HP Latex Maintenance question: any lubrication oil alternatives for DB2-68?

[Rayd8]

Hi All,
I was wondering if anyone has found a good alternative to the liquid gold.... eh, i mean lubrication oil DB2-68 which HP supplies in 10ml doses to lubricate the printhead axis?
I must admit i love this oil as its perfect and doesn't drip like chain/sewingmachine oil. Did anyone has found any good and worthy alternative asside from buying this exact same oil?
Also: when would i know i need to lubricate the axis? right now i try to do it a bit each 1/2 roll or so.
Thanks you for any help, hints, tricks regarding this maintenance step.
Greetings,
Thierry

 

[Dan360]

Those oils last forever, I think I've ordered 3 of those kits since getting the printer and still have 4 bottles pretty full.

Every half roll is a lot, surprised you're not seeing it drip onto prints. I clean/lube once a month.

 

[Rayd8]

Those oils last forever, I think I've ordered 3 of those kits since getting the printer and still have 4 bottles pretty full.

Every half roll is a lot, surprised you're not seeing it drip onto prints. I clean/lube once a month.

Thx Dan. I have two empty bottles and need to order some more. I guess i'm using way more than needed but i think what's not oiled enough will wear faster.

 

[ToTo]

If the machine detects high friction on the rail it will ask to lubricate the rails. Depending on the machine you have an oil reservoir on the left or right side of the carriage. There you can apply once a year. Once per 1/2 roll is far to much. In the printer cleaning kit 2 bottles are included and this kit get replenished with PMK.

 

[Rayd8]

If the machine detects high friction on the rail it will ask to lubricate the rails. Depending on the machine you have an oil reservoir on the left or right side of the carriage. There you can apply once a year. Once per 1/2 roll is far to much. In the printer cleaning kit 2 bottles are included and this kit get replenished with PMK.

Thanks for the info, that solves my worries and shows my overefficiency
Greetings,
Thierry

 

[regardstobuck]

We were getting a lubricate the rail message at least once a week. Which we would do immediately. We didn’t know about the oil reservoir on the printhead carriage as it doesn’t say anything during the lubricator procedure. Things progressively got worse until a scan access error on start up. Trouble shooting that problem, I discovered the oiler…. Bone dry! I replaced the wick and put oil in it and whalla no more scan axis error. And no more weekly reminders to oil.

Whenever you oil the carriage rod. Put a few drops into the oiler hole on the right side of the carriage it will save you some headache.

This is on a latex 360

 

[Rayd8]

Thx for the info. Yes i discovered the oiler to, it seems putting oil in this is part of the hp tech procedures and isnt documented to endusers (as far as i could discover). I fill her up too. But even if she is filled. When i touch the metal axis it feels somewhat dry to me and the my reflection is to put some drops of oil on it so the axis at least gets a little less friction thanks to the oil. You must know that one of my many other machines is an old Heidelberg and the thing practically needs to breathe oil to have it running happily for many decades without any major problem. So if it moves in my mind it needs oil