torinwalker
Aluminum
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2010
- Location
- Oakville, Ontario
While cleaning up an older type (circa 1943) oil-cup-style lubricated No. 13 Universal, I've encountered a curious difference in the behavior between the oil-roller reservoirs on the left side of the machine vs the right side.
I am under the impression that one lubricates the table ways by depositing way oil at four locations: front left, rear left, front right, rear right.
(right side shown below - hard to read, but it says "Deposit oil here", then arrows show the oil flowing toward the reservoirs 1/3 the way from the end of the table)
This oil flows along the little troughs and down into each reservoir where rollers affixed to a pin (like a pogo stick) sits atop a spring down in a hole at the bottom of the reservoir. These reservoirs hold some amount of oil which the spring-loaded rollers bathe in and transfer to the table as it passes over top.
The trouble it seems is that the drilled hole in each of the reservoirs on the right side are not blind - When I put liquid in there, it drains away down into the casting. On the left side, it behaves as I would expect and the oil does not drain. It stays put and can be filled to whatever level I require.
Left Side (no drainage - expected behavior?)
Right Side (drains - not what I expected.)
The reserviors on the left fill and never drain meaning they lubricate indefinitely but accumulate debris. On the right side, the reservoirs drain constantly meaning I must keep replenishing (possibly creating a huge mess in the process) but they stay clean.
Does anyone know which way these reservoirs should operate? Should they retain the oil indefinitely, or should they drain? Are yours asymmetric like mine?
Why does this drilled hole go through the casting?
UPDATE 1: It seems the right-rear hole is much less leaky when I put way oil in. WD40 just drains out, but way oil is retained seemingly indefinitely. Also, solvents do not penetrate the left-side reservoirs (tested to see if they were blocked), so it's only the right-front hole that leaks. With this knowledge, I am going to make the assumption that they should all be blind and simply patch the very bottom of the leaking hole with the tiniest bit of oil-resistant gasket material. Problem, I think, solved.
UPDATE 2: Got inside the casting with a borescope by going through the on/off motor switch. Using a short length of tig filler rod, I located the hole down from the reservoir into the space of the casting. I put the screw back and placed the rod in the center of that, and can plainly see the drill either penetrated through the side of the casting, or this is somehow intentional. I find it being intentional however hard to believe since the spring seems as though it could fall right out of that hole.
Would still like some opions - I can't compare this reservoir with the others - I tried comparing to the one at the rear, but saw no holes on cursory inspection.
I am under the impression that one lubricates the table ways by depositing way oil at four locations: front left, rear left, front right, rear right.
(right side shown below - hard to read, but it says "Deposit oil here", then arrows show the oil flowing toward the reservoirs 1/3 the way from the end of the table)
This oil flows along the little troughs and down into each reservoir where rollers affixed to a pin (like a pogo stick) sits atop a spring down in a hole at the bottom of the reservoir. These reservoirs hold some amount of oil which the spring-loaded rollers bathe in and transfer to the table as it passes over top.
The trouble it seems is that the drilled hole in each of the reservoirs on the right side are not blind - When I put liquid in there, it drains away down into the casting. On the left side, it behaves as I would expect and the oil does not drain. It stays put and can be filled to whatever level I require.
Left Side (no drainage - expected behavior?)
Right Side (drains - not what I expected.)
The reserviors on the left fill and never drain meaning they lubricate indefinitely but accumulate debris. On the right side, the reservoirs drain constantly meaning I must keep replenishing (possibly creating a huge mess in the process) but they stay clean.
Does anyone know which way these reservoirs should operate? Should they retain the oil indefinitely, or should they drain? Are yours asymmetric like mine?
Why does this drilled hole go through the casting?
UPDATE 1: It seems the right-rear hole is much less leaky when I put way oil in. WD40 just drains out, but way oil is retained seemingly indefinitely. Also, solvents do not penetrate the left-side reservoirs (tested to see if they were blocked), so it's only the right-front hole that leaks. With this knowledge, I am going to make the assumption that they should all be blind and simply patch the very bottom of the leaking hole with the tiniest bit of oil-resistant gasket material. Problem, I think, solved.
UPDATE 2: Got inside the casting with a borescope by going through the on/off motor switch. Using a short length of tig filler rod, I located the hole down from the reservoir into the space of the casting. I put the screw back and placed the rod in the center of that, and can plainly see the drill either penetrated through the side of the casting, or this is somehow intentional. I find it being intentional however hard to believe since the spring seems as though it could fall right out of that hole.
Would still like some opions - I can't compare this reservoir with the others - I tried comparing to the one at the rear, but saw no holes on cursory inspection.
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