Light Lube

What is the best material to use to lubricate the spot/flood movement on lighting gear?

I've always heard that graphite works best.

Any other suggestions?

Jim Sofranko
NY/DP

The stuff that Ross Lowell told us to use on his lights turned out to work pretty well on Blondes and other "twisted ribbon" focusing mechanisms. I have also used it on various Fresnel’s with different types of movements

Note : I think you do NOT want to lube the cable drives on the old Century Fresnel’s

Anyway the stuff he suggests is Never Seez which is an anti-seize compound - essentially a high temp grease with bits of lead or copper or some other metals in it.

Buy a small container - you need very little and it lasts forever

I think Never Seez is owned by Bostick

Any decent anti-seize compound should work.

In NY you used to be able to get it at H T or H&T Supply on 9th Ave - they are probably long gone - I think they were a pipe supply place - but any decent industrial hardware and some good auto parts places will have it or something like it.

Should be good for anything except arcs which would gum up with this...but when is the last time you had someone running an arc for you.

Mark Weingartner
LA based
ex NY gaffer

Any high temp grease with Teflon or other additive will do.

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Disclaimer :

My opinions, thoughts, and beliefs are my own and may not reflect yours. The use of the pronouns "you, "some", and "many" to name a few are generalizations and without a proper name attached to them are not references to anyone reading my posts.

Walter Graff
BlueSky Media, Inc.

The place you mean is called HT Sales.

Used to get pipe and hardware for grids from them.

Pretty sure they are still in business.

I see the trucks in the city every once in a while

BILL BERNER
ICG 600 DP
Still in NY

>What is the best material to use to lubricate the spot/flood movement on >lighting gear? I've always heard that graphite works best. Any other >suggestions?

Jim,

I use a copper-loaded high temperature grease that is sold as an anti-seize compound. It comes in small "toothpaste" tubes from RS Components : 557-073 which gets you five tubes. One tube will do the focus rails on perhaps 50 Mole 2k's.

RS Components have web-sites that are too clever to provide links direct to products so you may have to enter the site then search by the part number.

I think they have USA outlets?

Cheers,

Clive Woodward,
almost finished refurbishing 80 Moles
Perth, Western Australia.

>Should be good for anything except arcs which would gum up with this

Actually, I just acquired an LTM 420 pepper. It may get nearly as hot as an
arc.

Jim Sofranko
NY/DP

I know Mole Richardson used to sell this exact thing, if I remember it was called 777 lube or some such. I have to look at the can next time I'm at the shop.

It's probably just graphite in solution- maybe Mark W recalls.

John Roche, gaffer
NYC

Jim Sofranko wrote:

>What is the best material to use to lubricate the spot/flood movement on >lighting gear?
>I've always heard that graphite works best. Any other suggestions?

Just Graphite lubed the spot -flood Mechanism in my always troublesome pepper 100's lamped with FEV's. Guess what? no more trouble.

I vote graphite, a little tube will last forever

Mark Smith

Mark H. Weingartner wrote:

>In NY you used to be able to get it at H T or H&T Supply on 9th Ave - >they are probably long gone -

Haven't tried this, I voted for graphite because it does not contain any oils which anti seize does. Any decent auto parts place will have anti sneeze. It also comes in a stick form these days sort of like a big chap stick dispenser. If any one needs some of this please let me know I have a more than life time supply left over from my road racing days.

Mark Smith
creator/sifter of pixels, NYC

I found this email from Mole dated 1999:

55577 is the lubricant that we use inside our lights. 55577 is a mixture of graphite and kerosene. You can purchase 55577 lubricant to our nearest dealer.

If you could give us a call or e-mail us back we would be happy to tell you who's your nearest dealer is.

PRICE

55577 pint $ 9.75
55577 quart $12.75

John Roche

> I found this email from Mole dated 1999:

> 55577 is the lubricant that we use inside our lights. 55577 is a mixture >of graphite and kerosene.

You then change the name of the fixture to Molotov mole. Just don't throw then or drop then or they explode.

Walter Graff
BlueSky Media, Inc.

>You then change the name of the fixture to Molotov mole. Just don't >throw then or drop then or they explode.

Hmm, could come in handy on some jobs.

Jim Sofranko
NY/DP