Greasing a deardorff

[Noah B]

Hello all, I recently acquired a deardorff and was wanting to grease the extension rails. I read on Ken Hough's site that lubriplate would be good, but locally I don't have access to this brand. Are there any other options available?

[E. von Hoegh]

http://www.mcmaster.com/#

Try these guys. They have Lubriplate.

Oh, it's "Deardorff" ;)

And by "extension rails" if you mean wood on wood, don't use Lubriplate. I use a homebrewed concoction of beeswax and graphite on the sliding bits that are w-on-w.. I've applied it twice in 23 years.

[John Koehrer]

Use a wax, not a wet lubricant. It can be used on both wood or metal. I use canning wax (paraffin) but furniture wax, ski wax or automotive wax will work.
With the paraffin I just rub it where I want it and any excess will just brush off.

[TheDeardorffGuy]

Lubriplate has Lithium and clay and tends to not run off. It also keeps your finger from getting depressed. Lubriplate was used by Deardorff from 1929. But ANY good thick grease will work. I've never used beeswax but so long as it is not gummy why not? Do it yearly.

[Jim Noel]

MY 5x7 was made prior to 1939. I have had it for at least 40 years. I have never seen the need to lubricate the rails.

[TheDeardorffGuy]

Metal to metal absolutly needs a lube. no questions about it. If it moves freely the racks or shoes are worn out because it has been metal on metal for so long.. If the fit between the shoes and slots in the racks are tight a film of lube will prolong the life of the parts. The wood to wood not always need lube. Sometimes the metal racks hold the wood off the bed. It depends who built it. Recent builds (last 30 years or so) the assembly room people were taught to build wood to wood. I've seen and worked on more Deardorffs than anyone alive. I will guarantee lube will help.



MY 5x7 was made prior to 1939. I have had it for at least 40 years. I have never seen the need to lubricate the rails.

[Scott Sharp]

I just lubricated an 8 x 10 Deardorff as per Ken's recommendations on his website and it made a huge difference in how smooth the camera rails moved back and forth. It's like a new camera again. Use the Lubriplate sparingly in the rail slots, wipe off the excess, keep off the gear teeth and the wood surfaces, paraffin wax on the wood to wood surfaces, lightly, and a small drop of oil on the rack & pinion gear shafts where they rest on the small plates screwed to the main bed. I would use moderation when using all these items, you don't want Lubriplate, paraffin wax and oil going all over the place. Again, keep the Lubriplate and the oil off the wood surfaces. Good luck.

[TheDeardorffGuy]

Scott I'm glad my recomendations worked. It is a neat transformation from a ill working camera to a smoth one. You grease your car right? (I do because I installed zerts where there were none except a threaded hole) So why not your camera? Every 5 years I get a camera from a photographer for a CLA. I built that camera in 83 at the factory. It works like new and shows no sign of wear. Another camera I built in 83came to me through a Ebay sale last year. Who ever had it for 28 years did not lube it at all and the shoes and racks were shot. Needing replacement. The slots were worn nearly .020 thou wider. The shoes were worn .015 thinner. I suppose the shooter worked around this slop as it got worse and may not ever noticed it. I'll be honest, I did not hear a wheel bearing go out till a friend rode with me. He heard it and said whats that racket? I assumed it was tire noise. You get used to problems..



I just lubricated an 8 x 10 Deardorff as per Ken's recommendations on his website and it made a huge difference in how smooth the camera rails moved back and forth. It's like a new camera again. Use the Lubriplate sparingly in the rail slots, wipe off the excess, keep off the gear teeth and the wood surfaces, paraffin wax on the wood to wood surfaces, lightly, and a small drop of oil on the rack & pinion gear shafts where they rest on the small plates screwed to the main bed. I would use moderation when using all these items, you don't want Lubriplate, paraffin wax and oil going all over the place. Again, keep the Lubriplate and the oil off the wood surfaces. Good luck.

[TheDeardorffGuy]

I played around with a melted beeswax candle and some powdered graphite. That stuff is great. very slippery. I felt so good about it I put some on V8 #8 from 1928. It has always had a stiff rear extension and now it is very smooth. In order to keep historically accurate I used some Graphite I got from Merle Deardorff



http://www.mcmaster.com/#

Try these guys. They have Lubriplate.

Oh, it's "Deardorff" ;)

And by "extension rails" if you mean wood on wood, don't use Lubriplate. I use a homebrewed concoction of beeswax and graphite on the sliding bits that are w-on-w.. I've applied it twice in 23 years.

[E. von Hoegh]

I played around with a melted beeswax candle and some powdered graphite. That stuff is great. very slippery. I felt so good about it I put some on V8 #8 from 1928. It has always had a stiff rear extension and now it is very smooth. In order to keep historically accurate I used some Graphite I got from Merle Deardorff


Wheeeee! :)