[ARC5] [Milsurplus] Anti-Backlash Gear swarf

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Hanz" <aaf-radio-1 at aafradio.org>
Cc: <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>; <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 6:32 PM
Subject: Re: [ARC5] [Milsurplus] Anti-Backlash Gear swarf


> On 1/25/2012 8:20 PM, Richard Schumann wrote:
>> Anybody mentioned clock oil?  I suppose it's like
>> instrument oil.
>> It comes in a neat clear plastic squeeze tube with a
>> looooong tip like a needle to get in those hard to reach
>> places.
>> I didn't even know it existed until I needed to lubricate
>> an old mantle clock.  I guess the stuff doesn't evaporate
>> like normal oils.  Got some off Ebay.
>
> Some of the horologists I know suggest that "clock oil"
> has changed over
> the years, from the sperm oil used for a couple of
> centuries, to jojoba
> oil, which apparently turned out to be superior to sperm
> oil, and
> finally basically light ATF without any of the additives
> required for
> friction clutches.  Of course, the clock oil distributors
> don't like you
> know that their cost for rebottling it into those little
> bottles is
> quite low.  Anyway, that's the conspiracy theory that I
> hear.  I've used
> the Starret in clocks and it seems to have worked fine, at
> least for the
> old clock or two I've had around the house.  I haven't
> tried synthetic
> ATF, but I suspect a drop in each of the bearings wouldn't
> hurt either.
> I don't do watches - a jeweled bearing may require
> something different.
> Nye Lubricants seems to have the market covered for that
> branch in
> instrument oil - there are several versions listed on
> Amazon under a
> "nye lubricant clock watch oil" search.  T'ain't cheap,
> though.

     Real watch oil is an exremely light (low viscosity) oil
that is designed not to oxidize (resulting in gumming) and
not to "wick" or migrate from where its put. Watch oil is
designed mostly for the jewelled bearings on watches but can
be used on other very fine mechanisms. Clock oil is usually
of somewhat greater viscosity but still non-gumming and
non-wicking. Instrument is usually highly refined petrollium
oil of light viscosity and usually non-gumming. Its widely
available and much cheaper than either watch or clock oil. I
use instrument oil on camera shutters successfully.
However, most shutters have trunnion bearings, not jewelled
bearings. Most will run without any lubricant but last
longer with it.
     As a rule brass gears do not need to be lubricated,
steel ones do.
     Be careful of plastic gears because many greases will
cause them to swell.
     Nye oils seem to be easily available. They sell their 
watch oil under the brand name Mobius. The
stuff is _very_ expensive but it meant to be applied with
the tip of a fine wire so for normal use a fraction of an
ounce is a long time supply.

     See:  http://www.thewatchguy.com/pages/repair.html 
for some good information on cleaning watches and similiar 
mechanisms.



--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles
WB6KBL
dickburk at ix.netcom.com