LMS 3960 MiniMill lubrication question

[cazclocker]

I'm still slowly getting my new mill set up. Today I adjusted the gibs and lubricated the dovetails, but I have a question for you guys that have the same mill. On page 17 of the manual, the lubrication table is shown. My question is about the last item mentioned on the table: the X-axis thrust bearings. Where are they? The table says to lubricate them yearly with oil, but a patient search of the manual fails to show me where or how to oil the X-axis thrust bearings.

To be fair, I did oil what I suspect is probably the X-axis thrust bearing oil point. At the far left end of the upper table (the X axis) is a small brass insert with a tiny ball bearing spring-set into it. A check with the exploded parts diagram (page 30 in the manual, part #40) shows that this tiny part is called "oil cup". It's not what I would call pointedly clear, but enough to make me think the tip of an oil gun is supposed to depress the ball bearing to receive oil. Not having an oil gun, I depressed the ball bearing with a piece of wire and dripped oil one drop at a time until it began dripping out the bottom (with a rag underneath it, of course). A look underneath showed me that what I seemed to be oiling there is a brass or bronze bearing. I would assume it's an Oilite bearing, cast from sintered brass or bronze rendering it porous to oil - so I guess it becomes its own oil reservoir.

Any of you other LMS 3960 owners have any light to shed? Did I go wrong, or did I correctly identify the X-axis thrust bearing oil point?

Thanks,
...Doug

 

[wrmiller]

Don't know what it's called, but yea, I stick the oil can snout in there and give a squeeze when I'm oiling up the machine.

There may be a bearing in the block on the other end?

I'm not real thrilled with the way I have to get under the table to get oil the x-axis ways. Not very efficient by a long shot. I'm thinking I may have to figure out a way to put some oil cups and some pathways on the front and back of the table. The front is doable, but the back has my dro scale in the way so not sure how I'm going to do this. I'll figure something out.

Our machines are kinda small to put a one-shot on, or I'd try that.

 

[cazclocker]

Don't know what it's called, but yea, I stick the oil can snout in there and give a squeeze when I'm oiling up the machine.

There may be a bearing in the block on the other end?

I'm not real thrilled with the way I have to get under the table to get oil the x-axis ways. Not very efficient by a long shot. I'm thinking I may have to figure out a way to put some oil cups and some pathways on the front and back of the table. The front is doable, but the back has my dro scale in the way so not sure how I'm going to do this. I'll figure something out.

Our machines are kinda small to put a one-shot on, or I'd try that.

You may be on to something. According to the exploded diagram, there are TWO bearings under the block on the right-hand side of the X-axis, but I didn't see any obvious way to oil them. I'll have to take another look later on. As for the oil point on the left side (part #40), the descriptive text on page 30 calls it "oil cup", but the thing directly below the oil cup is called "Vertical screw bracket left socket". In fact, I don't see anything called "thrust bearings". The only thing I see called "bearings" in the X-axis is under the right hand block, like you mentioned. And you're right, the feed screw is hard to oil. Even the Y-axis is easier. I have an idea to simplify oiling the feedscrews all at once, but it would take a bit of doing.

 

[wrmiller]

I have an idea to simplify oiling the feedscrews all at once, but it would take a bit of doing.

If you get it figured out let me know!

 

[cazclocker]

If you get it figured out let me know!

I am retired from a lifetime of running offset lithographic printing presses in commercial printing plants. I spent 9 of those years running a now-antiquated press known as the KORD, manufactured by Heidelberg Printing Press Co., which had an absolutely brilliant oiling scheme built in to them. The KORD had a central oil pump that was hand-operated by a hand lever. The press operator simply pulled ONCE on the lever, and oil was instantly pushed down a central tube that branched into literally hundreds of separate small brass tube lines. The small lines all terminated at some point which hovers just a few millimeters over some vital moving part. I wish I had photos of that system to show here! Anyway, the principle is simple hydraulics - a central reservoir with a hand-operated lever, with a distribution system made from brass tubing. The brilliance of it was that it made lubrication of an enormous number of oil points possible with a single pull of the lever.

So I was just trying to envision a system in which tubing could be bolted down in such a way that the ends would be suspended directly above all the oiling points. The feedscrews would present a problem because they pass through a moveable block (so at some point, the block would collide with a tube). Ah well, at least we can get oil cans with flexible goosenecks.

Tomorrow (Monday) I plan to call LMS and settle the matter of locating the X-axis thrust bearings.

 

[cazclocker]

Okay it took me a little longer than I thought, but I finally got around to calling LMS about the thrust bearing question. I spoke with Chris himself. It turns out there are TWO thrust bearings on the X-axis. To get to the outer one, you have to remove the handwheel - the outside edge of it is visible around the feedscrew. I found that if you grab the end of the feedscrew by the keyway, you can rotate it a part of a turn even without the handwheel being on. When you turn it, the outer thrust bearing gets partially exposed so you can oil it easier. That's it...put the handwheel back on. The other thrust bearing is behind the blue part of the table behind the handwheel. You have to look under the table to see it. I guess you just squirt oil on it the best you can.

The oil point on the left side of the table isn't even mentioned in the oiling schedule! Ah well...