Chapter 8

Friction, Lubrication and the Lubricants in Horology

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| | | | [A][C]C. L. Co. No. 1| Lubricating | No. 1 Synolene| Mineral | Neutral | | | | [A][C]Glyc | Lubricating | Glycolene | Mineral | Neutral | | | | [B][C]Alb. f | Lubricating |Fluid alboline | Mineral | Neutral | | | | [B][C]Alb. s | Lubricating |Solid alboline | Mineral | Paraffine | | | | [B][C]Sp | Lubricating | ----? | Animal | Sperm, whale | | | | [B][C]Ol | Lubricating | ----? |Vegetable| Olive ---------------------+-------------+---------------+---------+----------------

[Note A: Obtained as sample from manufacturer.]

[Note B: Purchased in open market.]

[Note C: Not sold as watch oil.]

4. On hearing of these experiments, others in the profession may be tempted to make similar or other investigations and publish them.

5. In that case, if the results of many experiments demonstrate the superiority of one particular kind of oil, the whole profession will be profited thereby.

6. The manufacturers of oils may be caused to exert their utmost to keep abreast of the times, and will see for themselves in what way their oils may not fulfill the required conditions, thereby being the better prepared to overcome the difficulties with which they meet.

For the sake of convenience the author has tabulated a list of the oils which he has subjected to various tests, showing the name, kind and source of each oil tested; also those which were obtained as samples, and those which were purchased in open market, as well as those which were not sold as watch oils, but which may be tried.

This is shown in table III.

~77. The Action Of Oils On Bra.s.s~ has been determined by the author by using a piece of good sheet bra.s.s into which suitable recesses were made for the retention of the various oils. This plate was submitted to the action of the air at temperatures varying from 24 to 37.5 C. (about 76 to 100 F.), for 100 days.

The results of this test are shown in Table IV. A further test, under different conditions, gave results as shown in Table V.

TABLE IV.

ACTION OF OILS ON BRa.s.s.

Temp. 21 to 37.5 C. = 70 to 100 F. Time 100 days.

----------------+------------------------------------- SYMBOLS | CONDITION.

ACCORDING TO +--------------+---------------------- TABLE III. | OF OIL. | OF BRa.s.s.

----------------+--------------+---------------------- E. K. | Light brown. | Brown.

W. F. N. | " | "

W. C. | " | Light brown.

B. & K. | " | "

C. L. Co. w. | Spread. | "

C. L. Co. No. 1 | Unaltered. | "

Glyc. | " | "

Sp. | Light brown. | Greenish-brown.

Ol. | Green. | Dark greenish-brown.

TABLE V.

ACTION OF OILS ON BRa.s.s.

Temp. 5.5 to 21 C. = 40 to 70 F. Time 25 days.

---------------------+--------------------------------------- SYMBOLS | CONDITION.

ACCORDING TO +-------------------+------------------- TABLE III. | OF OIL. | OF BRa.s.s.

---------------------+-------------------+------------------- E. K. w. | Very Light Brown. | No change.

W. F. N. w. | " " " | " "

D. C. S. w. | " " " | " "

D. C. S. ch. | " " " | " "

D. C. S. cl. | " " " | " "

W. C. w. | No change. | " "

B. & K. w. | " " | " "

S. B. & Co. w. & cl. | " " | " "

C. L. Co. w. | " " | " "

C. L. Co. No. 1 | " " | " "

Glyc. | " " | " "

Alb. f. | " " | Very light brown.

Alb. s. | " " | Unaltered.

~78. The Effect of Oils on Steel~, with a view of ascertaining their rust preventing properties, especially to see if the treatment of hairsprings with a _very_ slight film of oil (56), would prevent rust in warm, damp climates was ascertained by the author, as follows: Each of twelve bra.s.s pins, stuck vertically in a block of wood, had a colleted hairspring on its upper end. The block of wood was allowed to float in water and covered by a gla.s.s. One hairspring was left as it came from the factory, while each of the others had been treated with a solution of porpoise jaw oil and benzine, varying proportions of one to ten per cent of oil being used, the balance being benzine. The hairsprings were dipped into the solution, and, on withdrawing, were immediately placed between two folds of soft linen cloth. In any case not enough oil remained on the hairsprings to cause the coils to adhere. One per cent of nitric acid was added to the water, and after ten days the hairsprings showed on examination that they had rusted in proportion to the amount of oil that had been used. Another trial, without acid in the water, and with one hairspring treated with ether, one with benzine, one each with one, two, five and ten per cent of porpoise jaw oil in benzine, and one each with the same quant.i.ty of mineral oil in benzine, showed after thirty days that the hairspring treated with ten per cent mineral oil was slightly rusted, while those treated with ether and benzine were badly rusted, and all the others were rusted more or less.

~79. The Gumming and Drying of Oils~ is a very important consideration, the former being caused by oxidation, while the latter is due to evaporation.

In order to determine these properties in various oils the author used a number of watch gla.s.ses, their convex side being glued to a board. Two drops of oil were placed in each watch gla.s.s and spread over its concave surface, and the board placed in a covered box in which suitable air holes had been made, and allowed to remain in a temperature varying from 21 to 37.5 C. (= 70 to 110 F.) for 100 days, and at the end of that time the results shown in table VI were noted.

TABLE VI.

GUMMING AND DRYING OF OILS.

Temp. 21 C. to 37.5 C. = 70 F. to 110 F. Time 100 Days.

--------------------------------+----------------------------- SYMBOLS ACCORDING TO TABLE III. | CONDITION.

--------------------------------+----------------------------- E. K. w. | Slightly dried.

W. F. N. w. | Very slightly dried.

W. C. w. | Slightly gummed.

B. & K. w. | No change.

C. L. Co. w. | Slightly dried, and spread.

C. L. Co. No. 1. | No change.

Glyc. | No change.

Sp. | Slightly gummed.

Ol. | No change.

~80. The Viscosity Of Oils~ denotes an approximate measurement of their relative lubricating power.

Professor Thurston states[22] that "large consumers of oil sometimes purchase on the basis of this kind of test solely. It is regarded as satisfactory and reliable as any single physical or chemical test known, and is second only to the best testing machine methods.

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