Apron questions for Lam-350B (aka Jet 1024 and it’s many cousins)

[Mikeyc66]

Hello to the collective mind.
Let me start by saying, I do not even consider myself a hobby machinist yet as I have never actually run a machine tool in my life. This is as a context for my lack of knowledge.
Now on to the matter at hand. I purchased a Lantaine Lam-350B back in May 2022. First machine tool, Yay! It was in an airplane hanger and the previous had passed away 4 or 5 years prior. Based on the amount of dried oil and stickiness on everything I assume it sat longer than that. I am trying to get my workspace set up and get the machine planted. In the interim I am taking that machine slowly apart to clean and repair if needed. So far I have found only very minor problems. I removed the apron about a week ago, and this is the source of the conundrum. There is no sight glass and no oil drain but there is very clearly and fill port. That port is actually on the saddle above the apron and there is a passage system with felt wick rope leading to a series of holes that look like drip oilers for various locations in the saddle. I am assuming, always a dangerous endeavor, that is is essentially a waste system where the oils drips and is not recirculated. Why would there be no way to drain the oil if this is the case. What goes in, must come out somehow. The accumulation of old oil in the bottom of the apron seems counterintuitive to me. There is currently some very dark sludgy oil in the very bottom that I will dispatch once I disassemble it. Should I modify the apron with some type of drain hole? Would it benefit the machine in anyway? Is this how the machine was originally designed? I am fine with modifying the machine with the goal of making it better.

Impart your collective knowledge on me please.

Thanks, Mike

I am attaching a couple pictures of the oil gallery/ passage that contains the wicking material.

 

[markba633csi]

What I would do is just use some light grease on the gears instead of oil.
The speeds are very low and the apron is more or less enclosed. Using oil just makes an unnecessary mess.
-Mark

 

[Ulma Doctor]

If you were so inclined, you certainly could add a drain plug. The apron and qcgb are lost oil systems, there is slight retention of oil in the apron below the hand wheel shaft.
Oil will weep out of the shaft/apron interface if the oil level is high, so there is little chance of overfilling, at least for any length of time.
I’m partial to ISO100 hydraulic fluid, but ISO68 is a viable alternative for cooler climates
Avoid oils that contain anti-wear compounds, they may damage some brass and bronze components

 

[benmychree]

This is pretty typical for mid range to cheap machines and I would not give it much thought, but I definitely would not use grease, it will attract chips, which do not mesh well with gearing.

 

[Mikeyc66]

So this leads me to this question. How much oil should be in this space? There is less than an 1/8” of oil in the bottom currently with no signs of leaking out. If I had to guess maybe 3-5mL or less than 2 oz. This question is also driven by the fact that there are no specific instructions in the manual for my lathe specifically.
I have 2 manuals for the jet variation of the lathe, one for the Tilda variation, and one for a Grizzly variation. One of the Jet manuals references a sight glass on the apron that is not listed in any of the any of the other manuals. The exploded view for the manual just says “oil cup 1/4”’. No volume or directions other than fill to middle of sight glass. The Grizzly manual says to fill with “3/4 of a pint of oil” at a frequency of “every 40 hours of operation” also stating that “Excess lubricant will leak from the front of the apron.” There is no signs that oil has been leaking out of the apron and I imagine that is driven by the lack of any mention of this in the original manual.
My revised question is two fold. Does anyone have the Jet or other model with the sight glass? Pictures would be helpful. Mainly so that it could be used for reference of what the appropriate level would be. Does anyone have experience with the specific group of lathes that can share some insight.
To address the oil or grease question, oil is definitely the lubricant to use. Knowing that the fill port and wick system will apply oil to the more important areas (where shafting goes through the casting and pivot points for the controls). I can see how there would be some level of splash oiling from the lowest gears if there was free oil in the bottom of the apron cavity. Seems very odd however that there is no accommodation to drain oil out so it can be exchanged. A very low tech solution would be to have 2 plug fittings (much like a car differential) to allow for drain and then fill. I know I am stepping out of the original specifications, however, is this even worth addressing? As the adage goes, if it ain’t broke……..

 

[matthewsx]

Fill till it leaks out, repeat as needed.

John

 

[benmychree]

Yes, "if it ain't broke --- "