What is the best affordable oil for camera slider rails that use a bearing system?

A

analogs

Well-known member
I have a slider that uses bearings and would like to know recommendations on what oil to use on the metal rails that the bearings slide on?

Every time I use it, I always find all types of stuff stuck onto the metal rails like bits of stick, dirt, etc!

I was considering using bicycle chain oil that supposedly does not causes sludge build up but I am really not sure what most people use that are effective, affordable and does not cause stickiness of all types of materials in the enviroments?
 
Any kind of oil is going to attract dirt etc. Possibly a dry lube like a silicone spray lube or a waxy substance like Pledge furniture polish may work. Best bet is to keep it spotlessly clean.

BillWojo
 
This is what I use on tripod legs, and I imagine it would work well on sliders too. You just put a light film of this lubricant, then rub it down with a rag or paper-towel to eliminate any excess. It's not sticky, it does not transfer to your hands or clothes, and will not collect dirt.
 
Thanks people for the replies.

The bearings are metal. The rails are metal. It originally came all oiled up and I have seen other similar sliders that suggest to oil the rails to ensure it runs smooth.

Do any of the oil people are recommending will not sludge up and cause any buildup around the bearings??
 
If you don't mind me asking, what brand slider is it?

Just wondering, as in my experience I have never needed to oil anything to get smooth operation out of a slider, including the bearings.
 
analogs said:
The bearings are metal. The rails are metal. It originally came all oiled up and I have seen other similar sliders that suggest to oil the rails to ensure it runs smooth.
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The oil on the rails when you got it was most likely not a lubricant, but a protectant to avoid rust in transportation. This is pretty common when shipping metal rods and pipes.
The sliders that need to have their rails oiled or otherwise lubricated are the friction type like all the ones made of Igus parts. If you have rolling bearings, then you don't need to lubricate the rods.
 
Andrius Simutis said:
The sliders that need to have their rails oiled or otherwise lubricated are the friction type like all the ones made of Igus parts.
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Man, the last thing you want to do is oil the rails of an Igus or other delrin bearing. They're self lubricating and you'll ruin them. They're designed to be maintenance free. (And they're not that great anyway...) Igus specifically states not to use any sort of lubricant.

If you have something like wheels with bearings in the hub, you oil the bearings themselves... maybe once in their lifetime? I understand that professional skaters that use roller blades soak the bearings in kerosene, I guess it penetrates and cleans them. But I doubt a camera slider would ever need the bearings oiled. If you spot one leaking, replace it.
 
Michael Carter said:
Man, the last thing you want to do is oil the rails of an Igus or other delrin bearing. They're self lubricating and you'll ruin them. They're designed to be maintenance free. (And they're not that great anyway...) Igus specifically states not to use any sort of lubricant.
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Good call. I haven't used one of those in so long that I probably should have kep my mouf shut. I remember people who were using them a lot to whip out cans of furniture polish (smells nice and lemony!) and all sorts of voodoo trying to keep them sliding. Maybe they were doing more damage than good.
 
Well, I read on a web site once that Abraham Lincoln said "don't believe everything you read on the internet"...

Not really the best slider out there. But man, the rail makes a hell of a camera mount for walls, ceilings, etc... with all those holes in it. Screw a 2x4 to the ceiling or hoist it on speed-rail and screw the igus rail to it, crazy-handy since you have some positioning leeway and can do straight-down camera spins, etc.
 
There is no need to ever lube the rails for rolling purposes unless you need corrosion inhibition. Not even dry style lubes. This is not a friction issue, its a cleanliness issue. The carriage should have roller bearings. Roller bearings for these come in two types shielded seals and contact seals. Shielded bearings allow minute dust in with slightly less friction. Contact seals are superior for sealing the bearings fro contamination, but cause a slight drag due to the contact friction.
 
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