UKC

I was at Gogarth on saturday, got hit by a phew waves, after I was back home going through my gear and my cams are all ciezed up and fecked. What should I use

In reply to Protheroe:

WD40 does the trick

In reply to Protheroe: never happened to me, im too poor for cams! but i hear WD40 is good. give 'em a rinse in tap water then let them dry well first to get the salt off too

Fantastic, thank you, I thought WD40 would work, I just didn't want to risk it

In reply to Protheroe: Wash them first, often that is enough. But WD40 helps after they've dried.

In reply to Protheroe:

A dictionary?

In reply to John Ww:

i'm surprised tony the blade in his "tony the pedant" incarnation hadnt picked these up already...



gregor

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs: patience young jedi

In reply to Protheroe: That happened to me. I had to bite my cams to cam them, put them in the placement then try to fiddle them open with my fingers.

In reply to John Ww:

I thought maybe he had impounded them from someone?


Chris

In reply to Protheroe:

If rinsing them and using WD40 doesn't work you could try using a penetrating lube (ooh er missus) to unstick them.

In reply to John Ww:

No, it was a very impressive wave

In reply to climbingpixie:

Remember folks that WD-40 stands for Water Dispersant 40th formula and was designed to prevent corrosion rather than provide lubrication.

Basic post sea-cliff cleaning technique:

- wash in mild soapy water and rinse with hot water, use an old toothbrush to work on the more inaccessible parts.
- remove as much surface water as possible with a dry rag
- spray with WD-40 (spray the whole device not just moving parts) leave for a while then wipe down with a rag. This more to prevent corrosion of the metal rather than lubricating the mechanics.
- leave to dry
- apply light lubricant, bike chain lube is suitable, while working the device

If your cams are really dirty then clean with a mild degreaser solution rather than soapy water. This gets rid of *all* lubricants so the latter steps are even more important.

ALC

In reply to a lakeland climber:

It does lubricate though.

http://www.wd40.com/faqs/#q7

I've never applied a second lubricant when dealing with cams after sea cliff exposure.

In reply to Protheroe: At the risk of getting slammed again, avoid WD40- it definitely attracts dirt, and although I can't prove it, many industries avoid it as it damages some metals. WD40 don't recommend using it on climbing gear, nor do Metolius!

In reply to Protheroe:

I use WD40 to clean and free off sticky cams. I then wash it off with scalding hot water. Residual WD40 on clean axels is enough lubrication to keep them working for ages.

Personally I don't worry about WD40 attacking metal. Salt genuinely will attack the metal and I have to say, even that comes pretty low on my list of worries.

Wash them, free them up then wash them again and they'll be like new.

jk

In reply to jkarran: Having been short of WD40 I used Rape seed oil this worked .....for about a week ...

I am now off to the shop for some WD ...

In reply to mux:


hehe - I once accidentally used fig-rolls to lube one of my cams, as you can imagine it didn't work.

In reply to petellis: In times of emergency I can confirm that Avon skin so soft works too. Stops midgies biting your cams too.

If all the above fails I can recommend a vice and gentle taps with a lump hammer.

In reply to Tree:


So do all lubricants really.


So you're repeating your utterly unfounded claims which you are utterly unable to substantiate? You are being irresponsible.


Err so? They recommend it generally for metals. They don't necessarily list every individual recommended use.


But Wild Country do. Metolius make other recommendantions because they consider that other lubes attract less dirt that WD40; it seems to me that any difference between lubes on that score is pretty minimal.

In reply to petellis: Now do like a good fig roll ...but I have always limmited them to tea dunking and snaffling.

Maybe I should think outside the box a little more.

In reply to Coel Hellier: I know, just thought I would bait the hook for you!

In reply to Protheroe:

WD40 didnt work for me

use cam lube, its expensive but it does the trick. i think its a wax disolved in a solvent so penatrates better than WD40.

just put on a few drops and using two adjustable spanners so you can work the individual cams loose


problem solved

Where oh where does this "WD40 doesn't lubricate" rubbish come from? Yes it does - have you ever used it? Water lubricates too, but WD40 lasts a lot longer. Yes it attracts dirt but so does any other oil or grease you might choose to put on your cams.

Wild Country explicitly advocate the use of WD40 for cleaning cams (they also clearly state it does not affect the slings).

In reply to Alex C:

aye - its a bit of a "ere we go, ere we go, ere we go! thread....

I'd argue that a clean cam doesn't actually need lubricating at all since the metal parts will be moving over each other about 10 time a month in most cases and they're both smooth machined surfaces.

In reply to petellis:


So long as the action feels "springy"! The camming action does depend on the spring pushing the cams outwards, so ensure that it is free and lubricated enough that it does.

In reply to Coel Hellier:

does it really?! i'd never have known that if you hadn't told me!

although to be even more pedantic the springs only set the cam - once its wheighted its the camming action that pushes the cams against the rock, not the springs....

In reply to petellis: Apart from in horizontal placements.

In reply to Chris F:

I don't understand? You'd have to explain this one to me.

In reply to petellis:


You and most readers would indeed, but a lot of newbies read these forums also. If someone posts "you don't need lubricant" it's surely sense to point out that you do need to ensure the cams are "springy".

In reply to Coel Hellier:


.... <insert your smutty commments here>.....

In reply to petellis: If you place a cam in a horizontal placement you still rely on the springs, not the camming action, to hold it in place, unless it is an absolutely ideal placement.

In reply to Protheroe:

Don't panic get a copy of this:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=255

Retire to the garage/shed with essential equipment and treat your cams to a bit of TLC.

In reply to Chris F:


Sorry Chris, just being a pedantic for no reason - we're in agreement really. I'd say unless it was weighted (properly e.g. by the climber) it's the springs that hold it in place (regardless of how its placed (except for passive placements))...

I'm prahaps over estimating the intelligence of the average novice climber becase I'd have thought that this was blindingly obvious just from looking at it

In reply to petellis: Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool

I know I can't spell, but I don't really care.

Thank you for everyones usefull advice