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I've dismantled my Jason animatronic and I am looking for advice on what type of grease to use on the gears. A specific brans name would be helpful.
Animatronic Lubrication
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I use marine grease on the joints and moving parts of my wiper motor animatronics. It's more water resistant than regular grease. Honestly, I had a tube of it from back in my boating and fishing days, tried it on a prop and it seemed to work well so I stuck with it. Not sure how well it would work on plastic gears though.
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I'd ask - was there grease to begin with? are these plastic gears? brass? other? Any specific goals? lube, obviously, but any issues with water (possibly not if an indoor prop.
If the gears are plastic, no lube was originally in them and this is an indoor prop with light use, you might just consider leaving them dry. Plastic gears are often some type of 'slippery' type plastic...think nylon, polypropylene, etc. So at low speeds/low loads of a prop, they are somewhat 'self lubricating' and don't really need grease as it just attracts dust.
If you do need just a bit of lube and still plan for occasional/indoor use, you could likely get away with WH grease ..."whatever is handy"
If you're planning on outside/damp locations and a lot of use, the marine grease - likely some sort of white lithium grease - would likely work OK and give a bit more compatibility with water/moisture.
If you're looking to spend a lot for a little and want to go 'top quality', then likely some sort of grease from a hobby shop specifically designed for plastics would be ideal. These are typically designed for harsh environments, heavy loads, etc.
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As far as specific brands, dunno. If it was here, I would probably give it a blob of Supertech, just because that is what I grabbed off the walmart shelf a dozen years ago and happen to have handy.
If the gears are plastic, no lube was originally in them and this is an indoor prop with light use, you might just consider leaving them dry. Plastic gears are often some type of 'slippery' type plastic...think nylon, polypropylene, etc. So at low speeds/low loads of a prop, they are somewhat 'self lubricating' and don't really need grease as it just attracts dust.
If you do need just a bit of lube and still plan for occasional/indoor use, you could likely get away with WH grease ..."whatever is handy"
If you're planning on outside/damp locations and a lot of use, the marine grease - likely some sort of white lithium grease - would likely work OK and give a bit more compatibility with water/moisture.
If you're looking to spend a lot for a little and want to go 'top quality', then likely some sort of grease from a hobby shop specifically designed for plastics would be ideal. These are typically designed for harsh environments, heavy loads, etc.
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As far as specific brands, dunno. If it was here, I would probably give it a blob of Supertech, just because that is what I grabbed off the walmart shelf a dozen years ago and happen to have handy.
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A dab'll do ya. Marine grease is great, a pea size amount is enough or even more than enough for most small metal gear and part lubrication. For plastic gears, use white lithium grease. Funny, I can smell marine grease in my head just thinking about it.
A well stocked RC hobby shop has all kinds of things that cross over into prop fixing/hacking/building. Good, high capacity, small rechargeable batteries are indispensible, plus paints, tools, electronic parts, etc. One year I made an RC car dressed like a spider that leapt out of the bushes at 65 mph. My Dad had so much fun operating that one!
Specific brand? Doesn't matter. They're all the same that are chemically the same. Get the cheapest of the type you end up selecting. Auto parts shops like NAPA are super helpful, too. If you explain to the counter guy/gal what you're doing with it, they'll point you in the right direction.
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The nylon gear assembly had a clear grease on it. Thanks for the replys.
I use Super Lube on any nylon/plastic looking gear. It is an excellent lubricant that is extremely compatible with most all types of plastics and can withstand extreme temperatures.
The general rule, or at least what I was taught, is that with plastic/nylon gears use lubricants with a high aging resistance. Conventional petroleum based lubricants or additives used in some lubricants will actually attack plastic parts as they age.
The general rule, or at least what I was taught, is that with plastic/nylon gears use lubricants with a high aging resistance. Conventional petroleum based lubricants or additives used in some lubricants will actually attack plastic parts as they age.
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Thanks! Just the answer I was looking for.
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