Arbortech Cam Lubricating Oil

[Gordon Preecs]

Though I am experienced with carpentry and woodworking, I am a beginner in carving. My interest is in native masks and poles for which I recently received a Christmas present of an ArborTech power chisel. As I examine the instructions, I see that the rotating cam that drives the chisel during operation needs to be conscientiously lubricated. You saturate a little felt pad through an opening at the base of the chisel insert. The instructions are very clear that the oil is applied every 20 minutes of operation and that only magical "high pressure and temperature" ArborTech oil should be used.

ArborTech provides one little eye dropper bottle of the magic sauce and sells the refills, ONE TABLESPOON worth, for $10 each. There has to be a reasonably priced alternative in the marketplace. I understand that sewing machine oil and 3-in-1 products are much too light and thin, Cutting oil is too gummy, but criminee, some kind of engine oil would be expected to tolerate high temps and pressure for maybe something like $10 per QUART! The bottle is generically labelled, with no SAE or composition expressed. Could someone point out a good alternative or give me insight into the properties of the "magic oil" so I can shop for an alternative? I will be spending weeks and months on these projects and am likely to go through case-lots of these stupid little bottles which will quickly exceed the value of the machine.

I appreciate good tools and will pay for quality but this feels like an old computer printer scam: sell the machine cheap and get them on the Ink. Any help would be appreciated. Gordie

[Lee Schierer]

It might not be as bad as you think. A standard eyedropper dispenses 0.05 ml per drop, meaning there are 20 drops in 1 milliliter. A 15 ml bottle would hold about 300 drops. If you have to apply one drop every 20 minutes, one bottle would last 6,000 minutes or 600 hours of operation. Your oil would cost less than 2 cents per hour.

[Gordon Preecs]

It might not be as bad as you think. A standard eyedropper dispenses 0.05 ml per drop, meaning there are 20 drops in 1 milliliter. A 15 ml bottle would hold about 300 drops. If you have to apply one drop every 20 minutes, one bottle would last 6,000 minutes or 600 hours of operation. Your oil would cost less than 2 cents per hour.

Embarrassing to admit but as a retired eye surgeon, I should have figured that out. Can't tell you how many ultra expensive eye drops i have prescribed that needed to be stretched out for weeks to be economically viable. Still seems inordinately expensive on its face but I'll give it a shot and see what it takes. Thanks again. GP

[George Makra]

I would send that bottle to someone who does spectra analysis (oil analysis) for trucks and such.
They should be able to tell you what it is.
It used to be about 25 dollars for a sample but its probably more now.
When you find out its Amsoil engine oil start bottling it your self for half the cost.