Attention! Rancid with other word hardened and unuseful grease in semi-universal dividing head BS-0, BS-1, universal dividing head BS-2.

[SmithDoor]

I hope post a few recipes.
It was to costly to use animal based.
But today it maybe cheaper to use animal based. I would not for oiling but cutting oil it would be great.

Dave

I restored an Martini Henry once and it was covered in what I concluded was rancid yak butter. Seriously, many of my 100 year old machining books have all sorts of animal based recipes for cutting and lubricating compounds. Maybe they are still being used. Or perhaps it is something out of the Soylent Green factories

 

[Alec Ryals]

(This reminds me of the rumours that the Russians used some kind of grease based on fish to lubricate the jacks which came with Lada cars. Well, that's what it smelt like I guess in Bergen one might be able to find someone elderly who knows what whale oil smells like!).

I've worked on new alfa cars that used fish grease on the wheel bearings

 

[SmithDoor]

Is that today's new cars ?

Dave

I've worked on new alfa cars that used fish grease on the wheel bearings

 

[awake]

I have read older machinists saying that bacon grease or lard are superior lubricants for threading and parting ...

 

[SmithDoor]

I have read older machinists saying that bacon grease or lard are superior lubricants for threading and parting ...

I read that too.
I have not try it
They would mix lard, mineral oil and sulfur then cook the mix.
The old shops did not buy cutting oil. Some would use just lard
The old time bacon is not same as today's bacon it lot of other additives

Dave

 

[BaronJ]

I read that too.
I have not try it
They would mix lard, mineral oil and sulfur then cook the mix.
The old shops did not buy cutting oil. Some would use just lard
The old time bacon is not same as today's bacon it lot of other additives

Dave

Trefolex and similar used that basic formula ! I believe that they also used to add white lead, but I'm told that its no longer the case.

 

[SmithDoor]

Trefolex and similar used that basic formula ! I believe that they also used to add white lead, but I'm told that its no longer the case.

White lead is band for most uses today. You still buy white lead but can not use for anything.

Have can of white lead substitute for chucks and centers

Dave

 

[SirJohn]

On the farm (65 years ago) we always head a can of lard beside the Post Drill to use when drilling in steel. Seemed to work well then but haven't used it since moving to the city.

 

[ddmckee54]

Soylent Green??? SlowDave you're dating yoursel there, but so am I because I remember when it was released.

SirJohn, just about that long ago when I lived on the farm, we used lard for tap lube.

Don

 

[SmithDoor]

It date myself
But lot information comes from old books.
You look at machine work in 1900 and wonder how did do that.
The data is found in old books.
Today everyone is selling carbide and new cutting oils and everyone wonders shy my lathe chather . Just go back before hss cutters and find the answer.

Dave

Soylent Green??? SlowDave you're dating yoursel there, but so am I because I remember when it was released.

SirJohn, just about that long ago when I lived on the farm, we used lard for tap lube.

Don

 

[terryd]

On the farm (65 years ago) we always head a can of lard beside the Post Drill to use when drilling in steel. Seemed to work well then but haven't used it since moving to the city.

Hi,

When I worked with the industrial electricians as part of my apprenticeship we used tallow as a threading lubricant for use on metal conduit tubing. It was basically a rendered animal fat traditionally beef or mutton but also pork and other animal fats were used. It was the consistency of lard or butter but melted at the sort of temperature generated when using a die for threading. It didn't go rancid or deteriorate if kept in airtight containers. In those less conservationally aware days we also used whale oil as a quench for hardening and tempering in the toolroom.

Stay safe and healthy,

TerryD

 

[terryd]

(This reminds me of the rumours that the Russians used some kind of grease based on fish to lubricate the jacks which came with Lada cars. Well, that's what it smelt like I guess in Bergen one might be able to find someone elderly who knows what whale oil smells like!).

Hi mRA,

As I said in an earlier posting we used to use whale oil in a large tank as a quench when hardening and tempering in the toolroom where I worked in the '60s and '70s. When hardening the steel was obviously red hot but there was very little smoke or smell (as far as I can remember) when quenching and the oil was long lasting did not quickly deteriorate.

Stay safe and healthy,

TerryD

 

[MRA]

That's interesting Terry. I'm in England's NW, so I'm less likely to come across some whale oil (unlike Jens maybe!) but more likely to come across a 'lump of lard'

 

[skyline1]

Hi Terry

I used tallow too for conduit threading when I was an apprentice. It has quite a pleasant smell even tasty, I wouldn't try eating eating the stuff although you probably could if it was new. It wouldn't do your arteries much good but probably wouldn't kill you immediately. Then of course we "advanced" and were using Trefolex which is foul smelling stuff even when new, I much preferred the old tallow.

Have you ever used Hellerine for putting rubber sleeves on it smells a bit like baby oil, which i think it basically is without the added perfume.

Best Regards Mark

 

[BaronJ]

That's interesting Terry. I'm in England's NW, so I'm less likely to come across some whale oil (unlike Jens maybe!) but more likely to come across a 'lump of lard'

You can buy 250 gram blocks of lard in most supermarkets !

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Terry

I used tallow too for conduit threading when I was an apprentice. It has quite a pleasant smell even tasty, I wouldn't try eating eating the stuff although you probably could if it was new. It wouldn't do your arteries much good but probably wouldn't kill you immediately. Then of course we "advanced" and were using Trefolex which is foul smelling stuff even when new, I much preferred the old tallow.

Have you ever used Hellerine for putting rubber sleeves on it smells a bit like baby oil, which i think it basically is without the added perfume.

Best Regards Mark

Hellerine is I believe a silicon oil ! It stays slippery for months after application. A bottle of it seems to last forever.

 

[MRA]

You can buy 250 gram blocks of lard in most supermarkets !

Ah - you're not familiar with the insult / joke attached to 'lump of lard' then! While we are talking about those rubber sleeves, the pliers used to stretch them over the connection to be protected sometimes had their name changed from 'Hellerman' to 'Honeymoon' pliers

 

[goldstar31]

You can buy 250 gram blocks of lard in most supermarkets !
[/QUOTE]

But even better, you can buy Purifird lard oil by the 5 litres

 

[skyline1]

BaronJ
Yes that's it, Wonderful stuff Hellerine, a little drop goes a long way. It has a multitude of uses apart from it's original one of lubricating rubber sleeves.

Like freeing stuck wedding rings and releasing an apprentice's finger from where said apprentice shouldn't have stuck it in the first place. ! ( Up the end of a conduit pipe )

Best Regards Mark

 

[goldstar31]

BaronJ
Yes that's it, Wonderful stuff Hellerine, a little drop goes a long way. It has a multitude of uses apart from it's original one of lubricating rubber sleeves.

Like freeing stuck wedding rings and releasing an apprentice's finger from where said apprentice shouldn't have stuck it in the first place. ! ( Up the end of a conduit pipe )

Best Regards Mark

I'm having an eduxated guess for Hellerine and suspect that it is not far off 19 parts of castor pil to one of ethanol.
So for us oldies, it is mainly castor oil which was used in WW1 aircraft egines and gave the aces of old 'Montezuma's Revenge

Then for old motor bikes Lord Wakefield mad Castrol oil with its unique smalling exhaust.
So back to us who had 'Diesel' or correctly compression ignition model engines the fuel was ofter 'cow' castor oil, kerosene and a ether meths with a dab of amyl nitrate or nitride.

BUT_ BUT once castor oil is heated too high, it becomes 'varnish'. Actually it went in with Glycerol to male some paints. Wasn't it Pthallic Anhydride????

Norman