Thread: way lubrication

Is this a large heavy duty mill, or a home shop mill? In the latter case, you may want to read this:
Way oil (Robert Bastow)
Chris

If you read through the literature (I think it was in the Castrol stuff) way oil is formulated to be compatible with coolant.
Apparently its the sulphur content of non way oil that reacts with the coolant and causes the degradation and smell.

Bear in mind Mr Bastow has not been with us for quite a few years and oils have been developed since then.

Ordinary oil floats on the coolant, but proper way oil is resistant to being washed off the bedways.

On that subject,why is it that some lathes do not have wiper on the the tail stock, cross and compound slides? My Chinese beastie has them on both ends of the saddle but no where else.

Grahame

I would think that the decision to put wipers on a lathe or any machine that has ways that are moved over would be up to the manufacture. Have never come across anything saying that there must be wipers on all machine tools manufactured.

Originally Posted by Toggy

I have been working on the Rossi mill and have used cutter bar oil on the knee when manually moving the table mount. It has been quite difficult to move even when loosely adjusted on the gib. The last time I fitted it up I used Castrol engine oil; adjusted the gib up nicely and it pushes along the dovetail as slick as.

Does proper way oil give this same effect?

I use Shell Tonna and haven't noticed that issue. I think at one stage someone (was it Pete F?) was comparing a few different way oils but not sure whether a conclusion was reached. If I could find a suitable bottle I could probably send you a small quantity to try.

Michael

Chris,

Machine photos in Rossi thread. Mid 60's small industrial universal mill >2000kg.

Grahame

I do not use soluble cutting oil. Had too many problems with it; including rusting. Presently use semi-synthetic coolant peddled by H&F. Has not gone off and no rust problems what-so-ever. Extremely slippery.


My main point was the lack of friction afforded by the motor oil. It was only used during the repairs. Next time I use coolant on the big lathe I will try ISO 68 hydraulic oil and see if their is any washing.

In one of the way oil threads there was mention made of a place out Bayswater way that sold way oil in 5 ltr containers. Some members intended purchasing some; but I haven't seen any feedback on it's suitability.

As to wipers; one of todays tasks is to cut out some new ones. With new thick felts they should hold plenty of oil and if the way oil is applied liberally; there should be an almost continuous self applying reservoir held in the felt. Of course Murphys Law could change that.

Ken

Michael G

Thanks for the thought. I take it that Shell Tonna is a way oil. I do have Caltex ISO 68 hydraulic oil on hand and Ray G offered me some Gulf/Western oil way oil but he is away.

Living in country Vic is a big enough problem obtaining gear; it must be hell further away from the capital cities.

At the moment I am making up new cross slide lead screw covers to replace the missing ones; and so the cross slide is being moved frequently and thus found the "stiction" effect.

Ken

This subject has been flogged to death many times, however I totally agree with the link by CBA.

My chinese lathe has no wipers on anything, I grind with a TPG regularly, I mill regularly with it, it does all the other lathe duties.

I wipe clean with loo paper and heavily oil with plain old 20 - 40 motor oil whenever the ways get dirty.

After 10 years use I pulled the carriage off to rectify a problem with the half nut lever cam (no lube) and also was interested to see how much crud build up there was in the supposedly rough machining for the ways.

THERE WAS NONE = and I mean absolutely none.

So the principe of using light motor oil to flush out the crap definitely works.

Rob

When I bought my mill I thought I would do the right thing so I bought this stuff in 4L.
Slideway Lubricants

Sounds like I may be using the wrong stuff..... I can send 500ml if anyone wants to try some...

Simon

Originally Posted by Toggy

In one of the way oil threads there was mention made of a place out Bayswater way that sold way oil in 5 ltr containers. Some members intended purchasing some; but I haven't seen any feedback on it's suitability.

United Filters on the corner of Barry St and Dorset Rd. IIRC it's Shell Tonna 68 I got from them. They also tend to sell various other useful oils in less than industrial surplus quantities.

I have always used plain engine oil, lately however I have been using engine oil mixed with kero/turps and sprayed from a spray bottle. Keeps the rust away, wipes off easily and gets into all the nooks and crannies. On the subject of using chainsaw bar oil, I have always been reluctant to use it on my lathe, which I also use for milling. Surely minute particles would be retained in the bar oil and cause wear on surfaces.

My opinion is in the home shop situation witha home shop or half clapped out industrial type machine where your machine might get an hours use a week, just use something cheap and easy to get..

If it is a very expensive or special machine then the cost of proper oil might be worth it..

Any oil is better then no oil..

I would not use chain and bar oil, for the simple reason we have chainsaws and have it here, but I have seen that oil dry like paint and go gummy... Maybe it was the brand I was using at the time..

I do use Vactra 2 and buy it by the 20l container, but only because I do have an expensive machine here, but mostly because I have other uses for it away from machine tool use where I think it's properties are useful...

RC, cheap and easy to get was used by PO. Used diesel sump oil. Not pretty and a pig to clean out.

I settled on Shell Tonna 68. Sort of local but had to order it in. I had a very bad experience with a lesser brand (Western Oil) in a tractor transmission. Was absolute garbage and hydroscopic. Replaced it with Fuchs and no further problem. I couldn't get Fuchs way oil locally.

From the little bit of use today assembling the mill I am happy with the Tonna. Slippery, non sticking of slides; but tacky and holds on the ways. I have to be happy with it as I have a lifetime supply of 20ltr.

Ken

Best to always get the oils recommended by the manufacture or the best you can get. People never know with older machines or even new with backyard hobby use how they may perform in 60 plus years. Just imagine the questions people will be asking in 2084 about the way these collectors were abused.

Originally Posted by pipeclay

Best to always get the oils recommended by the manufacture or the best you can get.

You just jogged my memory on this. I was going to get out the user manual and forgot.

So here's what it says for my Chinese CQ9325:

gears - grease C5
everything else including ways - SAE 20 machine oil.

Rob