Lube for Tool Cabinet Drawer Sliders?

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15-20 years ago, I put some "general purpose" grease on the drawer sliders (non ball bearing style) of some of my tool cabinets. Over that time span, the grease has either turned into glue or hardened into a solid, making it difficult to open and close the drawer. No such problems with those drawers where I used motor oil on the sliders.

I have no idea which lube type, a grease or oil, is better at preventing a groove being worn into the slider (non ball bearing).

What do you use?
 
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Lubriplate works very well.

Use a small stainless brush to clean the slides, then use a little acid brush to coat everything with lubriplate.
 
There are plenty of good options. I used Lubriplate’s food-grade stuff while maintaining equipment at a meat processing facility and butcher shop. They’ve got dozens of greases, so you’ll have to look through them to find something basic with good corrosion resistance. Their basic 100/105 may be best.

https://www.lubriplate.com/Products/Multi-Purpose-Greases

Most importantly, remove the old stuff with solvent, a scraper, or wire brush.
 
Friction slides = "Door Ease" wax pencil. It is used for lubricating doors and sliding windows. It actually helped one of my windows from freezing shut in the winter. I bought it for my toolbox though.

I bought a mint 1975 dated Proto (Waterloo) 27" stack in the beginning of 2015 I believe. I cleaned the slides completely with alcohol and q tips and then relubed with door ease as was suggested on the garage journal. It is still smooth although some of the slides were a little tweaked as I recall. My bottom drawer is probably as heavy as a DIYer would fill it and is fine. If you're leaving it in an unheated garage I might use grease for corrosion protection, but mine is indoors.
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
Lubriplate works very well...


What happens to it over a 20 year time span in an uninsulated garage? Does it harden or become very sticky? I can't remember exactly what greases I tried in the past, but it might have included white grease and chassis grease.
 
Anything will solidify up over time. Frankly I'm more surprised at the fact that a thin coat of oil was still there/functional (or was it?).

Id use just the thinnest coating of grease after flushing out a bit with Wd-40. That's one of the functions I think wd-40 is best for. Even if you decide to use a heavy oil (or a 00 grease is actually what I'd look to use), I'd still flush out the old oil residue.
 
Originally Posted By: another Todd
light weight oil. Any grease risks getting sticky over time.


I came across this little bit of info, about grease aging:

Quote:
During an extended operating period, the oil content of the grease slowly dissipates through creep, evaporation and oxidation. As the grease dries, it stiffens and darkens with its loss of the ability to lubricate.

To obtain extended operating periods, an oxidation inhibitor is essential in premium and multipurpose greases, along with their usual rust inhibitor. The common antiwear and extreme pressure additives in these greases greatly reduce the oxidation life and correspondingly require more frequent relubrication in ball and roller bearing service.


http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/970/best-grease-reliability
 
Go ahead and use the grease like you have in the past. Only take a few minutes every couple of months to add a few drops of oil to the tracks. That will help keep the grease from drying out. I always use a combination of grease with a bit of oil on things like auto pistol slides and bolt lugs. It helps keep the lubricant where it needs to be, because it helps improve it's flow. But it doesn't make it so runny that it won't stay where it's put. The best of both worlds, so to speak.
 
Exactly ~ then it becomes cheaper than 3 in 1 oil for hinges, wheelbarrow etc …
 
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Originally Posted By: another Todd
light weight oil. Any grease risks getting sticky over time.


I came across this little bit of info, about grease aging:

Quote:
During an extended operating period, the oil content of the grease slowly dissipates through creep, evaporation and oxidation. As the grease dries, it stiffens and darkens with its loss of the ability to lubricate.

To obtain extended operating periods, an oxidation inhibitor is essential in premium and multipurpose greases, along with their usual rust inhibitor. The common antiwear and extreme pressure additives in these greases greatly reduce the oxidation life and correspondingly require more frequent relubrication in ball and roller bearing service.


http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/970/best-grease-reliability


The same phenomena must by the nature of the contents, occur also to an oil... oils to will creep, evaporate, and oxidize, and they also have AW and EP adds in them...
 
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