Amazing what you will find in an old motor.

HarryJM

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As part of my take apart and clean up my Burke #4 mill I started on the electric motor today and found a old oily piece of cotton material used as part of the wicking for sleeve bearing So I decided to completely dissemble and replace the old wicking material with some wool roving that I had bought a few years ago for another sleeve bearing motor.
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LOL I thought that was a snake laying on that cover plate! or salamander!
 
Long ago, sleeve bearings had "cotton waste" as oil wicks. When I run into such a motor, I use old T-shirt cloth rolled up to form the wick. If you have the proper material, go for it. A lot of my repairs are "on the fly". True cotton T shirt cloth is a longterm "git by" but does work pretty good.

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A lot of my repairs are "on the fly". True cotton T shirt cloth is a longterm "git by" but does work pretty good.

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And that is what I would call jury-rigged and have my share of it under my belt.
 
Long ago, sleeve bearings had "cotton waste" as oil wicks. When I run into such a motor, I use old T-shirt cloth rolled up to form the wick. If you have the proper material, go for it. A lot of my repairs are "on the fly". True cotton T shirt cloth is a longterm "git by" but does work pretty good.

Cotton would be the product of choice even with the range of synthetics available today. I use cotton balls stolen from my wife's boudoir for oil wicks. It does not melt, it can absorb and release oil for extended periods.
Cotton wicks are still used for many such purposes. So rest assured gents that you have 'NASA approved' oil wicks. Cotton is not an inferior material just because it is handy and free.
 
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How does the wicking ability of cotton compare to wool?
 
I used 3-IN-ONE motor oil (SAE 20) on the wool roving and it stayed fluffy did not compressed much as cotton will do. Unless I'm in one of those “need to get it fixed with what is on hand” situations I like to use what I think/researched is the best solution. I bought the wool several years ago for another motor and also had the above oil.
 
Felted wool makes very good wicks which is why it was/is used extensively for making papermakers felts. It has excellent capillary action with low retention. It dries more quickly than cotton.

Cotton fibres are generally finer than wool and are hollow so I expect that a wad of cotton of equal volume would hold more oil than wool. The cotton being an acetate would also absorb more oil versus the wool which is a solid protein. Unless there is an oil port for adding oil to the wool, my first choice would be cotton because it would release oil more slowly and last longer. I repacked a ventilation fan motor bearing housing with cotton around 20 years ago. It has run continuously ever since.
 
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