Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

Finally gotten around to making up a Keith Appleton's recommended oil mix for steam engines (he uses it on everything) in my oil can.

50% Heavy Steam Oil
25%3in1 Oil
25% Rape Seed (Canola) Oil

I've listened to him mention this concoction for so long I thought it well nigh time to give it a go

Perhaps he means grape seed oil.  This has a higher scorch temp than most oils.  I use it for cooking when I need the run the skillet hot.

Seems a bit silly to blend non bio with bio oil.
If you are going for bio degradable oil, there are recipes online and companies who sell premixed quarts. I did a bunch of research 15 years ago for my FMZ dishpan stationary engine which is now part of my garden tractor. It's a total loss lube system. So I didn't want non bio oil dripping in the garden. I have since installed an oil pan. The bio stuff I ordered works great.
Just googling I found this article:
http://discovermagazine.com/1998/aug/ediblemotoroil1466

This Thread is going to get interesting quick, I've always wanted to make Keiths Special Blend as well Jim,  just never got around to it yet.
I know GearHead Jed has made up a batch.

Invariably we get steam oil on our hands.  I myself would prefer a 100% natural alternative.

https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-029.html

"The canola-based motor oil project was initiated in 1996 in response to a need for a motor oil compatible with, and nontoxic to, fragile ecosystems. The oils are composed primarily of high oleic canola as the base oil. This oil is combined with sources of hydroxy fatty acids and wax esters or estilides. Additional modifications include the inclusion of bio-based pour-point depressants and supplemental antioxidants. The components and formulations are available in US Patent No. 5,888,947 (1999)."

"In terms of functionality, they [canola based oils] have exceeded expectations by surpassing both conventional and synthetic oils in the tests conducted."

https://patents.google.com/patent/US5888947A/en

"The present invention has three main components: a base oil, an oil source containing hydroxy fatty acids and an oil source containing vegetable or animal waxes. The base oil used in the invention needs to consist of primarily triglycerols (triglycerides) and mono- and diglycerols (glycerides) and free fatty acids. The composition further consists of vegetable oils where the glycerols contain hydroxy fatty acids, preferably making up 5% to 20% of the oil. A third major component is waxes composing 5% to 10% of the oil additives by volume. Additional synthetic mimics or natural products derived from animal or vegetable compounds may be added up to 5% of the compositional volume.

The base oil is derived from a variety of unrefined vegetable oil sources including any of the following: soybean, high oleic soybean (>60% oleic acid), canola, high oleic canola (>72% oleic acid), rapeseed high oleic rapeseed (>65% oleic acid), crambe, safflower, high oleic safflower (>75% oleic acid), sunflower, high oleic sunflower (>80% oleic acid) and, in fact, any vegetable oil where the primary fatty acid composition of the triglycerol is 16 to 24 carbons in length. Currently, the preferred base oil is canola also known as low erucic rapeseed.

The hydroxy fatty acids can be derived from castor, lesquerella or other hydroxy fatty acid sources. Hydroxy fatty acids can also be derived from the activity of lipoxigenase enzymes on any of the above vegetable oils. The preferred source of hydroxy fatty acids is castor.

The most common sources of the waxes being derived from jojoba, meadowfoam or lanolin. The preferred source of these waxes are jojoba or synthetic dimers derived from free fatty acids and fatty alcohols either coontrived or through genetically engineered plants.

Various antioxidants are natural with the crude vegetable oils used. Synthetic anti oxidants sources also acceptable. Preferred synthetic mimics include pyrazines and other cyclic antioxidants. Natural antioxidants include pyridines and lectins."

This Thread is going to get interesting quick, I've always wanted to make Keiths Special Blend as well Jim,  just never got around to it yet.
I know GearHead Jed has made up a batch.

There's not much that Keith doesn't know about steam engines and machining. He mentions the concoction in nearly everyone of his videos and has used it for years and years and one I watched the other night he told about the expert that gave him the information.

The Canola plant (less acidic) is a genetically modified Rape plant, its one of the most worldwide planted crops. Most countries still have farmers growing both crops for different uses, human consumption and bio fuels and lubrication.

Do you all feel this works better than synthetic oils like Mobil 1 and, if so, why?