"Jack Erbes" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 24 Aug 2003 17:30:24 GMT, Ted Edwards wrote:

Other than nostalgia, what advantage does white lead have over Moly
Never-seez or, for that matter, the regular stuff?


I think in its day it was considered less likely to warm up and run
from where it was needed. Also, it turned dark as it was used so you
could see it needed to be freshened up. I still have some and have
used it occasionally.


If you're talking about its use on dead centers, it is an extreme
high-pressure "lubricant," although it doesn't work by chemical action with
the bearing or by some kind of linear molecular "stringiness," like some
high-tech, high-pressure lubricants. It just has a combination of moderate
lubricity and a very high resistance to being displaced.

I've used other things to lubricate dead centers, but, for steel workpieces
that are under some pressure in turning, I still use the white lead. I've
never seen anything that comes in a bottle or a tube that can take the
pressure without quickly producing metal-to-metal contact and generating a
lot of heat in the process.

Ed Huntress