What is "light grease"?

TORQUIN

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I have a very old Walker Turner band saw that cuts metal and wood. Can't find any model info on it. The gear box on the back says to fill with "light grease". What exactly is "light grease" in today's lubricants? I am leaning towards gear oil, but want to make sure. I have seen this on the labels of other machines but have never seen any info more specific.

Thanks,
Chris
 
Greases have different grades. No.1-2-3. Number 1 being the thinnest. Most wheel bearing greases at the store are a ngli no.2. Higher the number the thicker,tackier the grease.
 
NLGI number 1 is the standard for a light grease. There are also lighter greases, like engine assembly lube (Lubriplate 105) which I would not use for your application. For a NLGI No. 1 grease I use Lubriplate 630-AA. There are many others that meet the specs.
 
You mention gear oil; if your gearbox has bronze gears in it, make sure you do not, under any circumstances, use an "EP" type oil, it causes rapid wear to bronze gears. As others have stated above, use a #1 (light) grease.
 
Can you tell what's in it now? Oil or grease? That might be a clue...

Ted
 
Grease is an emulsion of an Oil a Soap, Lithium Grease denotes the use of a Lithium Soap.
Light grease has more or thinner oil and thus has lower viscosity.
I'd be tempted to use CV Joint Grease in the gearbox.
 
In addition to # 1, 2, 3 grades, you also have 0 and 00.
0 is often used in gearboxes and is spec for JD square balers. It is also called corn head grease.
We keep it around for just the type application you are talking about.
 
I thought light grease was shat you rubbed on moonbeams to turn them into tachyons.
 
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