paddlegear oiling

[down the north]

Hi All,

well the 'season' is nearly upon us,and we'll be struggling to lift the paddles that haven't had oil on them for months !!! as indeed I did last week on Bosley locks.

So, the remedy, dont moan, do something about it to assist CART in their much publicised campaign of ' getting involved'

All of Bosley I oiled top and bottom, whilst locking through and still traversed the flight in an hour and ten mins.

Get an oil can, oil from the waste disposal sites and lube the spindle bearings, generally from both sides as most oil holes are gunged up.

The CART policy is; if it aint on the computer system to be oiled , then it wont be. Oiling or rather emulsified bio friendly spray greasing is only scheduled for two times a year.

Greasing of course will not easily get into the spindle bearings, and chain saw oil can be bad as it washes off easily, ( depends on type) so I'd guess a mineral sae 60/ 70/ 90 gear oil will do fine,,,

if every 10th boat did a little as they pass through, we'd all have easy to operate lockgear and less likelyhood of paddles being left half up.

I'll carry on doing my bit, until the prohibition notices go up on the balance beams !!

cheers.

[TNC]

Hi All,

well the 'season' is nearly upon us,and we'll be struggling to lift the paddles that haven't had oil on them for months !!! as indeed I did last week on Bosley locks.

So, the remedy, dont moan, do something about it to assist CART in their much publicised campaign of ' getting involved'

All of Bosley I oiled top and bottom, whilst locking through and still traversed the flight in an hour and ten mins.

Get an oil can, oil from the waste disposal sites and lube the spindle bearings, generally from both sides as most oil holes are gunged up.

The CART policy is; if it aint on the computer system to be oiled , then it wont be. Oiling or rather emulsified bio friendly spray greasing is only scheduled for two times a year.

Greasing of course will not easily get into the spindle bearings, and chain saw oil can be bad as it washes off easily, ( depends on type) so I'd guess a mineral sae 60/ 70/ 90 gear oil will do fine,,,

if every 10th boat did a little as they pass through, we'd all have easy to operate lockgear and less likelyhood of paddles being left half up.

I'll carry on doing my bit, until the prohibition notices go up on the balance beams !!

cheers.

 

I do pruning at locks if I get bored waiting for boat, or it to fill/empty.

[Mike Tee]

I thought they only used vegetable based grease (that is, when they grease them).

[nicknorman]

Hi All,

well the 'season' is nearly upon us,and we'll be struggling to lift the paddles that haven't had oil on them for months !!! as indeed I did last week on Bosley locks.

So, the remedy, dont moan, do something about it to assist CART in their much publicised campaign of ' getting involved'

All of Bosley I oiled top and bottom, whilst locking through and still traversed the flight in an hour and ten mins.

Get an oil can, oil from the waste disposal sites and lube the spindle bearings, generally from both sides as most oil holes are gunged up.

The CART policy is; if it aint on the computer system to be oiled , then it wont be. Oiling or rather emulsified bio friendly spray greasing is only scheduled for two times a year.

Greasing of course will not easily get into the spindle bearings, and chain saw oil can be bad as it washes off easily, ( depends on type) so I'd guess a mineral sae 60/ 70/ 90 gear oil will do fine,,,

if every 10th boat did a little as they pass through, we'd all have easy to operate lockgear and less likelyhood of paddles being left half up.

I'll carry on doing my bit, until the prohibition notices go up on the balance beams !!

cheers.

The only trouble is that all that oil goes somewhere - probably into the canal. Not very nice for wildlife! So VERY SPARINGLY is the key. Oil that you can see when you have finished, is oil doing nothing but waiting to be washed into the canal. If everyone did it, it would be a disaster. Perhaps you should consider how many wild birds in terminal distress your easy passage is worth?

[alan_fincher]

Don't shoot the messenger, buut I have been told more than once by BW/CRT staff that if the paddle gear is new, there is a deliberate policy that it is not oiled or greased onn installation or for some time afterwards.

 

The argument is that it is left to bed in for a while, and will do so faster if not lubricated.

 

Now it is possible that more than one set of peope was trying to make a monkey out of me, but know one of the people involved, and don't think it was a wind up.

 

Of course a consequence is that or a while some brand new gear can be some of the hardest of all to wind......

 

Assuming I've not been told a story, they might not take to kindly to "willing volunteer" attempts to lubricate what they are deliberately leaving unlubricated.

 

So unless someone can debunk this, my advice would be to at least leave newly installed gear alone.

 

Apparently a similar argument applies to new balance beams, deliberately left "au nature" to weather for a while, before painting. So its probably not best to go out with your own paint pots either?

[RLWP]

{snip}

 

they might not take to kindly to "willing volunteer" attempts to lubricate what they are deliberately leaving unlubricated.

 

{snip}

 

Or using an unidentified, uncontrolled substance on their equipment. Especially if it is washing the grease out of the bearings

 

Richard

[furnessvale]

Apparently a similar argument applies to new balance beams, deliberately left "au nature" to weather for a while, before painting. So its probably not best to go out with your own paint pots either?

 

Unless some vandal has carved so called poetry into the balance beam, when it is perfectly acceptable to use some filler in the lettering, then paint the beam, thus preserving out heritage as it should be.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Guest]

The only times I have seen paddle gear being lubricated (by Trust staff/volunteers) it was being done with a paint brush and grease....I don't think oil would be that effective would it, constantly exposed in the way it would be.

[furnessvale]

Or using an unidentified, uncontrolled substance on their equipment. Especially if it is washing the grease out of the bearings

 

Richard

 

I would be very happy if someone took the time to lubricate, even with unidentified uncontrolled substances, some of the dry squealing monstrosities I sometimes come across.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[nicknorman]

I would be very happy if someone took the time to lubricate, even with unidentified uncontrolled substances, some of the dry squealing monstrosities I sometimes come across.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

Is that as in alcohol, and humourless noisy forum members? (Joke...)

[RLWP]

So, is the OP doing a valuable service and will be thanked by CRT and boaters?

 

Is he putting used engine oil on paddlegear that CRT have to go and clean up?

 

Is he poisoning wildlife?

 

There area lot of unknowns in this simple act. Who is the appropriate CRT contact to ask?

 

Richard

[Tuscan]

Unless some vandal has carved so called poetry into the balance beam, when it is perfectly acceptable to use some filler in the lettering, then paint the beam, thus preserving out heritage as it should be.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

 

Now that would be worth volunteering for.

[Midnight]

 

 

Who is the appropriate CRT contact to ask?

 

Richard

 

 

I would ask Mr Common Sense!

 

well done OP

[Guest]

I would ask Mr Common Sense!

 

well done OP

 

I don't think anybody is querying as to whether the OP is well intentioned - just whether that is the right thing to be doing, I don't know if it is or it isn't so I'm curious too as to what the Trust would have to say (or somebody else who knows for definite)

[RLWP]

I would ask Mr Common Sense!

 

well done OP

 

so, when you have engine oil on your clothes, you'll still be praising him?

 

Richard

[STUBAG]

so, when you have engine oil on your clothes, you'll still be praising him?

 

Richard

I say, hang on there, my clothes are held together with engine oil.

[Guest]

so, when you have engine oil on your clothes, you'll still be praising him?

 

Richard

 

Isn't one of the alluring aspects of boating as a hobby getting smeared in unmentionable filth when doing the locks....or am I doing something wrong?

[onionbargee]

an engineering freind of mine who used to do machining for me bidded for the contract to make paddle gear parts, he told them the obvious, if you put £1 a go replaceable bearings in them the expensive working parts will last for ever, and be easier to work,and need no lubrication, sadly BW just didn't get it.

[MtB]

I would ask Mr Common Sense!

 

well done OP

 

I saw a BW bod on the shroppie oiling some paddle gear couple of years ago (with an oilcan incidentally). The gear was already drenched in oil and I commented on this to him. He said something like, 'I'm sent down here every day to oil them, just doing what I'm told'.

 

MtB

[XAlan W]

Hi All,

well the 'season' is nearly upon us,and we'll be struggling to lift the paddles that haven't had oil on them for months !!! as indeed I did last week on Bosley locks.

So, the remedy, dont moan, do something about it to assist CART in their much publicised campaign of ' getting involved'

All of Bosley I oiled top and bottom, whilst locking through and still traversed the flight in an hour and ten mins.

Get an oil can, oil from the waste disposal sites and lube the spindle bearings, generally from both sides as most oil holes are gunged up.

The CART policy is; if it aint on the computer system to be oiled , then it wont be. Oiling or rather emulsified bio friendly spray greasing is only scheduled for two times a year.

Greasing of course will not easily get into the spindle bearings, and chain saw oil can be bad as it washes off easily, ( depends on type) so I'd guess a mineral sae 60/ 70/ 90 gear oil will do fine,,,

if every 10th boat did a little as they pass through, we'd all have easy to operate lockgear and less likelyhood of paddles being left half up.

I'll carry on doing my bit, until the prohibition notices go up on the balance beams !!

cheers.

Chainsaw bar oil with the tackifiers they put in it will stay put for a longer time than any new or waste engine oil I`m sure you don`t raise & lower paddles as fast as a saw chain revolves

[Ryeland]

I've got aerosol chain grease which stays put, and the tube on the can goes in the oiling holes.

 

I've had paddle gear screaming at me this year through lack of lubrication.

 

Main thing is to get it where it does some good - often out of sight in the bearings, and not where it goes all over your clothes.

 

Richard

[Midnight]

so, when you have engine oil on your clothes, you'll still be praising him?

 

Richard

 

 

Yes!

 

The point is many a paddle gear could do with a bit of oil. It's the daft, over-the-top H&S and environmental rules and the idiots who implement them that have brought us to the point where paddle gear doesn't get oiled as much as it should. Very, very occasionally someone will get oil on their clothes but from a variety of sources - big deal let's sue someone!

[bowten]

I would ask Mr Common Sense!

 

well done OP

You called?

[RLWP]

OK. as I am not an expert at maintaining paddle gear, I would prefer to hear from an organisation with many years of experience before pretending that I know more about lubrication than they do

 

If oil is good, why do they use grease - I don't know

 

Why do they grease gear as often/infrequently as they do - I don't know

 

Is oiling paddle gear frequently with oil the best thing to do - I don't know

 

Is using used engine oil a good idea - I don't know

 

I would like to hear from someone with direct experience of maintaining paddlegear on this. Intuition and 'common sense' can often lead me astray

 

Richard

[nebulae]

Grease on rack,oil in bearings.Applied sparingly.Use biodegradeable chain oil.