Anyone clean or oil a tripod

[Tom S]

I have an O'Connor 1030D with 30L carbon fiber legs. I just finished shooting a feature and the legs seemed sticky sliding up and down the top support. Also, the 100mm ballhead became squeaky when leveling.

Does anyone know if you just clean these with soap and water or is there any other maintenance required?

 

[Tom S]

It looks like hot water wiping down the legs was good for carbon fiber and plastic. I put 10W40 on the metal against metal 100mm leveling ballhead and it worked beautifully.

 

[andrewhake]

I had a fluid monopod I had to oil up a bit after a few years and it getting a bit squeaky.

 

[Blair S. Paulsen]

Highly recommend that you brush off as much loose material as possible before using water or cleaners. Compressed air is good around fittings. Be aware that once you get fluids involved, small particles of dirt/dust will become "in solution" and can penetrate areas dry particles can't. Lubrication can change friction values, so be aware of where you put it to avoid new problems. If you do add oils, wipe off the excess well - whatever is left behind is likely to attract and hold dust/dirt.

Tip: keep it as clean as you can and a damp cloth is usually a much better choice than spraying liquids.

Cheers - #19