lube it ... using something that won't attract dust?

Spray graphite is pretty good. Some people use "stick" paraffin or beeswax, too. I think the goal is to avoid greases and silicones.

I've had good luck, similarly, with WD-40 and their 3-in-1 product.

[Ken Shoemaker]

Mainly the gears in the tablesaw and router lift are caked with MDF dust. But while I'm at it, all the tools need heavy maintenance and lube.

If WD-40 will work, I got a ton of it around here.. Thx

[Neil Brooks]

WD will work, Ken, but ... like in most applications ... it's probably not the ultimate for the TS gears.

It's a mix of solvent AND light lube, so ... it would need to be refreshed more frequently than some others.

WD would be a good way to clean the gunk off, but ... for what you're talking about ... I might recommend white lithium grease, paraffin, or beeswax. I think you'll get more hours out of them.

[Matt Meiser]

I use the teflon stuff. Works great.

[Lee Schierer]

I use a spray on bicycle chain lube that is a dry lube that supposedly doesn't attract road dust. http://images.jensonusa.com/medium/cm/cm284a00.jpg

[Dave Lehnert]

I use the Teflon spray. Use to get it at Lowe's but they do not stock it any longer.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31S1QN23HCL._SL500_AA280_.jpg
I also used this stuff but see the manufacture has discontinued it. :( I liked it a lot.
http://www.spraywayinc.com/products/thumbs/sw801_thumb.jpg

I am going to try the Dry lube from this company.http://www.kanolabs.com/ I have used their Kroil and it is amazing stuff. We use it at work and was surprised how it bust rusted bolts lose. They have a deal on it right now if you would like to try it. http://www.kanolabs.com/google/ NOTE..This stuff is not the dry lube.

[Matt Meiser]

Guess I better stop telling people they can get that at Lowes! I found it at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GL19TY?&camp=212361&linkCode=wsw&tag=wwwnorthwinda-20&creative=380789

[Chris Harry]

Same company that makes PB Blaster have a product that doesnt attract dust (no wax content). I use it on my snowblower linkages, and I did even add some to the bevel and height adjustment cranks on my table saw.

Pretty sure you can get it at HD, its called TDL "The Dry Lube", looks like this: http://blasterchemical.com/display.cfm?p=50003&pid=6

[Howard Acheson]

For the heli worm gears in a table saw, there is nothing better than paste wax. Apply with an old toothbrush. Crank the tilt and raise as you brush on the wax. The solvents in wax will remove the old gunk while putting down a coating of wax that will not attract or hold dust. Wax is an excellent low speed lubricant. Any paste wax will work. I use Johnson but I've used Minwax, TreWax and others in years past.

[Mac McQuinn]

I just bought a can from nearby Lowes Saturday, it was last can on shelf although Lowes 20 minutes north of me had plenty. This happen once before and it seemd like it took forever but they did start re-stocking.

Mac




I use the Teflon spray. Use to get it at Lowe's but they do not stock it any longer.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31S1QN23HCL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

[Neil Brooks]

Yet another possibility ... to further muddy the waters ;)

I just heard about this stuff, today, and ordered a couple of cans. No first-hand knowledge, yet, but ... came highly recommended:

http://www.woodglide.com/images/body_image.jpg

http://www.woodglide.com/

[Tony Shea]

Paste wax huh... never really thought about using paste wax on the TS gears. Do you suppose it would really hold up over a little time?

[Bill Huber]

Looks like you have 2 things you want to do...

One clean up things and then lube them.

For cleaning I open the shop door, put a fan blowing out and use the air hose and just keep blowing things off, I do ware a mask.

Now for the lube part I use graphite power in a squeeze bottle, very slick and will not hold saw dust.

[glenn bradley]

I use the stuff Dave shows; available at Lowe's for a few bucks. Ahh, there's nothing that drives home the point of collecting dust at the source like a little milling of the old M.D.F. When I do the rare bit of free hand routing of the stuff, I use a vac attachment for edge work. For the large caliber, full bore, "game-on" routing of the stuff, I open doors and aim fans to create a through-flow. I'm sure the word respirator is a given, dust collection or not ;-)

[Darnell Hagen]

I'm with Lee, I like chain wax. I prefer White Lightning, though. Regular, not WL Race Day.

[Kevin Womer]

Lately, I tried PG2000, I have seen it at Highland Woodworking under Rust prevention, and at the Woodcraft sight. It is supposed to dry and not attract saw dust like oil based products. Works well so far, have used it on my plunge router and table saw innards. Easier to apply than paste wax, but then again not as cheap as most probably have past wax in their shop.

[Chris Harry]

Ive used White Lightning on the cv joints for my RC truck. It works well, but to apply it per the directions onto a table saw might be a pain. I prefer some sort of spray, just reach in aim and shoot.

For some reason I remember the White Lightning telling you to apply some drops, let dry, reapply, etc. Could be a pain in a saw cabinet (I have the Ridgid 4511, there is no side opening behind the trunion so I have to go thru the motor access door)

[Kevin Groenke]

We've been using spray lube with molybdenum disulfide for a couple years now.

Basically MoS2 is a hexagon crystal composed of a lattice of layers of sulphur and molybdenum atoms, they retain their laminar structure no matter how finely pulvarized. Moly has a very low coefficient of friction even in the higher heat ranges to 750 degrees F. It has an extraordinary affinity to stick to metal especially if rubbed in, It is a blue-grey crystal. No way has been found to change the color. Now, that is Moly's early history. What good is it now? Well, for one thing, it has made the near-permanent lubrication of certain chassis points on automobiles possible. Most major automobile manufacturers are very safe in advertising their 30,000 mile lubricating-free chassis and suspension. Ford said they get 100,000 miles without relubrification. That historical claim became possible after research resulted in grease and oils fortified by molybdenum, that could continue to lubricate over periods of time and at pressures never before possible.

As a dry lube, it doesn't attract dust and seems to last longer than the wax, teflon spray, silicon spray or grease that we've used in the past.

I've got Dow Molycote 557 at the moment, but many manufacturers make/sell similar products.