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Wax,oil,grease, what lubricant?

kevinkkm1

Hi I just got a shopsmith and I am restoring it, I have taken it apart and cleaned all of all the gunk and rust off.

I am just wondering what lubricant I should use before I assenble it again. I will be doing lots of sanding on the lathe and would like to know a libricant that dosn't attract fine sawdust. So far I think that wax is the answer but what kind should i use, how long should it last, and will it lubricate well enough? (I will also be turning large uneven blocls of wood, If that affects the libricant needed)

Just got a shopsmith 10E ! :)

ryanbp01

Hi and welcome!:

I like to use furniture paste wax on the table and Top-Kote on the speed changer and the way tubes for my Shopsmith. Hope this helps.

BPR

rkh2

kevinkkm1

Welcome to the forum. I suggest going to the link I am attaching to this post that gives about a 30 min presentation on lubrication & maintenance of the SS. The 2d link shows how to remove, lubricate & replace the quill. The 3rd video shows restoring an old machine. I personally use Johnson's paste wax on my way tubes and other surfaces on my machine and I do a lot of turning and sanding and it is easy to clean the sawdust, and sanding dust off without any problems. As for the oiling, I use the oil that comes with the SS help kit on the sheaves and and top coat lightly on the gears for the speed changer. Be especially careful not to get the Top Coat on the belts, using a rag to help protect them from the spray. There is also a DVD put out by Rick Davis on Maintenance & Alignment which is excellent and I highly recommend this. Hope this helps.

http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Archives/SS111/SS111_Mark_V_Maintenance.htm

http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Archives/SS107/SS107_Quill_Maintenance.htm

http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Archives/SS122/SS122_Shopsmith_Reborn_Pt2.htm

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/DVD_alignment.htm

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/mvmaint_helpkit.htm

Ron309753

This is the little oiler that Nick uses in the Sawdust Session lube video to lube the sheaves. I got one from ShopSmith about 2 months ago, but I didn’t see it in the latest catalog. Customer service should be able to tell you if they still have it.

http://www.zoomspoutoiler.com/

Use Minwax Paste Finishing Wax for the way tubes and tabletops. You can also get it at Lowes or Home Depot.

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/itemfind.htm?item=522454&Submit=Find+Item

You can use any spray silicone inside the headstock for the speed dial and threaded rods.

oldc6

I have has a number of personal bouts with spray silicone........ worked at auto dealership for over forty years.... The place also had a body shop.. sometimes a paint job would just go south...... bubbles , fisheyes, etc. in paint...... we did use some spray silicone in main shop. we finally figured out what the cause was and never, never, used that stuff again in shop..armour all for tires , and dash if the worst culprit i have ever seen....... so, the moral of the story if you have silicone in your shop - give it away, recycle it. anything to get it out of the building............ thanks

Ed in Tampa

oldc6 wroteI have has a number of personal bouts with spray silicone........ worked at auto dealership for over forty years.... The place also had a body shop.. sometimes a paint job would just go south...... bubbles , fisheyes, etc. in paint...... we did use some spray silicone in main shop. we finally figured out what the cause was and never, never, used that stuff again in shop..armour all for tires , and dash if the worst culprit i have ever seen....... so, the moral of the story if you have silicone in your shop - give it away, recycle it. anything to get it out of the building............ thanks

Amen! Oldc6 I have been singing that song for years. Silicon around anything that is going to be finished later may cause problems that most can't even imagine. I will not allow silicone in my shop. If I must use something like silicon chaulk I make sure nothing used to do the job comes back into my shop. I stopped using armour all and such when I found the outgassing from it really made a mess of the windshield and later found out how much of it you breath. Thanks but no thanks to silicon!!!!!!!!

Ed

Ron309753

I was just following Nick's advice in Sawdust Session #11 (Cleaning and Lubricating the Mark V), where he used silicone on the quadrant arm and headstock lock threaded rod. I used it, seemed to work fine.

To each his own I guess.

a1gutterman

kevinkkm1,

Ron309753 wroteI was just following Nick's advice in Sawdust Session #11 (Cleaning and Lubricating the Mark V), where he used silicone on the quadrant arm and headstock lock threaded rod. I used it, seemed to work fine.

To each his own I guess.

Ron is right: To each, his own! Not only will silicone create havoc with finishes, but so will wax and oil. That said, I use wax (Johnson's Paste) on all surfaces, the pocket oiler that SS sells, for the shafts, and bees wax on the speed control quadrant.

ron309753 wrote...the little oiler that Nick uses in the Sawdust Session lube video to lube the sheaves. I got one from ShopSmith about 2 months ago, but I didn’t see it in the latest catalog...

pg 84 of the Fathers Day 2008 Sale cat. part number 517429 $3.74.

Amita

Hi,

With so many options in the marketplace, it can be tricky to sift through all the choices and find the right one for you. The best way to do that is always going to be trying out each lubricant and seeing if it works for you and your specific needs. But our guide should have at least provided a few helpful pointers towards finding the right lubricant without much hassle—hopefully helping each reader find what they need.

Hobbyman2

See the manufacture recommendations on maintenance and lubricants ? In the pattern shop years ago we use to use graphite on the Big band saw bearings and the drill press , it did not collect saw dust and seemed to out last oil .

jsburger

Hobbyman2 wrote See the manufacture recommendations on maintenance and lubricants ? In the pattern shop years ago we use to use graphite on the Big band saw bearings and the drill press , it did not collect saw dust and seemed to out last oil .

I believe you are replying to a SPAMer. If you look he is a first time poster to a 2008 thread ( typical SPAMer method ) and one of our great moderators deleted the included link in the post.

Hobbyman2

jsburger wrote
Hobbyman2 wrote See the manufacture recommendations on maintenance and lubricants ? In the pattern shop years ago we use to use graphite on the Big band saw bearings and the drill press , it did not collect saw dust and seemed to out last oil .
I believe you are replying to a SPAMer. If you look he is a first time poster to a 2008 thread ( typical SPAMer method ) and one of our great moderators deleted the included link in the post.

----------------------------------

Could be . it cold be a good topic to re-visit , I haven't noticed many people using graphite as a lubricant lately , If , I recall it comes in a small squeeze tube or a spray , it could help those who may wish to take advantage of something other than oil or grease in their band saw bearings .

thunderbirdbat

Mix the powdered graphite with alcohol then use a small paint brush to apply a thin coat. Capillary action will help get the graphite into crevices. The alcohol evaporates leaving just the graphite. Used to use this when working on submarine steam systems.

BuckeyeDennis

thunderbirdbat wrote Mix the powdered graphite with alcohol then use a small paint brush to apply a thin coat. Capillary action will help get the graphite into crevices. The alcohol evaporates leaving just the graphite. Used to use this when working on submarine steam systems.

Great tip, Brenda! I use graphite powder quite a bit, but generally apply it dry. Then I try to flush it into the shaft bores, etc. with WD-40 or similar, which makes an even bigger mess. Your technique should be much easier & cleaner.

RFGuy

BuckeyeDennis wrote
thunderbirdbat wrote Mix the powdered graphite with alcohol then use a small paint brush to apply a thin coat. Capillary action will help get the graphite into crevices. The alcohol evaporates leaving just the graphite. Used to use this when working on submarine steam systems.

Great tip, Brenda! I use graphite powder quite a bit, but generally apply it dry. Then I try to flush it into the shaft bores, etc. with WD-40 or similar, which makes an even bigger mess. Your technique should be much easier & cleaner.

I agree as well. I love using graphite for lubrication and will have to try this technique for getting it into hard to lubricate spots. Thanks Brenda!

JPG

jsburger wrote
Hobbyman2 wrote See the manufacture recommendations on maintenance and lubricants ? In the pattern shop years ago we use to use graphite on the Big band saw bearings and the drill press , it did not collect saw dust and seemed to out last oil .
I believe you are replying to a SPAMer. If you look he is a first time poster to a 2008 thread ( typical SPAMer method ) and one of our great moderators deleted the included link in the post.

Why would a moderator bother to edit out a link(or whatever) rather than simply not allowing the post to pass???

dusty

JPG wrote
jsburger wrote
Hobbyman2 wrote See the manufacture recommendations on maintenance and lubricants ? In the pattern shop years ago we use to use graphite on the Big band saw bearings and the drill press , it did not collect saw dust and seemed to out last oil .
I believe you are replying to a SPAMer. If you look he is a first time poster to a 2008 thread ( typical SPAMer method ) and one of our great moderators deleted the included link in the post.
Why would a moderator bother to edit out a link(or whatever) rather than simply not allowing the post to pass???

What forum policy was violated other than posting that particular link?

RFGuy

JPG wrote Why would a moderator bother to edit out a link(or whatever) rather than simply not allowing the post to pass???

My guess is that some SPAM-like posts are innocuous, so the MODERATORS chose to remove the link but leave the post text behind just in case the post isn't SPAM after all. Less offensive to a potential new forum member to remove a link than to delete the entire post. I believe some SPAM posts are obvious and should be deleted, but there are some that are not quite so obvious. Not sure if this is the reason or not, but in any event, I want to thank all of the MODERATORS for their tireless efforts against the forces of SPAM here...

jsburger

JPG wrote
jsburger wrote
Hobbyman2 wrote See the manufacture recommendations on maintenance and lubricants ? In the pattern shop years ago we use to use graphite on the Big band saw bearings and the drill press , it did not collect saw dust and seemed to out last oil .
I believe you are replying to a SPAMer. If you look he is a first time poster to a 2008 thread ( typical SPAMer method ) and one of our great moderators deleted the included link in the post.
Why would a moderator bother to edit out a link(or whatever) rather than simply not allowing the post to pass???

I guess you would have to ask the moderator. The post was somewhat on topic but apparently the link had a problem.

chapmanruss

I like Brenda's suggestion on applying powdered graphite. I have used the spray type which uses a liquid carrier that evaporates but Brenda's suggestion may be better without over spray getting on parts where it is not wanted. Any aerosol product has the potential for over spray. A small, long handled hobby paint brush could be just right for reaching the worm gear on the Speed Control Assembly through the access hole on "B" and "C" Headstocks.

As for someone bringing back a nearly 14-year-old thread and posting a link, I too find that suspicious. Amita, if you are joining for legitimate reasons then welcome.