Looking for non staining lube

[Photobug]

My new camper has a 2 seat dinette that makes in to a bed. I had trouble getting the table off its bracket on the wall and the chairs cushion/frame to slide open.


I have cleaned up the tracks and now want to lube the parts so everything works smoothly. I am concerned that a lube of the table might attract dirt and or stain the carpet when stored elsewhere. Likewise, the area under the chair might be used to store things that might get stained by the wrong lube. I have what I imagine is every lube on hand. What should I try to lube these items with?

 

[Chuck1]

That question ?

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Astroglide?

 

[Buddha.]

Pjur

 

[NatersXJ6]

White candle wax.

 

[1000arms]

Bar soap? Unscented and uncolored?

Paraffin wax would likely work for your needs too, but, bar soap would be very easy to clean up.

 

[Herbie]

Lubes aside - WHY DO YOU NEED TO LUBRICATE THAT BRACKET?

That style of table support is meant to be removed by tilting the table up, and lifting. It is not normally a sliding mechanism - at least not beyond moving the table a few inches to better accommodate beer bellies.

 

[socceronly]

 

[Photobug]

Lubes aside - WHY DO YOU NEED TO LUBRICATE THAT BRACKET?

That style of table support is meant to be removed by tilting the table up, and lifting. It is not normally a sliding mechanism - at least not beyond moving the table a few inches to better accommodate beer bellies.

The previous owner was not the cleanest. The track was pretty grimy, you can see a darkened stain below the track. The table was hard to get out of the track. Possibly cleaned it will move easier to work into place but the soap or wax would make it better.

I saw a video on a lazy boy repair where he uses 3 in 1 oil to lubricate the moving parts, but since I might use this area for dirty laundry don't want oil residue around. I will try some PTFE spray.

 

[zach123]

A quick spray from a can of silicone lubricant spray?

Tends not to attract dirt...and won't damage rubber, vinyl, etc. if there is some overspray.

 

[Herbie]

The previous owner was not the cleanest. The track was pretty grimy, you can see a darkened stain below the track. The table was hard to get out of the track. Possibly cleaned it will move easier to work into place but the soap or wax would make it better.

I saw a video on a lazy boy repair where he uses 3 in 1 oil to lubricate the moving parts, but since I might use this area for dirty laundry don't want oil residue around. I will try some PTFE spray.

I'm still confused. I use this same kind of mounting rail in my van, 100% unlubricated. You bring the table to the wall at about a 30° angle and drop the hook on the top of the table's rail over the round part of the wall's rail. Tilt the table down to level, and deploy the leg or whatever mechanism holds the outside edge of the table. Done. As I said, there's the "option" to sort of slide the table along the rail to make adjustments to the table vs. seating position, but there shouldn't be a lot of sliding needed. If you're having trouble getting the table onto the rail, it may be because there's debris blocking something, but no lubrication should be required to mesh the table rail onto the wall rail.

To be clear, I'm trying to make sure you're not trying to mount the table by sliding it into position from the end of the rails. That's now how that system is intended to work and will make your life far harder than it needs to be.

 

[Photobug]

To be clear, I'm trying to make sure you're not trying to mount the table by sliding it into position from the end of the rails. That's now how that system is intended to work and will make your life far harder than it needs to be.

Thanks for your post, that is exactly what I was trying to do. I just sprayed a little lube and stepped out the van to try to reinstall it by sliding in on the opposite of how I slid it off. It was no go. It was made harder by a broken blind hanging down over the track, compounded by trying to doing it wrong. As I was struggling with it I was trying to recall your post describing the track, knowing I was doing it wrong.

I will go back tomorrow and try it again. The string to repair the blind is on its way.