DOES ANY ONE KNOW IF 3INONE OIL IS PLASTIC COMPATIBLE?

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

I wrote a email to the company and they answered unbeleivably, they didn’t know if it was plastic compatible or not and to contact my hobby manufacture. True story. So now I use Labelle on my trains , but still would like to know if it is indeed plastic compatible. Some one told me they remembered using 3 in one oil as a kid to make the emgine on the their toy train to smoke but couldn’t remember what brand it was, Anyone remember anything about that?

Any comments or questions or greatly appreciated!!

2

arnie,

3in1 has been around since I was a kid (1950’s). It is a petroleum derivative and one would be safe to assume if it is not labeled as plastic safe then it would be unwise to use it on modern plastics. We used to use it in tinplate toys that made smoke (tanks and robots, etc.). It really stinks, which we thought was great when we were kids.

3

It’s as compatible as LaBelle. I’m still looking for a plastic incompatible lubricating oil… what is the spout & stem on 3-in-1 oil made out of?

3-in-1 oil was a staple on our layout from ~1971 to about 1988 when I switched to ATF for most axles & motors. I now use Mobil 1(full synthetic - very slippery stuff) for all needle oiler applications… gosh it’s cheap! (under $5.00 for a 10+ year supply)

Rob

4

Over many years, and from many hobbyists more experienced than I, the advice I invariably received was to NOT use 3-in-1 oil for model trains. I don’t know the specifics of why one should avoid it, but I avoid it because too many folks have told me to. There’s no can of 3-in-1 in my home, so that makes it a moot point. I use LaBelle products for all of my models except Standard Gauge (I use 10W-40 motor oil to lubricate the large exposed gears on those models) and Large Scale, where I use LGB’s oil.

5

The spout is made of plastic. There are different types of plastics. Some are not as oil resistant as others. Some you can glue, some you can’t [you have to weld]. It use to make my model airplane axles soft. [50’s and 60’s] [:(] So I do not use it on plastic. I use synthetic in a needle oiler. If you can find it, Slick 50 One Lube is great. Also Hot Juice fishing reel oil is good.

6

Remember that plastics are made from oil soooo. Be careful what kind of oils you use or you could melt the plastic.
Just thought you might wanna know. :slight_smile:

7

I have used many different oils without regards to whether they said they were plastic compatible or not. I have never experienced any problems with oil interaction with plastic. I am beginning to think plastic incompatibility is more of a myth then reality. If anyone knows ANY oil that is incompatible with plastic, let me know because I will give it a try if I can obtain the oil.

Earl

8

Arnie,

Everyone has given good answers. Here is more information…

3-in-one oil is made by the WD-40 Company. It is made from Severely Hydrotreated Heavy Naphthenic Oil. (The severe hydrotreatment uses hydrogen in the cracking process primarily to remove sulfur and metals. It has the added benefit of making the oil non-carcinogenic.)

Roy said, “It really stinks” (when used as smoke fluid). If the sulfur was not removed, it would really, really stink. Rob also said, “It’s as compatible as LaBelle.” Maybe if Jack Treubig (Mr. Labelle Industries) reads this he will be kind enough to comment. Rob also asked, "…what is the spout & stem on 3-in-1 oil made out of?

Answer: Plastic. In fact, not just the spout, but my whole bottle of 3-in-one is plastic. But, not just any plastic. It is high density polypropylene (HDPE). If it were styrene, it would crack and leak. Here is a list of plastics and oil compatibility:

Oil Compatible Plastics
Nylon, Teflon®, Delrin®, polybutylene, polypropylene.

Oil Semi-Compatible Plastics
Polyurethane, polyethylene, Lexan.

Oil Non-Compatible Plastics
Polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, ABS (acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene), polycarbonate.

We all use oil and/or grease on our trains. Plastic gears are made from an oil/grease compatible plastic, so that is not a problem. Loco shells and car bodies are a problem. Just lubricate moving parts sparingly so that oil/grease does not migrate to the plastic parts of the train that are not oil compatible. If it does, wipe it off.

9

Sounds good to me!

Rob

10

Wayne, that was a very informative answer. It appears that it is a plastics compatibility rather then oil compatibility issue. Is it safe to assume that any oil will work on certain plastics and no oil will work on some other plastics? Additionally, is LaBelle’s claim to be ‘plastic compatible’ applicable to all plastics or just the plastics in your list?

Earl

11

Earl,

You ask, "Is it safe to assume that any oil will work on certain plastics and no oil will work on some other plastics?

No. Some specialty oils have additives that may attack even the compatible plastics. The common lubricants (including 3-in-one) sold at hardware and hobby stores are safe for plastic bearings and gears.

Yes. Some plastics just crumble some time after being exposed to mineral oil. Others swell and become soft.

As far as LaBelle’s claims of “plastic compatible,” the proof is in all the guys who use and endorse LaBelle’s products. No problems reported means it is safe to use with the plastics used for bearings and gears. I still would keep it off of plastic body shells.

Here is a warning about LaBelle lubricants from all-railroads.com:

Note: All LaBelle Lubricants are safe to use on models with plastic parts EXCEPT #0430-101 and #0430-104 which are NOT PLASTIC COMPATIBLE, on models with Plastic parts use #107 or #108 in place of #104, and #106 Grease in place of #104.

Reference: http://www.all-railroads.com/lablubes.htm

12

Thanks Wayne. I bookmarked this thread now :slight_smile:

13

My experience mirrors that of ChiefEagles; I used 3 in 1 oil to lube the axles of my Revell and Monogram tanks and military vehicles up until I noticed all the wheels started to fall off! The little axle stubs would just dissolve. Sometimes the only way to learn is the hard way.

14

Sulafool, I had a similar experience when somone on the other forum recommended it for jock rash.

15

Can’t speak to 3-in-1 oil, but my bottle of LaBelle 108 light multi purpose oil specifically says “plastic compatible” on it.

16

When we were in high school, my best friend found a cheap oil: corn oil from the kitchen.

After a while, he noticed that some of his all-plastic locomotives wouldn’t turn their wheels. The [;astic axles had swollen inside the bearings.