Tuner problems / oiling tuners?

[Bigtuna]

I broke out my old Washburn last night and one of my tuners (high E) was sticking. It stayed in tune but it was very hard to turn and it didn't appear to be slipping at the knob. Is there any kind of oil I could use to free it up a little bit?

[Tim2723]

I prefer dry Teflon or molybdenum type lubricants (check the auto supply store). #Avoid oils as they can leech into the wood and cause problems, and avoid silicone-based products as the silicone can be very difficult to remove. #A slight turn of the screw that holds the wheel gear in place will also adjust the tension. #Use lubricants sparingly, as they can make a mess of things. Try the adjustment first.

[Bigtuna]

Thanks, I'll try to adjust the screw first. What do you think about using a fine graphite (dry) lubricatant?

[Tim2723]

I use graphite to lubricate the slots of the nut and bridge (a common and frequently recommended practice), but I've never used it as a tuner lubricant. #I don't see why it wouldn't work, but I think you might want to wait a little while longer to see if someone here has first hand experience with that. At very least I think it would not last long and could be messy.

Here is a very informative thread from a while back that might help:

http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....bricant

Scroll down a little way to Paul Hostetter's first post. #That's where the conversation on lubricating tuners begins. The Tri-Flow lubricant that Paul mentions is really very good for the job. While it comes as a liquid, the carrier fluid evaporates quickly leaving behind tiny Teflon beads that act as the lubricant, hence it is called a 'dry' lube.

But truthfully, I bet that 90% of sticking tuner problems are solved with a tiny (very tiny) adjustment of the screw. #

[mandroid]

TriFlow dry lube, can be bought at bike Shops , the vehicle liquid dissipates
after it penetrates and carries teflon molecules with it
to get into the wee gaps.