03-30-2012, 10:21 AM
(03-30-2012, 09:56 AM)Bogstandard Wrote: Ed,
For metal change gears, you can't go far wrong with the cans of spray grease used for lubricating mo'sickle chains. It sticks like the proverbial to a blanket, and stays where it is put, unlike oil, even slideway, which will get thrown off.
Personally, but bear in mind I have never had them, I would not lubricate plastic change gears, purely because you don't know what sort of chemical reaction you will get, and it could in fact weaken the gears. I suppose somewhere, someone might have come up with a lubricant for them.
John
John,
Isn't the grease more apt to catch and hold onto swarf, unlike oil? Like you, I over oil my lathe, including the gears. I check the gears and give them a shot of oil before using the lathe. It's surprising how well the way oil stays on the gears. But then I usually tend to run my lathe slower than recommended.
My mini-lathe has plastic gears and I use that white lithium grease on it. I've been doing that for about 12 years and none of the gears look any different from that day I bought the lathe. I think they are nylon gears but I'm not positive.
Good information John.
Ed