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tbear -- What are you wanting to do with those machines? Store them or use them? If simple storage is your goal, I'd suggest cleaning them thoroughly -- hesitate before using any sort of water-based cleaner -- and then coating the exposed metal with a preservative such as LPS-3 or a corrosion-inhibiting grease. Release the tension from belts and any other soft parts. Cover with a cloth dust cover and store indoors. If using the machines is your goal, you'll still want to clean the machines first. Then check any labels and factory manuals you might have to see what lubes the factory specified and for what parts of the machine. Just as an example, South Bend Lathe typically specified 3 different oils for their lathes, essentially a light oil for the spindle, a medium oil, and a "way oil" for the sliding parts (Mobil Vactra #2 is almost the defacto standard way oil for home-shop-size machines . . . other oil companies make equivalent oils.). I suggest that you search the archives at www.practicalmachinist.com and www.homeshopmachinist.net for more detailed information on this very subject. Be warned, the subject is controversial. The makers of a lot of the older home-shop machines suggested using SAE 20 motor oil throughout, and some owners STRONGLY advocate following the factory instructions while others are equally adamant that today's motor oils are not suitable for such use and should not be used on those machines. Personally, I tend toward the latter but consider Dexron ATF to be a practical general-purpose lube oil for home-shop machines if the special-purpose machine oils are not available. John
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