Running #4 way oil instead of #2?

New to me occasional use garage mill(Index 745). Looking to pick up a jug of way oil but unfortunately it appears Vacuoline 1400 series is only available in 5 plus gallon sizes. Planning on biting the bullet and ordering a jug this week. This brought up the question of weather there is a negative side to running a heavy way lube compared to a medium? Machine calls out vactra #2 (in 1968). Realistically machine will be seeing light use and i am more concerned with keeping oil on the ways for corrosion protection in the day to day. Other than a little heavier on the handles is there a down side to using the thicker lube? Machine will have 15 inch rotary table mounted on it as well (250lbs?) so the extra film strength may be beneficial? No auto oiler at this point, just injecting the zerks.
Thanks!!

TheEpicZero said:

New to me concessional use garage mill. Looking to pick up a jug of way oil but unfortunately it appears Vacuoline 1400 series is only available in 5 plus gallon sizes. Planning on biting the bullet and ordering a jug this week. This brought up the question of weather there is a negative side to running a heavy way lube compared to a medium? Machine calls out vactra #2 (in 1968). Realistically machine will be seeing light use and i am more concerned with keeping oil on the ways for corrosion protection in the day to day. Other than a little heavier on the handles is there a down side to using the thicker lube? Machine will have 15 inch rotary table mounted on it as well (250lbs?) so the extra film strength may be beneficial? No auto oiler at this point, just injecting the zerks.
Thanks!!

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Dunno how you've missed it, just Google "Vactra #2", discover that Mobil's Vactra #2 is about as common as fly poop in ONE gallon jugs. Repackagers even sell it in quarts for the Hardinge & other small lathe markets.

No need to use Vactra #4. It might even be HARDER to find than Vactra #2 in handy containers.

2CW

#2 as already mentioned is easy to find in 1 gallon and even smaller containers. #4 is commonly used on vertical surfaces as well, # 2 more common on horizontal. #2 applied once a month on my surfaces keep them pretty protected in my non air conditioned/heated building

You don't need Vacuoline. You would never notice the difference between it and Vactra. There is so much mis-information out there on way oils it pathetic. There are a lot of people that will tell you that Vacuolene 1404 is the old Vatra #2. Not true.
They were both thickened with Peratac and they both had the same viscosity. Vacuolene had a higher zinc or ash content (I can't recall which)

As far as the #4 goes, We ran half a dozen large VTLs. The 108" Gray, with 10' columns took #2
JR

I'm running #4 in the Ways for all my manual lathes and mills (all of them call for #2), and haven't seen any detrimental effects. In fact, they seem to run more smoothly. I still run #2 in the CNC but that thing moves a lot faster. Like you, I use these machines for light duty, they don't run 24/7 like a production shop.

I’ve used number 4 on my mill ways since 1998, it works great especially if you have some wear. If you don’t have a hand oilier H&W sells them just don’t drop it.