home-made grease

[k15n1]

I was just reading about lubricants and realized that making your own grease is easy. Choose a base oil, an emulsifier, and a thickener. For example, gear grease is just rosin oil, lime, and mineral oil. Another basic grease can be made using powdered clay.

I wouldn't recommend substituting the home-made stuff for expensive equipment. But for mechanisms you built or thoroughly understand, it might come in handy.

There's a good article on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grease_(lubricant)

 

[Marianne]

That's pretty interesting. What surprised me was that Vaseline isn't classified as a 'grease'.

 

[Wannabefree]

That's pretty cool. I never thought of making my own grease for things around here!

 

[k15n1]

It's not mentioned here, but oil and wax makes a thick grease. Mom uses it for hand cream. I don't know if it's strictly thioxotropic, though. I mean, it may not thin out under shear like normal grease.