My turnouts seem to be sticking and I've tried graphite. I heard vegetable oil might work because it doesn't ever dry. Anyone tried this?
I'd avoid vegetable oil for something like that, since over time it will turn rancid, get tacky, and cause more trouble in the long run. I'd first try to determine the reason the turnout is sticking...is there a loose bit of ballast causing a bind, perhaps? A bit of plastic flash from one of the ties? Failing that, a bit of plastic-compatible, petroleum based lubricant, such as one of the ones from LaBelle, would likely do the trick. The hobby oils and greases LaBelle (and others) make have many uses, and would be welcome additions to your toolbox.
I do not recommend using graphite for turnouts or in any electrical application for that matter. Graphite is carbon, and it conducts electricity, though poorly. Graphite is used to make resistors. BTW, KY Jelly also conducts, just certain power other than electricity.......:tb-ooh:
No. Do not use the vegetable oil. As already suggested, try a lubricant made just for such a purpose. Also, if you have any potential for trouble with critters and rodents, you will have just installed an invitation. Boxcab E50
"Step away from the Mazola!!!" This stuff will (as previously mentioned) go bad and create more trouble than you have now. Find out where the binding is actually occuring. I'd use something like Labelles if it is in the pivot point of the turnout (tho I've never heard of that occuring). If the binding if from foreign objects, just git em' out of the way to free the turnout. Could the binding be from too much glue when ballasting? Don't know what to do for that problem. Brian
I'll echo the others and say look for some mechanical interference. If you're sure it's just friction, maybe look for some aerosol silicon spray. Comes in wet and dry formulas. If you don't see it at the hardware store, go check a good auto parts store. We use it all the time at work.
I use a PTFE lubricant made for R/C cars. It has teflon and is super slippery. I can't remember the name of it. It comes in a small bottle marked 'Trinity'.
Yeah, nothing organic on the layout. It will attract one critter or another. My bet is that you have ambient pieces of ballast blocking things.
In addition to problems with pieces of ballast obstructing movement already mentioned by others, the turnout itself may be twisted or bent. How is the turnout secured to the layout, just ballast? or was it glued or nailed down before the ballast was applied? If it worked fine for a while but then started acting up, did you add scenery nearby? I had track secured directly on cheap plywood on one of my first layouts (I was in high school at the time), and adding scenery somehow caused the plywood layers to swell and separate--I don't recall using water-based glues that early in my modeling-- but whatever caused the problem, the turnouts were affected enough that I started having trouble with binding turnouts/throwbars. Pulling up the track (which was NOT ballasted) and nailing it back down eliminated the problem. More recently, I've had ballasting glue seep into the area of turnouts where the throwbars are supposed to slide freely back and forth. The area looks clean and clear of ballast particles, but the thin layer of dried diluted white glue offers enough thickness or resistance that the points or throwbar no longer move freely. Some turnouts worked perfectly after I pulled them, flushed with water in the sink, thoroughly dried, and returned them to the layout. Others were more solidly ballasted in place, so I swabbed the areas with water or alcohol and used blasts of aerosol keyboard cleaners (air only, no solvents) to dry them. I suppose you could try aerosol contact cleaners but test for plastics compatibilty before using it on plastic turnouts. (Some of these solvents are safe and others are not...I found out the hard way.)
