Wood Lubricant options - Wax, Silicone, Graphite & PTFE

Need a Hand? DIY & Crafting Tips and Questions
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From some of the comments on my Viking Dragon Boat post (The Viking Dragon Ship - My new favourite ROKR build - #12 by chamelionboy) I can see that there may be a few people who dont know what alternatives there are for lubricating mechanical wooden models other than the wax that manufacturers provide.

Below is a link to a Blog post on the Book Nook Workshop site where the author discusses other options and the pro & cons of each outlinging what they are perfect for and not good for. He runs through:

  • Wax
  • Silicone spray
  • Graphite powder (or a 4B pencil for easier or more precise application)
  • PTFE Dry spray

https://booknookworkshop.com/2026/07/28/book-nook-lubrication-its-slippery-business/

My new favourite is graphite, and I use it in the form of a 4B pencil for hidden moving parts, and I will soon be testing dry PTFE spray applied via a cotton tip on visible parts where the silver grey sheen of graphite would not be appropriate.

If you dont know about other lubricating options, have a read. Some of you may even use things that the author as not tested.

The author does not touch on Wood Lubricant like that purchased from Amazon. Some of these are wax based, others silicone based, but they fall under the wax category.

Any form of water or oil based lubricants, liquid silicone or petroleum-based greases (ie vasaline) should not be used because they cause wood fibers to swell, trap abrasive sawdust into a sticky paste, and contaminate surfaces, ruining glues and finishes.

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Howls moving Castle build day 1
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Thanks for sharing! It is definitely helpful to know about these different lubricants in case I do a build in the future that has a lot of moving parts.

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Thanks for sharing. I wish I had known sooner; I wouldn’t have had the wax to make two sets of models.

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Thanks for sharing these very helpful information. Graphite pencil? Interesting! I might just try that out next time since i still have some at home.

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5

Thanks for the tips! I didn’t know there were so many methods.

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@chamelionboy thank you for sharing this with the community its nice to know what else you can use besides wax :blush: :folded_hands::folded_hands::folded_hands:

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Thanks for sharing! This is helpful

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I’m thinking a 4B pencil sounds like a good investment.

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Models that I used wax on still creak as they move. The viking dragon ship I used the 4B pencil on is absolutely silent and the gears just glide. Also by using the pencil, you get the graphite exactly where you want it. :grin:

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Thank you for the tip. It’s really helpful.

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@chamelionboy thanks for the tips!! I once used Vaseline and man that was a mistake lol

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I didn’t know that a pencil can be used for waxing :hushed_face: thanks for sharing @chamelionboy

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I have never agreed when other people tell me that they use Vaseline. I tried it on one model and hated it. Thank you for sharing this valuable information

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Helpful to know about lubricants for future builds with many moving parts…thank you so much

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Thanks for sharing, that’s really good to know, especially if one doesn’t have enough wax on hand.

One tip I have found that works well for the gears is melted candle wax so it can easily get inside the crevices. I always have a candle on when crafting so that’s not hard to find for me :joy:

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Thanks for sharing. Very helpful! @chamelionboy :heart:

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Great post. Thanks for sharing @chamelionboy . I have only been using the wax sticks. I’m too scared to try any others because I am afraid it might ruin the build.