knife edge lubrication query !!

[bonsuer]

will it be ok if i use contact cleaners to lubricate the knife edge of the edge pro ? or can contact cleaners be used for lubricating knife edges ??

[TMatt142]

Why not just use graphite from a pencil.

[bonsuer]

yaah i know that , but yet was just wondering whether it's possible or not ...

[LonePhantom]

Graphite will leave a mess. The typically stuff is chap stick (the stuff you use for chapped lips. A small ball on a toothpick for each knife edge. Put it on the trem post.

[jeremywills]

What about some teflon grease? I use it on gears in airsoft mechboxes (high rpm contact points) and it works fantastic in that application. Its about the consistency of chapstick or vasoline. I already have it and I'm about start resetting up my newest acquisiton. Just wondering since I already have it available to me.

[Takin' a Ride]

I use this:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Accessor...ar_Grease.html

Graphite grease.

[sebastian]

I never understood this.
I have and still have many Ibanez guitars with Edge, Edge Pro, Edge Lo Pro and Edge Zero II trems.
I have never once lubed any of the knife edges and they all stay in tune.
At the moment I have over 20 guitars with these trems.
The part of the trem that meets the studs is a knife edge, it has to be 1mm or less thick toughing on a very small point.
I don't see how a lube or any kind, will improve anything at all???

[jeremywills]

Peace of mind. There are plenty of high end Ibanez trems out there that have never been lubed since leaving the factory. Yes, they do use some form of lube at the factory. Going off memory I think Rich has stated in the past its a very thin machine oil of some type.

While it might not have been an issue with your guitars obviously along the way there are others that have seen an improvment. Again a guy like Rich that has seen more Ibanez guitars than the rest of us combined will have to chime in here but if he believes chapstick or something equivalent is a good call there must be some validity to that thought process. I think he stated also once it was Gary Brawer that turned him on to that tip and Gary is also a very well known and repsected authority on stringed instrument repair.

Would you build an engine for a vehicle and then not fill it with oil? Even if the contact point is just a tiny less than 1mm spot its still a metal on metal contact point. Over time there is a chance that the laws of physics apply and friction will damage the two pieces of metal. Lube can't hurt so why not. The knife ever so slightly rides up and down on the post too. Just enough that it may not slide back down or up enough to rest on the exact same spot on the concaved surface of the post notch. I believe this is the main reason why many think that having a small amount of lube there will help especially after a full on pullup where the knife edge will ride upwards a bit and then not properly drop back down into place.

I've simply asked if there is anything in the chapstick I'm not aware of that would be beneficial to using an alternative like the teflon grease I already have handy. In an airsoft mechbox you have very high rpm gears in there that require some form of a lubricant at thier contact points. I've tried it all and teflon works the best hands down. I can't tell you how many folks have brought me thier gear to repair and I find thier mechboxes bone dry. They just can't believe thier gears have failed so fast. Well, lesson learned. Regrease the damned thing when you work on it. Again I ask, would you rebuild a motor for your car and never fill it with oil?

Do what you want its your gear. With 20 plus guitars I could see how time consuming that would be for you to go lubing them all in a row but as you do setup stuff when required in the future why not give it a shot. Lube certainly can't hurt. Why not?

[Rich]

It has nothing to do with peace of mind or wear. It's the difference between dive return and pullup return. Some guitars will return 1/4 step sharp until the trem is dropped past neutral again. If you don't notice it you either never pull up without dive after, have terrible ears, and or, are never playing with other instruments where it becomes glaringly apparent you're out of tune, or the most logical answer, you have miracle guitars that never go out of tune

To the OP, type of lube matters greatly. If you get great results with contact cleaner then by all means use it, but, I seriously doubt you will.

[Takin' a Ride]

I have an '87 Saber that absolutely would not return to pitch if you touched the bar at all. After using the lube I posted about above, the problem went completely away.

I've used Chapstick as well and it works good, I went for the above product because it contains graphite and also doesn't involve me digging chunks out of my Chapstick