Model Forum / General / Models / November 2007

I would go for total immersion in white spirit, unless there are rubber
parts in the DI, preferably in an ultrasonic tank and preferably dismantled.
Simply adding oil to a dirty bearing will guarantee self destruction in a
few years. When all is clean, re-assemble and lubricate with real oil, not
muck like 3in1 or WD40.

Cliff Coggin
Wealden Clock Repairs

The late, great George H Thomas defined 3 in 1 oil (by implication, not by actual name)
a slow setting varnish and I absolutely concure with his opinion, he sugested that it was
great for wheel barrows!

There a two types of suitable oil watch/clock oil and sewing machine oil both of which are

non-gumming oils. They should only applied in MINUTE qantities. They should be applied
with an oiler which consists of a very fine wire. Unfortunatly the obvious thing to use
is, a fine
sewing needle is absoluely USELESS, If you dip a needle in oil in oil and examine the drop
of oil you will observe that the drop is drawn up by surface tension so it is 0.5 - 1.00
mm away
from the tip, and when you jiggle the tip arround to get the oil where you want it you
will
have applied much more than you wanted to. A thin wire of softish steel or even copper cut
of
with a rather blunt pair of side cutters will produce the required "spade" which will keep
the oil drop at
the end of the oiler so it transfers properly.

H S Walsh
http://www.hswalsh.com
do suitable oilers and oil:
H012 "Trium" oiler set 3.53
H097 "Pioneer" watch oil 3.53
Post and Packing 4.95
Total 12.01

However for a one off job this is really too much to spend and if you could possibly find
someone
who is "into" horology and local to you I am sure they would do the oiling for free.

Regards
Brian