should all moving parts be lubricated

Hi, should the gears etc. be lubricated, if so what is recommended?
Thanks
Paul

As an opinion rather than a knowledgeable definitive, I think the important part that should definitely be lubricated is the Z threaded rod. Probably a light grease would be best for that, but I've used a thin coat of 3-in-1 oil on that thread and also on the X, Y and Z rods for the linear bearings and very sparingly on all the plastic gear teeth. I doubt that the belts should have any lubrication, and definitely keep lubricants out of the innards of the extruder where they could contaminate the filament as well as affecting the grip of the hobbed part. The downside to lubrication of course is that dirt sticks to it, which can end up forming an abrasive surface that in some cases can wear the parts faster than they would wear without any external lubrication.

Dave
(#106)

Thank you Dave
I have lightly oiled the z rod and thought the gears would benefit from some grease.
I wonder how long they would last with no lubrication?

I'll ponder this some more and see what other users do.
Paul

I think it is worthwhile printing spare sets of all gears before they wear out, which I am sure they will before the rest of the machine reaches end of life. In fact printing a spare of all the printable parts sooner rather than later would be prudent, though it may be wise to wait to see what updates and improvements become available.

Dave
(#106)

Many plastics are damaged by mineral oil absorption (not sure about PLA though) - one useful tip from my mother a long while back was to use furniture polish to lube curtain track, which works a treat for most other plastics too. Spray a cloth or brush with the polish, let it dry a little then apply sparingly. Alternatively a light rub from a candle over the teeth of gears has a similar effect.

Ray

Thank you for all responses, I remember about furniture polish on curtain tracks and have used that myself.
I will treat all gears with polish and print a spare set.
regards
Paul

I didn't apply oil on gears, I waxed them .

Lithium grease will not damage ABS or PLA parts.

There's a handy RepRapWiki article on Lubrication

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RS Components Reprap Ormerod No. 481