An excellent lube for exposed gears I have found is a product called
Walter Hang-On adhesive lubricant. It comes in a spray can and works
great and doesn't fling oil. On the issue with a cone pully on a 9"
lathe, be sure that the oil ports inside the cone pulley and the the spiral groove
are clean. I have rebuilt several headstocks and found that the oil-grease ways
(the spiral grooves) were plugged. If you use grease or oil, the lack of lube
is generally your problem in this case. If after using your back gears and
the cone pulley gets hot, this is a good indication of a lack of lubrication.
John Phillips
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