LATHE BED SLIDE OIL

Hi

I have recently purchased some "slide oil" from a very long established oil supplier. The idea being I would use it on my lathe and mill.

I was expecting some "thinnish" type oil.

When I opened my drum of oil I was rather shocked.

The oil supplied to me has a viscosity similar to thick engine/gearbox oil, almost EP90 ( not quite) . In addition to this it is VERY, VERY TACKY. Similar to , or even MORE STICKY than treacle. I have applied it to my lathe bed, but to be honest it seems like a magnet for filings and swarf. I am just wondering what experiences other chaps have experienced with slide oil.

You probably have too heavy a weight one OK for big machines and vertical surfaces, something that meets ISO 68 and has "68" in the name would be more suitable for our light use.

The Colchester Bantam manual specifies Telus 27 oil for the gearboxes, lube points and slide ways. Not available any more AFAIK but the modern equivalent is ISO32, aka hydraulic oil which you can easily buy at most motor factors or Amazon. It's clear and light - and cheap. Unless you have a seriously heavy duty machine, the lube and way oil will be fairly thin.

Murray

Chainsaw blade oil works well, however if i was you i would just thin what you’ve got, maybe mix some hydraulic oil in with it, or a bit of white spirit etc

Think mine translates to Hydraulic 68 but creates felt drag.
Now use Hydraulic 32 think 5lrs was £13.50 delivered some years back from Smith and Allen. Coolant ok too from there.

Theres also Hydraulic AWS which has anti wear properties for a little extra.

As Neil mentioned on another thread, when I said I used it, just make sure you get a non biodegradable mineral chainsaw oil, rather than one of the newer eco friendly rapeseed oil varieties.

Hmm Chainsaw Oil?

I Would be worried about the source, Is if free of impurities that may abrade the ways?

Why would new oil have impurities in it?

I am assuming chain oil, given its use I doubt if it is high spec.

Hi

Chainsaw bar oil has a "tackifier" additive to keep it hanging on even at very high speed.

It sticks on very well on the vertical slides on my mill.

The loading on a chainsaw links is extremely highly loaded compared with several Sq Cm of even a small lathe.

Any oil is better than no oil. Oil Little and often and regular wipe down works best.

Hi Thank you for all the replies.

The Oil was supplied by Morris's Oil Shrewsbury, one of the most respected lubricant companies in England.

There is no question about quality of the oil, or any possible impurities.

I have discovered that after numerous days of use on the lathe and mill it appears to go "a bit thinner"

I can feel the slides and carriage are now significantly smoother and there is much less friction on the bed.

After the initial shock of the viscosity, I am very please with the product.

Ray

Ray, which one of their slideway oils have you got as they do about 5 different ones?

The 32 or 68 would be OK on our small machines and they then get heavier as the number goes up 100-150 and 220

Hopefully not the one with 'bitumen' written on the side

Neil

Now you're on about Cardium Compound, which was used for exposed gearing on things like cranes where you wanted something that wouldn't wash off in the rain. I'm sure the story of it being what was left when they had extracted all the useful stuff from crude oil was an old wives' tale

Edited By duncan webster on 06/12/2017 14:05:02

Duncan not so fast there Chap, You might be right. There was a response on another forum from a Guy who said He worked at a refinery and that since there is no formal specs on chain bar oil that the last dregs are mixed with a tackifier, evidentaly anything can be used. I still buy the right product as the cost is small over a number of years.