Just realized I had been greasing guide rails wrong for 15 years

A building manager showed me how the excess grease was dripping onto the door sills at a 12-story building in Chicago last Thursday, and I felt like an idiot for never noticing the mess I was leaving behind.

3 comments

3 Comments

david73929d ago

Guide rails need the thinnest film of grease, not a heavy coat like most people use.

piperr5829d ago

Did you catch that one video where a guy tested different amounts of grease on his guide rails? I saw it a few months ago and he showed how too much actually makes the saw bind up worse than no grease at all. You're totally right, @david739, it's all about that thin film. Same thing with chainsaw bars actually, I see guys slathering it on thick and then wondering why the oil is flinging everywhere. A little dab really does go a long way with this stuff.

evan2954d agoMost Upvoted

I've actually got some firsthand experience with this from my crew, we run a few different saws and I've seen what happens when guys get carried away with the grease gun. A 1/16 inch bead is what I aim for, anything thicker and it just turns into a mess that attracts sawdust and actually traps heat instead of reducing friction. I have to agree with @david739 that most people are using way too much, I think the whole "more is better" thing just doesn't apply to guide rails or chainsaw bars. It's almost like people think if a little helps, a lot must be better, but it's the opposite with this stuff. Thin film is the way to go, end of story.