Stupid newbie question about way oil

[wawoodman]

No, not one of those "which way oil is the best?" questions.

It's even worse.

How do you apply way oil? Squirt a squiggle on the ways, and move the carriage over it? With a brush? With a rag? Should it run off? Should you wipe it almost off?

[ieezitin]

Way Oil ISO Grade: 68 Vactra 2.  MSC sell it there number is 100772

Works great for me... its about$35 a gallon lasts me a year, i have two lathes one mill and some small machines.

Its sticks good so i only bathe it about twice a day, i catch the drips with an oil cloth to keep that always soaked so when i leave the shop at night i wipe all tooling and stuff.

Hopes this helps..

PS i squirt it from an oil can. 


Anthony.

[Sunset Machine]

I string a drizzle from an oil can and spread it with my fingers on some machines. Others just get a glorp squirted on, still others have lube systems. Never from a rag or brush -- lint and chips, ya know.

[TomG]

Both my mill and lathe have oilers (a one shot on the mill and gravity feed on the lathe). If yours don't you may want to consider a retrofit.

Tom

[ScrapMetal]

I stick my finger (wearing neoprene gloves) in the oil jug and then drip/spread it on the ways with my finger.  Very high tech.  

-Ron

[wawoodman]

High tech, maybe not, but exactly what I need to hear!

Thanks, all.

[PixMan]

I do have the one-shot lube systems on my mill and my surface grinder and it's great. My lathe has the carriage apron filled with way lube and has a central way lube pump inside. I can't find any evidence that the pump still works, so I drizzle way lube onto the ways with a squirt oiler. Then I lead a very risky life by spreading the way lube evenly with my bare clean finger.

[TomG]

(10-31-2015, 08:13 PM)ScrapMetal Wrote: I stick my finger (wearing neoprene gloves) in the oil jug and then drip/spread it on the ways with my finger.  Very high tech.  

-Ron

[Pete O]

I have a very high-tech oiling system too; I move the carriage along whilst squirting oil from a can onto the ways ahead of the carriage. The carriage seems to spread the oil just where it needs to be. Same with the tailstock ways, I squirt oil on them whilst sliding the tailstock along. The tail end of the main ways and the head end of the tailstock ways get the finger treatment, plus or minus glove.