Posted by David Sherman on Sunday, September 07, 2003 at 9:21PM :
In Reply to: Cable lube posted by Mark S. on Sunday, September 07, 2003 at 8:48PM :
I have a bucket of some army surplus stuff called "exposed gear and wire rope lubricant", but haven't tried it yet. That might be the official lube.
According to a 1950 "Handbook of Rigging", "When the wire rope is manufactured, lubricant is applied to the hemp center, which acts as a storage medium for the oil and pays it out as the rope is used. ... When lubricating a rope it is desirable to use a fairly viscous oil recommended by the rope manufacturer. This oil should be heated and applied while quite thin so that it will get into the center of the rope, then cool and thicken, which will keep it from being thrown off ... The best way to apply the heated lubricant is by causing a horizontal cable to move through a long pan of oil or by running a vertical cable through a can of oil with a tight-fitting bushing at the bottom. Wipe off the surplus oil as the rope leaves the bath. Frequent application of proper lubricant during service is necessary to prevent the hemp core from becoming dry. A dry-core rope will wear and crush more quickly than a lubricated one. Also it will absorb moisture more readily, which will result in interior corrosion of the rope."
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