Hello Foosball.com team!
My Chem Eng brother and I would like to know what the specs are, weight, viscosity, etc.. , of the ubiquitous Tornado Silicone oil that's been around since what, the 70's? Seems like 10-12 wt? And why are there NO CANCER OR INJURY WARNINGS on the oil, when most silicone products have those, especially for gamerooms with children and youth always present?
We always thought Tornado Silicone to be just one of the standard weights of silicone hobby oil, but we're curious as to what additives or anti-corrosives are included with Tornado Silicone oil. Is it still identical to the oil that was originally given with purchasing the Tornado tables in the late 70's/ early 80's, or have they improved or enhanced it since then?
Also, how does it compare with the standard spray "Heavy Duty" silicone you can purchase from any hardware or auto store, not to mention Target, Sears/Kmart and Walmart?
I've maintained Tornados over the past 2 decades, and I've always cleaned the rods and bearings with WD-40 spray, using the straw for the bearings, and then cleaning them before applying silicone. The WD-40 dries very quickly, without a sheen or plating. Seems to have kept the rods in the best shape for years. And the bearings seem to hold up much longer, without getting their screw-on attachments loose. Especially with that batch of inferior flaking Tornado rods that were a problem a while back. (Guess you could say they were "Urkel" instead of the superior Merkel rods
) BTW, I've maintained tables in clubs and taverns, one with two, then three tables, for 8 years, where the wear and tear from play averaged one broken pin every week, and a broken man every two weeks. None of the bearings developed that drip trail on either side from the bearings like "only silicone" tables do, and none of the rods flaked or scraped, so to those WD-40 naysayers, I can say with experience that they are talking through the lower part of their alimentary canal, instead of the top part.
And I have several colleagues and/or associates that have also maintained several tables over several bars and location venues. This plain water cleaning, or plain soap and water is okay for the rods, but pure idiocy for the bearings if the water gets into the wood mortices, especially if its an older table in a more humid environment. I guess those who use water/soap have to remember to always disassemble the bearings (not too easy with the older or non-quick disconnect ones) and make sure to dry the wood internals. Either that or only clean the bearings when one goes to the trouble of dismantling all of them, so they can have bearing holes without woodrot.
Thx for the info in advance!
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