Letting oil soak into barbell knurl?

[skypig]

Hey folks,

I just did my yearly maintenance on the 2 barbells in my home gym (Rogue Ohio and Rogue Bella for the ladies). This includes disassembling the bushings on each end of the bar, applying new lube (I use 3-in-1 oil), and also wiping some oil into the knurl of the barbell. My brother was watching me do this, and asked why I was wiping the 3-in-1 oil into the barbell knurl. I said that the oil helps to clean out the grooves in the knurling, but after thinking about it, I'm not sure that's a good answer. I do this step based on the advice of the Rogue website (Weightlifting Bar Care | Rogue USA). I'm a chemist by training, not a machinist, so maybe someone with some more experience in this area can help me out...

Does anyone have a better explanation for why Rogue recommends doing this? Does the oil really help clean the knurling out? Rogue claims it helps the bar "stay healthy," but what does that actually mean?

Thanks!

-skypig

[Mark Rippetoe]

Rogue is not composed of either machinists or chemists. If you feel compelled to babysit your bar like this, brush the bar with some naphtha, wire brush the knurl, then wipe it down with more naphtha to remove the "dust."

Oil is a LUBRICANT, remember? What is the purpose of the knurling? Do you really want to LUBRICATE the knurl of a barbell?

[skypig]

Thanks Rip - I agree that lubing the grippy part of a barbell is silly, except for the fact that the lubing oil might help clean the knurling out, which is why I was asking about the cleaning effect. That being said, you've offered a much better suggestion, which is to use a "cleaning agent" like naphtha that evaporates on its own shortly after use (which means you don't have to wipe the oil out yourself). You should tell the folks at Rogue to update their protocol...it does seem a bit silly now.

[Mark Rippetoe]

They're adults. They can recommend Crisco if they want to. But my point about bar maintenance has been made before: a bar kept dry doesn't need maintenance if you're not snatching with it.

[Gerald Boggs]

Just for general knowledge, according to the MSDS, 3 in 1 is 97-98% mineral oil with a little naphtha as a thinning agent, plus a bit of other stuff not listed. One can buy mineral oil at most any grocery store for $3 a pint.

[skypig]

Understood - thanks Rip!