This old lathe I am restoring says to use 'light machine oil' for the plain bearings (tapered phossy bronze on immaculate precision ground alloy steel hardened spindle).
So what is Light Machine Oil - did it go the same way as the 'Light Program' - which my father remembers, and I think evolved into Radio
Steve (Cheshire)
I'd use 3 in 1. Contains effective anti-rust additives. Doesn't attack copper alloys.
No that's "Light machine oil and stand well back" as in "light blue touch paper"
AWEM
Never thought of that. I hardly think I need anit-rust additives in the heart of my headstock, but maybe it is the worthy successor to light machine oil. I would maybe worry that it is a little too light, but I don't have any in the house to get a feel for it.
Steve
Steve
... and doesn't lubricate.
Nick
Oddly perhaps, a good light lubricating oil, without much in the way of unwanted additives, is hydraulic oil.
Sounds like the instructions from an incendiary device
Regards, Tony
In article , Cheshire Steve writes
3 in 1 is said to harden to a gummy residue (which I have, to a slight extent, experienced) and is not brilliant at lubricating. Use an oil specifically for lubrication; I use Esso Nuto as recommended by Myford for bits that need lubricating, and Shell Ensis anti-rust oil for things which need protecting rather than lubricating.Well, sort of. The "Light Program" mostly became Radio 2, with any pop stuff shunted to Radio 1 and a few comedy programs to Radio 4. Most of Radio 4 came from the "Home Service".
Makes me feel old to admit I remember that!
David
Seconded, I buy 5 litres at a time of 30 grade hydraulic oil, specifically for lubricating the lathe, for less than 1 litre of the 'specialist' machine oils that some places sell. Martin
Esso Nuto IS a hydraulic oil.
John Stevenson Nottingham, England.
Visit the new Model Engineering adverts page at:-
I've got a gallon of Shell Tellus 27 I have had kicking around for ages - maybe that would do. As far as I recall this is hydraulic oil - used to use it in motorcycle forks.
Steve
Our local oil co. sells the same product labelled as machine oil or hydraulic oil.
I believe some of the more high-spec hydraulic oils can contain some fairly aggressive additives, but the basic stuff should be just fine AIUI.
Tim
On or around 18 May 2007 01:15:59 -0700, Cheshire Steve enlightened us thusly:
I think that might be what I'm supposed to use in the gearbox on the student. I gather that filling it with heavy gear oil in an (futile) attempt to make it run quieter is a bad move.
I think the threadcutting gerabox uses heavier oil.
never had occasion to do anything with it - I suppose, in theory, I should change the oil as I've no idea what's in it or how old it is.
OK, but how much does he need? It's not a gearbox, it's a plain bronze bearing (presumably) with one of those little cup lubricators. A teaspoon full a week? Any mineral oil between 20 and 80 cSt would be fine. Cheap motor oil would be OK. I suggested 3 in 1 because he's probably already got a tin of it.
Argh, You'll be suggesting that he partakes of WD40 next.
Mark Rand RTFM
Yes its for the plain bronze taper-adjustable cone bearings for the main spindle (its for the Cromwell I am restoring), oil reservoir cups just for the spindle bearings are built into the headstock casing, inside the casing a heavier oil reservoir does for the back-gear, pulley ball races, etc - and you are right standard quantities for commercial oils often start at a 'pail' which is 10 litres I think. Rather more than I need.
I had a word with Shell lubricants people about the gallon of Tellus
27 I discovered. The response was - blimey, we haven't made that since the 1970s. Its more viscous than Tellus 32 because the scales were changed at some point in the distant past. Its about equivalent to Tellus 37, but apparently that is on an altogther different scale from engine oils - so you can't compare the numbers. They said it should do the job nicely - so I'll give that a go.Thanks Steve
My Deckel mill has a similar bearing in the spindle. They suggest (after finding a list of non-existant types in the manual) to use hydraulic oil. Deckel's answer was HV-46 (IIRC, can check). It doesn't come in small quantities, but it also is quite cheap. But some shop dealing with farming equipment should have and give you a cup full of it in exchange for some beer.
Nick
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