Less messy change gear lubricant ??...

[56type]

Been using bar & chain oil for awhile on the change gears in my Atlas 10100 Mk.2 but getting tired of what looks like an enviromental disaster on the bench & the cover being an oily mess everytime I remove it, not to mention the drive V-belt. Not sure if I'm using too much or if it's just the way things go with this open gear setup. I use a small acid brush to dip in the bar & chain oil then brush a bit on each gear I can get to expecting the rotation of the gears to complete the spread of oil as they rotate. After the lathe sits over night it has an oil slick beneath the headstock. It's to the point the oil is wicking down the threads of the mounting bolts and pooling in the cabinet drawer !!

I've read here that grease wasn't recommended as it would hold chips which would wind up working their way into/thru the gear train. I remember a suggestion of motorcycle chain lube but in my youger years riding dirt bikes that stuff was like soaking a chain in glue, you needed a wire brush and solvent to remove it. There has to be a middle ground somewhere I'd hope ?? Suggestions ??...

 

[Ulma Doctor]

Non detergent 30 wt
The bar and chain oil is too tacky. It will have the tendency to hold swarf like grease does.

since it is a 100% loss lubrication machine, you might as well get used to the idea of cleaning up oil drips and application of oil before each use. Unfortunately it is the nature of the beast.

 

[Grinderman]

I've been using this stuff from Napa on mine for years.. It is a little tacky but works pretty well. If you shove something into the spindle hole (paper towel etc) it keeps the chips out of the geartrain. As an added bonus it quiets down the geartrain quite a bit.

 

[markba633csi]

I have a Mk2 also and I have found I can get by with little to no lubrication on the zamak gears. Now, my situation is probably different than yours; I don't use the gear train frequently and usually only for thread cutting.
The nature of the zamak alloy creates a black mess when run with oil, so I just don't use much. The zamak seems to have some self-lubricating properties, so for light use I can avoid a lot of the mess. I do use a little light oil like 3-in-one. And I run the gears a bit loose. YMMV
-Mark

 

[benmychree]

Bottom line, you are using way too much oil. Likely you do not need to oil the gear train every time you use it. I would take a folded wiping rag and place it under the gear train to catch the drips, or make a shallow metal pan to catch the drips and put a rag or paper towel in it.

 

[projectnut]

I would agree that you're probably using to much oil. If you look at the floor at the left end of my lathe in post #13 of the thread "Is A Starter Necessary" you'll see a few oils spots on the floor. That's where my Seneca Falls lathe sat for nearly 20 years. The Seneca Falls machine also has a total loss oiling system. I did sparingly brush regular 30W oil on the gears, but all they really need is to stay damp, not flooded. You might want to try motorcycle or bicycle open chain lube. It sticks great, keeps things well lubricated, doesn't attract dirt, and won't fly all over the place if you use it according to the directions.

 

[ShagDog]

Whether this is good or not, I don't know because I am kind of new at this. However, ever since I switched over from 20w non detergent oil to Way oil #20, the mess is less. All I use is a minimal amount. The way oil appears to have made the gears run so smoothly that one can barely hear them.

 

[56type]

I have a Mk2 also and I have found I can get by with little to no lubrication on the zamak gears. Now, my situation is probably different than yours; I don't use the gear train frequently and usually only for thread cutting.
The nature of the zamak alloy creates a black mess when run with oil, so I just don't use much. The zamak seems to have some self-lubricating properties, so for light use I can avoid a lot of the mess. I do use a little light oil like 3-in-one. And I run the gears a bit loose. YMMV
-Mark

Yeah, I have noticed the black mess similar to used diesel engine oil, ususlly slung all on the inside of the gear train cover.With the bar & chain oil the gears do run quietly it just does not stay put. I use the gear train for turning to get a good surface finish instead of lurching the carriage along by hand. I haven't quite mastered the fluidity & continuity of motion to get a smooth finish using the carriage handwheel manually.

I may look into the NAPA open gear lube posted above to see if it offers the cling factor I'd like to see. I haven't noticed any swarf retention using the bar & chain oil. My own prior experience with MC chain lube was more akin to it being an adhesive when I used it for it's intended purpose so I'm a bit reluctant to use it on the Atlas.

 

[Flyinfool]

You can not compare use on a dirt bike chain to your gear train. On the dirt bike the chain is running in the dirt and will pick up everything it can. The gear train on your lath is in a semi protected environment so it should see very little amounts of dirt or swarf. I have been using bar and chain oil for the last 20 years and there is very little mess. I bet you re using WAY to much. If there is enough to sling off then it is to much. It will sling off all that it does not need.

 

[ericc]

I'm also having difficulty with oil pooling around the change gears since I've been doing more threading. Fortunately, it doesn't spray that far. I use junk paper towels discarded by OCD neat freaks. After I wipe it up, I put the towels in a junk propane cylinder with a friction fit lid. Haven't had a problem yet. I will try the suggestion of less oil. Coming from the blacksmith side of things, I've seen perfectly good trip hammers ruined by insufficient oil, especially on farms. Most of my blacksmith buddies aren't afraid of oily rags catching on fire later. We just throw them in the forge and they're gone in seconds.