Guide Rod Maintenance
- This topic has 11 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 08/25/2019 at 6:47 am by
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If my guide rods feel dragging, that is, if the sharpening stones are not sliding as freely as they once had, I wipe the guide rods down with a silicone impregnated “gun rag”. I also check to verify the guide rods are screwed down hand tight into the guide rod ball joint ends. I also will pull a small strip of the gun rag, on a string, through the stone bore holes from time to time, to keep them clean and freely sliding.
Depending on the volume of steel dust, I may need to wipe the rods more for some knives then others.
I use the dry lubricant for the guide rod ball ends and the vise internal parts.
Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)1 user thanked author for this post.
I tie some kind of strong string in a circle that when flattened is like 12″ long. Then I loop a strip of gun rag like 4″ x 1/2″ folded over the string. I hook an opened and flattened paper clip over the string loop to serve as a narrow weight and drop that clip down through the paddle hole. Then grab the paper clip and the string loop at the bottom to tug the rag through the bore hole. Then do It again the opposite direction, twice through the paddle bores. This and wiping the guide guide rods keeps everything sliding and singing.
Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)1 user thanked author for this post.
I simply use a rag or paper towel with a bit of isopropyl alcohol. All it takes is a few wipes to clean the rods. The rods are supplied with a relatively high degree of polish (even though they might not look it) and therefor do not tend to collect a lot of crud on their surfaces. When the rag wipes nearly clean, the rods are clean enough.
As Marc suggests, the holes in the handles probably tend to collect a little more, and are easily cleaned by running a rifle cleaning brush (I use a .243 cal) or a cleaning patch through with a rod or a string. Same solvent, although almost any will do, but stay away from strong solvents like lacquer thinner, or acetone or shotgun cleaners. They’ll tend to dissolve the ABS plastic.
For holes tn the handles I use a nylon brush I got from the grocery store that is used for cleaning large diameter drinking straws.
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Actually, I use an old, used up brass bristle brush. It’s not at full diameter anymore, so won’t do any significant damage. Nylon should work as well. I hadn’t thought about someone using a brand-new .243 brush. Not sure if that would be too tight.
I have used a new 0.243/6 bronze brush to clean the paddle bore holes of injection molding or glue debris on new paddles that are binding on the guide rods. It always worked well and did no damage.
Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)I use VFG cleaning pellets wit my rifles and they seem to clean the paddle holes pretty good too.
The link below is just an example. I have not bought anything from there.
https://www.drummencustomguns.com/en/cleaning-pellets/3003-vfg-cleaning-pellets-6mm-500-pcs.html
I was out of the shooting culture for about twenty years, so I’m drawing a complete blank on what “cleaning pellets” are. How do they work? What are they made of?
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They are manufactured from natural sheep’s wool with cellulose wool and are used for cleaning, oiling and degreasing.
Slip one or two felt pellets on the cleaning rod vfg adapter, apply your favorite solvent and push through the bore or scrub to take out the dirt.
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