IH8MUD™ Forums - View Single Post - oil or grease for lathe/mill ways & screws?

amaurer · 05-14-08, 03:09 PM

I figured someone here must know; I'm cleaning up and adjusting my neglected milling machine and the grease I used a few years ago has largely dried up and made everything sticky (leadscrews barely turn).

My owners manual says to use white lithium grease (I used something black before, oops) but I found that grease tends to collect swarf and turn into a gooey mess (and then dry out, apparently).

Some machines, it seems, like to be oiled, and some specify grease. Any recommendations/consequences of oiling my machine instead of greasing it?

05-14-08, 03:09 PM	#1
amaurer IH8MUD Lifer Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cupertino, CA Posts: 1,003	oil or grease for lathe/mill ways & screws? I figured someone here must know; I'm cleaning up and adjusting my neglected milling machine and the grease I used a few years ago has largely dried up and made everything sticky (leadscrews barely turn). My owners manual says to use white lithium grease (I used something black before, oops) but I found that grease tends to collect swarf and turn into a gooey mess (and then dry out, apparently). Some machines, it seems, like to be oiled, and some specify grease. Any recommendations/consequences of oiling my machine instead of greasing it? __________________ "... the motor car, after woman, is the most fragile and capricious thing on earth." - London Daily Mail 1908 1982 BJ42 "Krull"