drawer slide lube

[kenfain]

Just about done cleaning all the old dried up crusty gunk outta the inside of my new to me tool box. This thing was bad, the PO.must have used a grease gun, judging by the mess. It was thirty years old, and obviously never cleaned, inside or out. And while cleaning, I thought there's got to be a better way. Now I'm not a daily user, and I'm thinking silicone spray lube, maybe some kind of wax or something. It's got to be fairly clean stuff, no nasty residue. So what do you guys use? Any suggestions?

 

[The Frisco Kid]

friction slides or ball bearings?

Assuming slides due to age, I'd go with dry teflon aerosol but I'll defer to some experts who have done more than just one box with slides.

 

[Steevo]

I used a light lithium grease when I cleaned and re-lubed my 30+ year old Sanp-On friction slides.

 

[kenfain]

Yea spray lithium grease was my first thought. If I was opening drawers all day every day I probly would go with something industrial like a light grease or some kind of serious lube. But to be honest, I'll open this thing twice a week, maybe. And then it's only a couple drawers. Some drawers I'll get into three times a year. So I'm thinking something dry, something with little to no buildup on the slides. Heck if I wear em out, I'll just call snap on. But no more than I use these drawers, I'll likely never wear em out. But keep those ideas coming.

 

[ken w.]

I put some silicone grease on my slides the last time I lubed them up.

 

[Ncognito]

I'm still working on my new-to-me Snap-On box, but this what I'm using.

For the friction slides:

For the one drawer with ball bearings:

 

[Provincial]

I used beeswax on an old Kennedy that I picked up last year. It is working fine. The drawer with all the sockets and ratchets has more friction, but it still smooth. It works great on the more lightly loaded drawers.

 

[trout]

I use Super Lube multipurpose synthetic grease on both the friction and bearing slides.

 

[LG63]

I would steer clear of Boeshield. I used it on a Kennedy 520 box and it seems too sticky for friction slides. This winter I'm going to take it back apart and go back with a couple drops of 30wt oil on each slide.

 

[zkling]

DO NOT use grease, unless you enjoyed that experience of cleaning the old dried grease out of there. Oil is better, but still gets nasty over time.

Use wax or some type of dry lube, or even just clean and dry the slides. Best I have found is to clean the slides real well and use "Door ease". <$2 at your hardware store. Works very well.

http://www.idealtruevalue.com/servlet/the-135107/Detail

O... What tool box did you get? Pics? Sounds like all the boxes I buy, dirty, greasy neglected, but cheap.

 

[Outlawmws]

Friction slides need a dry or semi dry lube like beeswax or door ease. Several manufacturers recommend beeswax, and that is probably better from a lubricant sheer perspective than dry Teflon or graphite's.

Roller slides; get on to the mfgs' site or one with a similar slide as see what they recommend. keeping in mind anything goopy/wet WILL collect dirt, and probably dry out over time.

 

[4BT]

Would garage door track lubricant be acceptable for BB slides? Says it doesn't attract dirt

 

[kenfain]

DO NOT use grease, unless you enjoyed that experience of cleaning the old dried grease out of there. Oil is better, but still gets nasty over time.

Use wax or some type of dry lube, or even just clean and dry the slides. Best I have found is to clean the slides real well and use "Door ease". <$2 at your hardware store. Works very well.

http://www.idealtruevalue.com/servlet/the-135107/Detail

O... What tool box did you get? Pics? Sounds like all the boxes I buy, dirty, greasy neglected, but cheap.

Snap on KR550 top box. KR555 bottom. No, unfortunately it wasn't one of those great deals like we all love, but I really needed more space. I've been working out of a small craftsman, that's only about a foot deep, and not enough drawers. I'd been looking for a couple weeks. Now that I've got a box they'll be goin cheap. I found one yesterday for about the same money, came with a few nice tools too, had pictures of em. And closer to home. So it goes.

 

[zkling]

Snap on KR550 top box. KR555 bottom.

WOW, nice, that is a massive box. I hear they are built like a tank. Hope you are a tall fellow. Any pics of it?

Yea, just clean the slides up from the old grease, make sure to clean out the tracks on the box and the drawers. Then apply the door ease to the slides and re assembly. You will have one happy friction slide box.

One more time. NO GREASE

 

[crewchief888]

the only stuff i've ever used on my kr550/555b has been door ease.

the SO dealer i bought them from new in '86 gave me a tube of it.

 

[kenfain]

Sorry I can't post pictures from my phone, and as yet I don't have a computer. Dial up is the only thing available in my rural area. That's aggravation, condensed to it's purest form. And satellite internet, well it has its problems also. So no pics yet, but a plan is brewing, for a solution. Thanks for the tips fellas!