What's the best lubricant for your lock? When choosing the best product to lubricate locks, dry lubricants like graphite powder and PTFE lubricants are best. As mentioned above, oil-based products can attract dust and dirt which can damage the delicate internal mechanism of your lock.
However, graphite powder can be very messy if you don't apply it with care. Moreover, using too much of graphite lubricant on your door locks can become a problem when it hardens. Silicone Lubricants—Silicone lock lubricants provide excellent lubrication for door locks thanks to their fine texture.
Teflon-based dry lubricant is preferred by some locksmiths over other options, like graphite or WD-40. It's ideal because, besides lubricating your lock, it repels water and dust. That means that once you fix a lock with this type of lubricant, you can expect the lock to be in good shape for a long time.
A: Although WD-40 is magic stuff, it is not the best choice to lubricate automotive door locks and linkages. Although it does a good job of cleaning and temporary lubricating, it goes away, so it makes a good first step. Graphite has long been a popular lube choice, but we like to use bike chain lube.
The simple answer is you should not use WD40 to lubricate locks. WD-40 is one of the solvent-based lubricants and does not contain any lubricant and over time can make your lock even stickier by gumming the lock up.
Use 3-IN-ONE Lock Dry Lube to loosen, lubricate and protect home, auto and commercial locks. Easily reach into narrow lock mechanism with the attachable straw or use the wider spray pattern to refurbish and protect the entire lock.
It will start to gunk up the lock because the extra amount of graphite present is able to mix with dirt or dust, whereas contaminants would slide off with proper usage.
White lithium grease is good for metal-to- metal joints like hinge and latch mechanisms, which need a clinging grease to repel water and hold up under harsh conditions. WD-40 is for light-duty lubrication and freeing up sticking or partially rusted hinges and a car door latch.
WD-40 Specialist High Performance Silicone is your go-to silicone based lubricant spray that works well on all tools, rubber pipes, window seals, linkages, valves, locks, doors, plumbing fittings and belts.
As with all mechanical objects with moving parts, doors and hinges need to be lubricated on a fairly regular basis. There are a number of products you can use to ensure everything is running smoothly. One of the simplest ways to lubricate your hinges and locks is to use Vaseline.
Graphite dry powder lubricant is the professional and preferred choice for lock lubrication, as unlike oil based lubricants, it does not build up a sticky residue in the mechanism which can over time cause lock malfunction.
Molybdenum Disulfide
MoS2 lubrication performance often exceeds that of graphite and is effective in vacuum as well, whereas graphite is not. The temperature limitation of MoS2 at 400 °C is restricted by oxidation.
In fact, sometimes graphite is mixed with water, or other liquids, to allow the graphite to flow into all parts of a mechanism. The water evaporates and the graphite remains to keep the parts well lubricated. A little graphite goes a long way. One small tube will last most household for a year or two.
The greatest benefit to using graphite (rather than oil) is that the graphite leaves no sticky residue that may later attract dust. This is because the lubricating properties of graphite lie in its weak covalent bonds that allow the layers of graphite to “slide” on top of one another with very little resistance.
WD-40® Multi-Use Product does not contain silicone, kerosene, water, graphite, or chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
Fortunately, this is often an easy fix. Simply grab a can of WD-40, silicon-based lubricant, graphite spray, or a dry lubricant and spray it into the keyway. Once it has been sprayed, insert the key so the lubricant will work into the locking mechanism.
Door lock problems are often caused by a malfunctioning lock mechanism or latch assembly, but there are several common reasons why locks stop working: The lock is dry or dirty. It doesn't fit in the door properly. The latch and strike plate don't align.
If your key doesn't turn in the lock, make sure not to force it to turn, as it could break the key. Similar to a stiff lock, you can try lubricating the lock, but if that doesn't help, there could be a misalignment of the lock and door or another, more challenging problem with the lock cylinder.
There are other dry lubricants, Teflon or Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), being the primary alternative to Moly and Graphite. PTFE lubricants have many great applications where being inert and non-conductive are desired characteristics.
The two most critical dry lubricants comprise are graphite and molybdenum disulfide.
Blaster Dry Lube is the best dry lubricant to keep your equipment in great condition with long-lasting protection. Blaster Dry Lube helps reduce friction and wear, protects surfaces and enhances performance. It is safe to use on wood, metal and most plastics.