Ron Ron Ron Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Having carried out a search and trawled through several old topics, I couldn't find a discussion specifically about comparing different lubricating oils for use in Locos and other model railway items. What do you use, not use etc; and why? I don't want to find my collection of plastic toys melting or going brittle in a few years time, nor do I want to have mechanisms clogging up with hard gunge either. Thanks in anticipation Ron Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewC Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 For more recent models I tend to stick with Labelle #107 grease. Its pretty much the same as the white goo Bachmann have been using., Older models get Labelle's #107 medium / plastic safe oil. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted January 20, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 20, 2011 I tend to use DayWat. I use it simply because it was the recommended oil by Farish and the first bottle I purchased is still going strong as are the loco's I have been using it on for the past 15 or so years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poggy1165 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 I've used clock oil for many years. So many years that I've actually forgotten where I bought it from. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Clock oil every time, but used sparingly!. Obtainable from the incomparable Eileens Euphonium! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcayton Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 What about the Peco stuff (electrolube?) Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahame Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 AFAIA it should be a very light synthetic oil - never a mineral based oil as that can leach the plasticizer out making plastic gears go brittle. I've been using MaGeR oil as it was recommended and says on the bottle that it's plastic compatible and specially for model railways and slot cars. The latest recommended oil by Farish/Bachmann are Bachmanns 'E-Z Lube' and Woodlands 'Hobbylube Lite Oil'. G. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJH584 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 I do recall reading somewhere else that sewing machine oil might be suitable. Anybody any ideas on that? I've got about 40 loco's to do as they haven't been run in some time. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahame Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 I do recall reading somewhere else that sewing machine oil might be suitable. Anybody any ideas on that? I recall reading somewhere that sewing machine oil is mineral based, so basically a big no no. And it can be very variable with regards to quality and viscosity depending on make. Probably best to avoid. Why not get the exact oil that is recommended by the train manufacturer rather than make do with something you're unsure about. G. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLT 0109 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 It is very tempting to use what you have lying around but it really isn't worth it. Models require very thin oil and very little of it. If you take care not to spill it, a tube of Hob-E-Lube will last for ever and it is very effective. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted January 21, 2011 Author Share Posted January 21, 2011 Is Electrolube any good? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigwelsh Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Is Electrolube any good? Its more the electrical equivalent of WD40 that. I've got a tub of the white paste lubricant from Eileens but i'll try to find the commercial supplier in future, possibly that Labelle mentioned earlier. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 The Woodland scenics range of lubricants sold by Bachmann are also very good. Their white grease appears to be very similar to the Labelle product already recommended. There is a black grease also, very useful for on view components like crankpins and slide bars, and powdered graphite and PTFE for dry lubrication. On rolling stock, despite dire warnings of unknown consequences I experimented some years ago with a plastic compatible PTFE bike lubricant, 'GT85' on Bachmann mk1 coach bogies. So far, so good; not a hint of any deterioration, and really free running has been maintained long term from a single light application to each pinpoint. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokebox Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Its more the electrical equivalent of WD40 that. I've got a tub of the white paste lubricant from Eileens but i'll try to find the commercial supplier in future, possibly that Labelle mentioned earlier. There may be some confusion between two products here. Peco sell a product which used to be called Electrolube and is specifically for use on models. This has now been renamed Powerlube. Electrolube (the electrical equivalent of WD40) is manufactured by Electrolube Ltd. Whether the Peco Electrolube was the same as the general purpose Electrolube, I have no idea but I think Peco have renamed their product to avoid this confusion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon G Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 For my older Triang locos, which have the brass worm and brass wheel cog, I have started to use a molybdenum based grease as these were recommended to me for smoother and quieter running. I am not sure about using it on plastic components, so I dont! As others have said, you only need a very small amount, whether it is oil or grease. I started to use a syringe that had started life for refilling printer ink cartridges, but even that was too coarse, so I now have a finer one. Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigwelsh Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 There may be some confusion between two products here. Peco sell a product which used to be called Electrolube and is specifically for use on models. This has now been renamed Powerlube. Electrolube (the electrical equivalent of WD40) is manufactured by Electrolube Ltd. Whether the Peco Electrolube was the same as the general purpose Electrolube, I have no idea but I think Peco have renamed their product to avoid this confusion. Ah i'd forgotten about the Maplins etc available product as well. I had a spray can of that as well as the small pipette pen type Peco product. I'd class both as the same thing - a sort of quick fix for electrical continuity issues not a type of gear lubrication. You either use the white paste or a type of light oil, both of which must be plastic friendly types. Personally I prefer the paste as it tends to stay put a bit better when used in smaller quantities than Bachmann tend to manage and therefore attracts less fluff into your chassis. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollywoodfoundry Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 The lubricant you need depends upon the design of the power train in a model. Normally there are two distinct requirements, oil for metal to metal bearings, and grease for metal to metal gears. Plastic gears do not require lubricating normally, however manufacturers do grease them in order to make them quieter. A metal gear meshing with a plastic gear should be greased as should any form of worm gear. The oil for bearings should be a light synthetic oil, definitely not a mineral oil. Many oils sold for sewing machines are still mineral based. Your best chance of getting a good oil is to look at the US LaBelle range, their no. 108 is a good one. For gears, any synthetic grease containing Teflon is the one to look for. You can usually get a low cost grease of this type from cycle stores. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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