I am building a plastic model of an automobile engine which has working parts. I would like the working parts to work when I an done. The instructions call for the moving parts to be lubricated.
What kind of lubrication is best? 3-in-1 oil, WD-40, something else???
Thank you for your assistance.
I would use either graphite or a drop of veggy oil. Stay away from petro based lubricants, over time it could dissolve the plastic!
Dry Graphite - it can be found in most hobby shops that carry Model Railroading stuff. Woodland Scenics has it in tube form.
I would avoid vegetable oil. Over time it will oxidise, gum up and/or go rancid (your model will literally stink).
Go with the graphite (which you may find a lot cheaper from an auto parts store than from a hobby store) or a light silicone grease. You can find plastic-compatible greases at the R/C counter at your LHS.
Check with your LHS. There are many different model railroad lubricants that are plastic compatible. You can get anything from very thin oils to grease and also dry grafite lubricants.
If you go for graphite, check out your local hardware or auto parts store and look for graphite lock lubricant. It comes in a small tube with a pointed end and contains finely powdered graphite.
It’s intended to be used by putting the pointy end in the keyhole of your sticking lock and “puffing” the powdered graphite in. It’s handy to have for that purpose and then you also have it available for modeling use.
Graphite makes a good weathering agent, a very small amount applied with a finger leaves a metalic sheen. Maybe more useful for armor or airplane guys but it will work on trucks and engine parts if you’re not building it ‘clean from the showroom’.
It also makes your lock work slicker than snot.
Pencil lead is a good source of graphite. Get a soft drawing pencil, and carve the lead off into a small container. Then dip your finger in the graphite powder and rub it onto the surfaces which will be in contact with each other. Works fine on aircraft models (spinning props) and military vehicles (turret rings).
Don’t use oil or grease of any kind. It will only end in a gooey mess.
Cheers,
Chris.
Try Glycerin, available at your local drug store or even supermarket. You might have to ask for it at the counter.
when i have this situation i have been using lubricant for the new hi-tech fishing reels.they can,t tolerate a lube that is non-compatible with plastic , i,ve used this stuff for over ten years on my radio control ships to lube the kit supplied moving parts . this means turrets ,rudders ,antennas etc. TANKERBUILDER
What about 'Mineral Oil"? A little bit on a Q-Tip can go a long way. Or GASP what about some personal lubricant, another use for K-Y? Then if anything goes wrong you can shove it somewhere a lot easier…LOL!
I’d go with graphite, too. And as was pointed out in one of the earlier threads, you can add it to your arsenal of weathering powders, too.
Regards,
Brad
When I have to lubricate plastic on plastic I use a silicon lubricant (used for RC cars) and it does not affect plastic.
I TOTALLY agree wih you - I would AVOID USING VEGETABLE OIL as a lubricant for plastic model parts, based on my experience.
I was building a plastic model engine and used vegetable oil to lubricate the parts, which is what the directions said I should use. I was pretty skeptical about vegetable oil at the time, but since the directions said I should use it, I figured they knew what they were talking about.
WRONG! After a few months, I went back to my model and saw that the vegetable oil had dried up into a VERY sticky, gummy film. I could barely turn the parts to make them move. It also smelled odd. Fortunately, I was able to disassemble the parts and clean them off using isopropyl alcohol (this worked fine on gray plastic parts, I don’t know how it would work on clear transparent plastic parts).
Before I reassemble the parts, I’m planning on using a graphite lubricant, as others here have recommended. That seems to make sense. I would avoid using anything petroleum-based (like WD40, mineral oil, petroleum jelly, etc.) since that might dissolve the plastic.