Relubbing Tip ups

Hi everyone!

Been a while since I posted. Hoping to hear from those who have experience relubing tip ups.

After using multiple styles of tip ups Ht polars, frabill Round ones, beaver dams, etc. I just bought a set of 4 frabill Artic fires for me to use with the kids/wife. I figured it was a good compromise of quality, price, And pack ability.

However, while I was out the other night soaking shiners. I had multiple “hit and runs” where it seemed the fish (presumably walleye) gummed the shiner ran a little ways and dropped it after feeling resistance. I spun the T on my new Artic fires and sure enough they were a little gummy. The kicker was it wasn’t even what I would consider real cold. Granted it was nighttime but I’d estimate the temperature to be about 15 with light wind.

So I figured the factory lube must not be good. I went out and bought beaver dam lube and packed it full as I’ve seen on some YouTube videos. It spun really well at room temperature. So into the -10 freezer to test it before fishing.

Sure enough. It was gummy again! Now I was a little miffed and wanted to test it side by side with my remaining new Artic fires. As it turns out some spin well with the stock lube and some don’t in the freezer. The only difference I could see without tearing them apart is that the ones that don’t spin as well have more grease or lube (doesn’t seem to matter which brand of grease).

I’ve heard of people getting around this “grease drag” by only putting enough lube in to lightly cover the spindle shaft and putting it back into the tube. I am hesitant to try this as I am worried the void of no grease will let water in and it will freeze/ gum up even worse.

Those that have done this technique with repacking with minimal grease do you have problems with water getting into the tube and freezing? Or does the light grease still prevent freeze up?

Thanks for the replies!

Yes, it needs grease not an air pocket to invite water. You get what you pay for. They all seem decent on the store shelve at 70 degrees or in the garage. But- Beaver Dams are the only ones out there proven to last long enough to pass on to your kids.

Thanks Alagnak. Beaver dam makes a quality product!

I am still confused by the performance of the grease though. I may be too critical of the whole deal but I am looking for a smooth trip even when it’s cold cold cold.

In hindsight I wish I bought 2 new beaver dams but before I throw the baby out with the bath water I am goin to try to “Frankenstein” the Artic fires.

If anyone has tips for re lubing so you don’t get sticky performance in extrem cold I am all ears.

I own some Beaver Dams, and they’re good. I also own some round Frabills, and they’ve been good to me too. While I’m no expert, this year when I repacked my Frabills, I took the time to clean the shaft really well(light scotchbrite) and ran a solvent soaked brush(for cleaning straws) down through the holes to really clean out the old grease and gunk. I repacked them with the Beaver Dam grease and they’re performing beautifully, even in the cold weather.
I’ve dedicated three of them(3 lines in WI) to strictly walleye tip-ups, based on their super smooth operation.
(No, I didn’t pack the grease in super tight).
Don’t know if that helps at all, but now it’s in your brain cells and you’re stuck with it.

Haha, thanks Reverend! That’s the kind of report I was hoping to hear back. Glad to hear you dont have ice up problems.

And dont worry, my brain cells have a hard time absorbing anything so if its no good, it might just bounce off!

I think I am going to try refiling (not repacking like I did before) and see how it goes. I will just have to resist the urge to use the little grease tube like a battery powered grease gun this time

I have 6 of the Frabil Artic Fire tipups, each one I took apart and greased with the beaver dam grease when they were new, havent had any issues yet (going on 4th season with 5 of them)

I’ve lubed many and Blue Lube has worked best hands down for me. I’ve also found too much lube is not good. Put some lube in the bottom of the tube. Next, from the bottom, insert the shaft while holding your finger on the top hole of the tube. Slowly start the shaft up the tube (finger still closing off the top of tube). When the lube just begins to come out the bottom of the tube, release your finger on top, then put your finger back on the top and again push the shaft further until it starts coming out the bottom again. Keep repeating until the shaft comes out of the top. You’ll find it takes less lube then you thought. Clean up both the top and bottom of the shaft with a Kleenex or cloth and reassemble. HT has always been my favorite tip up and older Frabill rounds were good too. Traditional Frabills suck. JMHO. Also, not fan of Beaver Dams either, way to overpriced and only recently finally admitted they needed relubing like all tip ups do and made them so you can break them down. Relube a couple and you’ll be an expert. I still use some $10 HT’s from the late 80’s.

Thanks for the tips! I will give it another shot in the next few days and report back.

Did the exact same as you with a couple brands of “ice grease ” and tested in the freezer. They all got stiff, i ended up thinning Beaver dam with reel oil and thats my go to.
Dont pack too full and bring in house to thaw out after trips helps too.

mark-bruzek wrote:

Did the exact same as you with a couple brands of “ice grease ” and tested in the freezer. They all got stiff, i ended up thinning Beaver dam with reel oil and thats my go to.
Dont pack too full and bring in house to thaw out after trips helps too.

I just saw this but good to see you have the same result and it wasn’t all operator error on my end To someone who may search this someday. I tested the frabill Artic grease, beaver dam grease, and ht lube in the last couple days. All filled correctly and they all got about the same amount of sticky in the freezer. So I guess pick one and roll with it.

For now I am going to keep the tip ups semi warm until use and “thaw” them after each trip as you suggest. Next go around I will consider thinning with oil but after doing all of my tip ups I am calling it a day for now.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Is HT same as blue lube? Mine never get sticky. You do push the spring up and down a couple times right?

I heat the tubes with torch to liquify sticky old grease then flush with mineral spirits then flush with wd-40 then re-lube not over pack. Lasts for years unless tipups get too warm and grease leaks out.

I’ve always pushed a 22 cleaning patch with a coat hanger and it Seems to get them clean

Read everyones ideas, watched You-tube-not doin’ all that. Put my tippis in the freezer for several hours, bought a Beaver Dam. After many hours next to frozen beef and chicken pulled out the wood Frabills my neighbor gave me and they turned as smooth as room temp. I have always zipped some WD40 into the shaft and on the line from time to time, I also test inside, the ‘T’thingy can hang up if stuff is not set right, I have also tested the 2 sides of the tip up for the flag arm, usually one side is better than the other.
Thanks

I thought that beaver dam will re grease your tip ups for you?

Isn’t that correct?

Not sure, my other ones are wood JTs that were givin to me. Think I’m good for now-caught a pike on my BD yesterday, worked great-I should notch the wood.

3rdtryguy wrote:

Is HT same as blue lube? Mine never get sticky. You do push the spring up and down a couple times right?

Yes, it was blue lube. Glad you have had good results. All of tests ended with similar results on my end. When it comes to my cold freezer they all get “sticky”. Sticky being relative as they still spin just with more effort.

They would all catch Pike and likely *most* walleyes. From my perspective it is what it is at this point.

Good luck fishing to all!

Tip up grease is a combination of lubrication and thickness, viscosity. Your tube is going to draw some water up it when submerged, capillary action. If you have no grease it will draw more and freeze solid, you can’t just freeze them to test them. WD40 just won’t work for very long.