How Best to Lubricate Wood on Wood Parts?

[Diggin It]

I'm working on an old wood shutter. It had been over painted and some of the slats were stuck together. Had to pull it apart, sand off the excess paint and free up the moving parts. Slats are wood with wood dowels into peg holes on wood stiles. It'll be in a window (inside) subject to humidity, but no direct water (I hope). I'd like to to operate smoothly. I do not know what type of wood it is, pine possibly, but not sure.

I've tried a few different lubricants in the past, including dish soap, but they all eventually had problems from staining or bubbling paint, to getting gummy and sticky. I have petroleum products, silicone, white lithium, graphite, oil soap, dish soap, liquid hand soap and a few others, so I'd rather not have to buy something special.

Ideas?

 

[MossRoad]

Candle wax

 

[Diggin It]

I got that too. But I've already reassembled the shutter and glued the stiles. Heat and drip the wax into the dowel points?

 

[MossRoad]

Read this for some ideas...

Wood toy lubrication

 

[CalG]

Melt the wax, cut it 40% or so with turps. drop it in to the pivot with a fine brush ...

 

[i7win7]

Bee's wax makes wood screws go in easier

 

[/pine]

Bee's wax will also prevent screws from breaking off in hardwoods...

Before wooden parts are assembled they can be polished smooth by sanding with progressively smaller abrasive...start with something like 220 and go all the way down to at least 600 or even smaller...

FWIW...there are some woods that have natural oils that don't require any lubricant...Lignum vitae comes to mind as it is still used for shaft bearings and other similar applications...there are also different woods used to make wooden watches/parts etc...

 

[RalphVa]

Synthetic oil would work, particularly something like M1 ATF with few additives. Synthetic oil is just wax with some side chains added so it doesn't solidify.

Ralph

 

[mwayne]

Try Pledge furniture polish if it can be sprayed into the needed pivot point.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I always use wax...

SR