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Milling Machine -> Oil Instead of Grease?

William E Williams

Hot Rolled
Joined
Jun 1, 2005
Location
South Western PA
Hi All,

I'm assembling my "new to me" vert milling machine right now & I have a question. I scraped a ton of old grease and blew frozen wads from the passages. After all this I am wanting not to use grease on it and was thinking about oil. Any thoughts on how to?

I was thinking -
1) Just do oil cups as I hate lots of lines running everywhere, I want it not to be a tripping or catch hazard in my small shop.

2) Just leave the pasages bare and fill the cup with 30 wt SB oil.

3) Or, use F1 felt to line the pasages, with them rubbing the bearings from just the pinpont end sticking out slifgtly.

4) Last - modify knee & gib to hold felt horizioaly to wipe the full width of the bearing.

Ted
 
Ted:

Years ago I saw an oil can with a fitting for grease zerts. At that time we had Bridgeports with zert fittings. We used grease untill someone found out the machinese were to be oiled not greazed to begin with.

Maybe you can leave the machine as is and find the correct device for injecting oil to the ways.
Hopefully someone will know the device I'm referring to. We have had discussions on this in the past.
Jim
 
This belongs in the BP mill section probably, but I will attempt to help a little.
You might want to tell us what kind of mill you have as this will give a more appropriate response from us here.
First, DO NOT use grease as you have realized. Keep the Zerk fittings in place and then use a modified grease gun filled with WAY lube. Use this to oil the ways. There are several threads on the other BP section that tell all about this. Look through there first.
 
I think it depends on the maker of the machine.
I have a TOS vert that uses way lube on the X & Y.
The knee uses grease thru fittings located in the worse place.
Fortuneatly my machine came with a full set of manuals to confirm what was supposed to be used.
 
Ted,

1. What brand and model of mill do you have?

2. Do you have a manual for said machine?

3. I never heard of SB oil!

4. If this is a BP, the fittings on the saddle are for lube oil and the cups on the head are for spindle oil. While you have it apart, there have been several people convert these to a "one shot" system.
JR
 
If it is a bridgie, then all you have to do is get a small cartridge pistol grip grease gun (or large, depending on your preference) and take the plunger and rod out. I used my plunger along with a carriage bolt, nut, and assorted washers to seal the bottom of the gun up. Once the bottom is sealed up, fill the gun with your way oil. Invert and use. It works like a champ.

I've been considering adding a hose to go down to the bottom of the resevoir to suck the oil up so I don't have to hold the gun upside down. Haven't done it yet.

McMaster sells oil guns p/n 1879K48, but it will set you back almost $60. I think I have $8-10 in mine.

Nick :cool:
 
Ooooohhhhh, one of Mikey's pet peaves when it comes to machinery abuse. A common paleolithic "maintenance reduction" technique on big old machines like radial drill presses and big cone head lathes was to replace those annoying and dripping oil cups with grease fittings. No need to oil that old hting, just give it a shot of grease in the bearings every twnty years whether it needs it or not. As you have found, after about 60yrs, you have to take the grease out with a chisel.

Machines use oil. Grease attracts and holds grit and chips. ONLY if the manual specifically calls for GREASE should it be applied and sparingly then. If this is a home shop machine, get some Gits oil cups and throw those alemites in the .... uh, in a jar to use on something else (never throw anything away).

My L&S has TONS of oil ports on it. Most of them were full of dirt dobbers, chips, cigarette butts, dust, and just trash in general. I put 1/4" thick felt pads in every reservoir and cup on it to serve as filters.
 
Actually, I rather like the "alemite" oil fittings and have been thinking of adopting some of those BASTAGE ball oil ports on my lathe to them. I absolutely HATE those spring/ball oil ports, particularly when on a vertical surface, primarily because I can never be sure I got enough oil in there...
 
Good ideas - I never thought somebody would of just started greasing out of ignorance. I saw grease & just assumed (yes, I know) it was the thing it was designed for.

SB oil - non detergent grade

Ted
 
Ok - I checked, it was designed for grease, not oil. So much for somebody changing the lube type. Looks like I am the guy that may change it.

The mill in question is an old round ram South Bend with a 2 part base.

I am going to post this over at the Bridgeport group.

Ted
 
I think run Vactra #4 just the same. It's about the thickness of honey. I also am a believer that grease belongs in wheels, not on machine tools.

Of course, if the manual calls for grease it calls for grease. I just personally hate grease.

Leigh, happy to be of service. From what I've read, they're used for oiling Bridgies and Land Rovers. Go figure.

Nick :cool:
 
With out knowing which make the mill is, it is hard to say. But in general knee mills have two grease ports. One on the side or back of the head, this is for the back gear. And the other is on the knee jack screw. Both of these spots are heavy load areas where oil just doesn't do the job. The machine takes heavy or medium way lube for the X and Y ways. the ways on the Z or knee don't have, most of the time, any fittings so here it's a good idea to apply some by hand in hopes it will get under the wipers. The rest of the machine use spindle lube. These areas are light load places like the handles, shaft bearings, draw bar and quill. If you want, take some time, if you are going to keep the mill for sometime, and put on a single shot oiler or something like that.
 
From what I've read, they're used for oiling Bridgies and Land Rovers. Go figure.
Hi Nick,

I just ordered one. Now if I could only find the drawbar on my Land Rover :D

But it won't fit in the shop anyway, so I'll oil the Bridgie :D

I use Vactra #4 Heavy Way Oil (ISO 220) and Velocite #10 Medium Spindle Oil (ISO 22) on the Bridgie. It seems happy.

Leigh
 








 
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