Bicycle Mechanics - this is a different take

So I was trying to help a friend fix a doorknob with a lock that wasn't working a couple of weeks ago, and I couldn't figure it out, so I just took the whole thing in to a locksmith. This guy was scraggly as hell, but he definitely knew his work with the lock--was even missing a couple of pieces of finger. He ends up taking the whole knob apart, and then we finally located the problem, but as he was taking it apart, he encountered grease spread thinly over the internal part of the knob. Having learnt the wonders of grease and lube working on bike, I was wondering what kind of grease was good to use on a lock and knob, so I asked him, and he grumbled, as he wiped his fingers,

'Ah, I don't know. It's filthy stuff. I never use it. Gets all over your hands. GOOD locks don't need a lot of grease.'

...? :eek:

I ended up paying him 12 dollars for a very easy fix that allowed me to avoid having to buy a replacement knob and lock for about 120 dollars; and in addition, the replacement knob would have taken a different key from the one that worked on all of the OTHER doors in my friend's house. (Also, taking it into him saved me a ton of money. If he had come to the house, he would have charged 40/50 dollars, minimum.) I thanked him profusely, admiring his arcane and useful knowledge, and he, in turn, thanked me for 'giving him the opportunity to work on a new lock.' Sounded a lot like people I know on this forum, relishing the opportunity to discover something new and add to the knowledge base.

I still marvel at his attitude towards grease, though in terms of locks, or rather the knob (not the keyhole), his reasoning made sense--the things just are NOT subjected to the same kinds of heavy stresses that bike parts are.

Cheers all, nice week-end.

That's a minute and a half of my life I'm never getting back.

What does this have to do with bike mechanics?

With grease and oil, more is not usually better. Most people use way too much. Extra lubrication acts as a dirt trap. On heavily loaded bearings (not bikes, things like industrial motors and generators) too much grease can actually cause the bearings to run hot.

I collect and repair vintage watches as a hobby. Too much oil in a watch will either make it run badly, or stop it completely. A good lock has finely machined parts, similar to a watch.

OK Shane45. Here is how it can relate to bikes:
1. Don't over lube your chain. It will only attract dirt.
2. Don't over grease your hubs. It just causes excess grease to leak past the seals, and again, attracts dirt.
3. Don't over lubricate threads. Again, it attracts dirt.

See. Your minute and a half was not wasted. You just needed to apply what was said.

Thanks, but I'll stick to my original thought that a scraggly locksmith with missing fingers will not be able to teach me much about bicycles that I don't already know.

You wasted more time berating the post than you did by reading it.

;)

Thanks, but I'll stick to my original thought that a scraggly locksmith with missing fingers will not be able to teach me much about bicycles that I don't already know.
That kind of attitude is why my former regional manager no longer works for the company.

That kind of attitude is why my former regional manager no longer works for the company.

And is that a good thing, or a bad thing?

it is true that people overlube their chain. I see it all the time, ive seen people use wheel bearing grease on their chains....

If you refuse to learn from some things, then there are learning opportunities you wont have, but that is of course up to you :)

a

And is that a good thing, or a bad thing?
Well, good that she's no longer there; bad attitude to have. One can always learn from someone else. No one knows absolutely everything there is to know about any one topic. There's always another way of looking at a situation. She may have known what worked best for her, but she could have learned other ways of doing things, or even ways not to do things.

That's a minute and a half of my life I'm never getting back.

What does this have to do with bike mechanics?



on second thought,... nevermind.

That locksmith was right, that grease is filthy. most locks use graphite because it is super slippery. It can be gray or black and sticks to everything.

That locksmith was right, that grease is filthy. most locks use graphite because it is super slippery. It can be gray or black and sticks to everything.
graphite: the ulitmate dry lube.