oil or grease for lathe/mill ways & screws?

[amaurer]

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?

[zebrabeefj40]

In all the machine shops I have worked in we used oil on ways and screws. I'd recommend a way oil with a tackifier added. MSC sells one that I really liked:

MSC Item Detail

We have something similar at work in a 5 gallon bucket sold by Penzoil but I don't remember what it's trade name is.

Nick

[Junk]

Never heard of using white lithium. Is that chinese equipment you're talking about or older american? I use what zebrabeefj40 recommends and it works well.

[amaurer]

Chinese.

I greased the screw bushings, and used some generic machine oil on the rest. I'll get some of that way oil for the future.

Good to have this machine up and running again, feeds a lot faster than before! Thanks.

[Tools R Us]

I use mainly Mobil DTE oil on/in my stuff, Vactra on the ways. In a pinch the oil for chainsaw chains works well on ways, etc, sticky stuff.

[LukeZero]

Originally Posted by amaurer

Chinese.

I greased the screw bushings, and used some generic machine oil on the rest. I'll get some of that way oil for the future.

Good to have this machine up and running again, feeds a lot faster than before! Thanks.

I've always used waylube. Not to be a smartass- but I figured it would be good for ways with a name like waylube.

OT: I got my CNC Bridgeport running! And the G code is coming back to me, slowly.

[zebrabeefj40]

Originally Posted by Tools R Us

I use mainly Mobil DTE oil on/in my stuff, Vactra on the ways. In a pinch the oil for chainsaw chains works well on ways, etc, sticky stuff.

We use Vactra at work. Thing is the Vactra formula was changed to remove the tackifier about a year ago (per several threads on Practical Machinist.com). The new Vactra doesn't stick to the ways NEARLY as well as the stuff I mentioned (or other tacky way oils). Not an issue at work 'cause the machines are used/oiled almost every day in a climate controled building. But in a home shop Vactra could evaporate before the next use leaving the machine prone to rust.

Nick