Originally posted by Cerebum I have a tiny bit of watch oil left but I also have the oil I use on my clipper blades, which is really thin. Is it OK for cameras or is it another like wd40 to be avoided at all costs?
Clipper oil is simply paraffin oil, also called "white mineral oil". Watch oils are available in different varieties depending on whether used for watches or clocks. Most watch oils, these days, are synthetic oils or a mix of mineral oil and synthetic oils, for the reason that most mineral oils "gum up" after time while synthetic oils will remain stable for much longer.
Moebius 8000 (a good watch oil) has the following characteristics:
Viscosity at 0°C 280 cSt
Viscosity at 20°C 95 cSt
Viscosity at 40°C 41 cSt
Density at 20°C 0.908 g/ml
Refraction index at 20 °C 1.472
Acidity 0.5 mg KOH / g
Shelf life 2 years
Temperature range -15 °C to +80 °C
Application fields
Classic oil to be used for :
Precision micromechanics (watch, timer, measuring devices , tools)
Instrumentation and counters
Cameras and optical instruments
General mechanics (office equipment, fans,…)
Lubrication of fast moving watch parts with low torque (pendulum pivots, escapements, some wheels)
On that basis, I'd think that watch oil is OK for (some) cameras, but I would not consider hair clipper oil to be suitable.
The even better watch oil would be Moebius 9010 Synt-A-Lube Watch Oil which is a fully synthetic oil with a 6 year shelf life.
But, refer this chart for a better idea of which oil will work for which application:
https://www.moebius-lubricants.ch/sites/default/themes/moebius/extras/pdf/tableEN.pdf