cutaway cable lubrication

[dtby74 0]

I was just wondering what type of lubricant some of you use to clean and lubricate your cutaway cables. Personally I have been using WD40, it is not only a great lubricant but also is a great cleanser as well. Anyone see a problem with this?

[IanHarrop 37]

WD40 is not choice product.

see this thread

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1130067#1130067

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[FrogNog 1]

Short-answer: use food-grade silicone spray lubricant.

Second short answer: the danger of WD-40, like many petroleum derivatives, is that it eats some plastics, including Nylon.

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[linestretch 0]

not to mention, it will only attract dirt. I just clean the cables with lighter fluid....no lubrication....he he he...that sounded funny.

my pics & stuff!

[dtby74 0]

I appreciate the input guys.......thanks

[kenneth21441 0]

I use silicone spray that is used in SCUBA diving. As this is the best for the cables.

Kenneth Potter
FAA Senior Parachute Rigger
Tactical Delivery Instructor (Jeddah, KSA)
FFL Gunsmith

[mr2mk1g 10]

Coincidentally I was about to buy some of this stuff: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7516576187&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Anyone want to confirm this is the right stuff?

[phoenixlpr 0]

Why do you need a lubricant for a teflon cable in a metalic pipe?

Ah, you can collect more dust that way.
I see, after using a lubricant, you have to clean it time to time. Nice.

[mnealtx 0]

Quote

Why do you need a lubricant for a teflon cable in a metalic pipe?

Ah, you can collect more dust that way.
I see, after using a lubricant, you have to clean it time to time. Nice.

Dude...more reading, less shooting your mouth off, please!

Just for your info, the person that designed the system (and the rig you skydive in) meant for it to be that way.

Please note the bolding, below.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=400774;search_string=lubrication;#400774

***
But actually, there is little reason to alter the design of the ring portion of mini 3 ring risers. Hard cutaways are generally NOT caused by improper ring placement. They are caused by 1. soft housings, 2. incorrectly installed metal housings, 3. lack of cable lubrication, 4. lack of hard housing inserts in the risers, or 5. too short riser closing loops. Incorrectly placed rings are minor problem compared to the above.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[RMURRAY 1]

my red (teflon) cable does not need to be lubricated or cleaned - it is maintenance free - this according to John Sherman at JumpShack. I clean mine with food grade silicone once a year anyway. Racers do not have hard housings in the risers because they are not needed - this from John as well. High cutaway forces are attibuted almost fully from the friction between cable and loop.

rm

[phoenixlpr 0]

How many cut-aways do you have?
How many of them was on hanging/training harness?
How many of them was in real EP?

Try to respect other`s opinion.

I test my 3ring system before every day of jumping. If I can move the yellow teflon cable with 2(!!!)fingers, I think I can cut it away with even one single hand.

I don`t try to fix working things.

[mnealtx 0]

I've had no cutaways yet, outside of the hanging harness... how many do *YOU* have, compared to the designer of the 3 ring system? Who do you think knows better, you or the designer? His name is Bill Booth (username here is billbooth, you may want to look up some of his posts.)

Myself, I'll go with what the designer says - lubricate the cables. You do what you want.

Hopefully, I won't see you in the incident forum...

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[hookitt 0]

He may be a nice guy and all and has mass knowledge in the parachuting industurey, but still, not everybody agrees with everything John Sherman say's.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[EvilLurker 2]

Quote

Coincidentally I was about to buy some of this stuff:

I'd have say that's not the right stuff. I don't see anywhere on there that it says "food grade". It MAY contain petroleum-based additives, which could eat plastic/nylon. The food-grade stuff will say "Safe on Plastic" and "Non-Chlorinated" on the can somewhere. The food grade spray holds an H-1 U.S.D.A authorization rating, so if you see that, you're good to go. But of course if you're in the U.K., there's no USDA, so I'm stumped. Sorry. I'm sure they have the same thing under a different license, I just don't think what you're linking to is it.

[RMURRAY 1]

Understood. I just wanted to point out that not ALL rig manufacturers believe that hardhousing in risers are required. My VX has not spun me up and required a cutaway (yet) so I cannot speak from experience. I would like to see some side by side test results with risers wound up and 2 extra guys hanging from each harness. yellow cable lubricated, yellow cable not lubricated, racer risers not lubricated etc

rm

[EvilLurker 2]

Quote

I have been using WD40

Quote

I just clean the cables with lighter fluid....no lubrication

You guys are scaring me, seriously.

[sundevil777 94]

The yellow cable is not teflon.

The red cable is teflon, which reduces friction, except that it is not as stiff, meaning it will be bent more by the pressure of the white loop, thus increasing pull forces.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[mr2mk1g 10]

Like this? http://www.tool-net.co.uk/data/index.php?ToolID=310997

[jman 0]

What is food grade silicone?
What is it's primary use?
Can I find it in the grocery store?

[EvilLurker 2]

Food grade silicon is what they use to lubricate machinery in the food processing industry. I guess it means you can eat the stuff and it won't hurt you. The reason they specify it for parachute equipment is (I believe) that it won't have anything in it that might affect plastic or nylon. Does that make sense?

Quote

Can I find it in the grocery store?

Maybe. I'd try Home Depot if you have one close, or a place that sells meat grinders or industrial belts. I don't think it's all that rare most places. My rigger moved away, or I'd ask him where he got it. Sorry.

[EvilLurker 2]

"Safe for use on food machinery."

Yeah, that should be fine, if it says that on the actual can somewhere.

[skycat 0]

You can buy it at ACE hardware, it's called ACE Pure Silicone Lubricant.

This is the exact stuff Bill Booth recommends and that we use in our Loft.

Fly it like you stole it!

[billbooth 10]

The yellow cable is "Lolon F" from Loos and Company. It is a plastic "alloy" specifically designed for tenacity, chemical resistance, low surface friction, and good temperature stability. It will go around a pulley at 60 below zero, and still remain functional. We have been using it for 25 years, and I have never seen it crack, come off the steel cable, or be "eaten up" by any lubricant people have put on it. (And I'm sure they've tried about everything by now.)

As I have said before, we recommend a silicone lubricant. Ace hardware store in the US has a good one. A proper silicone lubricant is also good to 50 - 60 below zero. Just because your lubricant works at room temperature, doesn't necessarily mean it will work below freezing. It can get very cold up there guys, and most oils get tacky at low temperatures. Water also gets 'very tacky" when it freezes, so be sure never to jump a wet three ring system, especially the white closing loop. I have broken away while being dragged through the snow in high winds at the North Pole, with no problem using Ace silicone. (Exit temperature - 54 C., surface temperature -40 C.) My beard was frozen solid, but my 3-ring still worked!

The red cable is Teflon. It is very slippery, but not very tough. (You can even damage it with your fingernail.) I have seen it crack and come off the end of the cable. If it were better than Lolon, I would use it.

[skycat 0]

Hooknswoop's riser in the freezer experiment that was done on this exact subject.

Fly it like you stole it!

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

How many cut-aways do you have?
How many of them was on hanging/training harness?
How many of them was in real EP?

Try to respect other`s opinion.

I test my 3ring system before every day of jumping. If I can move the yellow teflon cable with 2(!!!)fingers, I think I can cut it away with even one single hand.

I don`t try to fix working things.

"Sometimes it is better to keep quite and thought a fool then to speak up and remove all doubt."

You must understand how something works before you can say it "is working".

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals