Oil viscosities

Wouldn't it be easier to compare viscosities of single grade oils, also not sure why you would use a motor oil to lubricate non-combusting machinery, you're getting a ton of additives along with some viscosity ranges suited to temperature extremes that seem to me anyway, inappropriate to lubricate machinery.

Automotive detergent oil will screw up the felt wicks that are used in many machines. It will make them stiff and move the oil. Also the detergent oil will tend to carry the grit in suspension rather than letting it settle out.

The Vactra way oils have an additive to make the oil adhere to the ways, the same function as the additive in chainsaw bar oil. Vactra 2 is what is mostly used on ways.

John

Lucas brand synthetic gear oil stays put , lubes well , and is available almost everywhere (well , everywhere in the USA) . I use it on leadscrews , ways , gears , and countershaft bushings on my mill and lathe both . Kinda pricey though , about 7-8 bucks a quart .

Michael, There are many reasons not to use automotive oils to lube machinery. Don't do it. Vactra 2 68cST for gears, gibs and ways. Vactra

1 32cST for spindles. Viscosity can be measured in several ways. The viscosity tests are not the same and so not comparable, but SAE oils are for automotive engine use only. Machinery oils are usually rated in Saybolt or the ISO standard. Steve

5W-30 and have been using it. I noticed that the oil

so. That is where I got confused: I looked up the

kinematic viscosity at 40 deg C is 68 cSt (ISO68). When I

might be an error on the Mobil page but no, a

thinner at this temp.

According to the tables it should be somewhere near 45

whopping 131 cSt - about half way between Vactra 2 and

Vactra 1, 2 and 4 have tackifiers that help it stay adhered to the ways.

From what I've been told Vactra 4 is for vertical column machines.

Wes

-- "Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

Do you happen to know what is the chemical nature of the said tackifiers? It might help when determining what is the nearest equivalent of Vactra locally. It is not immediately relevant but might become so in the New year.

One thinks that molassas is a major component. I spelled about a quarter ounce of Vactra 2 today..and it took about 5 minutes and a dozen really good spritzs of WD40 to get it off the area Im going to be painting tommorow.

Gunner

"I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer." -- Benjamin Franklin, /The Encouragement of Idleness/, 1766

I don't know what the tackifier is. KBCtools.com which has operations in Canada has a product called EEZ Way oil. Various weights are listed. Calling them might be a good idea. Sadly, McMaster-Carr doesn't ship to Canada obtaining small amounts of vactra would be easy.

Wes

Dealing with the Vancouver branch of KBC tools has its drawbacks. I generally try to avoid them if I can. There is a local office of Shell Canada with helpful staff whom I would probably approach if it became relevant. Or I could use the doughnut method someone suggested in the past :-) Either way I thought it would have been useful to know a little more of the actual science involved. But not essential...