[Noteworthy] Keeping your machine oiled.

[brasssmanget]

I just thought I'd put this out there after experiencing it yesterday. It probably won't pertain to the knowledgeable people, but being new to lathes, I neglected a very important part of keeping the lathe lubricated properly. I have run this lathe for about two months now, and yesterday while working with it, it just sort of stopped like someone engaged a parking brake on the spindle. Motor was still humming, so at first I thought I may have overheated it. Alas, upon further inspection, I found that the bearings on the LOWER belt pulley had overheated - one end only though thankfully. I filled the EMPTY oil cups, gently rocked the belt back and forth, and soon the pulley spindle was turning freely again. It may be scorched - I don't know - but it ran fine the rest of the afternoon.

In any case, my message is for those of you that, like me, forgot about the lower pulley assembly maintenance. Be sure and keep the bearings oiled! :biggrin:

 

[bcall2043]

Thanks for the reminder brasssmanget,

Very good point. I know better but the other day when I started to use my lathe I cleaned the ways and oiled the top end but forgot the motor and spindles below. I will oil them today.

Benny

 

[Gary Max]

I really need to buy new wicks for my old South Bend 16---- the cups never use any oil.:huh:

 

[Bartolo]

Go - Pack - Go!!

Thanks for the reminder...

 

[swatson144]

It's good to have a long hard look at our machines and make sure we are getting all the oilers. People often forget the bushings when running in backgear. A friend has been running Rockwells for years and had a gear lock up on the bushing from lack of lube and not obvious no ball on the end but on the side of the collar.

Steve

 

[rafe]

I was using the wrong type oil on my lathe, that has been rectified and most likely without any harm, as It was not over an extended period ....however,who knows what was used or not used over the 40-50 years before I got it ??

 

[4GSR]

"I was using the wrong type of oil on my lathe"

It's not so much as what type of oil to use as most machinery used and abused over the years rarely got any oil at all. Any oil is better than none at all.

But what really kills a machine is not wiping down the ways/slides to remove the black looking crud that collects on the sliding menbers from use. This is like lapping compound if you ask me.

I always make it a good habit to wipe down the ways on the lathe before use and apply oil to the ways before use, too!

Automatic oilers in machine tools are nice to have, but again, if you don't keep the "crud" wiped off the ways, what good does it do to oil? Way wipers are supposed to "wipe" the ways, but rarely do that, unless new.

Time to stop ranting...

 

[rock_breaker]

+ 1 on oilig the back gear bushings, I pull a screw on the spindle shaft, oil standin in hole for several minutes before replacing screw. I fill the oil cup on the back gear shaft at the same time. When I replaced my drive belt I packed the tapered bearings in "moly" grease after seveal years now I have started adding oil to thse bearings, the oil runs out the headstock housing at both ends of the shaft.

My lathes look like they are swiming in oil but I believe this will help wash away the grit. In the "whatever reason department" I always seem to only have detergent motor oil on hand so that is what is used.

Ray

 

[burnrider]

I always make it a good habit to wipe down the ways on the lathe before use and apply oil to the ways before use, too!

Helps to clean and oil under the ways on the clamping surface. Out of sight and a generally neglected bearing surface.

 

[GK1918]

I aggree with Ken and Ray. On a good day I go thru atleast a quart of #30. As far as lathe ways, Its
newspaper with magnet in a baggie. Good or bad habit I am squirting oil while they are running. I got
that habit way back, as an oiler on a Lorrane shovel as well as Macks with chain drive, they all carried
oil buckets with a brush. Any one thinks a lube job on a lathe or other,, try a crane or shovel, thats an
hours worth before you even start. Sometimes I have 3 or 4 running at once being a one man band
its like a stage show back and forth squirting oil, dont worry I put limit switches on my lathes. Oil
consumption, the most, my GK heavy one oil can a day, power hacksaw constantly, metal shaper I
use #90 for the block and bull gears and #30 for the rest. The least are my four drill preses, a drop
or two for them. So my bottom line on this is > cost of replacement .. My old man always said,
"soap and water will wash anything but a dirty mouth" So my friends get out your oil can and a roll
of .99$ paper towels. To add to the can of beans, I just cant aggree with concerns with all those
specific types of oil or way oil. Imagine on a ship, they have well equiped shops down there and
no oil on board and the trusty S Bend is smokin, so you grab some cooking oil out of mess hall and
S Bend is happy even though SBend stresses "their oils must be used". Look at this like this, Nascar
cars runs at unbelievable RPMS with oil bought anywhere, and we are concerned with back gears
threading , turning usually under two grand and creeping feed rates????? just my thinks samuel