OT: Paper Shredder Oil

[J.H. Holliday]

I just switched from a strip-cut shredder to a cross-cut one and the mfr recommends oiling the cutters occasionally-- with a very expensive shredder oil they sell. The oil looks/smells/feels like the oil they sell for Hunter Original fans which I understand is just a generic light weight non-detergent oil.

Wonder if I can just get a quart from the local auto parts place and use it instead of the expensive stuff-- or do you really need to lubricate the cutters at all? I never lubricated the strip=cut shredder and it did just fine...

[dpb]

J.H. Holliday wrote: ...

A quart would be about as much overkill as a 55-gal drum for an oil change... :)

I'd just go get a little can of 3-in-1 (or similar household "sewing machine" oil)...

--

[Norminn]

I'm working on trying to get some warranty service on our junk Ativa shredder from OD. Bought it last year for hubby's birthday and it quit operating properly within a few months. Auto doesn't work right; have to keep fiddling with the switch. I bought the oil and took meticulous care of it because the previous shredder only lasted a couple of years. I'm switching to hot water soak and the kitchen disposal; dare anyone to try to read that :o)

[tnom]

I believe the oil is just mineral oil. The cheapest source of that is Johnson's baby oil.

[Red Green]

dpb wrote in news:g3p3l0$kke$ [e-mail]:

Or how about some gun (weapon) oil if some happens to be available? That's lightweight I would guess.

[Erma1ina]

Use plain old vegetable oil.

Here's what the instructions for my Fellowes PS-77Cs confetti-cut shredder say:

"Only use a non-aerosol vegetable oil in long nozzle container such as [very expensive] Fellowes 35250"

"Never use aerosol, petroleum based or other flammable products on or near shredder. Do not use canned air on shredder."

[Rudy]

Generic Light mineral oil available from most larger pharmacies

[J.H. Holliday]

FWIW-- spoke to mfr today who confirmed it's 100% vegetable based-- but advised against cooking oil from the grocery store as it heats up and coagulates jamming the machine.

Looks like it's the expensive stuff or nothing!

[willshak]

on 6/24/2008 5:59 PM J.H. Holliday said the following:

Spray a sheet of paper with WD40 and shred it.

[dpb]

J.H. Holliday wrote: ...

There are other alternatives -- the farmers' supply here carries a general-purpose light sunflower oil that isn't a cooking oil.

I still would have difficulty imagining a light-weight non-detergent would be a problem for the application.

--

[Norminn]

I personally think the lubricant sold for the purpose is worthless. Our last shredder was a crosscut, Ativa, and I religiously used the lub. because the previous shredder didn't last long. The Ativa still works if we constantly fiddly with the switch. No longer works on auto. I don't know what makes the auto come on when a document is inserted, but it is probably dirty. Seems the lub. would mix with dust and gum up the works. Don't know. If shredded paper doesn't drop from the cutter, it gets wrapped up with the next document coming through and the cutters get all jammed up. Reverse sometimes helps, sometimes makes it worse.

[Stormin Mormon]

Vegetable oil is combustible, but not flammable. It also gets ranicd and sticky after a while. I'd stick with the ND-30. No petroleum products? What an interesting statement.

[Stormin Mormon]

I'm so neglectful. I've never degaussed my television, lubricated my paper cutter, or disgronificated my stereo. but, the world continues to turn, and maybe that's why Time Warner discontinued usenet. I'm such a lardass lazybutt.

Just wait till it acts up. Then give er a shot of WD-40 and see if that helps.

I still can't figure the other company. Vegetable oil? Not in my house!

[Stormin Mormon]

Hey, we're trying to shred the paper, not defecate it!

[Stormin Mormon]

Do they sell decoagulators?

[JC]

Like the man said, spray a sheet of paper with WD40 and shred it. Once every two weeks is sufficient if you use your shredder a lot.

[aemeijers]

We have gallon jugs of the stuff sitting around the office- at the rate it is used, most of them will be around when I'm in the ground. For production use, most shredder companies sell a rather rube goldberg automatic oiler device that hangs off the side- reminds be greatly of those old-style automatic toilet cleanser devices, and works about as well. Old hands at the office say that if it starts stinking or jamming, just drizzle a little oil on the next handful of paper, and cycle the forward/reverse buttons a few times to spread it around. The oil itself seems to be a typical light machine oil, like your mother bought in itty-bit squeek cans for her sewing machine.

-- aem sends...

[wkearney99]

wkearney99 had written this in response to

:

WD-40 is not a lubricant. The WD in the name stands for Water Deterrent. Use something better suited for the job, don't just half-ass it with WD-40.

Many shredder oils are a type of soybean oil.

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[Ralph Mowery]

That sounds like the oil for a chain saw chain.

[J. Clarke]

I'm not seeing the original post for some reason, but I do wonder how much the manufacturer charges. You can get a 12 ounce bottle of "Fellowes shredder lubricant" at Wal-Mart for $7.77.