HELP?

[Pikeslayer]

I bought a new portable fishhouse with square aluminum fraiming,what can I use to make the poles slide better, they stick real bad and make it tough to set up in the wind, and we all know about the wind on RED LAKE!! THANKS!!

[battleriver]

I put ski wax on mine a couple times a year, seems to help

[youngie22]

powdered graphite

[beretta]

Probably a dumb question but where would you get powdered graphite? I have the same problem only with the round poles. I think they got bent a little.

[jerkbait]

You can get it at any hardware store. Works really well on metal. Works well on sticky door locks to.

[S.O.S.]

It is also used on the wheels of the Pinewood Derby cars the scouts build if your in the know Wd-40 or PAM from your kitchen would probably work as well depending on the temps.

[swamptiger]

Powdered graphite, Pam, and WD-40 are all good lubricants, however, graphite will turn your hands black when you touch it, and WD-40 and Pam are oily and get on your hands and on the canvas. The best thing to use is parafin - as in a color crayon or plain old candle. This will lubricate the aluminum and not make a mess. Same goes for zippers - parafin is best.

[ozzie]

wd-40 smell never leaves the house!!!! not fun fishing smelling wd-40 all day......I used and auto silicon lubricant as recommended on this site....found it at wal-mart sprayed it on a towel and wiped down the poles..it worked pretty good....

[Bob/Mn]

Quote:

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I bought a new otter portable fishhouse with square aluminum fraiming,what can I use to make the poles slide better, they stick real bad and make it tough to set up in the wind, and we all know about the wind on RED LAKE!! THANKS!!

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First of all make sure the end of the poles are free from burrs.

I use a product called Drop Out which is a graphite mold release. I spray the release agent into the female end of the poles. This way after the agent dries there is nothing to get on your hands and the poles are well lubricated with graphite.

<BTW> Just about any shooting supply house should carry the mold release.

[Pikeslayer]

Thanks for the quick reply guys!Ozzie does the silicone spray leave a smell or turn the poles black?

[wingnutken]

Try Elmers Slide All. It comes in a small white spray can. It goes on wet and dries to a dry white film and has no odor. It works great on sliding windows and doors too. Ken

[jlm]

Great question and one that has come up before. On any type of fish house with sliding pole systems, this can be a problem. The common reason for poles sticking is becaues of burs on the ends of the poles. When purchasing any sliding pole style house, be sure to sand the burs down at assembly. If you have already assembled your house, you can still complete this by sliding your poles out and sanding the burs down. If you have your poles sanded down well and work them back and forth several times, you should have no need to use a lubricant, particularly with the square poles such as in the Otter products. If you do decide to use a lubricant (I really see no need to as mentioned before), do NOT use wax or other products that freeze, this will create more problems than when you started. Wax will bind up in really cold temps and it is a pain. Oil products are ok, however, as some others have mentioned, you will have that smell in your house forever. If you do not mind that smell WD-40 or Marvels Mystery Oil are good options, just remember, less is more!!!! Teflon and graphite sprays are great options as well. Newer houses have more of a tendency to stick so they should get better with more use. In my opinion, the biggest problem with the poles is that they freeze together. Water gets into the poles and near the velcro staps which can make the poles stick. If you can, thaw your house out a couple times every Winter, this should help. If all this does not work, I would contact the maker of the house. I have contacted Otter several times for suggestions or service and they have been fantstic. Best service in the industry if you ask me! Good luck and let us know if any of the above works!!!!

[hanson]

Avoid WD-40. Its a quick fix but will cause more of a problem in the longhaul. Same reason you shouldn't use WD in your firearms, but rather gun oil. It actually attracts dirt and stuff.

I used silicone spray on mine and they've been good ever since I did it. I also extended the poles and went over them really well with a fine steel wool to smooth them out. Then a coating of the silicone spray and you are done.

[scaup]

It can be a bit hard to get but there is spray lubricant made by Bostik called TopCote. It is used in many wood shops to decrease the friction on table saws and other tools. It works really really well and seems to be fine in cold temps to. I have been using it for a couple of years and love it. However, it does not stop you from bending your poles!!!!!!!!!

[Surface Tension]

Before assembly remove any burs on the inside and out side of the square tubing ends. Then choose any lube. The wax works, is scent free, and you won't get any residue on your hands. Silicon spray or WD=40 also works.