I think the answers are a) Yes H32 if fine for this, b) No, use it neat (clue is in the name) with a brush and c) Yes, it sounds ideal.

I purchased a large container of H32 a while go and use it on all my machines now (Myford/Atlas etc) – a little usually also gets into my Tea, so it probably keeps me moving too…

Regards,

IanT

Rowan

H32 Hydraulic Oil – General lubrication of bearings bushes etc – nothing better.

1758 Neat Cutting Oil – Used neat for cutting (without water) – cutting oils and coolants have been much discussed on this forum. Whether you use neat oil or suds is up to you.

Slideway Oil 46 – Lubrication of slideways – nothing better.

Buy locally or on the internet and be prepared to buy quite a bit (long term saving). These oils are not expensive. I could recommend actual suppliers and manufacturers but there is little point. Do not use engine oil which is expensive and contains additives that are of not use to your lathe.

All the best

JA

Beaten by IanT & Noel

Edited By JA on 01/05/2023 15:57:21

All from "C Bennis Supplies & Services":

Hydraulic oil.

Slideway oil.

Neat Cutting oil.

I've used several of their greases, and they were good quality and value.

I use Way Oil also as cutting oil. It has the advantage that being sticky it doesn't decorate my walls due to centrifugal force.

H32 or ordinary engine oil will work just fine, straight 30, 20/50, 15/40, just feed with an oil can. For hobby use almost any oil will be better than none ! If you come from an engineering background oiling is simple but otherwise people get far too fussy about the right oil ! EP 90 is a bit thick and takes days to get the smell off your hands. Grease nipples or are they for oil ? Noel.

A lot of the variety is to cope with very stringent industrial and transport applications that can subject the fluid to much heavier working conditions for much longer times than we give it. Such applications tend to be enclosed, unlike oiling an open lathe bed and saddle, so the oil needs last a long time.

A warning that does appear from time to time on this forum and relevant here, is to avoid Extreme Pressure oils designed for automotive gear-boxes and differentials. Or rather, be very careful where you use them. Though excellent for such gearboxes, they contain additives that can attack bearing bronzes. (Their intended applications use ball or roller bearings.)

Machine-tools should not be lubricated with grease except if and where specified.

By all means use a grease gun filled with oil though.

I don't have one, but my machines don't seem to suffer from having the sliding surfaces cleaned with old paint-brushes and paper towels, then spread with generous films oil I work in by operating the slides a few times. A bit messy, but more paper towels clean up the surplus.

It's worth oiling the ways under the tailstock too, to aid moving that but also to keep rust at bay.