T-9 for Bearing Lube

T-9 isn’t primarily a lubricant but it does have paraffin wax so it will serve as a light lubricant. I’m not sure how effective it would be as a bearing lubricant though. Paraffin will liquefy at fairly low temperatures so the speed of a router bit would likely cause it to do so.

-- I collect hobbies. There is no sense in limiting yourself (Don W) - - - - - - - - Kenny in SW VA

When I tried T-9 to protect my cast iron table on my band saw it dried to a thick soft finish which I didn’t like. I don’t think that you want to use something that dries thick like that as a lubricant, especially for a bearing. A lubricant that dries won’t be very effective.

-- Nathan, TX -- Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.

Thanks for the quick replies. Bugger! I was hoping to find a use for this can of T-9 thinking of how I use a wax lube on my bicycle chain, a very different type of lube situation I admit. I found a few engineering papers that discussed waxes in bearings but, I admit, most of it flew high above my head. As for the use of T-p on cast-iron tabletops, I swear by it on mine. I don’t allow it to dry after spraying it on. After letting it sit for just a few minutes, I wipe off the excess with a paper towel and then use a second paper towel to polish the surface. I find that it leaves a nice, slippery surface with none being deposited as wood travels over the surface.

LOL, maybe it will work on your bike chain. It is more for rust protection than for lubrication. If you like how it works on your cast iron you can always just pour or wipe it on with a rag.

I use a paste wax on my cast iron. I just didn’t like the T9. It takes much longer to dry and it looked and felt like I could scrape it off, almost like a film finish. IIRC, I think that they recommend waiting 2 hours at least for it to soak in and dry and overnight is better. The paste wax can be buffed off in minutes as soon as it hazes over and you are ready to go. I guess it just boils down to it was just not an improvement over the paste wax.

-- Nathan, TX -- Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.

Dup

-- Nathan, TX -- Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.

There is an oil that is used on clothes dryers called turbine oil. I know it’s expensive and don’t know where to get it. Call Sears or a washer/dryer repair place and ask them. I had some turbine oil I got from a repairman. It is a highly refined oil used in places where there is heat. A router bit bearing meets that criterion. Hydraulic oil may also work.

MrRon, thank you. It just so happens I may have some of that turbine oil. Many years ago, a furnace repairman left behind a plastic bottle of oil with a long nozzle that could be pulled out which I suppose would allow the user to apply it to tight places. I know it’s somewhere in my shop. The search begins after morning coffee. Wish me luck.

I agree that T9 is best used as a rust preventer rather than a lubricant. My approach is to use it on fresh cast iron surfaces, thinking their porosity provides a place where rust gets started, and the T9 can get into the pores to prevent that. Once the T9 dries and is buffed out it is effective as a rust preventer, but not so great as a way to make a surface slick. I use a harder wax on top for tablesaw, jointer, and bandsaw tables for instance. If the surface is not clean, for instance if you sweat on it and there is salt in the pores, the T9 will be less effective at preventing rust.

Without the solvent, you might need heat to get it to soak in. I might keep the can without propellant for that use.

-- Alan in Wisconsin

Score! Found the turbine oil.