Frequently Asked Questions

Dry film lubricants are wet when applied, but quickly dry to form a strong and durable coating of solid lubricant. These products are typically painted on to the surface by brush, spray, or aerosol application. Graphite is a hydrophobic material. Simply put, it means that graphite is naturally water resistant and therefore, rain and snow easily repels off of its surface.

Wet film lubricants are oils and greases on the market that are produced to manage friction conditions. Wet lubes manage friction very well under closed conditions.

Dry film lubricants will wear away over time but at a much slower rate compared to wet lubricants. This provides a more consistent friction management system to give a longer lasting anti-friction surface and extend the life of mechanical parts. In the case of SLIP Plate® products, this solid lubricant film of graphite is dry and will not change under temperature extremes and will not attract debris contaminants.

Wet film lubricants will attract and trap airborne particles such as sand, dirt, dust, quartz, and other foreign debris. Once trapped, these contaminates increases the friction and can cause excessive wear, increase noise, higher thermal build-up and premature part failure.

Because the graphite coating remains dry, it will not attract and trap dust, grit, sand, dirt, mud that can lead to increased friction and part failures. Friction management under severe temperature environments. It will perform consistently from 75°F to 400°F. Performs well in wet conditions like rain and snow making it ideal for outdoor environments. Graphite is a natural mineral lubricant and an environmentally conscience alternative to petroleum based wet film lubricants.

All of the products are good to use for any applications that require a slippery and non-stick solution. The major difference in all of the products is how they are applied and their formula characteristics. Below describes some of these products and characteristics.

SLIP Plate® No. 1

• Heavy duty, dry film lubricant with over 45% graphite to provide maximum friction management. Applied by brush or roller. An airless industrial spray equipment can also be used but please refer to equipment specs to handle this formulation viscosity.
• After drying (24-48 hours) this dry film lubricant that that very durable, and protects.
• Some common applications are trailer hitches, auto carrier lift arms, material chutes, garbage dumpster, auger blades, snow plows, and much more.

SLIP Plate® No. 4

• Low VOC alternative to SLIP Plate® No. 1. Uses a water base that does have solvents, but much less than the No. 1 formulation. Applies just like No.1, but requires a lot longer dry time to allow the water to evaporate.
• Tack free in 90-120 minutes in warm weather, and longer in cooler, high humidity situation
• No. 4 is ideal for confined areas, or where a low VOC alternative is needed.

SLIP Plate® Aerosol

• SLIP Plate® Aerosol uses very fine graphite particles that can be atomized from an aerosol can. It can be used directly on surfaces without any additional equipment. It is great for touch up for SLIP Plate® No. 1 and SLIP Plate® No. 3 applications.
• The product dries tack free in 15-30 minutes and ready to use in 4-6 hours.
• Common applications around the home are garage door tracks to reduce friction of rubber or metal rollers on the rail, reducing noise, and extend the life of the door system
• Shovels, garden tools, metal wheelbarrows to reduce the sticking of materials such as snow, mud, and sand. An excellent coating to use in heavy clay soils to make it easy to penetrate the earth.
• Can be used to reduce build of ice and snow in two-stage throwers, and shovels.
• Semi trailer or delivery tuck doors to lubricate the tracks to allow them to easily slide in extreme temperature conditions. Also will prevent packages and clothing from being soiled, as is the case when you use wet lubricant films and touch these areas.
• Automatic sliding door tracks on car vans. Easily blow away the debris collected inside the tracks.

Aerosol: <1 mil
No. 1: 5-7 mil
No. 3: 1-3 mil
No. 4: 5-7 mil

SLIP Plate® will bond to any clean metal surface, wood materials, and most plastic surfaces like acrylics and polyethylene/polypropylene. We recommend that you try a test surface on any plastic before applying to the entire area.

Unless specified, prepare the surface as you would when applying a paint coating. The surface must be oil free and clean from debris.

Some primers can provide further help with corrosion resistance. Consult the primer manufacturer for product compatibility.

Use paint thinner, VM&P Naptha or a similar solvent while the material is still wet. Once dried, it will be extremely difficult to remove.

This is a wet lubricant that will remain wet and it is not a dry film lubricant. Be careful when using on chains/cables as this lubricant will flow and drip. SLIP Plate® Chain & Cable is a total chain lubricant solution where there is a mixture of premium chain lubricant with colloidal graphite to provide very high friction fighting characteristics. The size of the graphite is critical to allow the liquid chain lubricant to flow and pull the solid lubricant particles in to the chain pins/linkages. The graphite in the formula helps provide the longer lasting lubrication characteristic. Over time, normal wet chain lubricants evaporate, and as a result the need for additional lubrication is necessary to manage the friction and wear. SLIP PLate® Chain & Cable has the benefit of solid graphite particles that provide continuous lubrication, even when the chain lubricant has vanished. SLIP PLate® Chain & Cable is excellent to use on garage door chains, bike chains, throttle cables, adjustment chains/cables, and other similar materials that require lubrication to prevent premature part failure.

This is a wet lubricant that will remain wet and it is not a dry film lubricant. Be careful when using on chains/cables as this lubricant will flow and drip. Formulation utilizes both penetrating oil and graphite to provide a total friction management solution. Use for the same applications as you would with penetrating oil alone. Works well to break up corroded parts and provide longer lasting lubrication. The product is excellent for assembling parts like mechanical hinges, rollers, fasteners, latches, winches, fittings, etc. Great for nuts and bolts to allow for quicker disassembly and prevent damage to threads.

A unique technology that delivers solid lubricant directly to where it is needed, while cleaning the metal surface of residual wet lubricants and debris. This is not paint and will not build up over time, making it ideal for firearms, standpipe cover threads, and many applications around the house.

Black Ice provides a friction management solution in extreme temperature environments where other common lubricant solutions fail. Use to lubricate hinges, bolts, firearm action, magazine clips, fire fighting equipment. Fast drying carrier, delivers unique graphite particles that gently bond to the surface providing excellent friction reduction of sliding parts.

Black Ice was originally developed with the help of a gunsmith that supplies modified firearms for the US Special forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The desire was to provide a lubricant solution for the soldier’s weapon that could handle the heat of the desert and the winter of the mountains.

MowerGUARD uses SLIP Plate® dry film lubricant technology to reduce lawn mower clipping/debris buildup and thereby reduce maintenance costs/time for the operator. When properly applied, MowerGUARD aerosol will last up to 12 mowing hours before re-coating is necessary. Since grass clippings are about 80-90% water, the MowerGUARD graphite coating produces a barrier between the mower deck and grass clippings. These clippings will simply slide off easily. No more cleaning and scraping grass build up.

Under abrasive mowing conditions such as rocks and wood, the mower deck will need to be re-coated sooner than in other environments. Surface preparation is critical for proper bonding of the coating. Clean surface to bare metal using a wire brush, or similar abrasive. Clean the surface of any rust, paint, or residual petroleum products. To provide a longer coating solution for larger mower decks, it is recommended to paint SP No. 1 on first with a brush and allow to dry 48 hours prior to using the MowerGUARD aerosol on top of the coating. A small 21″ mower requires the full 7oz can of MowerGUARD. Apply in layering coats, with 30-60 minutes between coats for best solution

This product is listed with NSF under H2 category acceptable for non-food contact. This means that the product can be used in a food environment but not directly in contact with foods. We are not aware of any graphite lubricant that is registered as H1 for food contact. Apply to chains and moving equipment that does not come in contact with food to provide a long lasting friction management solution while under high heat most common applications are chains for bakery ovens, pizza ovens, and tortilla ovens.

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