Would this be a good idea? (maintenance)

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VomitHatSteve

VomitHatSteve

Hat STYLE. Not contents.
So this past issue of Tape-op has a big article on prepping your drums and hardware for recording. (Checking alignment, maintaining hardware, etc.)

One thing that came up was oiling all the moving parts in your hardware (pedals, hi-hat stand, etc.) But they didn't specify what kind of lubricant one uses for drums.

Is there a special lubricant you're supposed to use? Are there analogues and alternatives? i.e. I usually keep teflon and wax based bike chain lubes around my apartment. Would those work?
 
I wouldn't use anything that will allow dust or stick shavings to stick to it. Chain wax is pretty sticky and gummy. I personally don't "lube" anything, but I keep everything clean and in good order. None of my hardware makes any unwanted noises. If you have good stuff, like pedals with sealed bearings and quality double-braced stands, lubrication shouldn't really be an issue. If something gets squeaky, I don't see why a little shot of WD-40 would be a problem, but don't spray it into sealed bearings. It can dissolve the grease that's packed in there. If you use WD on other moving parts, wipe up any excess. The only thing I use any kind of grease on are the lug screws. When swapping heads I'll put a little tiny dab of bearing grease on the threads just so the threads don't stick later down the line during maintenance tune-ups. Lubed threads make head tuning much easier and more precise. It's also a good idea when swapping heads to make sure the lugs are tight on the shells. Just reach in there with a screwdriver and give everything a little snug. Go around the kit and tighten and secure anything that's bolted down. The throne can also be a source of squeaks and rattles. Make sure your seat is quiet.
 
VomitHatSteve said:
Is there a special lubricant you're supposed to use? Are there analogues and alternatives? i.e. I usually keep teflon and wax based bike chain lubes around my apartment. Would those work?
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I read the same article you're talkin' about.

I wouldn't see any harm in it. Just wouldn't over do it, or your feet will be slidin' around on the pedals.

I use WD-40 on mine, and never had any problems with rust or anything else.
 
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Greg_L said:
I wouldn't use anything that will allow dust or stick shavings to stick to it. Chain wax is pretty sticky and gummy. I personally don't "lube" anything, but I keep everything clean and in good order. None of my hardware makes any unwanted noises. If you have good stuff, like pedals with sealed bearings and quality double-braced stands, lubrication shouldn't really be an issue. If something gets squeaky, I don't see why a little shot of WD-40 would be a problem, but don't spray it into sealed bearings. It can dissolve the grease that's packed in there. If you use WD on other moving parts, wipe up any excess. The only thing I use any kind of grease on are the lug screws. When swapping heads I'll put a little tiny dab of bearing grease on the threads just so the threads don't stick later down the line during maintenance tune-ups. Lubed threads make head tuning much easier and more precise. It's also a good idea when swapping heads to make sure the lugs are tight on the shells. Just reach in there with a screwdriver and give everything a little snug. Go around the kit and tighten and secure anything that's bolted down. The throne can also be a source of squeaks and rattles. Make sure your seat is quiet.
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Don't listen to me,..Listen to Greg,...^
He definitely is makin' a point here.

All my gear is pretty much in order too,..except for...
Greg_L said:
The throne can also be a source of squeaks and rattles. Make sure your seat is quiet.
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That's almost ALWAYS the culprit!:mad:
 
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Gonna hafta oppose Greg on this one- first, bicycle chains are often lubricated by melting parafin wax and dipping the chain in it- one of the advantages is it is NOT sticky or gummy.

Second, I see nothing wrong with using a drop of 30-weight motor oil to lube moving parts on your drum pedals, etc. Triumph and Suzuki motorcycles recommend that as the preferred lube for their bike's drive chains, and don't ask you to lube them more often than once every 500 miles or more. Both motorcycle and bicycle chains are MUCH more severe-service parts than ANY drummer subjects a drum pedal to (Drummer, you think YOU pound the pedals hard? Check the quads of even a weekend warrior cyclist, and if you are tempted to compare the power your legs can produce to the 60 to 100 foot-pounds of torque a typical motorcycle engine makes, you can forgetaboutit!)

I may not know "anything" about drums (or maybe I do,) but 48 years of cycling, 15 years of motorcycling, and 35+ yeas of doing my own maintenance and repair on those machines has taught me a thing or two...
 
stevieb said:
Gonna hafta oppose Greg on this one- first, bicycle chains are often lubricated by melting parafin wax and dipping the chain in it- one of the advantages is it is NOT sticky or gummy.
...
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Chain wax is sticky and gummy. I used it all the time on my bikes. It may not come that way from the factory, but when you use it later as a spray, it's gooey. Motor oil is a fine general lubricant, but it might be overkill and messy for drum parts.

I agree with the rest of your post, except the part about you knowing something about drums. ;)
 
I put a small amount of wheel bearing grease in the lugs. On my old drums it looks like that's what Ludwig did at the factory.

WD40 is great but after a short time develops into a sludge that attracts dust so I don't use it unless I'm in a pinch.

Tri-Flow or Dupont Teflon Multi-Use Dry, Wax Lubricant are the best things I've found for snare strainers, hi hats and pedals - any moving parts.

I religiously use Mequire's Cleaner Wax on all my stands and chrome about once a year.

You use what you have in a pinch. There's been gigs where I took my kick pedal out to my car on break and used a few drips off of the oil dipstick for lubrication.
 
I've used WD-40 whenever my hardware starts to squeak or stick and it's worked just fine for me and my rickety ol' CB hardware.
 
Stevieb. The parafin wax idea actually sounds pretty clever. Though dipping the joints of your hardware into it would probably be a challenge! :D

WD-40 ultimately accelerates corrosion and rust doesn't it? It dissolves away the gunk that's on there already, but it doesn't provide any kind of protection, right?
 
Here's another thought.

FunkDaddy said:
I've used WD-40 whenever my hardware starts to squeak or stick and it's worked just fine for me and my rickety ol' CB hardware.
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On my pedals, I have been using a bit of the silicone powder that is used to lubricate compound bows (though I'd never shoot a compound bow, I'm a longbow shooter only!). I worked as range officer in an archery range and they sell these little plastic bottles of silicone powder that has a long IV type needle at the top. You get it down to where you need it and squeeze the bottle. It targets the area of friction and it lasts a long time. It doesn't attract any dust and it doesn't get grimy because it's dry.
I use paste wax on my drum lugs and stands.
 
That's a good idea about a dab of grease on the lugs but for pedals, what about some powdered graphite?
 
VomitHatSteve said:
... WD-40 ultimately accelerates corrosion and rust doesn't it? It dissolves away the gunk that's on there already, but it doesn't provide any kind of protection, right?
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I don't think you could say it actually accelerates rust. WD40 is petroleum based and does leave a thin oil film. It's just that the film is very thin and there won't be much left in a week or so.

You can't beat car wax for rust protection on surfaces you want to touch. If you never touch the surface there are better products, like TC-11 (a wax mixed with oil) but they leave the surface slimy.

There's been a lot of money put into research with car wax.

I live in a very rusty place, so whenever I buy any new stuff, say a new stand or a new set of socket wrenches, I wax them as soon as I buy them. That way they stay the same. All metals have cracks and pits in the surface if you were to magnify them, and car wax fills up those holes and prevents the rust from starting. The rust needs oxygen to start, so you are basically blocking it with the wax. Anything, even peanut butter would work if you could keep it on the surface.

What kills the metal is temperature cycling. When it cools down at night the metal forms a film of moisture on it in the same way a glass of cold water sweats on the outside of the glass, and the rust starts.
 
VomitHatSteve said:
I think I know who wins this thread! :D
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Here's the thing. I live in Jurassic Park (really), where they filmed Lost. The rust here is unbelievable. I'm 50' from the Pacific Ocean.

In the early 90's I did some rust tests. I took a board and put lots of sheet metal screws in it and attached it to the side of my house where the salt air hits it. I coated the screws in different substances and labeled the board. Then I left them and watched what happened.

Here's some of the stuff I tested: WD40, Turtle Wax, wheel bearing grease, Pledge... (there were many more)... and peanut butter.

The end result was that the thicker, the more goobery the stuff was , the better it prevented rust. WD40 was pitiful - gone in a week. Peanut butter attracted ants (big surprise there) and was gone pretty fast.

The conclusion I made was that lots of things could work if all they did was seal the surface to prevent oxygen from reaching the metal. Doggie-doo would work. But it comes down to what will stay on there, and what you can bear to live with. Car wax in the end was the best if you ever needed to touch it, wheel bearing grease if you never touch it.

BTW one of the most pitiful in the test was automotive rust proofing.
 
Rimshot said:
Are you certain it wasn't raptors? :laughings:
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Or very large geckos...

I got a flyer in my mailbox yesterday from Universal Studios saying that on Friday there will be massive explosion in the valley behind my house as part of the Battleship movie they are making there now. It'll be my birthday so it takes on a funny meaning. :)

There was an explosion a few months ago when they were doing Hawaii 5-0 and I'm quite sure it was the shot at the first of the show when the truck flips over. Shook the whole house.

All the local boys are probably stoked because I haven't seen any of the pot helicopters around for months - they are probably not flying because of the filming.
 
dintymoore said:
...The rust here is unbelievable. I'm 50' from the Pacific Ocean.
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Actually, doesn't surprise me. I worked in the Gulf of Mexico some summers when I was in college, on a drilling rig. One summer I was a dive tender- had a steel-bladed pocket knife that I sharpened and oiled DAILY. It still developed rust rosettes after only a few days.
 
I work in a kitchen and we can't even think about putting the "WD" on anything. Rust is not a problem for me and my staff, neither is squeaking parts. This includes: wheels, slicer blades (which creates more friction that a bike chain), tongs, electric knife sharpeners, door hinges, and refrigerator/freezer fans. The, however recent, solution to my problems as a Chef has been: (please forgive me for the name of this product) Sani-Lube.

Here is the official website:
http://www.procheminc.com/product_details.asp?ID=286&cat=10

This is not a hoax this stuff really lubricates everything including my live kit and my home kit.
 
Silicone lube is all we used in the desert. I lived for a year in Laughlin, Nevada, middle of the Mojave. Silicone lube is what you used.
 
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