The terms of oils are quite ambiguous, even in English. Generally what you are 
looking for is mineral oil, as Barbara correctly noted. What you need is an oil 
that will not have the more volatile fractions evaporate off, leaving a gummy 
residue that can end up making noise in the instrument or even causing the 
wheel to stick in the long run.

Mineral oil (also called paraffin oil in some English-speaking countries) fits 
the bill. What we call vaseline or petroleum jelly in the U.S. is not suitable 
(aside from the difficulty of application).

So if you use mineral oil you should be safe. This is what Balázs Nagy 
recommends for his instruments. (We had quite a time trying to figure out the 
equivalent in U.S. English, so I know whereof I speak on this one subject, at 
least, because of my considerable effort to figure it out.)

-Arle

On Jul 8, 2011, at 09:01 , Bruno Fournier wrote:

> Hi,
>  
> I am french living in Canada, vaseline is petroleum jelly, but it appears 
> that a liquified version is for sewing machines.  I will be going back home 
> to France this summer and look this up.
>  
> http://www.rascol.com/mercerie/machines-a-coudre/accessoire-machine-coudre/3134.php
>  
> Bruno
>  
> 
> 
>  
> On Fri, Jul 8, 2011 at 4:30 AM, Michel LEMEU <[email protected]> wrote:
> In France, we say also "oil for sewing machine".
> Oil to lubricate very thin mechanisms
> 
> Michel
> 
> 
> Le 8 juil. 2011 à 05:09, Barbara Currier a écrit :
> 
>> I have received my HG from M. Boudet. She is quite beautiful. He recommends 
>> "l'huile de vaseline" to lubricate the bearings a couple of times a year. 
>> What is that when it's at home? Is it mineral oil?
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> Barbara
>> 
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> Michel 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> Bruno Cognyl-Fournier
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> www.estavel.org
>  
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