Cincinnati Toolmaster lubrication question

Hello,
I am slowly re-assembling my Toolmaster 1D and have a question about lubrication. Specifically, what is recommended for the turret-to-column, and overarm-to-turret surfaces. I was going to use Vactra way oil, but that somehow seems wrong for those surfaces since they are not often moved. Should I use a grease of some kind? I don't see any mention of these in my manual, but maybe I missed it. Thanks in advance for any help.
R. G. Sheehan

rgsheehan said:

Hello,
I am slowly re-assembling my Toolmaster 1D and have a question about lubrication. Specifically, what is recommended for the turret-to-column, and overarm-to-turret surfaces. I was going to use Vactra way oil, but that somehow seems wrong for those surfaces since they are not often moved. Should I use a grease of some kind? I don't see any mention of these in my manual, but maybe I missed it. Thanks in advance for any help.
R. G. Sheehan

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I like to wipe a thin film of grease on such things. Keeps humidity in air off it. But it will collect dust and such over periods of time. So when you actually do move those parts, wipe it clean and re-lube first.

I don't believe that the factory specified a lubricant for those surfaces. At least I've not seen one.

I know I put something on my turret base and overarm dovetail when I reassembled my Toolmaster 1B, but now I can't recall what I used. Some sort of thin grease, anything to prevent rust.

Okay, thanks guys. FWIW, I got the following from a posting on Google Groups:

I discussed this problem several years ago with a lubrication expert
who's a colleague at the local NSPE chapter, and to him the large
circular bearing appeared to benefit most from an extreme pressure
lubricant that has good retention (doesn't squeeze out) and low
volatility (lighter lubrication components don't dry out over long
periods of stagnation). That matches a good ball joint grease, as it
happens. In the average year between angle changes, I have not noticed
any "stick-slip" characteristics using that lubricant in both the
ram-support-to-column joint or J head-to-ram circular bearing. Movement
has always been almost like it's on ball bearings. The ram dovetails
are a more difficult environment, according to this colleague. Large
expanses are open to an oxidizing atmosphere, which causes evaporation
of the lighter petroleum components and encourages varnish development.
That was precisely the problem I ran into using the way oil - it seems
to harden up into a varnish if you don't continually renew it. He
recommended using a teflon based synthetic grease, and using that has
been a real help on my own Bridgeport. No stick-slip using that lube
either. Yeah, I know, I know - it means getting a half dozen lubricants
just to maintain the stoopid mill, but I rationalized it with the
thought that if bear grease did everything, there wouldn't be a zillion
lubricants on the market. :-)