I knew the metal box I kept my EQ6 in (ghetto observatory, we could call it) got damp, but I had no idea what it was doing to my equipment. I figured they had to be built to take some amount of moisture, given that they get wet every night during use (condensation).
I recently built a new box, this time out of timber and included a solar powered fan for circulation, to house my Avalon because I knew it wasn't good but again, I didn't know how bad it really was.
I'd had some issues again with my EQ6 which triggered the purchase of the Avalon. I expected it was probably the pulley I had on the worm gear (I'd done a belt mod on the EQ6) had come loose again, but i was getting sick of tweaking things and I wanted something that required less attention.
I planned to dismantle the EQ6, tighten it all back up, this time with loctite 222, test her out and sell her.
So I finally got around to dismantling her this morning, and wow, it wasn't pretty. Rust on the worm gear. Something green as well, which I'm assuming may have come from the brass ring gear.
I kept my GPD2 out covered under 3 tarpaulins, a military raincoat, and a wool blanket, all with a plastic bin on top for over 6 months. I had fully sprayed the insides with Ballistol and greased with plain old vaseline. I took it down back in December when we went bush for a week, and disassembled for inspection when we came back - not a single sign of any corrosion, oxide formation or other issues. So, Ballistol (which the German miitary has used for over 100 years) and plain jane vaseline work.
I found NOT so good results with stuff I had lubricated with spray on lithium grease, except it seems ants are attracted to it (I had HUNDREDS embedded in some lithium grease on another object I left outside)
Verdigris is my new favourite word. Good advice there, thanks Lewis!
I housed this in a aluminium composite panel box with limited ventilation and not sealed at the floor, so rain would leak in underneath. I draped a towel over the equipment to try and help, but clearly this was insufficient.
The DEC worm carrier was actually pretty clean, but one set of worm end bearings were showing surface rust, otherwise it all looked good. The RA was another matter entirely, obviously.
I used super lube in the worm / ring gears, didn't add anything anywhere else.
blimey Lee. Was there some form of growth to retain the water in the nooks and crannies? - must have been pretty bad to get at the stainless steel. Still, I guess that Kilcoy is not the driest place around.
The worm rust may not be an issue, but what will it have done to the bearings and brass wheel - hopefully not much. Thanks for sharing this - had not realised how much of a problem water might be in a system made from brass, stainless and ally and with grease hanging around.
