Formerly, lubricants were compounds of the animal oils, such as sperm, lard and neatsfoot oil, and various vegetable oils, as colza, cotton seed, olive, palm, castor and others of the non-drying sort.

Mineral oil lubricants have, in great measure, supplanted all others at the present time. They are much cheaper and less likely to ignite from friction or spontaneous combustion and answer practically all the requirements, or, if they do not, the admixture of a small proportion of animal or vegetable oil of the nature required, imparts to them the necessary quality of viscosity in which animal and vegetable oils excel.

Lubricants have a wide range to cover and differ materially in density or body, viscosity or adhesiveness, congealing points, flash points and their behavior at various fluid temperatures. A good oil should have high viscosity, congeal at a low temperature and flash or ignite at a high one. It should not oxidize or volatalize at ordinary temperatures.

For compounding all the principal or staple lubricating and machinery oils, you need only the following:

Lard oil, sperm oil, Virginia black oil, or petroleum residue, filtered cylinder stock, red paraffine oil, yellow paraffine oil, neutral oil, colorless or de-bloomed neutral oil and tallow.

Ordinary heavy lubricating oil: Use Virginia black oil. If less body is required, thin with 300 degree solar oil or kerosene. Such an oil is seldom subjected to very high temperatures.

Cylinder oil, such as is sold under various names, of about standard quality, if, indeed, there be a standard, may be filtered cylinder stock. If too thick, it may be thinned with the addition of paraffine oil, using heat to perfect the mixture.

Standard machinery oil is red paraffine oil, or if a paler yellow oil is required, pale paraffine may be used.

A suitable oil for light machinery, including sewing machines, is pale paraffine or neutral oil, either yellow or white.

A light machinery oil of high quality is made by compounding one gallon of sperm oil, with four gallons of neutral or pale paraffine oil. This oil may be made more thinly fluid by the addition of some kerosene.

Motor oil is compounded as follows: 4 gallons, 25 degree paraffine oil, 3-4 gallon, cylinder stock, 1-4 gallon, sperm oil, Gas engine oil:

4 gallons, red paraffine oil, 1 gallon, cylinder stock, 1-4 gallon, lard oil. Spindle oils are No. 1 and No. 2, bloomless neutral oils. They are pure white oils of light body and should stand a high degree of heat.

To produce an extra quality of cylinder oil, add 25 lbs. of tallow melted, to each 50 gallons of cylinder stock.

High grade light cylinder oil can be made by adding 25 pounds of tallow melted, to 50 gallons of heavy paraffine oil.

Castor oil is used as a lubricant where great viscosity or adhesiveness is demanded and price is not an object.

A good substitute for castor oil is produced by compounding 25 pounds of tallow to each 50 gallons of No. 2 spindle or white neutral oil, and may be termed mineral castor oil. If greater body is required, add 50 pounds of tallow to each 50 gallons of oil to be prepared.

An excellent substitute for lard oil is made by mixing 30 gallons of 28 degree to 30 degree par-affine (pale paraffine), 20 gallons of pure lard oil, and 25 pounds of tallow.

In adding tallow to any of these oils, first melt the tallow in 5 gallons of the oil with which it is to be mixed, and when the fluid is clear and the tallow thoroughly dissolved, mix this with the balance of the oil to be compounded.

Signal or head light oil for illuminating purposes, of good quality, is produced by the mixture of 20 gallons of pure lard oil, and 30 gallons of 300 degree mineral oil, or (solar oil).

Wagon greases are compounds of rosin soap, petroleum residues, and vegetable tar.