upkeeping for the big dish

[htownjoe]

i was wondering what you guys do for upkeep on your dish.i use wd40 on my bolts and arm of the dish about every 3 w3ks.

 

[Hermitman]

Nothin'

 

[turbosat]

If the motor has a grease fitting you should get the grease gun out there once or twice a year. Last summer I replaced all the bolts in my 10'mesh, it has been up since 95 or 96 and some of the bolts were looking bad. Whole dish needs some paint but I may not do it until the fall. Too hot now!!

 

[somery]

yeah i changed out any rusting bolt to stainless steel. like turbosat said im waiting till fall to paint, but until then I'm still gonna powerwash it (carefully), put grease in the arm, and fresh electrical tape (its bright blue, so when its gets funky looking i change it out -- not really necessary) and to this day, I still have not replaced the hard old cables that came with the dish, so thats coming up......someday

 

[dfergie]

Change over from WD40 to lithium grease, WD40 evaporates rapidly...I use Grade 8 bolts for my actuators after having a couple break over the years...

 

[john green]

Change over from WD40 to lithium grease, WD40 evaporates rapidly...I use Grade 8 bolts for my actuators after having a couple break over the years...

Bolts and nuts is my business if you guys ever need anything.

 

[Anole]

Bolts and nuts is my business if you guys ever need anything.

Get us a link to a proper source of some hardware that'll stand up to the elements for 20+ years.
Not cheap stainless - that's crap.
Maybe good stainless, but you're the metal man...
Possibly something with a cad finish, hot-dipped, galvanized, aircraft aluminum, or plutonium-plated, if that's what it takes to do the job.
Many of us faced with the local hardware store just don't have a clue.
(and since certain metals react with others, ya might comment on that, too)


regarding WD40:
that's not a lubricant
I have a gallon can of it for specific uses, but I can't think of anywhere I'd put it on my dish!

 

[john green]

We sell grade 5 nuts and bolts to Scientific Atlanta. Finish of choice for dish application is called Dacromet 320L.
Next time I have a lot of plating going out for SA I will send some of the sizes popular to DS-2076. Not sure about bolt and nut size for some of the other dish assemblies.

 

[swampman]

Slick 50. Thats a definate lubricant.

 

[Anole]

I was thinking about the synthetic oil you put in your car...
...one bottle would be a lifetime supply.
Wonder how that would do ?


John, thanks for the feedback on the hardware.
What are the nuts called with the flange on 'em?
Looks like it serves the function of a lockwasher (?)

 

[john green]

John, thanks for the feedback on the hardware.
What are the nuts called with the flange on 'em?
Looks like it serves the function of a lockwasher (?)

That would be a serrated flange locknut. Clever Huh
The serrations act as a locking device. No need for a lockwasher.