At the moment, we don’t actually have a set of officially recommended type of lubricants/degreasers/rust removers…and do not officially endorse any particular product.
To degrease and remove rust:
- WD40 would suffice, however some degreasers (including Heavy Duty WD40) will leave a mark on the tool sometimes therefore it should be tried out in a place where it does not stand out if unsure. Here we find to use the CRC 5.56 Lubricant to be convenient as it’s easy to get, doesn’t leave marks and it is capable of removing most types of surface rust with some scrubbing using the green scouring pads. The CRC can also be used as a degreaser, rust protector and a temporary lubricant with the tools.
To lubricate the tools:
- Although in many cases CRC can be used as the lubricant, it will not last very long under pressure (some parts with relatively lighter loads, such as the chucks, will be alright with the use of CRC as the lubricant). Therefore it would be good to use a more viscous type of lubricant in the areas under a heavy load such as beneath the headstock. Generally a silicone based grease paste would be good as it will not eat away rubber materials or a lithium based grease with NLGI number 2~3 would be ideal (when using lithium based grease, must be careful as it eats away rubber materials)
When applying the grease after maintenance, it’s always good to remove all the old grease and inspect for any defects and then wipe off all the excess degreasers before applying the new grease.
Note:
It’s not a good idea to mix 2 different types of greases together as it may decrease the performance of the grease.
Hopefully this helps…