Cleaning cutaway cables

[skreamer 1]

How often should you clean your cutaway cables? Also, what is a good product to use on the cables? Any suggestions for products available in the UK would be welcome (Geoff?).
Thanks
Will

[Geoff 0]

The Mirage Manual says:
"Clean and lubricate the release cable with a light oil such a “3-in-1” brand or silicon. Put a few drops on a paper towel and firmly wipe the cable a few times. A thin, invisible film should remain -- too much will attract grit and dirt, or the oil could become tacky in cold weather. Too much oil will require more force to extract the cable during a breakaway."
I've also read people advising against using any lubricant at all because of it catching dust.
Personally, I don't clean or lubricate the cables at all, but let my rigger do it at each reserve repack. Maybe I should, and it would certainly different if I jumped somewhere dusty like arizona.
Geoff

[RemiAndKaren 0]

good ole WD 40 works too (I use it as a cleaner.. wiping away all of it)
Remi
Muff 914

[jfields 0]

Remi,
Believe me, Skreamer has WD 40, but I'll say no more... in this forum. Justin
My Homepage

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

I clean my cables every time I repack my reserve or swap out mains (which is frequently). I pull the whole cutaway handle out and wipe them from handle to tips with a WD-40 impregnated rag until it comes clean.
Chuck
My webpage HERE

[mnischalke 0]

I was advised to clean the cables monthly with WD-40. It takes five minutes to slip the cables out, rub off the grime and stick em back in. I was surprised how much crud piles up in just a month.
I hate WD-40, so last night I used Tetra Gun lube, which is a flouropolymer-based lube that impregnates the pores of a given material. You apply the lube on a rag and wipe it off. It feels dry to the touch, but is still slicker than a greased pig. I have used this stuff on the o-rings on paintball guns for a couple years and it has never degraded the rubber. If anybody knows of a better micro-ground teflon lube, let me know.
Mike

[alan 1]

On rigs that come to me regularly, I also clean inside of the hard cable housings once per year with a .22 cal gun cleaning rod. I also always recommend cleaning/checking after one of those landings where you tumble and roll, especially if it was not in a nice grassy area. A rough landing in the peas can leave a small pebble lodged in the housing. Don't forget to check for freedom of movement of your reserve cable, for the same reason.
alan

[mnischalke 0]

I was looking at my cable housings last night and thought "How do I clean in there?" never struck me to use a rifle cleaning kit!! Gunmate (of Michaels of Oregon) manufactures a thing called a bore snake. That would be perfect to run through the tubes.
Thanks for the idea!!
mike

[DBTECH 0]

Sounds like many good new ideas--I do know about Teflon based lubes--good stuff.
Please let us know about the use of the 'Bore Snake'--sounds like a neat device.
BTW: To the person that said 'Silicon'--it's 'Silicone'--Silicon is a crystal--it is the foundation of modern semiconductors/electronics. i.e, transistors and integrated circuits.
Silicon is pronounced- Sill short-i cun
Dave Brownell