manicmike

Steve, do you oil, grease or wax your wooden pitmans? My dad was about to apply some SM oil to the MOP 12 and I stopped him. Rather than add SM oil, it occurred to me that BLO, grease or candle wax might be better. Maybe even BLO, let it dry and add wax to the hole?

Just asking Steve because he's likely to have the largest number of Victorian machines. If anyone else has an opinion or long term experience I'd like to read about it. I only have two with wooden pitman arms but want to get it right.

SteveH

I treat them the same as the wood of the tops and bonnets. Glenns Cleaning mix.

I have considered waxing them but every time I clean them, it lifts more of the embedded old crud, so until they are truly clean, I do not want to seal them up.

Glenn

I you are worried about applying oil to the wooded pitman. Mix powdered graphite with a little kerosene or alochol to make a past and coat the hole with this paste. We use this on old player pianos with pnuematics to lube the rubbing parts. Do this about every six months.
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manicmike

Ah Glenn. It seems you are "da man" for this. Yes I am concerned about applying oil to the wood. I have powdered graphite so I'll do what you say. Kerosene stinks a bit, so maybe I'll use alcohol to mix.
Do you mix a small jar's worth and store it, or mix it as required?

Glenn

I just mix it as I need it. If you use denatured alcohol it will evaporate to fast to store. If you kerosene you can store it but I find it just as easy to mix as needed.

ThayerRags

Will sewing machine oil be a problem on a wooden pitman rod connection?

CD in Oklahoma

Rodney

That's a good question. It might soak in and darken the wood a bit plus make it difficult to stain the wood in the future but I can't think of it doing any sort of structural damage to the wood.
Rodney

Glenn

No, the oil will not hurt a wooded pitman but like Rodney said it will darken the wood. If I have an old wooden pitman still functional and I can see that oil has been used I cont. to use oil. If I need to make a new wood pitman then I use graphite to keep the finish on the pitman looking nice.
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