Do ya lube your Lugs?

  • Thread starter Thread starter getuhgrip
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getuhgrip

getuhgrip

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Seems to me that the thread pitch is tighter on newer hardware than some years back. That being the case, it stands to reason that a bit of lube on the lug screws will keep 'em from eating themselves prematurely, especially if you use a tight tuning.

My first thought is something light like WD40, but I don't wanna spray the shit all over a lacquered finish. 3in1 oil might be a good way to go. Does somebody market a drum-specific lube?
 
getuhgrip said:
...My first thought is something light like WD40, but I don't wanna spray the shit all over a lacquered finish.
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I wouldn't use WD40 to lubricate anything. That crap dries out after a while and makes the parts stick worse than before it was used.

getuhgrip said:
3in1 oil might be a good way to go.
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Because it is thin and light, that may eventually run down over the finish too. I would probably use grease if anything.

getuhgrip said:
Does somebody market a drum-specific lube?
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If they do I'm sure it will be grossly over-priced just like all of the other incidental items in music stores.

(Gee, am I starting to sound like a grumpy old man?) :eek:
 
Use a tiny dab of anti-sieze or bearing grease. And I mean a tiny dab.

Yes, you do want to lube your lugs. Heads tune way easier and more accurately when the lugs don't stick.
 
Good call, Greg. There is also some sort of graphite lube, isn't there?
 
RawDepth said:
Good call, Greg. There is also some sort of graphite lube, isn't there?
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Yeah but I've never tried it. That stuff is a dry powder.

If you use actual "grease", it will stick and not run anywhere. Hell, even a little dab of vaseline would probably work.
 
I just tried some assembly lube. It's lithium based. Adheres well, and shouldn't dry up or "cake".

Teflon would be cool if it was in some kind of moly base. I'm no chemist or rocket nerd, but teflon, on a molecular level acts like BBs for two surfaces to ride on. But like Greg said, if it's in a powdery base, it's just gonna flake away.

BTW - I just tasted a dab of the lithium stuff. Sucks! :D
 
I play Conga, Bongo, Timbale, etc. ya know the Afro-Latin stuff.
...I use lube :) (it's similar to vaseline)

Happy Holiday!
Scott.
 
Ludwig and other companies have used white lithium grease and regular ol' wheel bearing grease for lugs for decades.

Like RawDepth stated, WD40 works for awhile and then becomes a sticky sludge. I've always thought that WD40's success was largely because of it's smell, although it's great for removing adhesive residue.

Spray teflon works great for strainer mechanisms.

I've had gigs where I took my kick pedal out to my car on break, pulled out the oil dipstick and let a few drops of oil drip into the right places, so you use what you've got sometimes.
 
If this is for vintage drums (and that's what it seems to be to me), there's a few tricks I use. This is only because when you record with a lot of close micing, you focus on any negative. That's how the Speed King got the nickname 'Squeak King'. And that's why I pack the lug or wrap the spring with gauze tape. I have also rubbed some bar soap on the tuning lugs. WD40 just seems wrong. Even Vaseline seems 'better' than a liquid spray that can run and drip all over. But I have only used bar soap. I simply rub the tuning lug over the bar a few times, and away I go. Not enough to see flakes of soap on the lug that can end up in the casing. Just enough to act as a lube.
 
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