Cleaning Bearings - butane refill can???
George Robbins
> Hi all.
>
> Someone was posting about using WD40 because of the pressure spray,
> while others say that the WD40 will leave a film that attracts/holds
> dirt etc. Well, has anyone tried using one of those butane refill cans
> that they sell for refillable lighters? I know its very flammable, but
> the danger is more temporary than say gasoline because the butane gets
> whisked away quickly through evaporation. Plus, you get the pressure
> spray.
> I figure the butane is light enough as hydrocarbs go that it
> won't leave a film. I personally haven't tried this but it seems like a
> good idea. Does anyone know if the extreme cold would be bad for the
> bearings??? (Of this probably wouldn't be good for non-servs or sealed
> bearings or for getting the packing grease out, but I'm suggesting this
Bad idea dude... The butane is only a liquid when it's under pressure,
it boils into a gas as soon as it's out of the container. Not only is
the gas *explosive*, gas doesn't disolve oil or grease. It also chills
on expansion, so you get frost on what you're trying to clean, when you'd
prefer no water in the picture. Same goes for "freeze spray", which isn't
explosive but may be ozone-hole freon. Maybe you get some "action" from
the butane boiling on contact, but at what price?
If you're really got a spray complex, there are non-oily sprays such as
electronics "Flux remover", automotive "Electrical Cleaners" and
"Brake Cleaners" that do a bang-up job without leaving a sticky film.
The actual solvents, their flamability and toxicity vary so read the
fine print, use them outdoors and don't look so close that they can
splash back in your eye!!!
Really comon solvents such as kerosene, mineral spirits or detergents
such as "Gunk" or "Simple Green" work quite nicely if you put the bearings
in a coffee can or sturdy glass jar and alternate soaking and shaking.
If you remove the sheilds on one side of the bearings, you can get them
aboslutely clean in very short order this way!
--
George Robbins - not working for, work: to be avoided at all costs...
but still emotionally attached to: uucp: ...!uunet!tharsis.com!grr
Commodore, Engineering Department domain: g...@tharsis.com
k kim
WHY ? Citrus degreaser is the most effective at loosening that stuff than
kerosen and I've tried brake cleaner, it doesn't work as well. It also
won't kill you, it smells nice and friendly to the ennvirement. If you
cna't get the stuff through your skate shop try a bike shop and ask for
citrus degreaser. If you really want to get carried away, try RC motor
sprays, it works great. It is pricy though.
Like I said in the other thread, make sure that your bearing is
serviceable. You ca make nonserviceable serviceable but it seriously
shortens their life.
happy skating
--LANDMARK LTD.--
Someone was posting about using WD40 because of the pressure spray,
while others say that the WD40 will leave a film that attracts/holds
dirt etc. Well, has anyone tried using one of those butane refill cans
that they sell for refillable lighters? I know its very flammable, but
the danger is more temporary than say gasoline because the butane gets
whisked away quickly through evaporation. Plus, you get the pressure
spray.
I figure the butane is light enough as hydrocarbs go that it
won't leave a film. I personally haven't tried this but it seems like a
good idea. Does anyone know if the extreme cold would be bad for the
bearings??? (Of this probably wouldn't be good for non-servs or sealed
bearings or for getting the packing grease out, but I'm suggesting this
for post-initial cleanings of shield removable bearings.)
PS!!!!! if you try this DO IT OUTSIDE!!!!!! I'm not responsible for
anything that happens with this method - good OR bad. You have been
warned.
-Mark
George Robbins
Whatever - I don't get excited about citrus cleaners, though I hear they
work ok. There are lots of "safe" alternatives, any of which work. I
personally use simple green and hot-water in a surplus ultra-sonic tank.
My main point was that butate just wasn't a good idea.
> Like I said in the other thread, make sure that your bearing is
> serviceable. You ca make nonserviceable serviceable but it seriously
> shortens their life.
Care to support that argument? As long as you only remove the shield
on one side, they're still very easy to clean, and I don't see how
it would "seriously shorten their life". I do it...
R.Manes
>Hi all.
>-Mark
Carburator cleaner (in spray cans) works well.
Donald Hayler
one side removed failing under heavy skating conditions (ie - jumps,
etc)? Thanks for any info.
--
-- Don
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.Sig? We don't need no stinkin' .sig!
Kyunghun Kim
> In article <kkim-23049...@150.209.13.3> kk...@hamilton.edu (k
kim) writes:
> > In article <D7I08...@tigger.jvnc.net>, g...@tharsis.com (George
Robbins) wrote:
> > >
> > > Really comon solvents such as kerosene, mineral spirits or detergents
> > > such as "Gunk" or "Simple Green" work quite nicely if you put the bearings
> > > in a coffee can or sturdy glass jar and alternate soaking and shaking.
> > > If you remove the sheilds on one side of the bearings, you can get them
> > > aboslutely clean in very short order this way!
> >
> > WHY ? Citrus degreaser is the most effective at loosening that stuff than
> > kerosen and I've tried brake cleaner, it doesn't work as well. It also
> > won't kill you, it smells nice and friendly to the ennvirement. If you
> > cna't get the stuff through your skate shop try a bike shop and ask for
> > citrus degreaser. If you really want to get carried away, try RC motor
> > sprays, it works great. It is pricy though.
>
> Whatever - I don't get excited about citrus cleaners, though I hear they
> work ok. There are lots of "safe" alternatives, any of which work. I
> personally use simple green and hot-water in a surplus ultra-sonic tank.
>
> My main point was that butate just wasn't a good idea.
I guess my point is that don't get carried away. Im from the rc hobby and
have seen all kinds of ways to clean bearings. (those ultrasonic jewel
cleaners being I heard one of the best) The point about citrus leaving a
film yep heard alot of those complaints. But if after you swish em around
in the degreaser and if you let them sit on a dry paper towel and let ALL
the degrease come out it works pretty darn good. Most of those film
complaints came from people who didn't wait and let the bearings dry out.
When you put grease in them, the reaction from the grease/oil whatever and
the degreaser causes a reaction and breaks down the lubricant.
Honestly, Ive tried lots of experiments (like abec 1 bearings in one skate
abec 5 in another etc) and personally there are a lot of things that i
can't tell. Ive tried it on other people too and they can't tell most of
the time which material spacer being used or whatever. If you can tell me
you can notice a difference in a skate with bearings cleaned from
ultrasound/kerosene/green and another one with bearings cleaned with
citrus, hell more powere to you. But ive tried paint thinners, motor
spary, xerox cleaners (havent done ultrasound) and I feel its just not
worth the hassle(or the risk,healthwise and my roomate smokes). Okay maybe
they make em a little bit cleaner and I gusess this is a discussion group
and it is the place to talk about the BEST POSSIBLE way to clean them, but
I still feel that degreaser is the way to go. (So do the Labeda brothers)
> > Like I said in the other thread, make sure that your bearing is
> > serviceable. You ca make nonserviceable serviceable but it seriously
> > shortens their life.
>
> Care to support that argument? As long as you only remove the shield
> on one side, they're still very easy to clean, and I don't see how
> it would "seriously shorten their life". I do it...
Yes it works and works well. Eddie here at the shop has done the very
thing to his germans and he is very happy with it. He did it however
because he couldn't get his hands on the german serviceables. When I grab
his wheels (he likes that ssooo much) I can definitely feel that they
wobble a little bit more than most skates with german (w/same spacer and
what not). This is beacuse he isn't the most coordinated man in the world
and I bet when he popped the seals he did a little more shaking and
rattling in there than he would have liked. Second those bearings were
meant work with the other shield. Im sure that means squat but Im a
pranoid type and Im waiting to see Eds fall on his face when one of his
bearings seize. Back to the point of opening em up. One of the biggest
purchasers of single bearings are people who tried to open em up, and
ruined one or two of em,(the first few) and need replacements. Im sure
the rest are a little screwed up, too. What Im trying to say is that
popping open bearings is cool and all and the idea of getting the most of
what you got is great, but the process taking a nail and hammer to those
precision (pesky) things isn' the best thing to do.
If you have serviceables and leave the inside side open, I guess theres
nothing wrong with that. Good to hear you here George please post back or
email me.
Happy Skating
kkim
George Robbins
> Yes it works and works well. Eddie here at the shop has done the very
> thing to his germans and he is very happy with it. He did it however
> because he couldn't get his hands on the german serviceables. When I grab
> his wheels (he likes that ssooo much) I can definitely feel that they
> wobble a little bit more than most skates with german (w/same spacer and
> what not). This is beacuse he isn't the most coordinated man in the world
> and I bet when he popped the seals he did a little more shaking and
> rattling in there than he would have liked.
It's possible - it's also possible that they were "worn" before he popped
the shields or that you're letting subjectivity enter the picture.
> Second those bearings were meant work with the other shield.
This is kind of meaningless - I can buy the exact same bearings from an
industrial bearing house with no shields, one shield or two shields. The
selection depends entirely on the application, but the most commonly
stocked are the double-shields because "it doesn't hurt anything". Some
of the best quality roller skating bearings have always been sold with
one shield..
> Im sure that means squat but Im a pranoid type and Im waiting to see Eds
> fall on his face when one of his bearings seize.
I doubt they'll seize - the potential downside is that of any impact damage
to the bearings, you get tiny indentations in the races and tiny flattening
of the balls so they don't roll as smoothly and wear more quickly. Same
sort of thing that happens to "old" bearings...
> Back to the point of opening em up. One of the biggest
> purchasers of single bearings are people who tried to open em up, and
> ruined one or two of em,(the first few) and need replacements. Im sure
> the rest are a little screwed up, too. What Im trying to say is that
> popping open bearings is cool and all and the idea of getting the most of
> what you got is great, but the process taking a nail and hammer to those
> precision (pesky) things isn' the best thing to do.
Well, it help if you have good instructions that recommend the tools and
technique; and points out the differences between the shields in different
brands that make some easy to get out and some hard. Approached with
caution you don't harm the bearings at all, carelessly or ignorantly
you can screw them up. Again, if it's a choice between throwing them
away and buying new bearings, and attempting to clean and re-lube, there
is little lost if you screw it up and then have to go to the store and
buy new bearings anyway, eh?
The hammer and nail thing came up when we were discussing the "best way"
to get the shields off, it was kind of a "why fuss around, do it my way"
proposal, rather than anything I'd recommend. If it's still in the FAQ
it should be edited out in favor of some of the better descriptions that
have been posted, but I'm not the FAQ editor.
>
> If you have serviceables and leave the inside side open, I guess theres
> nothing wrong with that. Good to hear you here George please post back or
> email me.
Well, that's the second half of your posting - I may come back to the points
you make in the first half later.