[GreenKeys] Lubrication

[John Nagle]

On 8/19/2010 9:01 AM, greenkeys-request at mailman.qth.net wrote:
> I learned that there are different lubricants for different parts of the
> clock.
> The old clock oils were based on whale oil and later other organic oils
> were used.  The problem with all of these is that they dry out with
> time.  The newer oils are synthetic based and do not dry out.  BUT, the
> are expensive (a few ounces of Nye oil is almost $50).
> http://www.prc68.com/I/SWCC2.shtml#Lub
>
> Brooke Clarke
> http://www.PRC68.com
>
>
> Lee Mushel wrote:
>> >  Yes, I, too, visited my "agricultural supply" store and got needles and
>> >  syringes.   I concur wholly with Roy's suggestions.

    I've written up the cleanup and oiling of a Model 15 at

	http://www.aetherltd.com/refurbishing.html

There's a manual:

http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/teletype/138_Model15_Adj_Oct41.pdf

See pages 64-68 for the list of oiling points, of which there
are several hundred.

I use Valvoline 5-20W synthetic motor oil, which doesn't gunk up,
and an Empire precision oiler 
("http://www.amazon.com/Empire-Level-2776-Precision-Oiler/dp/B0001ZYNE8") to 
put one drop of oil in the right places.

It's not a syringe; it's a pen-like gadget that drops one drop of oil
out of the end of its tube onto a tiny brass knob, which you then
touch to the bearing to be oiled.  This is great for all those
little bearings in the keyboard and typebar areas. You can oil
about one bearing per second, so you can hit all the proper
oiling points like you're supposed to.

The oil filler points and bigger bearings are oiled with a long
snout oil can.

For the grease points, "Red  'N' Tacky Grease", which is about
$5 per grease gun tube, works well. Since Teletypes have
unenclosed gears, you need to use something that won't be
thrown off by centrifugal force.  Lithium grease isn't
normally formulated for that.

If you go to the trouble to do a full cleaning and oiling
job, an undamaged Model 15 will just purr.  The loudest sound
on mine is the keys hitting the paper.

				John Nagle