The Right Slide Lubricant?

[CHI_Tool&Die]

This is probably a dumb question but I have been cleaning my Kennedy roller cabinet and getting it ready to take to work. I originally cleaned and lubed the ball bearing slides with the dry film lubricant that was recommended in a lot of threads. Anyways the stuff dried up, turned white and gunked up all the slides. I’ve been trying to clean the slides as best as I can to get the white film off and am debating which of these lubes would be the better way to go. So, would it make sense to use the grease or the spray? And where exactly should I be applying the lubricant?

 

[bob15]

That is grease which will attract ****. What dry lube did you use because it sounds like you used white lithium grease.

I have found I like this stuff (in both liquid and aerosol form):

 

[RTM]

I use paraffin which used to be what Kennedy recommended.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

That is grease which will attract ****. What dry lube did you use because it sounds like you used white lithium grease.

I have found I like this stuff (in both liquid and aerosol form):

This is what I used and it turned white, was nearly impossible to remove even with degreaser and it made the slides stick.

 

[seber]

Clean it with Koil or Liquid Wrench. Then paraffin wax. You can use graphite or moly powder but it makes a black mark on anything they touch and moly will not wash out.

 

[bob15]

Funny, I use the same stuff on friction slides, lista cabinets and ball bearing slides and have zero issue with it.

 

[MechanicMindset]

I’ve used motor oil on all the boxes I’ve messed with. It works very well and I haven’t heard of motor oil drying out. If you see the slide getting black just wipe with a rag at full extension and oil it some. I certainly wouldn’t want to use grease.

Also regarding area of application you want to open and close the slides manually to see what parts of the rail actually ever have the ball bearings touch them. I usually get a brush and coat the ball bearings in oil from the side and put a light film on the area of the tracks that they run on.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

Funny, I use the same stuff on friction slides, lista cabinets and ball bearing slides and have zero issue with it.

Yeah, the stuff has come highly recommended so I can't figure out if I did something wrong or what. It just left this horrible white film and turned into this sticky paste. It did not help the slides move any better than the factory lube that Kennedy put into it. That is why I figured I would try the various types of Super Lube. But if you say it's going to be a disaster maybe I'll keep looking. I don't want to have to strip the whole box and clean the slides for a second time in such a short period of time.

Clean it with Koil or Liquid Wrench. Then paraffin wax. You can use graphite or moly powder but it makes a black mark on anything they touch and moly will not wash out.

I know that is what was recommended for the friction slides on my top machinist chest which has worked out fantastically. Would parafin work with ball-bearing slides though?

 

[SRSemenza]

Every ball bearing slide I have ever seen or purchased, whether in a tool chest or for building cabinets, has some type of light weight grease. Always looks pretty much clear.

Seth

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

Every ball bearing slide I have ever seen or purchased, whether in a tool chest or for building cabinets, has some type of light weight grease. Always looks pretty much clear.

Seth

Yeah, I thought maybe it was something like Super Lube because it seemed to be the same consistency and color.

 

[Grant Gunderson]

Yeah, I thought maybe it was something like Super Lube because it seemed to be the same consistency and color.

I used super lube on my Vidmars and have had zero issue.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Super Lube for all drawer slides and ratchets. Never had an issue. I like the tube stuff best but the spray works ok too.

 

[darkzero]

I tried this stuff on my Craftsman/Waterloo boxes cause I read here on GJ to use a dry lube (I already had it cause I use em for the uniballs on my truck). It made absolutely no difference on both the ball bearing & friction slides. IIRC my ball bearing slides had some sort of clearish grease on them too when new. I think I'm gonna try Super Lube grease next (again cause I have it).


I also have this stuff but I'm hesitant to try it cause it's messy. Well not really messy as it's a dry lube also but the color is black/dark gray so it'll look messy if I get overspray on areas where I don't want it.