Is Oil Iso # All I Need To Know For My Machine?

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RegisG

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I have a new lathe and mill. Instructions call for way oil and other lubricants. Way oil ISO 68 is not readily available close to me but I do find ISO 68 oil for other uses. Same for ISO 32. Does the ISO # assure that the properties are the same, (e.i. viscosity, etc)? Or do I need to get and oil that is labled with both the ISO# and specified purpose? Can I simply go and buy Home Depot's ISO #68 oil and use it in my lathe's gearbox?

Thanks,
Regis
 
You can use other oils, even motor oils. Way oils, like Vactra #2, stick to vertical surfaces better and have additives to prevent slip-stick chattering of the sliding surfaces. They are also good at preventing rust. Motor oils are for internal combustion engines. The additive package is not designed for the ways of your machines, or specifically to prevent rust. At the prices of motor oils today you can get Vactra #2 for about the same price, though usually in gallons. Enco has 20% off and free shipping sales fairly regularly, so that is a good option. You can certainly use 20 or 30 weight motor oil in the meantime. Use something, or the machines will rust.
 
Getting started, the HD ISO 68 oil is fine. As time goes by, as Bob said, get you some Vatra #20 or as I use Chevron Way Oil, and use this for the ways. You can buy a gallon from Enco for around $35 bucks, and if you wait for free shipping that saves you even more. I would discourage using motor oils on a lathe for a number of reasons, but people use it! I'm surprised that HD carries ISO 68 oil? Most any auto supply carries it too, but is in 5 gallon pails. Tractor Supply sells a 2-1/2 gallon jug of ISO 46 and 68 also. Also, go with ISO 46 if you can find it, its a little lighter in weight around 20 wt oil, where ISO 68 is more of a 30 wt oil.
 
To your specific question, ISO 68 is only a metric viscosity index, how thick or thin the oil is. It is equivalent to saying 20 or 30 weight oil in the US. It tells you nothing about the oil beyond how fast it will drain through a specific size orifice at a specific temperature. Nothing else.
 
Thanks everyone. I do have a gallon of way oil coming from MSC in a few days. Lathe came in yesterday and saw that I also needed gear oil. That's where the ISO 32 and my question came in as I tried to find out what the differences are in oils for these machines. I'll have the lathe hooked up tomorrow and wanted to go through spindle break-in and test runs and that requires changing gear oil. We do have a Tractor Supply close by.

Thanks again,
Regis
 
At the shop I worked at all we used was motor oil, it just had to be non detergent
 
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