[GreenKeys] Lubricants

[George B. Hutchison]

Once again it is time for the quarterly "what-do-I-use" thread.

Best grease is Conoco Super-Sta. It is a number 2 lithium-based grease
which has a tackiness agent added to it. It does not harden over time. A
dab on your thumb and on your forefinger will give a thin strand about as
long as you can spread the aforementioned digits.

Conoco Super-Sta is available generally East of the Rocky Mountains.  Get
an East-Coast Accomplice to send you a couple of tubes. It will never dry
out. I have a half-tube that is 30 years old that you cannot tell the
difference beetween it and fresh product. Really good for roller bearings
on sprocket-type chainsaw bars.

Lube oil I recommend is #10 non-detergent motor oil. Works great. Somewhat
hard to find, but worth the quest.

If your machine will be hammering away 24/7 use #30 non-detergent mixed
with STP (remember Andy Granitelli?)  Ratio is 50-50.

The various snake oills and mystery goos I guess have advantages, but when
I was repairing UPI machines, the stuff mentioned above worked very well.

Cleaning? I prefer Stoddard Solvent blown through a paint sprayer. Paint
thinner available from Lowes for about 2 bucks a gallon is essentially the
same as Stoddard solvent.

Spray it through the machine over a suitable oil drain pan, or else use a
big square aluminum baking pan like I have, and you will catch the bulk of
the dirty solvent. Air dries in a few minutes, or you can use a blow
nozzle and it works fine.

For deeply embedded grease, use Amway Industrial Cleaner about 50-50 with
water. Apply elbow grease with a paint brush or handy stiff-bristle brush.
Rinse with hot water. Bake until dry.

DONT THROW A WHOLE MACHINE INTO THE AMWAY!!

CAUTION: Amway will go down and clean the grain boundaries of the metal.
Your parts will not last long unless you throw them in an oven running at
about 250 degrees, get them up to temperature, and then spray with or
immerse in WD-40.

CAUTION #2: Amway Industrial Cleaner full-strength works really well, but
will also remove your skin. Teletype machines come out looking like new,
and your hands will hurt like hell.

I now yield the floor to the carpet-baggers, merchants of questionable
ilk,  and smooth-talking rascals who will trade you a flagon of a miracle
cleaner for your first-born, your car, or perhaps your stock portfolio.

73,

George, W7KSJ

OH - - -

Regarding Dovetrons - I will be cranking out the first batch this coming
week. I have been slammed at work, and my humble 88-year-old dad managed
to try and emulate the fellow in Santa Monica, but with only a very minor
ding in a bumper.

I will be painting the top and bottom covers, as well as the rack-mounting
sideplates, just to insure a smile on everyone's face. Where necessary
shiny new  screws will be used.

Glen is working on getting a supply of the three-pin connectors so that we
can put together power cords for those units that need them.

Regarding NASDAW...

NASDAW stands for the National ASsociation of DAta Widecasters.

This is an organization intended to be similar to the ARRL, but
specifically dedicated to RTTY and Data Widecasting. It is not a 'Good 'Ol
Boys' club. It's those of use who want to do something for the USA, and to
once again see something other than repetitive, narrowly focused drivel
being transmitted via RTTY.

I urge all of you who have not done so to go to www.nasdaw.org and read
the documentation.

Save for the table of contents and the intro sheets for the exhibits, the
essence of the petition to establish the Homeland Public Press and
Information Widecast Service is all there.

I will not disclose some of the tie-ins and political connections that are
developing, but I will say that it is very encouraging.  The timing for
submission could not have been better as far as the coincidence of the
submission of the petition, and the FCC's establishment of their
Department/Bureau of Homeland Security.

A good number of the people on the NASDAW board of directors are ready and
able to go to Washington if and when the need arises.

All I would like to see is your support by joining NASDAW. There are no
dues and no initiation fees.

'Nuff said.  I gotta go work on some antrenna couplers.

Again, 73 to all,

George, W7KSJ