[GreenKeys] Grease... and the "28 kit"...

[Randy or Sherry Guttery]

Roy Morgan wrote:
> 
> On Jun 3, 2008, at 11:29 PM, Randy or Sherry Guttery wrote:
> 
>> The 28 kit project is coming right along - to the point I need to 
>> start thinking about some reassembly issues.  Oil is oil - and while 
>> synthetic is nice - I'm not convinced it'll do any better in a 
>> teletype than plain old 3-in-1 (20W) oil.
> 
> OH YES YOU WILL.
> 
> Three in One may (I don't know for sure) be one part oil, one part 
> solvent, and one part who knows what.

Perhaps some "off brand" product is such a mix, I don't know.  There are 
two versions of 3-in-1 - regular (in which the "3" stands for 
Lubricates, cleans and prevents rust); but it's just light oil; then 
there is the 20W "version" - which is blended esp. for 1/4 horse and 
larger electric motors...  Both are based on "spindle oil"  with the 
usual additions of additives (preservatives, emulsifiers, etc.).

see:

http://www.3inone.com/products/multi-purpose/

and

http://www.3inone.com/products/motor-oil/



> For grease, beware of "white lithium grease" aka Lubriplate.  It has 
> been reported to dry and get gummy after a while.  

Yes - I know that from experience...

> I use "Slik=50 
> One-Grease", about $3 a tube at your auto store.  It's teflon based, 
> good for any temperature, and will stay put.  

I checked a couple of places - and they didn't have it (WallyWorld, 
CarQuest, etc.).

.
> - Molybdenum Disulphide greases are meant for heavy force applications, 
> such as wheel bearings in vehicles.  I think teletype machines don't 
> have such heavy loaded parts, and that's one reason they last for a long 
> time.

Several sources note that the "stiffness" of such greases makes it 
difficult to properly lube the small parts commonly found in teletypes. 
And it's not that good for "sliding" surfaces...

> - WD-40 had been applied to an M-15 I got.  The carriage return 
> actuating lever way at the bottom of the printer was frozen solid on 
> it's bearing and had to be freed by hammering a knife blade into the 
> edge of the bearing/sleeve.  Do NOT use WD-40 on any part of a teletype 
> machine, unless it's to degrease and clean and is followed by a thorough 
> cleaning with solvent and application of correct lubricant.  Diesel 
> fuel/kerosene/heating-fuel is much better.

Water displacement formula 40 is good for very few things, and yes I 
agree - no part of a teletype is "one of the few"...


> -There is no substitute for a thorough, no-spots-missed lubrication with 
> good-enough lubricants.

Agreed - and that's one reason I find a recommendation from a machinist 
friend of mine who builds precision models, among other geared and 
bunch-a-bearing devices:

Lucas Red 'N Tacky grease.

http://www.lucasoil.com/products/display_products.sd?iid=46&catid=2&loc=show

and the spec sheet:

http://www.lucasoil.com/images/medialibrary/red_n_tacky.pdf

I just picked up a tube - and it's indeed "different". It's tacky, all 
right - but it's not that "thick" - such that I think I can use 
something like a basting syringe to pack it into bearings, etc.  It's 
characteristics are impressive - drop temp of 500 (most "common grease 
is 350 - with a few "high temps" going to 400); it's Timkin rating is 60 
-(!!!) while most common greases range from 25 to 45 - with again a few 
heavy duty greases going to 55 (like Super Tech multi- extreme). It's 
also touted to be very resistant to pound out, great for sliding parts, 
etc.  At $5.00 a tube - it's more expensive than most grease (by about 
double)- it'll be interesting to see how easy it is to work with (As Roy 
notes - getting applied right it EXTREMELY important.

best regards...
-- 
randy guttery

A Tender Tale - a page dedicated to those Ships and Crews
so vital to the United States Silent Service:
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