South Bend Lathe A B C Oils

Most machine tool manufacturers have very specific performance standards for the care and feeding of their products to insure accuracy and long service life. In the South Bend Lathe publication; “How to Run a Lathe”, which is considered by many people to be the last word on the care and operation of the South Bend lathe, the use of “A, B and C Oils” were recommended. These are lubricants that fall into specific viscosity ranges, or have particular qualities. Judging by the amount of “survivor” South Bends on the market today, the recommended oils were more than adequate. In researching the current types of lubricants that have been developed in the last century, I found out that the oils originally called for in “the Bible” are still available, and in fact very competative in terms of performance.

I’ll be discussing only the Mobil line of lubricants, as that is what I have chosen to sell in the BlueChipStore. I chose them for availablity, quality, and cost. My reasoning was that buyers would want an ample supply of a time tested product at a fair price. Mobil lubricants fit the bill.

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