2005Gimbal forum
Lubricant selection and maintenance procedures for camera gimbals
21 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Gimbal bearings should be lubricated with minimal amounts of oil rather than left completely dry, as oil provides a protective film that prevents contamination from embedding in the bearing race and causing premature wear
- Suitable lubricants for gimbals include Arri high speed oil, roller blade oil, Teflon oil from small needle applicator tubes, and panavision oil, with viscosity around 10w or below being effective
- When servicing a gimbal, the bearing races should be soaked in denatured alcohol to dissolve old lubricant, then blown clean with canned air before applying fresh lubricant
- Excessive lubricant acts as a dirt magnet and should be avoided, with one to two drops being the appropriate amount
- Contamination in gimbal bearings poses a greater threat than lubricant viscosity breakdown, making thorough cleaning before relubricating essential
- Replacing bearing races when purchasing a used gimbal is recommended as a preventative measure given manufacturing tolerances and wear issues
Depends on
- The discussion focuses on Steadicam and professional camera gimbals; applicability to other gimbal types unclear
- Some suggestions like ACF-50 were mentioned but noted as heavier, with preference data limited
- The claim about running bearings completely dry is disputed and not universally accepted
- One anecdotal claim about using six quarts of synthetic oil appears to be either joking or an outlier not supported by other participants