I don't know what the grit is – have you asked the supplier? Old fashioned Cosmoline goes hard, perhaps this is what the grit is – solid lumps starting to form in recently applied goo.

However, the purpose of the goo is to protect the machine in long-term storage especially if it's going to be steamy. It should only be plastered on the outside making a deep clean unnecessary. I suggest cleaning off the obvious without major dismantling and then trying the lathe. WD-40 or paraffin should shift it, also White Spirit but check it doesn't clean the paint off too.

My Warco machines all arrived with a light waxy protective coating requiring minimal cleaning and I believe this is typical of UK suppliers. (Perhaps because the climate is relatively kind.) Anyone else encountered thick chicken-fat?

Dave

Its not that long ago since Arc Eurotrade offered a pre delivery service on the machines they sold. I seem to recall it involved stripping the machine down, cleaning, adjusting and generally giving the whole machine the once over.

Ian P

Perhaps the gritty chicken fat is Running In Paste? My Warco got no more than a basic wipe over the exposed slideways before being put into service, and 4 years later now runs with a happy, smooth hum.

Over the years I have purchased 3 machines from Warco and an x 3 mill I have never found any evidence of casting same anywhere. All I have ever done is use paraffin and WD40 to remove the protective grease then given everything a thorough lubrication The most difficult part was getting a reasonael quantity of oil through the very small oiling points that now seem to be fitted . I did go so far as to change the oil in the lathe after some hours use. The result was a quantity of nice clean oil in a collecting tray and a collection of oily paper towels. ( I never use cloth to mop up anything since seeing a .castor oil soaked rag ignite . Yes I know that was an organic oil )

Brian

Eeeeeuwww… that's a good deal worse than I think mine was in 2015. I never looked in the apron gearbox until the crossslide leadscrew shearpin fell into it in 2017 – then there was grit at the bottom but the gears didn't pick it up and the oil pool was clean (-ish )