NAPA sale

[Bimus]

I use non detergent 30 wt motor oil on my lathe and mill machine and at Napa 30 wt non detergent motor oil is on sale for $2.59 a quart

 

[neanderthal mach]

I paid $85 for 5 gallons of Vacra no. 2. It works much much better. Any oil is better than no oil, but I'll stick with what's recommended.

 

[texasgeartrain]

Op didn't mention what parts of his machines he's using it on, maybe everything ?

Every machine has different specs, but as a grand generalization, I see roughly DTE medium/heavy or equivalent recommended on various gear boxes. That's 20w.

DTE heavy is 30w.

Way oils, vacra heavier.

Spindle oils lighter.

Op's listed as in New Mexico. If in the south there could be dealing with higher temps most of the time, where heavier oil might be better. Still generally speaking, hard to wrong with DTE heavy/medium on a lot of stuff. I wouldn't put 30w on spindle bearings though, too heavy. Use atf if your limited on oil types.

 

[neanderthal mach]

Very true. Spindles and gear boxes would be something very different. And for that I bought 5 gallons of that DTE at the same time. But for way or even feed screw lubrication, in the past I've tried just about everything from 3N1 oil to 90 wt gear oil. That 90 wt was a big mistake for sure. But nothing works on slide surfaces like Vactra no. 2. You also brought up a good point about where the OP is. In that location and average temperatures in a non A/C shop then yeah Vactra no. 4 might be the much better choice. It's also the recommended lubricant for vertical way surfaces such as the knee ways on BP type mills. So far no ones explained just how I can use no.2 and no. 4 in my one shot and have it decide where each one is supposed to go though. :-) Considering how much gets used against all the other home shop costs, oil and the correct type is the cheapest preventative maintenance you can do. A few bucks a month for most of us.

 

[steve-l]

Never use any auto oil on your machines. The oil is very different. Never use gear oil for spindles. Never use anything other than way oil for sliding surfaces. There is no substitute for the correct oil. This can be a large expense for the hobbyist because very often the smallest volume of these oils on offer is 20 liter (5 gal), but it is money well spent.

 

[chipss]

Oil thread!!

 

[rusty old tools]

Another aspect of this is that some spindles may have a bit more clearance than others, so in these instances a little heavier oil may be fine, my old 13” O model likes a bit heavier oil, it’s out of shim to take up the clearance, and the journals need reground and new bearings made to fit. Running heavier oils is a stop gap measure to be sure, but will get you by sometimes. If it’s not heating up, I see no problem here.

 

[steve-l]

Another aspect of this is that some spindles may have a bit more clearance than others, so in these instances a little heavier oil may be fine, my old 13” O model likes a bit heavier oil, it’s out of shim to take up the clearance, and the journals need reground and new bearings made to fit. Running heavier oils is a stop gap measure to be sure, but will get you by sometimes. If it’s not heating up, I see no problem here.

It is not just viscosity that is a concern. Automotive oils contain additive packages that include dispersants so contaminates can be removed by the oil filter. Machine oils depend on contaminants to settle out gravitationally to the sump. This is just one of the many differences, there are more.

 

[jim rozen]

...contaminates can be removed by the oil filter.....

What oil filter?

 

[rusty old tools]

It is not just viscosity that is a concern. Automotive oils contain additive packages that include dispersants so contaminates can be removed by the oil filter. Machine oils depend on contaminants to settle out gravitationally to the sump. This is just one of the many differences, there are more.

The OP specified that this is non detergent oil, but since the subject of detergents has been brought up, I’ll offer some thoughts on this; yes detergent oils are designed to keep contaminants in suspension so that they may be removed by a filter, and this can of course lead to trouble if used in a system with no filter where contamination is meant to settle out, however, in a system with total loss lubrication where the oil is not recirculated, such as in many early lathes, it can actually be of some benefit, as it would serve to help wash out contamination as the oil goes in, does its work, and is flung out or dripped off wherever it wants to go. The key here is to know your machine and it’s oiling system in order to best determine what lubricant can be used and where.

 

[Rob F.]

What oil filter?

Automotive oils contain additive packages that include dispersants so contaminates can be removed by the oil filter.

Automotive engine oil filter

 

[jim rozen]

Automotive engine oil filter

Please post picture of SB lathe - with engine filter attached!

 

[steve-l]

Please post picture of SB lathe - with engine filter attached!

Jim, please read my post more carefully. SB lathes depend on gravity. Automotive oils are used in Auto engines, they have filters.

 

[jim rozen]

Jim, please read my post more carefully. SB lathes depend on gravity. Automotive oils are used in Auto engines, they have filters.

Pay attention, this is a thread about oil for southbend lathes. (they do NOT have oil filters)