Powdered Teflon's pretty handy, used it on my old Victorian locks—works wonders without gumming things up. Hairdryer's clever but yeah, freezing your fingers off isn't ideal... graphite powder also does the trick nicely, just less messy overall.
Used graphite powder on an antique cabinet lock once—worked great, but somehow ended up with smudges everywhere. Switched to powdered Teflon after that fiasco... way cleaner and smoother. Live and learn, right?
Graphite powder is great stuff, but yeah, the smudging can get pretty messy... been there myself. Powdered Teflon's a solid choice—cleaner and less hassle overall. Another decent alternative I've tried is silicone spray; it dries clear and doesn't attract dirt like some lubricants do. But hey, figuring out what works best is half the fun of DIY, right? Glad you found something better.
I've had my share of graphite smears too—once left a huge dark streak across my white door frame, not my finest DIY moment. Silicone spray saved me after that, dries clean and no more messy fingerprints everywhere. Glad you sorted it out though, these lock dramas can be a headache...
Graphite's great for locks, but yeah, silicone spray is definitely cleaner—especially around painted surfaces. Learned that the hard way myself on an antique door handle... graphite dust everywhere, took forever to clean off the brass fittings. Silicone spray solved it nicely, but I'm still cautious about using modern lubricants on vintage hardware. Anyone tried silicone spray long-term on older locks or hinges? Curious if there are any hidden downsides over time.
