Greasing Bronze Bearings

Michael J. Spangler

Michael J. Spangler

Joined
Oct 8, 2003
Messages
2,181
hey guys what should i use to grease the bronze bearings on my hammer?
here is a pic of the oil/grease cup. still don't know what it takes
 
I would have figured that a heavy weight gear oil like 80w90 (or heavier) would be what was used here, but don't take my word for it.

BTW, congrats on getting engaged! What the hell a girl thast beautiful sees in your dumb ass is beyond me, though!;) :D
 
hmmm that might be a good way to go. don't see how a thick grease is going to work its way through there. though i could be wrong.

hey hey come on. i have a few good thing about me. welll maybe one:confused:
:D :thumbup:

i say we have a celebration and a big hammer-in at my place as soon as i get this damn hammer up and running!
 
The guy who just brought me my new hammer recommends Vactra #2 Way Oil. He used some at the oil fill points on my hammer while I was there the other day. It's like a heavyweight gear oil, but sticky. It actually makes strings as you pull the oil can away from stuff...it's honestly kind of like thin greased snot...

-d
 
That's a Mobil product .Sounds like it's a good choice for bronze bushings.
 
Take a look at synthetic grease and heavy gear oil . BP/ Mobile , Castrol , Chevron. All the majors make some form of synthetic. It is more expensive. Oil is cheaper then machinery !

Be well
Floyd
 
The principle rule in mechanics is to never grease a bronze bearing, and never oil a ball bearing. Greasing a bronze bearing will cause it to fail much quicker due to the fact the pores in it become clogged with baked-in grease and dust. Michael - use some 30 wt oil... daily, or every time you use it. Its the mature of the beast, bro.
 
Jeff , the reason for using grease in a ball or roller bearing is convenience .The best is a 10-30 oil and that's what they use in all the bearing tests [at least when I was at Timken].... .Bronze bushing are of two types , solid and powder metal [lubed for life types .] The powder metal types have a certain percentage of voids which are then filled with lube .If you add lube you should use one compatable with the original lube. A solid bushing I think would work well with that Mobil grease.From the photo I think he's got the solid type especially as it has a grease cup.
 
mete said:
Jeff , the reason for using grease in a ball or roller bearing is convenience .The best is a 10-30 oil and that's what they use in all the bearing tests [at least when I was at Timken].... .Bronze bushing are of two types , solid and powder metal [lubed for life types .] The powder metal types have a certain percentage of voids which are then filled with lube .If you add lube you should use one compatable with the original lube. A solid bushing I think would work well with that Mobil grease.From the photo I think he's got the solid type especially as it has a grease cup.
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Sorry, Robert. I'll stand by my original advice, based on working with these machines for 30+ years. :)

I've never replaced a burnt-out bushing, sintered bronze, solid bronze, babbet, brass, or synthetic that if the proper weight oil were used, as prescribed, would cause failure due to inadequate lubrication. Grease is nothing but oil, but with the addition if thickeners, it becomes grease. Typically, these thickeners are lithium, graphite and most of the time: clay. Yes, clay. A proper regimen of oiling bronze bushings and they will wear only slightly over a much longer period of time. Grease them, and you'll create a lot of work for yourself a lot sooner.
 
so use some of that synthetic oil? vactra way oil?
is there anything easier to find that i could get? sounds pretty much like a specialty oil. would a good ol synthetic motor oil be just as good? thanks guys
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
so use some of that synthetic oil? vactra way oil?
is there anything easier to find that i could get? sounds pretty much like a specialty oil. would a good ol synthetic motor oil be just as good? thanks guys
Click to expand...
30-weight motor oil will work just fine. Get the cheap stuff, and use it every day without fail, or every forging session - whatever comes sooner. The pros is that auto engine oil is available and cheap. The cons are that it stinks due to the detergent additives in the oil. Highly-refined petroleum has little or no smell. It don't bother me, but some folks are sensitive to it.

If you wanted a decent machine-grade oil, try the Mobil DTE. The weight ratings are different and you'd be looking for ISO 68 in that. You can probably get it through McMaster ot MSC. Also, McMaster sells a lot of their own oils repackaged, so you may want to look into that.

Meaningless Side note: Concerning engine oils in your car, an old trick to mechanics use to determine the condition of your oil is to smell it. If it stinks, its good still. :thumbup:
 
OT - Mobil DTE is basically a turbine oil ,very highly refined and has the additive package which makes it a perfect gun oil !!
 
glad to hear it guys.... time to get some oil and get this thing back together

now what do you think about engines for running it? i have another post going thinking about a small honda engine i think its 4 HP
 
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