A do-all liquid

Walks Backward

Walks Backward

Well-Known Member
When getting my two remaining guitars "out of mothballs" so to speak after over a year or more of being in the case I was acutely aware they required attention.

They needed restringing of course and rosewood fretboard and frets needed cleaning, polishing, and oiling. Pots and switches needed cleaning and conductive lube applied. Under normal circumstances and by conventional thinking this would require four or so different chemicals to do this correctly. Perhaps for most folks this is acceptable. However, I'm not made of money and have been on this planet for a long time. Ya learn stuff as you age. Here's what I did for all those tasks.

I use an oil based liquid for my weapons, tools, leather (yes, leather), oil finished wood, electronics, car, and just about anything that needs protection, lubrication, and cleaning. Developed in Germany for the Imperial Army in 1904, a brilliant chemistry professor created a product called Ballistol. It's non-toxic, biodegradable, no carcinogens present, and will clean, protect, and lube metal, wood, leather, rubber, polymer, and about any else you can think of. Even was used in WWI by German medics to treat cuts and abrasions.

When I clean my fretboard, the action of doing so polished the frets, cleaned the wood, and oiled it to perfection in one action. A drop inside all pots and switches cleaned and lubed them at the same time. A drop in the old Kluson tuners was great. A fast pass over the pickguard cleaned it up and shined like new. In short I fully rejuvenated my instruments in no time with one single product. Ballistol. Look it up on the internet and see for yourself. A fast pass over the strings with it makes Fastfret and Stringeze feel like gummy crap. Remarkable stuff guys and gals...
 
When I do a full string wipe down. Y'all do that right? So, what I do is keep a little 4"x4" patch of that close fiber towel with a light amount of Ballistol soaked into it inside a sandwich bag in each case. When done playing, a simple run up and down the strings making sure enough pressure is exerted to touch the fretboard and I'm done. It's slightly alkaline and repels acids from your fingers and drives out any moisture from sweat, humid locations, and protects the wood from drying out and such. And the strings are so slick you'll overshoot a note running up the neck if you're not careful! ha! It kicks corrosion's ass like John Wayne kicked badguy's asses into the hospital!
And if you've got a stuck screw or bolt, drop some Ballistol on it. In a bit it'll get it loose. Remarkable.
 
Well spank me red....... I have the same stuff in the "wipes" form in my office for gun cleaning polishing ---and stuff of the sort----

gonna try that Wade
THANK YOU!
 
I bought Ballistol and I have used it on my guns and strings. I also saw it being sold in my local gun store. Thank you for the suggestion. It is greatly appreciated. The more I read, the more people attest that it is good for just about everything.

I am sure you also know that it is infamous for its smell. To me, it smells like someone took sweaty socks with the associated pungent smell and tried to cover that smell with Anisette. Quite an odd combo, but that is what my nose is getting. Even more oddly, it is growing on me!!!!

Thanks again for the tip.
 
Walks Backward said:
When done playing, a simple run up and down the strings making sure enough pressure is exerted to touch the fretboard and I'm done.
And if you've got a stuck screw or bolt, drop some Ballistol on it. In a bit it'll get it loose. Remarkable.
Click to expand...

Walks Backward said:
Yup. Primarily marketed for the shooting industry, but so dog gone vercitle it has more uses than one can count.
Click to expand...

Yup when I get a stuck nut and my baby needs a little help from those versatile uses, I put a little Ballistol on her, and we are good to go to town.
 
Col., you'd be amazed how this stuff cleans and protects your weapons, guitar strings, clobbers corrosion like a left hook from Thor! Regular oil on metal lifts when wet. Ballistol emulsifies with the water and remains on the metal and not floats up on top. Gives rubber o-rings new life. You name it this stuff gets it done and without any bad nasty chemicals to kill ya. You'll love it. Dull old pickguards get a new lease on life too. Old cracking wood soaks it up and improves its strength. The list is almost endless. ...
 
This is what I mostly use. It's an own brand from my local gunsmith. It does a really good job on the fretboard, and brings the metalwork up to a great lustre that resists fingerprints

rangoon.jpg
 
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I've always been a WD40 guy, but I'm not shy of trying new things.
I'll be grabbing some Ballistol ASAP!
Thanks for the tip
 
Thanks for the tip Wade.

I have used WD-40 all my tinkering life, but use other products for light lubrication. For Water Displacement and cleaning/ freeing up sticky mechanisms it is good but wears away too quickly as a lubricant.

I've been using plain old baby (mineral oil) on the rosewood fretboards. I pinch my wipe down cloth around each string as part of my wipe down when finished a playing session. (as per Ibanez owners manuals and elsewhere I suppose) but dont apply anything to the strings.
I'm a rampant string wiper downer.

I found a dealer not far from me and when my meanderings find me near, I will try it.

I used a similar product on my guns about 20 years ago but it was just called CLP.
I think it is basically the same stuff based on the smell.
 
WD-40 is very much a moisture magnet in reality. It has very poor lubrication qualities as well. Much like regular oil, it will not emulsify with water and doesn't remain on the surface of metal and other objects applied to. Thus rust and corrosion set in quickly.

I live in an area of East Texas that has an average humidity level of 70%. The battery terminals on my car would be coated with crusted corrosion in a week if not protected. The red battery coating products sold to halt that fails quickly. However, Ballistol will coat the terminals and creep into the openings as well halting all corrosion. And it resists and repells acids as well.

What I find fascinating is that it's non-toxic and was used by the German medics to treat trenchfoot in WW1. They'd wipe it onto the effected areas and the Ballistol would sooth the damaged skin and repell the moisture enough to allow complete healing. And they used it regularly to treat minor cuts and abrasions.
Now I'm diabetic and also take meds for blood pressure. In short I bleed easily and wounds heal slowly now. But I live in a wilderness and often get damaged. I usually treat wounds with Neosporin or similar products. But I tried Ballistol on some minor cuts I got in the woods while clearing some brush. I cleaned the wounds then applied Ballistol. Stung a little but what doesn't? Recovery time was about the same as with Neosporin and the skin tissue healed nicely with no redness, seepage, or infection. Impressive.
 
Yes sir, John, CLP will eventually get gummy and begin to loose its lubricant values where as Ballistol won't. I think you'll find it equally as useful as I do.:)
 
Don, I remember that oil when I linked up with an Aussie unit in Vietnam. Several guys had Rangoon oil and they swore it was good in the jungle fighting rust. Said the British army used it in India long ago. Also a couple had some stuff called Young's 303. As I recall it emulsifies with water and stayed put on the metal pretty good.
Wow! Ya brought back some old memories there Don!:hmmm::)
 
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