THE CORRECT LUBRICANTS - WORKSHOP TOPICS 

One of the first thing I learned was "use the right tool for the right job" and the second thing was "use the right lube for the right job". For instance, did you know that a John Deere tractor uses brake fluid for the brakes but a JCB uses mineral oil? Neither did I, until I read the owners manual. Which reminds me of the next thing I was taught: "if you don't succeed the first time, stop and read the owners manual"! As Keith said "not all oils are the same"!

Slideway oil is indeed great stuff, not only is it really slick, but most are designed to work with water based cutter coolants, so it still provides lubrication and protection with water. Something that could also likely be useful with steam engines I should think. I use Mobil Vactra No. 2 as my general purpose lubricant for those nice features.

Having never operated a lathe (and now I feel rather unintelligent) I had never considered that they need oil. Valuable information!

Yes thanks Keith I did find it useful as I now own a super 7 , Like your humour by the way !

You must have the patience of a saint. Draining all the oil out of the headstock with a syringe, even if it's just oil in the bearings, seems too tedious for words. I'm surprised there's not a drain plug on that, although I guess there's not enough oil to merit one. My larger lathe takes about 2-1/2 gallons of ISO 32 oil in the headstock, plus ISO 68 in the threading gearbox and the apron. Even with a proper pump, filling the thing up is tedious.

thank you for this

A word to the wise, if I may : Esso / Mobil Nuto H32 is an hydraulic oil, and not the old Nuto 44, which was what we used to refer to as a light machine oil. Oils destined for hydraulic service are blended with anti-oxidation compounds and are intended to work under high rates of shear, as they pass through control valve orifices, pumps, etc. and are not necessarily noted for their lubricity. My choice is Mobil DTE Light, which has an ISO vg32 viscosity, and is a lubricating oil. The design of your Myford front spindle bearing is such that oil is fed to the bearing surfaces through the capillary action of a wick installed in the headstock and, in order to ensure that the bearing surfaces are not starved of lubricant, it is important to use oil which is both clean and of the correct viscosity - any old stuff will not do ! Mobil Vactra ISO vg68, as supplied by Myford is a slideway oil and is blended with compounds that make it stick to the slideway surfaces, which generally move comparatively slowly - I would be dubious about lubricating high speed bearings, and particularly the oilite bushes which carry the countershaft, with such an oil. The lubricant here needs to be fairly light, to percolate through the sintered material of the bush to the bearing surface, and I would suggest the spindle lubricating oil might be appropriate. Those of us lucky enough to have the Myford quick change gearbox fitted to our machine will know that the lubricant specified is an SAE30 engine oil, which was also recommended for slideway a and general lubrication in older Myford manuals. Of course, in those days engine oils had fewer, if any, compounds added to them to improve their performance; detergents and multigrade performance additives were unknown. Oils with a viscosity index of ISO vg68 broadly equate to SAE30 specification, and my choice, in this instance, would be Mobil DTE Heavy Medium, which has a viscosity index of vg68. Nuto H68 is also available. To sum up : Front spindle bearing and countershaft bearings, tumbler gear bearings and other fast rotating items : Mobil DTE Light or Nuto H32 Quick change gearbox, slower rotating items and general lubrication points : Mobil DTE Heavy Medium or Nuto H68 Slideways only : Mobil Vactra ISO vg68 I would add that these recommendations are only my choices, but I hope that you can follow my reasoning. Kind regards, Steve A.

Love the girlfriend joke ! : - )

Looks like you have a lifetime supply!

like what my dad says you take care of your tools the tools will take care of you

I need an oil called Gargoyle…………any ideas for an equivalent??? For 1954 Southbend clone. Stavros

You could replace "lathe" with "Hammond B3" and the advice is the same. Use the wrong oil and kill it!

⭐🙂👍

What oil goes in the Norton gear train,