Cleaning up yellowed/grubby plastic?

From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Date: Thu Aug 26 01:11:49 2004

> rger writes:
> >REAL mechanics may or may not know anything about any of the
> >other characteristics of lubricants, but they do, at least,
> >know that there that there are many different viscousities
> >of lubricants, and that you need to use one of appropriate
> >"thickness".
>
> Is there a good rule of thumb (for those cases where one
> doesn't have an appropriate manual) for what to use? For
> example, could one say that for meshing gears one wants
> a heavier grease, but for metal parts that rub (e.g. bushing)
> one wants a thinner oil?

Very rough rule : The fast the sliding between 2 parts, the thinner the
lubricant you use (and note that gears therefore tend to require a
thicker lubricant than you'd expect).

One exception is that most mechanical clocks and watches should have _no_
lubricant on the pinions and wheels (gears) at all. The pivots
(bearings) need oil, of course.

-tony
Received on Thu Aug 26 2004 - 01:11:49 BST