Don't forget to grease your lugs!

Yeah, it sounds cheesy, but, every once in a while, put some grease on your lugs!

I did that with my snare after having a couple of stiff screws, and it really improved things...

I repacked the bearings on my truck a while back, so I have a half-tub of this blue bearing grease - works great - put a small dab on your finger, wipe it over the hole - put another small dab on the bottom threads of the lug, start screwing it in, wipe off the excess...

Of course, bearing grease stinks like crazy, but, what's more MANLY than having drums that smell like they just came from a mechanic's shop?

(even then, it still smells better than bar-funk - though, not by much...)

Jenks:

Oh yeah, there's NOTHING like fighting with a lug that won't tighten 15 min before your set starts and you decided to break in a new snare head....been there, done that, got the Tshirt that says ' unprepared dork' on it too:freak: I used to have this container of grease ( or something?) called ' Gunk' , i'd just dip the tension rods into it and then thread them into the lugs, no problem....then spend the rest of the afternoon cleaning the excess off me and all the other drum parts I touched. Now, I have a spray can of WD40 that I take with me. One quick spray on the threads, thread'em in, no muss, no fuss...of COURSE I do ask people not to smoke round the kit for at least 10 min while the excess evaporates.....:poke:

:thu:PEACE:thu:

AWESOME.

Jenks: Oh yeah, there's NOTHING like fighting with a lug that won't tighten 15 min before your set starts and you decided to break in a new snare head....been there, done that, got the Tshirt that says ' unprepared dork' on it too:freak: I used to have this container of grease ( or something?) called ' Gunk' , i'd just dip the tension rods into it and then thread them into the lugs, no problem....then spend the rest of the afternoon cleaning the excess off me and all the other drum parts I touched. Now, I have a spray can of WD40 that I take with me. One quick spray on the threads, thread'em in, no muss, no fuss...of COURSE I do ask people not to smoke round the kit for at least 10 min while the excess evaporates..... :poke: :thu:PEACE:thu:

FYI - WD40 is not a lube. It has a very light oil in it, that evaporates.

WD 40 = Water Displacement (formula) 40

If you're looking for a light oil that sticks around - check out Break Free CLP - you'll find it at most decent gun shops.

It's like WD-40, but doesn't evaporate.

The nice thing about bearing grease is that it's so heavy it doesn't go anywhere. I just put a touch of it on my finger then wipe/scrape it off on the hole. Any that's left I wipe on the end of the threads. Screw it in a bit, and wipe off what creeps out.

16 times later (or 20, if it's my Saturn) - I'm all done, and just wipe whatever is left off

Don't you go gettin' al sicko on me but I used vaseline...a tiny amount spread over the open casing before the lug goes on. Then I used lug locks to keep them in place...

I keep seeing those mentioned - what are lug locks and how do they work?

i also wnant to know

I put a very small amount of vasteline on the bottom 2 threads before I thread them in.

Lug locks are a threaded type washer that you screw the lug into. Once you screw these on, screw the lug into your lug casing and tune. Once you get to where you want to be, you back down the threaded washer tp the lug casing. With the washer (whatever you want to call it) is locked against the casing, the lug cannot move and hence lockas the position of the lug. Mine were circular like a washer...some are square or oblong. If I can find a picture I will post it...

"Don't forget to grease your lugs!" That's what she said!

Guys,grease attracts more dirt..

Use a thinner type of lubricant like....uh.....

yo favorite:thu:

Duct tape, bar napkins and Vaseline. I think there's a country hit there somewhere?:poke:

Yeah, it sounds cheesy, but, every once in a while, put some grease on your lugs! I did that with my snare after having a couple of stiff screws, and it really improved things... I repacked the bearings on my truck a while back, so I have a half-tub of this blue bearing grease - works great - put a small dab on your finger, wipe it over the hole - put another small dab on the bottom threads of the lug, start screwing it in, wipe off the excess... Of course, bearing grease stinks like crazy, but, what's more MANLY than having drums that smell like they just came from a mechanic's shop? (even then, it still smells better than bar-funk - though, not by much...)

My screw always gets stiff when the wife put bearing grease on him and you're right, it does work good on her hole. Oh! we're talkin' drums, there I go again. KBollox got me all wound up with the big blonde a thread or two back.

Screw it in a bit, and wipe off what creeps out.

not to ruin the mood or anything, but isn't that what she said?

You know, Jenks shoulda known better than to introduce a Lube Thread in this place: inevitably, it degenerates into such seamy descriptions and physical actions that I have to go off and get a room somewhere.... thanx for the tip about WD40 evaping too quickly, I'll find something else to ' Lube' with, oh yeah, and CARMINE....this is 2007, noone uses Vasilene anymore, try Astroglide or KY:blah:

:thu:PEACE:thu:

Once again Knight, I know it works well...

I've already been told to take my vaseline, duct tape and bar napkins and leave them in the garage or down the basement. What ELSE can you all ridicule me about, the GLEEM toothpaste that I still use since 1977. And if I hear something about THAT...look out!!!

(Yes, I have still found a resource for GLEEM toothpaste in this day and age...AND PROUD OF IT! (My wife just shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head at me when we go buy it...) IT WORKS pretty damn well I might add!

for what? Please don't tell me you use that on your drums or heaven forbid, on your teeth:poke:

:eek:you put that stuff in your mouth?!?!

YEACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a little dab 'l do ya

or

a little dube 'l dab ya

for what? Please don't tell me you use that on your drums or heaven forbid, on your teeth:poke: :eek:you put that stuff in your mouth?!?! YEACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh...here we go...another country heard from. Yes Ray, in the mouth. It's been working GREAT for me for 30 years. I don't need minty fresh, fruity gel, whitening, baking soda, flourocarbonless, calcium-ated (if there is such a word), super duper pooper blazing whitening, hydrooxident whatever teeth cleanser!!! I use toothpaste...white and with flouride. IT WORKS! And it tastes pretty good to me! It's still manufactured by Proctor and Gamble. It was introduced in 1952 and has virtually no market share, except for unusually high sales near Ocean View Delaware. I wonder why?:poke:

Lug locks are a threaded type washer that you screw the lug into. Once you screw these on, screw the lug into your lug casing and tune. Once you get to where you want to be, you back down the threaded washer tp the lug casing. With the washer (whatever you want to call it) is locked against the casing, the lug cannot move and hence lockas the position of the lug. Mine were circular like a washer...some are square or oblong. If I can find a picture I will post it...

Actually, no. What most folks are referring to today as lug locks is a plastic thingy that fits over your tension rod to hold it in place:

They can be found here: http://www.beatbug.net/luglock.htm

I've been told by a drum tech that it's considered unwise practice to use lock nuts--as you describe--on tension rods. His rationale was that there's no give to them and you could damage the shell/lug interface. Don't know if that's true, but the plastic lug locks are much simpler to use anyway.

I can't say that's all together true, becaused I used them for years on my 8" Tama maple snare and never had a problem. No stripping, breaking or damage that I ever noticed....

Carmine your the man. How can I argue with someone who knows so much about a product like...toothpaste

yes, that's a :poke:

but I'll stop now!!

My shiny teeth thank you...:D:D

OK so to address the real topic of this thread:

I have used some sort of lug lube since I started playing over 30 years ago. LP has a product called 'Lug Lube', catchy name huh. Tama has one that is in my trap case now, I don't remember the name but it works. I also use a drop on the hope where the tensions rod and washer make contact.

Really, any moving, metal to metal part, should have some sort of lube on it to prevent wear. Thats pretty simple mechanics.

BTW, I also check my lug screws on occasion (inside the shell) to make sure things aren't coming loose and I've even put a drop of lube on my kick pedal hinge and wing nuts on cymbal stands.

I have a small jar of Vasoline that is just for drum lube....here's one for you other old guys...how many of you use wax on your bearing edges???