- Joined
- Dec 30, 2017
- Messages
- 117
To start off (like I have started my previous threads)... I'm a total novice here!
My lathe manual (or the closest thing I can find to a manual for my lathe) says to use "ISO 68 SAE 20W Bearing and Gear Lubricant" (Grizzly manual, some other very similar import lathe)
So, naturally I scoured the web for what I am looking for, and I think I read too much, because now I'm confused. I opened up McMaster-Carr, which seemed to be a popular place to send folks to buy this sort of stuff, and typed in ISO 68. Everything is fantastic so far, I see "Oil", "Food Grade Oil", "Air Compressor Oil", "Food Grade Air Compressor Oil" (is the compressor food grade, or the oil? What does a cook use an air compressor for?), "Chain and Gear Oil" (AHA!), "Hydraulic Oil", "All-Weather Hydraulic Oil", "Food Grade Hydraulic Oil", "Vacuum Pump Oil", and finally "Way Oil".
https://www.mcmaster.com/#iso-68-oil/=1cyz2uf
So, I looked at the "Chain and Gear Oil", and saw to my dismay that while the ISO number (which I'm still not quite sure what it means) is 68, the SAE number is NOT 20W! It is 75 or 80, except for the itty-bitty quart bottle. On the other hand, I scroll up to the plain "Oil" section, and I've got ISO 68, and SAE 20 (which seems to be what Grizzly called for in the manual, but it isn't "gear oil".
For the purpose of this thread, I'm not interested in "close enough". I'm going to have to buy oil anyway, I might as well get what the manual calls for. Also, I want to know why the SAE numbers for all the oils EXCEPT what I was looking for (gear oil) was what I wanted. If I hadn't read so much, I'd just get it, and never be the wiser (and probably never worry about it, either!)
Also, the manual calls for grease in and around the headstock. Someone told me to use oil instead of grease on the gears. Any ideas what spec. I'm looking for regarding that? (just looking for "close enough" here, because that's the kind of person I really am!)
My lathe manual (or the closest thing I can find to a manual for my lathe) says to use "ISO 68 SAE 20W Bearing and Gear Lubricant" (Grizzly manual, some other very similar import lathe)
So, naturally I scoured the web for what I am looking for, and I think I read too much, because now I'm confused. I opened up McMaster-Carr, which seemed to be a popular place to send folks to buy this sort of stuff, and typed in ISO 68. Everything is fantastic so far, I see "Oil", "Food Grade Oil", "Air Compressor Oil", "Food Grade Air Compressor Oil" (is the compressor food grade, or the oil? What does a cook use an air compressor for?), "Chain and Gear Oil" (AHA!), "Hydraulic Oil", "All-Weather Hydraulic Oil", "Food Grade Hydraulic Oil", "Vacuum Pump Oil", and finally "Way Oil".
https://www.mcmaster.com/#iso-68-oil/=1cyz2uf
So, I looked at the "Chain and Gear Oil", and saw to my dismay that while the ISO number (which I'm still not quite sure what it means) is 68, the SAE number is NOT 20W! It is 75 or 80, except for the itty-bitty quart bottle. On the other hand, I scroll up to the plain "Oil" section, and I've got ISO 68, and SAE 20 (which seems to be what Grizzly called for in the manual, but it isn't "gear oil".
For the purpose of this thread, I'm not interested in "close enough". I'm going to have to buy oil anyway, I might as well get what the manual calls for. Also, I want to know why the SAE numbers for all the oils EXCEPT what I was looking for (gear oil) was what I wanted. If I hadn't read so much, I'd just get it, and never be the wiser (and probably never worry about it, either!)
Also, the manual calls for grease in and around the headstock. Someone told me to use oil instead of grease on the gears. Any ideas what spec. I'm looking for regarding that? (just looking for "close enough" here, because that's the kind of person I really am!)