Food Oil for Steel Bearings

How about rapeseed oil (called canola in some parts). That was originally developed to lubricate steam locos before the Texas oil rush I think.

Wash the knives after sharpening (and dry immediately)

The mineral oil used on wooden cutting boards should be okay to use.

They dry up.

Possibly castor oil - ISTR that it doesn't dry up. Dried veg. oil is a bastard to remove - sticks like witney to a blanket. Johnson's Baby Oil? Should be OK as a baby will inevitably ingest some.

but is that dry (=bugger off by evaporation) or dry (=polymerise leaving gunge behind)?

How about peanut oil opr vegetable oil?

Rudolph Diesel designed an engine to run on peanut oil and the petroleum majors were petrified of losing petrol sales to peanut oil powered engines so they designed a diesel fuel from crude oil to be used in place of peanut oil/vegetable oil....

And the peanut oil/vegoil helps to lubricate the pistons sliding backwards and forwards in the cylinder bores......

That's scented mineral oil.

all types of veg oil gum up, despite the recommendations

And was used as a dead-loss lubricant in WW1 aero engines, IIRC.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I have been told Whale oil has been used to lubricate gyros in ballistic missiles. Anybody have a whale in their garden? The mention of peanut oil since i have some in my peanut butter jar will get me to take a bit out and keep it to see if it dries.