Steam oil questions

[rleete]

I searched, but not a lot of info has come up, since most of us run our engines on air.

I just purchased (from fleabay) one of those Jensen/Mamod type steam engine toys. One of the ones with the little boiler, incorporating a safety valve and a whistle connected to a single acting cylinder, all mounted on a metal base. Some minor parts are missing, but I'll cobble up a burner tray and chimney.

There's no in-line oiler, but I'm assuming that it needs a little oil added to prevent corrosion and keep things humming along. Do I add oil directly into the boiler? How much?

What kind of oil to use? Yes, I know there are "steam oils", but is this really necessary? Can I substitute some other type? I have lots of different oils at home – everything from heavy gear oil down to the lightest general purpose sewing machine oil and everything in between. Is there something special about steam oils that other ones don't have?

Do I not need to add oil at all, but just wipe the thing down after use and lubricate?
Any advice appreciated.

 

[Ironman2011]

Yes, you'll need steam oil and a displacement lubricator. I read somewhere that steam oil has a shelf life of 6 months but I have personally used mine that's older than that and it seem to run fine. You can buy small bottles of steam oil online or from local live steam clubs in your area.

 

[davidcurtis021]

hi
we only put distilled water in our boilers and sewing machine oil is good for lubricating moving parts including cylinder bores until you have some steam oil.

Come and visit us here for more info. http://modelsteam.myfreeforum.org/index.php

 

[rleete]

Thanks for the info.

Davidcurtis, neat site. I'll have to do a bit of reading.

 

[IronHorse]

When I first got into steam engine toys, I was not sure what type of oil to use. I tried motor oil first and it appeared to work, but after steaming there was "white" goop inside the cylinder. I then found out about "steam Oil", and bought some from Jensen Steam engine store. This stuff looks like motor oil, smells like motor oil, but supposedly is for steam engines. I have run it in a number of engines and guess what, the cylinder is still full of white goop. I think for "real" steam engines you need to use this special oil, but for Toy engines I don't think it will matter much. Plus the Jenson oil is $5 a ounce!

I found a company in the US that sells it by the quart, but have not ordered any yet.


Also never put oil into the boiler. I remove the piston and dip it into the oil and reinstall. I do this after each run.

IronHorse