Can I use sewing machine oil for lubing the chain?
Is it ok to lube the chain with sewing machine oil? One experienced bike mechanic was suggesting me when I asked him for the best chain lubricant. He was saying why do you waste so much of money on a chain lube?
Any comments? |
Sure...
But good sewing machine oil costs about the same per ounce as Finish Line wet or dry... |
I use sewing machine paraffin.
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Pretty much any oil will do for bike chains. Some folks even use food grade oil, sometimes experimenting with stuff like heating the oiled chain to thicken the oil into a film. Some will last longer than others. But with dedicated bike chain lubes we're getting into hair-splitting territory over which is better. They're all good.
If sewing machine oil is all you have handy, go for it. But eventually it'll be cheaper to get a larger container of a cost effective lube that's a bit more tenacious. I mostly use paraffin wax because it's clean and my bikes are in the living room. But I'm using wet lube on one hybrid over the winter. It's my errand bike and casual group ride bike. My main wet lube is Park CL-1, which generally tests as a middling lube, nothing special -- not the slickest, not the slowest. But what I like about it is how tenacious it is. A few days after applying it converts from a typical slick wet oil into a slightly tacky film that does not wash out easily under heavy rain or even bike washes with detergent. A single good application may last all winter or spring. Because of that property -- forming a tenacious, tacky film after a few days -- the film feels a bit like a heavy duty Post-It Note adhesive. It's not an all purpose lube. It'll gum up cables inside housings, it'll make rear derailleur jockey wheels sluggish, etc. It's pretty much just a chain lube and a good value. But there are lots of good lubes. Just don't overpay. If you want to spend minimal time on chain lubing and cleaning, try Park CL-1 or Chain-L. Both have reputations for tenacity in wet conditions -- I can definitely vouch for Park CL-1 in wet weather. Others I've used, like Tri-Flow, WD-40 and Boeshield T9, need to be reapplied often -- once a week or more often depending on mileage and weather. |
Originally Posted by jonahmano
(Post 20695931)
Is it ok to lube the chain with sewing machine oil?
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TriFlow is the oil of choice for vintage sewing machines, one of my other hobbies. I don't like it much as a chain lube though.
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Why not. Almost any oil is good for lubing chains. OTOH WD-40, wax, and other high priced mouse milk probably is not.
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I also have 3 old Singers and TriFlow is the oil of choice for them. I suspect it is partly because it isn't a dirty oil that stains fabric. I have a Singer 201-2, a Singer 192K Spartan and a Japanese 99K clone called a RAICO. Roger
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Waste so much money on chain lube? Let's see, unless you are maintaining a rental fleet of bikes, a $5- $10 4-oz bottle of most chain lubes advertised as bike-specific will last well over a year. How much is sewing machine oil? I expect it's priced about the same and just as much a "waste of money".
There are dozens of threads on this forum arguing (often heatedly) about "what's the best chain lube" and every poster has his or her reasons for what they use. Since there are so many brands and types of chain lube on the market, it should be obvious there is no single "best" lube or it would have driven all of the others out of business. As canklecat summarized; "Pretty much any oil will do for bike chains". |
I wonder if sewingmachineforums.com has threads like this...asking about chain lube...ha!... threads.😀
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Originally Posted by DiabloScott
(Post 20696166)
I wonder if sewingmachineforums.com has threads like this...asking about chain lube...ha!... threads.😀
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Sure, but no need to lick the chain when threading the derailer.
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Chainsaw bar oil and mineral spirits to dilute it.
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I use Tri-Flow for all my chains as well as for lubricating the moving parts on my pedal steel guitar. A five-ounce drip bottle costs about $7.50 and lasts at least a year, even with six bikes to maintain.
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I've used Finish Line dry, TriFlow, and now have started using Squirt. Squirt is wax based and needs to be applied a lot more frequently than anything I've used before, but it runs really quiet and clean. It is relatively expensive since you use more of it, but considering how much we all spend on our bikes it is a drop in the bucket. I've gone through half the bottle in about 6 months.
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Why? It the only thing you have?
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IMO it really comes down to how long you need/want the lube to last, length/intensity of your rides, environment, etc. There are LOTS of products that can "lubricate" if you think outside the box. I always take my 'beater bike' on vacation when we go out to an island that doesn't offer lots of services (i.e. places to buy chain lube). The salt air out there does a quick number on the chain. When I've forgotten to take lube with me, I've used body lotion, and hair conditioner. Neither lasts long but it was 'something.' Had to re-apply before every ride. Ride, rinse, repeat. Dan |
Yes sewing machine forums also argue the merits of the oils used. Tri-flow versus Singer and others for example. Roger
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Originally Posted by DiabloScott
(Post 20696166)
I wonder if sewingmachineforums.com has threads like this...asking about chain lube...ha!... threads.😀
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just get the little squeeze bottles with a straw and direct this precious fluid in just the right places
half true; Teflon was part of the Nuclear Weapons (Manhattan) project. it has just a tiny- little longer seal at those temperatures to get the Implosion around the Pit, simultaneous from all directions. It also is self lubricating.. you think a spray can is expensive for your Huffy Budget ? just think of what a 8' by 10' sheet of it an inch thick would cost, its used in making bushings for machinery, such a Ballistic Missile Submarines would have aboard. you pay for that too.. your share is due April 15th .. every year.. ..... |
Originally Posted by fietsbob
(Post 20699196)
Teflon was part of the Nuclear weapons project.
it has just a little longer seal at those temperatures to get the Implosion around the Pit, simultaneous from all directions. Teflon was used to line the pipes and make seals for the UF6 (aka "hex" or uranium hexafloride) that is highly corrosive to other materials. Teflon was a serendipitous invention by Roy Plunket while trying to develop a new refrigerant for DuPont. It was discovered by dumb luck and happy accident. |
Try some baby powder you might just revolutionized the industry .
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I lube my chain with the blood, sweat and tears from working for the Man.
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ATF for the win cost wise (automatic transmission fluid). Used it for decades on motorcycle chains as well as bicycle chains. A bottle of it will last you forever.
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Originally Posted by brandonk
(Post 20696284)
Sure, but no need to lick the chain when threading the derailer.
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