Flash point, laser fuser and lubrication - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

13 Apr 2004

On Apr 13, 11:48, R. D. Davis wrote:
...
  Last night, I made the mistake of putting some 3-in-1
oil (yes, I
 know, it's not a good lubricant) in the bushings around the teflon
 roller (that the heater lamp runs through) in my Laserjet II when I
 disassembled the fuser to replace a worn 14-tooth gear.  I should have
...
  done a more thorough disassembly and used grease rated
for use with
 high temperatures... anyway, what concerns me is the low flash point
 for the 3-in-1 (if what's in the can I used is the same as the spray;
 the spray is all I could find data for, flash point about 101 degrees
 F). 
3-in-1 oil is a perfectly good light machine oil.  It *is* a good
lubricant -- for the things it was designed for.  You shouldn't have
used it where you did, but neither should you have used grease; teflon
bearings are designed to run dry against polished steel.

I'd expect the flash point of the spray is so low because of the
propellant.  The flash point of the oil itself will be much higher.
 However, you don't really want it in there.  The best thing to do is
to disassemble it again and wipe off as much as you can.  If necessary,
white spirit (turpentine substitute) will wash out the residue.  Sorry,
I don't know what white spirit is called in the States, it's similar to
kerosene but lighter and leaves no residue.  It's most often used here
for thinning oil-based paints, or cleaning paint brushes.

-- 
Pete						Peter Turnbull
						Network Manager
						University of York