[modeleng] Re: Lubricating oils

I use Sharvania® brand steam cylinder oil in my locomotives and also put a 
bit of it onto the running gear.  With my "Newbie" loco, lubrication of the 
crank and primary chain is automatic and according to some club members it 
also oils the rails.  The latter claim however is untrue as the directors 
discovered the track oiling was caused by leakage from "diesel" hydraulic 
drives.

Don't look for Sharvania as they were bought out by a bigger company who 
later quit making steam cylinder oil.  I still have about 4 gallons on hand 
and will hoard it as long as I run live steam.

Jesse in warm Troy, TN where it looks like showers later today

> Gent's,
>
> Just something for you to think about.....
>
> Additives are something to be extremely warey of. Additives such as
> Molybdenum disulfide (which is the form that the molybdenum is in), is
> designed for rolling element bearing and slow moving hardened steel on
> hardened steel bearing surfaces. It is extremely hard, and must be crushed
> into the pores of the hardened steel for it to be of any benefit. Due to
> it's hardness, and chrystaline structure, it behaves as grinding paste in
> situations where you have standard dissimilar metal bearings. EG GM bronze
> on steel, PB bronze on hardened steel, cast iron on cast iron, on steel,
> hardened steel.
>
> Teflon is another "too good to be true" additive. As long as it doesn't 
> get
> too hot, it's OK. But if it exceeds it's critical tempurature, it breaks
> down into hydroflouric acid, which is extremely nasty stuff. You need to 
> be
> careful of where you put it in our hobby.
>
> Graphite. Be very careful with this one. There are 2 structures that
> graphite comes in. Spherical and chrystaline. The spherical graphite is 
> the
> stuff to use for dissimilar metal bearings. It's very soft, and won't 
> damage
> anything. Chrystaline graphite (the most commonly available variety) is 
> only
> suitable for the same situations as Moly' due to it's hardness and shard
> forming properties. The best thing is to buy a tin of spherical graphite 
> and
> add it to your oil. I use "Dixson's air spun spherical graphite", and I
> recomend the same. It comes in several grain sizes, so get a small grain
> size rather than the large grain size, as it will do the job faster with 
> our
> close tolerances.
>
> Lithium base soap greases (and oils) are good in dissimilar metal 
> bearings,
> as it is a soap type grease/oil and is hence non abrasive. It also sticks
> like s#*t to a blanket, so doesn't wash of easily.
>
> As an extra.... Antisieze. Copper based antisieze is still the product of
> choice in the marine industries around the world. The aluminium based
> antisieze will often react with the metals and no longer function as
> intended. This is particuarly so with hot areas.
>
> I use 600W steam oil on my 7.25" gauge loco, simply for ease. I have never
> had any wear problems, and my loco has done thousands of kilometers 
> hauling
> a minimum of 2600 kg of passengers and wagons. For my smaller loco's I use
> 20W/50 engine oil with a teaspoon of spherical graphite added to every 
> litre
> (quart to you Yanks). I stir it in well, and lube away.
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Phill.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <bede@xxxxxxx>
> To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 03, 2009 11:47 AM
> Subject: [modeleng] Re: Lubricating oils
>
>
>> For oiling 'round I use a bicycle gear oil called "Finish Line" in the
>> States. Their "Wet" series of lubes is billed as:
>>
>>    * A wet-style lube for use in adverse conditions
>>    * Super-durable synthetic ingredients create a high viscosity lube
>> that protects and lubricates parts for longer (cross head, expansion
>> link, big end, eccentrics...)
>>    * Fortified with extreme pressure additives such as Molybdenum for
>> high torque loads
>>    * Includes water repelling polymers, making it Finish Line's longest
>> lasting and most water resistant lubricant
>>    * Proven performance for long rides, muddy off-road conditions and
>> long rainy commutes
>>    * The synthetic oils used are non-toxic and biodegradable
>>
>> Not too cheap, but seems just the ticket for our purposes!
>>
>> Bede in not-so-rainy Brooklyn
>>
>>
>>
>> On 6/2/2009, "Barrie Purslow" <bpduo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>>Hi Ron,
>>>
>>>I use a top secret mix of steam oil and car engine oil. The mixing ratio
>>>is
>>>hypercritical to ensure the steam oil makes it stick to the bearing
>>>surface
>>>whilst the engine oil does the lubricating. I'm only sorry that I can't
>>>disclose full details...................
>>>
>>>Barrie
>>>
>>>
>>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>>From: "Ron Head" <ronald.head@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 7:46 PM
>>>Subject: [modeleng] Lubricating oils
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hi all
>>>> I'm sorry to have descended to the level of a 'lurker' for the last few
>>>> months, but I've followed all the recent threads with interest.
>>>>
>>>> Here's a subject that I don't think has been aired before on this list.
>>>> What viscosity of oil do folk prefer for lubricating the motion,
>>>> axleboxes
>>>> etc of their miniature locomotives?
>>>>
>>>> Opinions seem to vary on this!  Some like a sewing machine oil, others
>>>> prefer something heavier (like a gear oil) on the grounds that it
>>>> doesn't
>>>> get thrown out so easily.  Any comments welcome.
>>>>
>>>> Regards
>>>> Ron
>>>>
>>>> Sunny Oxford, UK
>>>> MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST.
>>>>
>>>> To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to,
>>>> modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the
>>>> subject
>>>> line.
>>>>
>>>
>>>MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST.
>>>
>>>To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to,
>>>modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject
>>>line.
>>>
>> MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST.
>>
>> To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to,
>> modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject
>> line.
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.51/2151 - Release Date: 06/02/09
> 17:53:00
>
> MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST.
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to,
> modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject 
> line.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.52/2152 - Release Date: 06/03/09 
05:53:00

MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST.

To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, 
modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Other related posts: