# What kind of oil is "shredder lubricant" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 12, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-oil-is-shredder-lubricant/513470 "2009-10-12T00:25:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-oil-is-shredder-lubricant/513470/1 "2009-10-12T00:25:29Z")
Office Depot sells it for about $5.00 for 4 oz. I gotta believe that the same thing can be bought much cheaper. Anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-oil-is-shredder-lubricant/513470/2 "2009-10-12T00:30:56Z")
I don’t know precisely what “shredder lubricant” is, but it’s probably just the same as any other machine oil. You’ll find similar stuff anywhere that sells sewing supplies, for use in a sewing machine. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-oil-is-shredder-lubricant/513470/3 "2009-10-12T00:32:26Z")
You’re in luck… I keep some by my desk. I have the Staples brand which is a mixture of soybean and mineral oil. ETA: $5 for 4 oz is definitely a ripoff. My Staples brand cost about $4 for 16 oz. It might be worth buying just to get a bottle that’s well labeled and has the squirt top, then refill it with the generic stuff later. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-oil-is-shredder-lubricant/513470/4 "2009-10-12T01:09:06Z")
drug store mineral oil may work. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-oil-is-shredder-lubricant/513470/5 "2009-10-12T11:59:30Z")
The MSDS for my shredder oil says “vegetable oil” under section 3: composition/information on ingredients. That’s a surprise to me, I have usually used sewing machine oil in a pinch. Guess I should have read the MSDS sooner. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-oil-is-shredder-lubricant/513470/6 "2009-10-12T12:51:31Z")
My shredder manual also suggests vegetable oil, run a thin bead across the blades. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-oil-is-shredder-lubricant/513470/7 "2009-10-12T15:01:16Z")
For a large quantity, go to a plumbing store and buy thread cutting oil. It’s used when cutting threads on pipe. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-oil-is-shredder-lubricant/513470/8 "2009-10-12T16:27:40Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > For a large quantity, go to a plumbing store and buy thread cutting oil. It’s used when cutting threads on pipe. Bad idea. Sulphanated cutting oil is the wrong thing to be using, as the goal is to lubricate the cutters, not wear them out. Cutting oil is fairly high viscosity to stay in place, which will hold the cutters farther apart, tending to cause jamming. Any light machine oil should be fine: Sewing machine oil, gun oil, 3 in 1 oil, etc. You might check a beauty supply place for hair clipper oil. If you don’t want to use a petroleum product, I would suggest almond oil, as it won’t go rancid like most vegetable oils. While the small bottles are much more expensive per ounce, consider that a quart would be several lifetimes supply…literally. I have a quart can of WW-I army surplus machine/gun oil purchased by my grandfather, passed to dad, then to me. I’m in my mid 40’s and that can is still about half full. I come from a long line of tinkering gearheads, so it is likely that we have used well above what a normal consumer would. Also, that ancient steel can is a work of art, with a machined brass spout and cap, and a chain to keep from losing the cap. I’m pretty sure that modern packaging wouldn’t hold up more than a decade or so. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-oil-is-shredder-lubricant/513470/9 "2009-10-12T22:02:46Z")
Thanks all. I’m at least going to check out Staples for a better deal. Apparently Fellowes brand is 100% vegetable oil. [MSDS for Fellowes brand (pdf)](http://www.fellowes.com/Fellowes/materials/documents/MSDS_35250.PDF) ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-oil-is-shredder-lubricant/513470/10 "2009-10-13T01:12:28Z")
My Fellowes model PS60C2 recommends using Canola oil on the cutters once a month. I usually manage this every three months, and all has been well for the five or so years I’ve owned it. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-oil-is-shredder-lubricant/513470/11 "2009-10-13T01:31:28Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > Bad idea. Sulphanated cutting oil is the wrong thing to be using, as the goal is to lubricate the cutters, not wear them out. Cutting oil is fairly high viscosity to stay in place, which will hold the cutters farther apart, tending to cause jamming. > > Any light machine oil should be fine: Sewing machine oil, gun oil, 3 in 1 oil, etc. You might check a beauty supply place for hair clipper oil. If you don’t want to use a petroleum product, I would suggest almond oil, as it won’t go rancid like most vegetable oils. > > While the small bottles are much more expensive per ounce, consider that a quart would be several lifetimes supply…literally. I have a quart can of WW-I army surplus machine/gun oil purchased by my grandfather, passed to dad, then to me. I’m in my mid 40’s and that can is still about half full. I come from a long line of tinkering gearheads, so it is likely that we have used well above what a normal consumer would. Also, that ancient steel can is a work of art, with a machined brass spout and cap, and a chain to keep from losing the cap. I’m pretty sure that modern packaging wouldn’t hold up more than a decade or so. Good post. You’re not going to need much unless you’re a politician. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-oil-is-shredder-lubricant/513470/12 "2009-10-13T15:32:57Z")
“Vegetable Oil” means just that. Wet a folded paper towel with oil of soybean, olive, corn, or canola. Wipe some across the width of a piece of paper, then shred it. That’s it. Easier done than said. ---
**Author:** ![Randeyeman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dbc845/32.png) [@Randeyeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randeyeman)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-oil-is-shredder-lubricant/513470/13 "2014-07-12T00:35:32Z")
Picked up a bottle of shredder oil for my Fellowes brand shredder the other day at Walmart. $8.95 for a tiny 4oz. bottle…. Ouch!!! Took a whiff to see if I could recognize what kind of oil it was - smelled strangely familiar. Requested a MSDS from Fellowes for their shredder oil. IT’S BLOODY CANOLA OIL!!! I’m much rather pay .07 cents an ounce for the same thing at my local supermarket (buy the store brand), than over $2.00 an ounce for a little bottle that has my shredder’s brand name on it!!!