Open gear tuner maintenance/lube

[Bibs]

I have a open tuner on my Pono baritone that feels like it's grinding/galling when turned. Will bees wax help or ????
Any recommendations on maintenance of open gear tuners?

 

[Graham Greenbag]

I have a open tuner on my Pono baritone that feels like it's grinding/galling when turned. Will bees wax help or ????
Any recommendations on maintenance of open gear tuners?

I’m sure that there is something in the archive about this, worth having a look.

Don’t put any lubricant on the worm and wheel gearing, and keep the shaft where the strings wrap around clear of any lubricant. I’ve sparingly added a little light oil onto the bearings but a dab of bees wax is probably as good or even better. Lubricant (say grease and oil) can pick up dirt and grit, so occasionally clean away and replace any lubricant.

 

[badhabits]

If its a quality tuner you may be able to disassemble and clean, but it might not work. I've even tried to swap parts among other tuners, didn't work IIRC... cheap ones are easier to replace (some mfgers will replace for free)....

 

[Bibs]

Thanks. I put a bit of trilube oil on a q-tip and dabbd it on the tuner. The tuner is working a lot smoother now.
It's a rosewood-cedar classic so I'm assuming the tuners [dangerous] are pretty good quality.
After working on the tuner it got even with me, the string it held broke.
Oh, well, sometimes you're the dog, sometimes the fire hydrant.

 

[Just a fan]

I use a product called Neolube (Neolube #2, actually) which is a graphite/alcohol solution. It's super thin, like water, and I brush it on the tuner gears. It works!

 

[Poul Hansen]

Just use common thin oil on all moving parts. The rotation speed is so slow, no special oil is needed and it doesn't collect any grit maybe a bit of dust. It's not a motocross chain. ;-)
You don't have to take anything apart. A thin oil will creep into crevices, especially if the tuner is exercised a little after oiling.

 

[Bibs]

THanks

 

[Wiggy]

I didn't want to be the first to recommend oil or grease, so here goes:

I've had to do this on several stiff or grinding{!} tuners.

Remove the screw holding the round gear. You may have to gently tap the string shaft to get it out of the gear. Be careful to note the position of any washers if there are any. Lube the shaft lightly (grease or oil) and wipe off the excess. Do the same with the round gear.

Using a toothpick, put a tiny amount of lube on the tuner bracket's bearing points and on the worm gear. You don't want any to drip or otherwise get onto the wood. Spin the tuner knob around a few times while wiping off the excess.

As you reassemble, test the string shaft by spinning it in place with your fingers to make sure it turns smoothly. Then install the washer and round gear/screw. Again, wipe off any residual lube.

The whole assembly should now turn smoothly. If not, it just may be a bad tuner.

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

Two of Yowling Tom's original (el cheapo kit) open-backed tuners had this problem about 6 months ago. I used just a drop of model train lube, which seemed thinner/ less viscous than 3-in-1 oil. Problem solved. They were still working great when I swapped them out last month for a set of "pull off" KoAloha rear-facing tuners purchased from another UU member. I've since gifted those original tuners to yet another UU member. Circle of Life and all that😇.

 

[DuckyI]

I see you fixed it now but in terms of general advice to people browsing, I would always try graphite powder as a first resort.

(The same is true for locks)

 

[Ottertail]

I’d turn to an old faithful bicycle chain lube- Boeshield T9 (dropper, not spray). The carrier fluid evaporates leaving a dry lubricating film behind. Works great on a bike chain in sandy / dusty conditions and avoids picking up sediment to make a lapping compound.

 

[WebParrot (s2)]

I’d turn to an old faithful bicycle chain lube- Boeshield T9 (dropper, not spray). The carrier fluid evaporates leaving a dry lubricating film behind. Works great on a bike chain in sandy / dusty conditions and avoids picking up sediment to make a lapping compound.

++1 for Boeshield T9 - best dry lube I've found/used. Unlike many wax-based dry lubes, leave no noticeable residue.
To apply, I would place a few drops in a shallow dish, then use a toothpick to pick up and deliver small amounts to the worm gear grove, then rotate it fully to get complete distribution.

 

[rustydusty]

A couple of years ago, I ordered “string beads” from Rosette Guitar Products and they sent me “Keytone Line Guitar Lubricant” by mistake. I emailed them about the error and they immediately shipped me the proper beads. They also told me to keep the guitar lube and I’ve been using it since. Pure synthetic, non-petroleum, and formulated for tuning gears and can be applied to the nut to help the strings move while tuning. I’ve never used any lubricants in my 55+ years playing with stringed instruments, but it seems to work okay…