Boxford 500 vsl questions oilers/wipers

I've cleaned and rebuilt the apron on my Boxford. The two top oilers are broken off, with only the aluminum tubing left. My questions are where can I get replacements, and were the Al extensions simply hollow, or did they have some kind of wick?

Second, where can can I get way wipers? Is this something people make out of felt?

I tried lathes.uk already.

Thanks,

bb

The two top oilers are flush with the apron casting so probably not broken off as you suspect, they feed the half nuts & mechanism as I remember. Just give the holes a couple of squirts with an oil can when threading.

I am fairly sure that the felts are still available fom Boxford, though they are simple enough to make from wiper felt.

regards

Brian

they were felt strip on my old one, held in place with a steel strip [ actually it looked like they were made out of steel banding], the little oil cups had a small flip lid and there was what looked like wick in the cup, they were 1/8" bsp

Boxford part numbers and spare description as per parts list.

187LH Felt holder left hand.

187RH " " Right hand

189 Wiper

414 Right angle snap lid oiler (low down adjacent to power feed knob)

Boxford Ltd

Wheatley, Halifax
West Yorkshire HX3 5 AF
England

Fax Int code + 0422 335924

Phone Int code + 0422358311

Telex 517410 Boxfrd G

AFAIK they don't take credit cards.

Hope this helps, take care. Sami

Thanks Much. upper oilers are indeed flush... odd.. maybe a clearance issue?

bb

I just finished up making my owm wipers, so will post what I know here and try to find other discusions where it is pertinent, and post there as well.

I did end up using 60a durometer polyurethane sheet from McMaster... this after reading the merits of poly vs. felt.. the idea of felt becoming abrassive struck a cord, so poly it was. Initially I got a sheet 5/16 thick (I think).. too thick, really difficult to get a good clean cut (even tossed it in the freezer, no dice). It also seems that to get a really good fit, pressing down on the wiper as you tighten the 'cap' is necessary... the ticker polyurethane was just too much.

So I just got 1/16 all else the same, and bingo. I was able to take the corner of a protractor, line a fresh blade along it, whack it with a hammer, and got perfect 90 degree contour... at the tip, I didn't overlap the cuts, and went back and sliced a small flat, as the top of the ways are flat. Great fit... they absolutely wipe the ways totally clean... hardly any oil residue even! My 'caps' are just Al stock contoured to match, and drilled for the mounting bolt. Next step is to install some oilers on the carriage.


bb