subject: What Is Shredder Oil Made Of? [print this page] What is paper shredder oil made of? Its made of paper shredder oil, of course. Thats the flippant answer to a question that people ask as theyre oiling their paper shredder, or purchasing more oil. To keep your paper shredder running just like the day you bought it requires regular lubrication to the motor and blades using shredder oil. The shredder oil is very light-weight oil that reduces the daily wear and tear that paper shredders endure every time they are used.
It is always recommended that when youre servicing your shredder that you only use oil that is specifically made for lubricating paper shredders. Thats because not all oils are the same. Different types of oil are used to lubricate different types of engines or moving parts. Vegetable oil will fry up some tasty chicken or French fries, but you wouldnt want to put it in your car engine. A musician wouldnt put motor oil in the valves of his instrument. WD-40 might work well to lubricate a bicycle chain, but it doesnt do much for the internal motion of lawn mower engines. Each type of oil, whether it is industrial use or culinary use, has a composition grade and weight that corresponds to its use.
What shredder oil is made of also depends on what type of oil it is. Most paper shredder operators use a type of liquid oil that is poured on to lubricate the shredder. But there are also aerosol delivered oils too. What shredder oil is made of also depends on the company who makes it.
So what are some of the types of paper shredder oil? Some paper shredder oils are refined from shell based oil, and are treated with other chemicals and distillates so they will adhere to the parts they should be lubing and wont damage the machinery of the shredder. Other companies that produce shredder oil use a special blend of vegetable and mineral oils that will adhere to the moving parts without causing a mess while the blades are spinning. If the oil is too light then the blades will flip the oil around, creating a mess. If the oil is too heavy then it just drips down into the bin soaking all the papers
Because household oil is used in the production of paper shredder oil, some people assume you can use store brand vegetable, canola, or food-grade mineral oil on the office paper shredder. While this method may work as a short term solution, overall it can cause the machine to break down prematurely because the kitchen oil doesnt work as effectively as manufactured shredder oil. Furthermore, there are potential hazards in using improper oils to lubricate your shredder. As the shredder runs, the motor and blades start to heat up. This heat from the shredder motor can cause the oils to combust. Your shredder can actually catch on fire, and flames are generally something you wouldnt want over a bin full of paper, much less in an office.
The way you oil a paper shredder, and how often it needs to be oiled, will depend of the type of paper shredder you own. Low volume and low use paper shredders dont require as much maintenance. Low volume paper shredders that are regularly used should be oiled once or twice a month. High volume paper shredders or paper shredders in constant use will require regular oiling, sometimes every four hours depending on how heavy it was being used. As a general rule of thumb, you should oil the paper shredder each time you replace the catch-bag or empty the bin.
