Delta BOSS OSS Problem

[Jerry Solomon]

I have a BOSS OSS machine (31-780X) that was purchased in 1999. It has seen very little use. I turned it on today and noticed it was a little noisy. I turned it over on its side and noted that the plastic gear cover had somehow broken off leaving the gears exposed. I ordered a new cover from Delta today. The owner's manual is a little vague on lubrication. What kind of grease would be appropriate and should I pack the cover completely full?

[Jim Becker]

I've never looked inside of mine, but I suspect, like with most woodworking tools, that you'll want to use a lubricant that will not "collect" dust if there is any chance of exposure.

[mickey cassiba]

Jerry
The factory installed lube, is pretty thick and gooey. Really not what you want in a dusty situation. It would be better to leave the cover off(to facilitate cleaning) and lube with graphite or another "dry lube". The cover just holds dust and debris.
Mick

[Jerry Solomon]

Thanks for the replies. I think that the cover has been off for a while as the machine has sounded a little noisy to me for a while. One of the gears is plastic and the other appears to be metal (brass?). I'll need to find a lubricant that is compatible with non-metallic gears.