Lubricant for cutaway cable

[dimbohall 0]

Hi,

What are the acceptable lubricants for the cutaway cable. I've heard silicon, but it's hard to get hold of.

Is WD-40 okay, or could attack the look or some critical part?

Thanks,

Dimbo.

[theonlyski 8]

Quote

Hi,

What are the acceptable lubricants for the cutaway cable. I've heard silicon, but it's hard to get hold of.

Is WD-40 okay, or could attack the look or some critical part?

Thanks,

Dimbo.

Please dont use WD-40 on your rig!

Clicky

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[dimbohall 0]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply - in the post referred to, I couldn't find any reference to why WD40 is bad. I am aware that wd40 would attract dirt, but my main consideration at this point is whether it would be harmful to other components in the system apart from that.

Cheers,

D.

[PhreeZone 20]

Dry teflon lubricatant. You can get a can of it at Lowes, Home Depot or I know ACE Hardware sells it.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[NickDG 23]

AstroGlide, it kicks ass . . .

Seriously, put a few drops of household 3n1 oil on a clean rags and pass the cables through it. Don't over do!

And, if your 3-Ring system fails it's a million to one it'll be a lubrication issue . . .

NickD

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

Quote

Hi,

What are the acceptable lubricants for the cutaway cable. I've heard silicon, but it's hard to get hold of.

Is WD-40 okay, or could attack the look or some critical part?

Thanks,

Dimbo.

WD-40 isn't really a lube. It's actually a protective coating and a Water Dispersant (that's what the "WD" means). It does work good as a cleaner for a lot of things.

I was taught to use a bit of WD on a rag to wipe down the yellow cables and clean them, then a dry rag to remove any leftover WD-40, then a bit of silicone on a different rag to lube them. You don't want to spray directly on the cables, and you can take a clean rag and wipe them down after putting the silicone on - you will then remove any excess, but leave behind enough to lube them.

This Thread covers it a bit. It talks about what kind of silicone to use and not use. I have a can of "Food Grade" (see post #19 in the link) that is good stuff.

Google results for "Food Grade Silicone buy"

It's available, you just have to look for it.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[likestojump 3]

Go to a local SCUBA shop. Ask for food grade silicone. It's used to put on drysuits.

[skydiverkeith 1]

Better yet, don't use a lubricant. Pull your handle once a month, clean your cable, and exercise your risers. If you don't have hard housings in your risers, this may be poor advise, but if you do have hard housings, don't put lube on your cables.

Blue skies,
Keith Medlock

[ZigZagMarquis 9]

Quote

Better yet, don't use a lubricant. Pull your handle once a month, clean your cable, and exercise your risers. If you don't have hard housings in your risers, this may be poor advise, but if you do have hard housings, don't put lube on your cables.

To which I'll add, if you do choose to go this route and you do have a rig with a Skyhook make absolutely sure you know how to re-route the cut-away cable correctly so it is correctly captured by the Collins Lanyard. If you have no idea what I'm talking about and you do have a rig with a Skyhook... ... go RTFM.

[RMURRAY 1]

Quote

Go to a local SCUBA shop. Ask for food grade silicone. It's used to put on drysuits.

exactly what I use. to the guy that says not to lub the yellow cutaway cable. this from the Vector manual for every 3 months...

9. Clean and lubricate the release cable with a light oil such as “3 in 1” brand or silicon. Put a few
drops on a paper towel and firmly wipe the cable a few times. A thin, invisible film should remain...

[skydiverkeith 1]

Quote

to the guy that says not to lub the yellow cutaway cable. this from the Vector manual for every 3 months...

9. Clean and lubricate the release cable with a light oil such as “3 in 1” brand or silicon. Put a few
drops on a paper towel and firmly wipe the cable a few times. A thin, invisible film should remain...

Why? Lubricants capture contaminants, and nylon is inherently smooth already. Thats why it can be used for worm gears. In fact, it may be a good idea to use contact cleaner to get all traces of lubricant out of the cable housings.

Blue skies,
Keith Medlock

[IanHarrop 41]

Quote

Better yet, don't use a lubricant. Pull your handle once a month, clean your cable, and exercise your risers. If you don't have hard housings in your risers, this may be poor advise, but if you do have hard housings, don't put lube on your cables.

The statement about "exercising the risers" made me go look for an old post from 2005 made by Bill Booth.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1652688#1652688

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

[manchuso 3]

I´m in with skydiverkeith...I do love the skyhook setup but I´m not about to change my SEP to rely on it; likewise, I don´t use rsl nor any other gadget no matter how effective they might be because my emergency procedure is already ingrained and tested; I feel confident with it!
A monthly exercised cutaway make´s it work like a charm with out any oil or wd-40 and most of my experience is with integrity risers

blue skies, rafael

[theonlyski 8]

Quote

Quote

Go to a local SCUBA shop. Ask for food grade silicone. It's used to put on drysuits.

exactly what I use. to the guy that says not to lub the yellow cutaway cable. this from the Vector manual for every 3 months...

9. Clean and lubricate the release cable with a light oil such as “3 in 1” brand or silicon. Put a few
drops on a paper towel and firmly wipe the cable a few times. A thin, invisible film should remain...

And from the V3-M Manual

Quote

9. Clean and lubricate the release cable with a silicone spray. Spray on a paper towel and firmly wipe the cable a few times. A thin, invisible film should remain, too much will attract grit and dirt.

apparently they've changed their minds on the 3-in-1

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[plorensen 0]

Im a noob but with what I know with certain plastics and possibly nylons contact cleaner may not be a good choice as it can soften certain plastics or possibly nylons. Please read container of contact cleaner.

[FrEaK_aCcIdEnT 0]

has anyone considered a teflon coating?

See picture.

of course spray a paper towel and wipe it on then let it dry.

I would think it would work on both cu aways and reserve cable???

ExPeCt ThE uNeXpEcTeD!
DoNt MiNd ThE tYpOs, Im LaZy On CoRrEcTiOnS!

[rushmc 23]

Quote

Hi,

What are the acceptable lubricants for the cutaway cable. I've heard silicon, but it's hard to get hold of.

Is WD-40 okay, or could attack the look or some critical part?

Thanks,

Dimbo.

Food grade silicon can be found at nearly all hardware stores

I am lucky as I was able to get my hands on some Salcor silicon which is used to lub natural rubber high voltage line covers. I spray that on a rag and wipe down the cables to clean and lub at the same time.

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[jumpwally 0]

I think i'll go with Bill Booths advice on this one,,,,,stay in school kiddo, ya might learn something

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[skydiverkeith 1]

Quote

Im a noob but with what I know with certain plastics and possibly nylons contact cleaner may not be a good choice as it can soften certain plastics or possibly nylons. Please read container of contact cleaner.

That's true, but Nylon and Polyester aren't among those plastics that it will harm.

Blue skies,
Keith Medlock

[skydiverkeith 1]

Quote

I think i'll go with Bill Booths advice on this one,,,,,stay in school kiddo, ya might learn something

Certainly, I would love to learn why lube is needed on the cutaway cable. Do you have this information? I've done simulated cutaways hanging from risers (only body load) with and without lube, and could not feel any difference in pull force needed to extract the cable, although admitedly I didn't use any kind of real measurement device. Just make sure you always ask "Why?" If everyone accepted the conventional wisdom without question, there would be no innovation or simplification of procedures.

Blue skies,
Keith Medlock

[Scooter1812 0]

I was alway told to use a light mineral oil on a rag and tightly squeeze the rag around the cable as you pull it through. Applying only a very thin layer.

Personally I say get rid of the three rings in favour of explosive bolts :)

[AndyMan 7]

I don't find silicon all that hard to find. I know ACE hardware carries it, in aerosol form.

http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/ProductDetails.aspx?sku=12293

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[AndyMan 7]

Quote

Certainly, I would love to learn why lube is needed on the cutaway cable. Do you have this information? I've done simulated cutaways hanging from risers (only body load) with and without lube, and could not feel any difference in pull force needed to extract the cable, although admitedly I didn't use any kind of real measurement device. Just make sure you always ask "Why?" If everyone accepted the conventional wisdom without question, there would be no innovation or simplification of procedures.

It's not so much to lube as it is to clean. The yellow cables are already coated in teflon, which is a great non-stick and slippery surface. The problem is that they do collect crap over time, which reduces their natural slipperiness. The junk also gets trapped in the fabric loop of the cuttaway system, which adds friction and wear on that component too.

Cleaning your cables is a basic component of gear maintenance.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[Fast 0]

Quote

Quote

I think i'll go with Bill Booths advice on this one,,,,,stay in school kiddo, ya might learn something

Certainly, I would love to learn why lube is needed on the cutaway cable. Do you have this information? I've done simulated cutaways hanging from risers (only body load) with and without lube, and could not feel any difference in pull force needed to extract the cable, although admitedly I didn't use any kind of real measurement device. Just make sure you always ask "Why?" If everyone accepted the conventional wisdom without question, there would be no innovation or simplification of procedures.

The silicon spray is used over all the other oil types most prominently now because it attracts the least amount of dirt.

The reason to put some kind of lubricant on the cables is because, when you're up in the air and something has happened that has caused the friction coefficient of your cutaway cable to be greater than that which you can pull (maybe your hand is broken or your arm or housings have been twisted, or who knows what reason) it would be crazy to not have put some lubricant on there.

"Oh fuck I died cause I was too lazy to clean and lube my cutaway cables on a regular basis, oh well" isn't what I want going through my head when I am standing there as a ghost.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[sundevil777 102]

Quote

The yellow cables are already coated in teflon,

I don't think that is true. The yellow coating is something different, but Racers have a red teflon coating (with some debate about the possibility of it being able to crack/stay on the cable), isn't that right?

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