[GreenKeys] Teletype Oil (Ad Nauseum)

Wed Aug 17 16:17:31 EDT 2011

I'm definitely not an expert, but a good friend of mine who recently
fixed up an IBM Selectric (not a teletype, but close enough!) he
recommended using Marvel Mystery Oil (it's a nice light oil with some
solvent mixed in).

Said friend also recommended using silicone grease or - if you really
want to shell out money - flouroether based greases like duPont's
Krytox. Mostly as silicone grease and flouroether greases don't damage
rubber and are also stable at large temperature ranges (plus they help
stop parts from corroding because they are very chemically inert). But
yeah, best choice is a silicone grease, as flouroether greases are:
A. Expensive
B. Impossible to remove
C. Expensive
D. Not easy to find
E. EXPENSIVE
F. Did I mention they're expensive yet?

Cheers,
Christian

On 17 August 2011 14:57, Richard Knoppow <1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bruce Gentry" <ka2ivy at verizon.net>
> To: <GreenKeys at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2011 10:39 AM
> Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] Teletype Oil (Ad Nauseum)
>
>
>> Keelan Lightfoot wrote:
>>> I've been reading the GreenKeys archives, and It's
>>> surprising how often the topic of oil comes up here.
>>> Without re-opening the subject for debate, I just wanted
>>> to throw something out to the group.
>>>
>>> The oil is a nice light straw colour, has no smell, and
>>> contains very little extra 'stuff'. Now my teletypes
>>> don't need to smell like rancid lemons soaked in used
>>> motor oil, and at $16 a gallon (compared to $6 for 3 fl
>>> oz of the stinky stuff) I'm saving money in the long run
>>> too!
>>>
>>> Just thought I'd share.
>>>
>>> - Keelan
>>>
>> The oil used in hydraulic elevators has very few
>> additives, has
>> excellent anti-wear properties, and is 10W.   It is
>> blended to minimize
>> aroma, many customers object to their buildings smelling
>> like a garage.
>> Make friends with an elevator mechanic in  the service
>> department,  and
>> you should be able to get a gallon can or jug for a cup of
>> coffee and a
>> donut.  They have tens or hundreds of gallons of it in the
>> shop or
>> stashed on jobs.
>>
>>   Bruce Gentry, KA2IVY    Elevator Constructors Local 62,
>> retired.
>
>     I did a little research on oils and greases. I am no
> expert plus I don't yet have a Teletype machine. Here are
> some comments.
>     1, Lubrication seems to be a rather complex subject,
> I've been trying to learn what I could for some time. My
> interests were in special lubricants for fine machinery such
> as clocks and camera shutters but I also wanted to find out
> as much as I could in general. I found out what a "grease"
> is and the difference between the applications of greases
> from oils.
>     2, There are a couple of manufacturers of specialized
> oils and greases. Two are The Nye Company, who has been in
> business since the days of whale oil, and Kano Labs another
> old-line company. The Nye product line is much more
> extensive.
>     3, There are several specialized lubricants for
> aircraft some of which have applications elsewhere. An
> example is the grease specified by Collins for use on the
> gears and cams of 51J and R-390 receivers. It has a mil spec
> number but is available as Aeroshell No.7 among others. I
> have some and find it to stick much better than general
> purpose white lithium grease or synthetics like Mobil
> grease. Perhaps not suitable for Teletype machines.
>     4, The kind of lubricant depends on what its for.
> Different types are needed for helical gears, hypoid gears
> (probably not found in Teletype machines), and very with the
> material. Greases are needed where an oil might run off the
> object but greases need sliding action to stay distributed.
> The amount of pressure and the speed of rubbing surfaces is
> important. Temperature range is important. Some oils and
> greases are more resistant to moisture (washing off) than
> others.
>    Modern oils and greases are much more resistant to
> oxidation and consequent hardening than were traditional
> ones. Some oils and greases have better anti-oxidation
> qualities than others.
>    The oil originaly used on Teletype machines appears to
> have been one supplied by Teletype under a "KS" number. KS
> is a prefix used by Western Electric for items made by
> outside suppliers (means Kearny Spec). Is the spec for this
> oil available somewhere? It would be interesting to know
> what exactly it specified, perhaps no more than the
> viscosity.
>     Since these machines are getting old and probably fit
> the catagory of precision equipment the choice of a
> lubricant should be done with some care to mimimise the wear
> and strain, I presume that replacement parts are not so easy
> to obtain so preserving the existing ones is important.
> Also, many newer lubricants are "slipperier" than older
> ones, this is connected to the wear rate but also affects
> the smoothness of running of the lubricated equipment.
>     I have a good opinion of Nye, it would be worth someone
> who understands the requirements for Teletype service to
> contact them and discuss suitable lubricants with one of
> their specialists.
>
>
> --
> Richard Knoppow
> Los Angeles
> WB6KBL
> dickburk at ix.netcom.com
>
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