lubricants

[lastpatriot]

I may be slammed by an older experienced machinist, but here goes.
Years ago my son was burning up all my WD40 on his rollerblades / skateboards.
I tried to tell him that WD40 was a lame lube (too thin).
He didn't believe me (I could see it on his face).
So I took out my model steam engine (the one that's been around and for sale at least since the 60's)
Fired it up, once it was chuggin along I sprayed all the moving parts with wd40, it stopped.
I shut the steam off, oiled it with the Pennzoil mini bottle it came with, turned the steam on, it chugged along at a nice rate.
Shut the steam off once again, sprayed all the lube off with wd40, then broke out the wheel bearing grease, you know, the
brown sticky stringy stuff, blobbed it on the moving parts, turned the steam back on, it hauled a$$, spinning circles on the bench.
Thicker is better, the bonus is like wheel bearings when heat builds, it sucks the lube to the heat.

 

[fltenwheeler]

Hi

WD=Water Displacement

Meets "MIL-C-23411 CORROSION PREVENTIVE COMPOUND"

Tim

 

[stevehuckss396]

I may be slammed by an older experienced machinist, but here goes.

As long as I have been coming to this board, I have never seen a case where someone has been "slammed" or made to feel inferior for asking a question or stating what they feel is fact. If someone feels you are wrong, they will state there case in an effort to teach all of us.

 

[black85vette]

This is NOT a correction or counter point. Just another opinion. Sometimes I want a light lube and if WD40 is the only thing handy I spray it into a small cup and let it set a day or two to let the solvents evaporate out and then use the light oil remaining. Not saying this is a good practice, just something I have done.

 

[Maryak]

As an ex lubricants engineer as part of my working life, there are a zillion reasons why one oil or grease works well and another does not.

e.g.

A large power station steam turbine set usually runs on SAE 10 oil with a minimum of additives and a fancy forced lubrication system. Barring accidents this oil will last as long as the turbine set it lubricates.

A car normally has a multigrade engine oil SAE 10W/40, SAE 20W/50 with a heap of additives to provide control of the byproducts of combustion, anti wear, viscosity control etc. That's why it needs to be changed because the additives deplete and cease to perform effectively.

Just a comment about grease, the metallic soap, e.g. lithium, acts as a carrier to hold the oil it contains. It is the oil so contained which provides the lubrication to the part. Like oils the grease may be made up of different metallic soaps holding different oils and additives to perform in different environments.

So it's beneficial to the life of every machine to use lubricants which are compatible with its' working environment.

Hope this helps.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[fltenwheeler]

As an ex lubricants engineer as part of my working life, there are a zillion reasons why one oil or grease works well and another does not.

Best Regards
Bob

Hi Bob

I have been told not to use molybdenum disulphide grease on mild steel shafts running in bronze bushings. Why is that?

Thanks


Tim

 

[Maryak]

Hi Bob

I have been told not to use molybdenum disulphide grease on mild steel shafts running in bronze bushings. Why is that?

Thanks


Tim

Tim,

The main reason is because MoS2 is a semiconductor and so over time the steel shaft will become pitted as it sacrifices itself to the bronze bush. (Core blimey I had to pull that one out of the shallows of my memory bank)

Hope this helps

Best Regards
Bob

 

[fltenwheeler]

Tim,

The main reason is because MoS2 is a semiconductor and so over time the steel shaft will become pitted as it sacrifices itself to the bronze bush. (Core blimey I had to pull that one out of the shallows of my memory bank)

Hope this helps

Best Regards
Bob

Thank You

Tim

 

[Deanofid]

I feel about the same as the OP when it comes to WD-40. It ain't no count as a lube, though it claims to be one.
It turns into a terrible gunk after a short time.
WD-40 used to have a picture of a camera on their label, along with many other things you could ruin
with it. I repair old cameras. I got more than a few cameras here for repair after the poor owner
has sprayed that stuff into the shutter.

So my point is, when running steam engines on steam, or even air, since air always will have some moisture in it, you need to use WD40 inside and out to displace the water. Then after letting it sit for a day, you can add a light machine oil, and the WD40 will wick the light oil down into the tight areas like around fasteners, and around the piston rings in the cylinder.

Pretty much don't agree with any of that, but I'm just disagreeing. Not saying you are doing it wrong.
If you use proper steam oil in a steam engine, and a lubricator in the steam line, you won't have
problems. There was no WD-40 around for first couple hundred years of steam operation, and there
are still engines running today that were made before WD was marketed. You won't catch me squirting
the stuff into my steam engines

I don't have any use for it around my machinery, though it is a fair degreaser, good cutting
fluid for aluminum, stops the squeak on the barn door hinge, (so does fuel oil), and it's a fine mans
cologne.

 

[Deanofid]

Cast iron will take a tremendous amount of corrosion abuse, whereas mild steel will develop some serious pitting in a short period of time if exposed to water.

Pat J

This may be where your trouble comes in. I don't know who would normally make a steam engine out
of mild steel. Cast iron, bronze, and brass are the usual components, and they don't have near the rusting
and corrosion trouble you find in the common steels. Actually, no rusting ever with the bronze or brass.

I have a number of steam engines, most made from one of the copper alloys. They all get steamed,
and none of them have the "troubles".

Good luck with your engines, and have fun.

Dean

 

[lastpatriot]

I'm curious as to why the sticky grease worked much better than the motor oil.