Way Oil

kyler

kyler

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I just spent the last hour Googling "way oil" trying to understand the when, why and how of it.

I get it that you need to oil the ways. Why a special oil, how often to oil, do you wipe it on?

How about a short discourse for a raw beginner.
 
In simple terms, it is "more sticky" or "stickier" than regular oil so it adheres to the ways better. I wipe it on and also keep my felt wipers soaked with it. How often depends on how frequently you sue your lathe/mill but they should always have a thin coat on them.
 
I can't exactly tell you why to use an actual "way oil" I just do it because that's what South Bend told me to do. Figure they know better than I do anyway. :whistle:

I also try and follow their advice when it comes to "when" to oil. Here's a page from "How to Run a Lathe".



Hope this helps,

-Ron
 
Way oil adhears to the metal but doesn"t collect swarf and debrese like say motor oil would. I use chainsaw Bar & chain lub when way oil isn't avilible. It does about the same thing and works just as good

Marty
 
dalee said:
Hi,

Any oil is far better than no oil. So if all you have is a bottle of motor oil, use it and don't sweat the details so much.

Way oils are a bit different than motor oils though. Way oil is non-detergent. And it has, as mentioned, good tack and good film strength. That basically means it sticks to were it's put and the film it creates doesn't get squeezed out as easily. My personal opinion is a simple non-detergent 10wt or 20wt oil makes a fine substitute for way oil for many manual machine way lubrication needs.

I have been using chainsaw bar oil on my lathe ways. It's available easily and cheaply from even my local grocery store. And I can buy it in quart bottles. It has high tack and film strength to stand up to lubing a chainsaw under the worst conditions.

I am considering changing to a non-detergent 20wt oil for my new G0704 mill ways though. It would be a bit thinner and therefore should flow better into the ways.

dalee
Click to expand...


I have been using bar & chain lub on my G0704 scence I got it does just fine.
 
My gallon can of way oil developed a very slow leak this summer, and by the time I discovered it, the oil had leaked three feet down the side of my steel tool cabinet. It was much more difficult to clean up than any oil I've ever had that experience with, but the experience taught me a good lesson about how it protects my ways. I'll never use any substitute.

Bob G
 
Re: Way Oil----interesting thought

while working on my le--blond lathe and the then MYSTERIOUS'' servo--shift--i was in contact with the tech's at le--blond concerning the proper lube oil for the gear boxes --i was told they recommend mobil # dte 26 for ''EVERYTHING''-including lube to both inner and outer parts of the le--blond lathes.. well i think that makes things a lot simple er !! i ordered 5--gallons --changed oil in gearboxs and saved old oil to lube outside of lathe parts---works for me!! re steve
 
Is there any part of a lathe where an oil with such "tackiness" as way oil would be detrimental?
 
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