Way oil - what is the magic of Vactra

[hmw1972]

I've been using the Shell Tonna way oils for all my machines. No problems. Though I did have to revert back to Vactra 1 for my lathe when they stopped selling the ISO 32 version in 5 gallon buckets. Sad.

I used Shell Tonna T-68 and V-68 for over twenty years without any problems until they started selling it only by the 45 gallon drum about two years ago. I switched to Vacuoline 1409 and have been happy with that. They did the same with Turbo T-68 as well and I switched to Terrestic 68. One difference I noticed was the smell, the Mobil oils have a bit of a smell to them, the Shell oils were odourless. Ken

 

[crrmeyer]

Thanks for this input! I'm a home gamer (with a 16 x 54 pacemaker) where I've been using Wolfs Head 50 wt motor oil, because my dad had a case of this when he passed. There's also half a dozen cans of STP on the shelf and I've been wondering what to do with them. Now I know!

STP is probably ok mixed with oil, but do not use it straight. It drys out into a solid crystalline structure. I knew of folks who would use it on 1/4-80 adjustment screws in scientific products. Initially they would feel great and them it would seize up a year later.

 

[DouglasJRizzo]

I use Sunoco 1180 Waylube and actually like it better than the Vactra #2 that I used previously. Purchased other Sunoco oils for use in my 10EE and they too have been great alternatives to the more expensive Mobil products. I purchased them from Petroleum Service Company in 5 gallon containers.

Sunoco Waylube 1180

Shop Sunoco Waylube 1180 in multiple sizes, an ISO VG 68 lubricant specially formulated for the lubrication of machine tool ways, slides, and mills. Best prices, Fast Shipping.

petroleumservicecompany.com

Dad always used Sunoco 1180.

 

[LOTT]

STP is probably ok mixed with oil, but do not use it straight. It drys out into a solid crystalline structure. I knew of folks who would use it on 1/4-80 adjustment screws in scientific products. Initially they would feel great and them it would seize up a year later.

Isn't STP a manufacturer? Which product specifically is being referred to?

 

[4GSR]

This one.

Oil Treatment | Engine Treatments | STP®

STP® Oil Treatment protects your car against engine wear by providing a thicker cushion between moving engine parts via a high-viscosity formula.

www.stp.com

 

[crrmeyer]

Isn't STP a manufacturer? Which product specifically is being referred to?

4GSR is correct, their oil treatment.

 

[4GSR]

The newer blends don't mention anything about tackifiers in the formulas, just zinc. I'm no expert, but I'm not too sure if zinc is good for machine ways or not.

 

[EmGo]

Isn't STP a manufacturer? Which product specifically is being referred to?

You're kidding, right ? "STP ... is the racer's edge" (gotta sing it )



We had a checklist sign on the wall back by the shapers - "1) install change gears 2) check runout 3) set stroke ..." etc etc. At the bottom -- "If you don't do all these things the part will be junk and we'll have to sell it to Granatelli". Andy was not considered top of the line in the USAC world

 

[specfab]

I used both new Vactra 2 and Vacuoline 1409 on manual machines in my old job. The 1409 noticeably sticks to the vertical ways better than #2.

I don't know this as a Fact, but I heard it from two sources in recent discussions over the "last few years" about Vactra #2 availability. The reformulation of Vactra #2 was essentially removing the tackifier additives, which may have made it friendlier to coolant exposures. As I also understand from a local coolant/lubricant distributor, Mobil stopped making Vactra #2, maybe other grades as well, for some period of time recently, which I think coincided with the price of oil at $100+/barrel. This led to the lack of Vactra in many areas, and to what I observed as counterfeit Vactra packages, on the internet generally, as well as ridiculous pricing for the stuff, real or not.

We went with Castrol for a while, then to the distributor house brand, and didn't really notice any issues, but it probably takes some time to see if there is any extra wear or other mysterious issues that would crop up from changing lube brand.

 

[ramsay1]

I used Vactra before and it was ok in my home shop for my two lathes and three mills but I now use Walmart bar and chain oil... Cheap and stays put. Cheers from Louisiana; Ramsay 1

 

[FamilyTradition]

The newer blends don't mention anything about tackifiers in the formulas, just zinc. I'm no expert, but I'm not too sure if zinc is good for machine ways or not.

I would guess that the zinc is good for the ways - it's one of the additives that is claimed to be important in motor oils - especially in engines with flat tappet camshafts where there's lots of sliding contact between surfaces.

But I am also of the camp that not-quite-the-right-oil, is better than none at all.

 

[Ox]

Automotive machine shop, we've used Vactra #2 forever, but it's getting more expensive and more difficult to buy.

On our Storm-Vulcan crankshaft grinders, the ways only move a few inches and at hand-cranked low speeds. They do use misted aqueous coolant. Vactra makes much of how it won't mix with water, but the ways are well-protected. When refurbing the machines, if they've had any maintenance, there is little evidence of moisture in the ways.

Question, do any of you use any way oil othe than Vactra and if so why?

Interesting bit of trivia; the earlier machines have no provision for lubricating between the top and bottom tables, 5' long, so 11' of 1" wide mating surfaces top and bottom. The later machines cut a groove in the perimeter of the top table and a hand pressure oiler feeding it. We just separated the top and bottom table of an early machine and found traces of lubricant still on both surfaces. Not surprising as these two tables are pivoted in the middle and only move 1/4" when squaring the tables to the stone.

At a guess, in the more humid environments, flushing of lubricant is probably more necessary than in the dry intermountain west.

jack vines

I get way lube from the local oil company.
They mix their own oils in-house.
55 gal barrels.

I have never actually had any Vectra that I can recall.


------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

 

[tnmgcarbide]

holy shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

again with the chainsaw oil............

sorry, i'm a lifer here.. seen and heard the red chainsaw debacle forever.

yes.. your bench lathe will likely work better with Echo bar oil than dry. don't put it in
the spindle though... 3-in-1 or sewing machine oil there maybe ok in a pinch.

back to the OP, chevron Vistac is what i've run in my Haas mill and manual
machines for 10 years. 1/2 the cost of Mobil EQVs and is always available locally.

there are alternatives to mobil from the other USA oil companies . they all have the
same benchmark iso standards, even though the MOBIL spec'd VACTRA or GARGOiL,
75 years ago was riveted to the brass plate .

Tex/chevron , Gulf / bp , Sunoco, etc are not cheese-o fly-by night hacks with
nothing to lose . they are billion$$$$$$ corporations with everything to gain by
making a viable machine oil.

 

[johansen]

I have mentioned this before but its easily lost.

I made a surface grinder using a 56" long cast iron optical table which had just a half inch wide V and flat. I had a 60 pound load resting on 3" long strips of plastic, which made for about 20 psi contact pressure.

I put a lot of muscle work into pushing the sled back and forth using red chainsaw bar oil and then i tried 75w-90 gear oil and it was about a fourth of the friction and stayed on the ways about twice as long.

 

[Doozer]

I have a Boyar Shultz 612 surface grinder.
Also have a large Okamoto, but I just like to use
the small 612. Anyhow... I have separate lube
pumps on the machine for the table and also
for the vertical column. On the column I use
Vactra #2, but on the table I use automatic
transmission fluid. Crazy I know, but the table
cranks back and fourth with about half the effort
using ATF than it does compared to using Vactra
#2. I attribute this to the flaking being almost
totally faded on the ways, only a light ghost of
flaking is left. So there is no eddy turbulence
to break up the stick of the tackifiers.
It for sure could benefit from a re-scrape, but
for now I will lube the table ways ATF and
enjoy the easier feed.

--Doozer

 

[eKretz]

I have a Boyar Shultz 612 surface grinder.
Also have a large Okamoto, but I just like to use
the small 612. Anyhow... I have separate lube
pumps on the machine for the table and also
for the vertical column. On the column I use
Vactra #2, but on the table I use automatic
transmission fluid. Crazy I know, but the table
cranks back and fourth with about half the effort
using ATF than it does compared to using Vactra
#2. I attribute this to the flaking being almost
totally faded on the ways, only a light ghost of
flaking is left. So there is no eddy turbulence
to break up the stick of the tackifiers.
It for sure could benefit from a re-scrape, but
for now I will lube the table ways ATF and
enjoy the easier feed.

--Doozer

This is probably mainly due to much lighter viscosity, don't you think?

 

[kenton]

I use Phillips 66 SlideWay ISO 68. It seems to work well and apparently tastes great, according to my dog, who drank about a pint of it when I had the oiler off my Bridgeport.

Cleaned her out right good and greased up her kennel the next day.

 

[Nerv]

Hahaha, yeah I can't comment on which tastes best, but when I heard about Vactra having it's formulation changed I stayed with Shell Tonna and have had no problems. That being said I don't have many box-way machines anymore and my cylindrical roller way machines use Kluber Microlube which is expensive, but the machines don't use much of it as it's more like a very thin grease. I just acquired a Kellenberger hydrostatic way grinder, I haven't looked at what is recommended for that machines ways yet...

 

[animal12]

Hell today Toyota is calling for 0-16 wt oil for their new Camry's , thats gettin to 3in one oil .
animal

 

[hvnlymachining]

Not a pro here, but...

Way oil and bar oil seem to be very comparable in "stickyness" I've run both on my manual machines and had very similar results.

However, I don't like either when running cast iron or other dirty machining (like grinding) due to the fact it collects grit and acts like a lapping compound on the slide ways. I prefer something lighter like hydraulic mineral oil and do my best to get a lot of lube through the oiler into the ways to flush that abrasive junk out quickly.

This is in manual machines though, in a CNC (or any flood coolant machining operation especially with non petroleum coolant) proper way oil is (at least to me) especially important.

On a slight side note, I picked up a used VMC from a un named international industrial machine manufacturer that had filled up the way lube pump with very dirty used motor oil, and apparently had done so for quite some time. The reservoir had a thick sludge in the bottom.

The moral of this story;
Any clean oil is better than than used Rotella T.