Is This Worth Restoring?

Thanks! I'll have to take it apart next time I'm at the machine. I see you're in Canada where do you go to get those kinds of lubricants?
 
Or if anyone else knows where to get those kinds of oils in Canada?
 
I didn't think they would carry anything that specific we're limited in certain things here in Canada lol I'll see what they carry!
 
Izzy,

When I asked Cincinnati about what oil to use in my 1916 mill, they said ISO-46.
I bought the first couple jugs from "Sunlight Oil Ltd." in the city, and then found out that my local Tractor Supply Company (http://www.tscstores.com/Default.aspx) sell large buckets of hydraulic oil and put it on sale regularly.
http://www.tscstores.com/Valvoline-AW-Hydraulic-Oil-ISO-46-19L-P29527.aspx#.V_7T4Jc6_h4

I use that for all lubrication points on both the Cincinnati mill and my 1937 Southbend lathe.
I have a little manual pump and decant some into a pair of ketchup and mustard bottles whose tips just fit the machine oilers.

-brino
 
You can get "Tonna" way oil (I use 68 weight), but you can get 40 or 68 at BlueWave energy. Your local contact is at 1-800-265-9020. They prefer to deliver, but delivery is free.
 
Was messing around with the machine and found that I've got about .006" of slant in the table from full stop to full stop could be the table that's got high spots or the way I measured (dial indicator in a drill chuck reading off the table) and I've got about .020" backlash in the x-axis and about .030" in Y the knee is pretty tight at about .002"
 
Hi Izzy,

A couple thoughts: (if that 6 thou. is in the x direction)
-over that loooong table 6 thou. is not horrendous
-any looseness in the dovetail ways could allow that table to tilt a little under it's own weight due to the overhang, does tightening the table locks change the measurement at each end?
-I am not real familiar with that machine, does it have the ability to rotate the head? maybe it's out of tram?

If you put something flat and smooth on the table you can also do that same test over the y-feed. This measurement will be affected by the "nod" of the head. (......and of course by any table irregularities too!)

Most lead-screw backlash can be worked around by careful planning of feed directions, but it might be worth inspecting the lead-screws and nuts. The lead-screws normally wear most in the middle as that's where they used most.

-brino
 
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There are 3 places the 0.006 could be coming from: Knee, Saddle, and Table. Or a combination of all 3 which is the most likely. It is not likely that the table is worn that much, or even that the table ways are worn that much. Consider that the table weighs 100's of pounds and once cranked to it's extremes is is putting a lot of twisting force on everything. When unlocked, my knee ''twists'' about 0.003, measured about 3 inches off to the side of the knee, as the table moves through it's travel. I can see this movement on the DRO reading. My machine is about the same size as yours.

Doing the same test again, start at zero in the center and look at the change as you move the towards the ends. My guess is that the indicator will move positive as you work toward the ends. Then repeat this test with the knee and saddle locked as @brino suggests. You should see less change in the values. Then doing the test after unlocking the saddle and knee one at a time should tell you where the real problem is at.

Once the machine is cleaned up and lubed, then start adjusting gibs on each axis. I'll bet most of that goes away.

0.020 and 0.030 backlash is what I would consider in the range of normal. You always have to approach your work from the same direction to compensate for the backlash, this is standard practice on any machine. The nuts may be adjustable, but don't tighten too much or you will get tight spots.
 
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