Hello,
I just received the notification that’s time to lubricate my z-axis lead screws. I have Haynes Lubri-Film on hand, is it good for my printer?
Thanks.
Bambu Lab recommends using BX-300/F series grease or Super Lube 92003 here:
https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/general/lead-screws-lubrication
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Hello,
Yes I read that, but I’m not able to source that locally in Canada.
Here are some related discussions:
Just a quick tip about cleaning lead screws, from someone who runs a lathe.
The easiest way to clean down it the grooves, where a rag does not work well, is to wrap string around the screw. Then use the motor to turn the screw. If you put the string just under the bed then both the string and the bed will move down together.
As the string gets dirty you just slowly feed it to a new spot.
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This is the stuff I use for the lead screw on my Formlabs SLA printer. I intend to use it for the X1C screws, too.
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I finally got around to cleaning my lead screws. 2mm twine works great. It is small enough to get down in the valleys and still clean the entire screw.
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Great idea. What is your technique to draw the twine up/down the lead screw? Do you use 3 or 4 strand?
I thought everyone saved their old shoe strings…
Wrap one around, raise/lower the bed a little bit at a time to spin the screw.
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Check ebay - there’s someone selling syringes of the BX-300F. I went with the Super Lube 92003 Silicone with PTFE which is also recommended by Bambu.
I do the same, but instead of string, I use pipe cleaners.
Method
Re the wrap and saw technique with string/wool etc… which is to wrap one loop around the screw, and with about 80 cm of ‘floss’ saw back and forth holding the ends and working the thread up and down the screw.
Bonus: This method makes cleaning the - notoriously difficult to reach - rear lead screw so much simpler, the only hard part is now looping the yarn around the screw - plyers or forceps here can lend a helping hand.
Materials
I recently bought a bulk pack of knitting yarn from AliExpress, six balls, https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007563433635.html which is basically a 5-10 years supply. It’s perfect for lead‑screw cleaning. It’s designed for ultra‑soft garments, so the structure is ideal: a strong 1 mm nylon core with a 6–7 mm fluffy outer layer. The core gives it excellent tensile strength and helps it bite into the grooves, while the fuzzy exterior polishes the metal back to a shine. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine a better material for this job.
Similar product names to search for are ‘blankie yarn’, ‘plushie yarn’ and ‘chenille-style yarn’
Use light tension using only as much as needed to do the job, otherwise you are running the risk of bending the screw and just making it harder to pull the yarn back and forth.
The yarn I used doesn’t shed much, though I recommend running it through your fingers a few times first to remove any loose fibers from the cut ends or manufacturing.
White is the best colour to buy because you can instantly see how much dirt it’s picking up.
As for why my lead screws look white: I use Lucas Oil White Lithium Grease https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=lucas+oil+10533+white+lithium+grease . It makes contamination easy to spot as it turns increasingly darker shades of grey as it gets dirty (time to clean). In the photo above, the yarn looks dirty because it’s wrapped around a freshly cleaned and re‑greased screw.
I went looking for this after seeing the “professional” equivalent on Amazon (below) at six times the price and figured there had to be a better option for lead‑screw cleaning, as this would not likely get into the threads:
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