Silicone lubricant.

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Shaggy

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I want something to lubricate my plunge saw on the tracks and my guide wheels on my router cutters.
I've read that PTFE lubricant is best as saw dust doesn't stick to it like it does with WD40. When sorting through the shed I found a tin of Silicone Lubricant, will this do the job or would I be better off getting the proper PTFE Lubricant???

Glen.
 
If you use Silicones and any residue gets on your finished wood surfaces then there is a good chance that applied Finishes or Glue will not adhere. Silicones make good release agents.
 
Shaggy":2gr4la9s said:
...... sorting through the shed I found a tin of Silicone Lubricant.......

Are you a cyclist, Glen? Keep that stuff in the bike shed, and as far from wood as possible.
 
No MikeG, I’m not a cyclist but I’ll use it on something other than wood and get some PTFE spray for my track saw and cutters.

Glen.
 
I have a can of silicon spray used solely to lubricate the electric windows in the car - sometimes they stick when down and refuse to come back up without tugging on them. Should this ever happen to you, the fix is silicon spray.

(It is ludicrously dusty where I live, which might be more of a problem than in sensible climates.)
 
I've personally never had any problems with silicone spray and painted/stained finishes in the few years I've been using it, every surface gets sanded after being machined so I guess if there is a surface smear from being rubbed on the machine beds it gets removed at that stage.
 
In the back of a box today I found tin of silicone free Graphite Oil. Is that the same as PTFE spray???

Glen.
 
Use it at your peril, use that freely on your shop machines & tools and by the end of the day you could look like you had been firing a coal fired steam engine all day.
 
I think the only time graphite oil should really be used is on equipment that is likely to gum up when greased or oiled. For example, the trunnions and gears in a table saw become very quickly gummed up with sawdust if oil or grease is used as it sticks and churns up into a mess, whilst GO evaporates and leaves a dry graphite film which doesn't gum up with crud for the most part.

It works basically the same as Silicone, PTFE and White Lithium by being a dry lubricant, but it's much messier.
 
phil.p":3oxvb9z0 said:
I find graphite oil a little odd - the only times I've ever used graphite it was to avoid using oil.
Some 40 odd yrs. ago my Mother had a session of oiling all her door locks and anything else she thought needed a birthday.
GOil.jpg


I had the pleasure on my next visit of spending half a day trying to flush out and clean off the insidious result that was spreading everywhere. Talk about going back to the days of Black Leading the cooking range.
For some masochistic reason I've still got the tin I confiscated.
 

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mbartlett99":3ssromv4 said:
I'm confused (not new); why is there so much friction on your track saw?

Oh and the router cutter bearings are probably sealed.
There is no friction as such on the track saw,I just read that PTFE lubricant can make it smoother and help stop any dust clinging to the track. I’ll also use it on the cutters and saw blades to protect against rust.

Glen.
 

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