Structural integrity of SB13 apron after oil hole hack job

C

chippinchunks

Aluminum

Joined

Oct 11, 2016

Location

San Diego

• Oct 6, 2019

• #1

HI everyone. This is the apron on my sb13. The previous owner drilled oil holes all over this apron. The 2 that I am most concerned with are shown in the pictures. The apron is cast iron and my concern is it fracturing in the areas that have been drilled through over time. I figure there's a reason why this wasn't done at the factory. Now that I have the apron apart should I just replace it with another one or do you think it will hold up as is? Thanks for your input.

Martin

 

J

john.k

Diamond

Joined

Dec 21, 2012

Location

Brisbane Qld Australia

• Oct 7, 2019

• #2

Doesnt seem like a problem to me.....small round holes dont affect a casting,just use them for oiling .

 

ramsay1

Titanium

Joined

Aug 19, 2003

Location

port allen, louisiana usa

• Oct 7, 2019

• #3

Kinda wish my 16" Southbend had the same holes..Better for lubrication... Cheers; Ramsay 1

 

M.B. Naegle

Diamond

Joined

Feb 7, 2011

Location

Conroe, TX USA

• Oct 7, 2019

• #4

It looks to me like they added threads to cap off the holes and keep swarf out of them. If anything, I'd JB weld the unwanted holes up and re-drill them where and to what size they need to be, but If it was me, I'd run with the "upgrade."

 

G

Greg Menke

Diamond

Joined

Feb 22, 2004

Location

Baltimore, MD, USA

• Oct 7, 2019

• #5

SB should have put in something like that from the factory. Concur with running as-is, maybe practice using the machine by turning little aluminum/brass plugs to fit into the holes and keep dirt out.

 

johnoder

Diamond

Joined

Jul 16, 2004

Location

Houston, TX USA

• Oct 7, 2019

• #6

Maybe they were looking at old Lodge & Shipleys along the way - which came with those holes, but not threaded

 

F

Frank R

Stainless

Joined

Dec 18, 2009

Location

Dearborn, Michigan

• Oct 7, 2019

• #7

Would putting in set screws strengthen the casting?

 

4GSR

Diamond

Joined

Jan 25, 2005

Location

Victoria, Texas, USA

• Oct 7, 2019

• #8

The pictures are too close up to determine which holes this is on. One of the holes has a fixed shaft installed and that one is probably set screwed in place. As for any of the others for carriage hand wheel, apron feed selector, feed clutch, half nut lever, be no need for threaded holes. Drill out and install Gits oil cups in them. They were probably just drilled holes to begin with as SBL did on lathes where you dripped a few drops of oil in each hole and never looked back on. They were never covered that I know of.

 

C

chippinchunks

Aluminum

Joined

Oct 11, 2016

Location

San Diego

• Oct 7, 2019

• #9

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I'll clean it up and use as is. 4GSR the 2 in the picture are for the apron feed selector and toggle cam feed clutch. I thought about adding Gits oilers but with everything assembled and with the angles of the oil holes it would be a challenge to get them to fit and flip open freely. The previous owner did add a gits oiler to the carriage handwheel shaft (not shown)

Thanks again!
Martin

 

M.B. Naegle

Diamond

Joined

Feb 7, 2011

Location

Conroe, TX USA

• Oct 7, 2019

• #10

Another option would be the spring loaded ball top oilers. That's what Hendey used on my old apron front. They're made to press in the same as the flip-top oilers. The screws are a cheap and simple fix for keeping junk out of the oil points, but the trade off is needing to take them out and put them back every time you use the lathe. IMO, I'd rather take a few seconds to deal with a screw than deal with trash in the hole, but an actual oiler would be even better.

 

Conrad Hoffman

Diamond

Joined

May 10, 2009

Location

Canandaigua, NY, USA

• Oct 7, 2019

• #11

I think it's been proven that oil grooves and holes to get oil to the center of a journal bearing don't actually do much, at least in a case like that. Any oil applied at the face will wick in and do its job just fine. I'd probably fill them with JB Weld and paint over 'em. I doubt they can weaken anything.

 

C

chippinchunks

Aluminum

Joined

Oct 11, 2016

Location

San Diego

• Oct 7, 2019

• #12

M.B. Naegle said:

Another option would be the spring loaded ball top oilers. That's what Hendey used on my old apron front. They're made to press in the same as the flip-top oilers. The screws are a cheap and simple fix for keeping junk out of the oil points, but the trade off is needing to take them out and put them back every time you use the lathe. IMO, I'd rather take a few seconds to deal with a screw than deal with trash in the hole, but an actual oiler would be even better.

Click to expand...

That's another reasonable option. I might need to do what you mentioned earlier and fill the oil hole on the apron feed selector with JB then relocate the hole. After drilling I don't think the person took in to account the location that the screw would need to thread in at. The oil hole is threaded but there is no screw because the apron feed selector handle partially covers the oil hole. I wasn't sure about drilling more holes in this apron to address this but from what I've gathered I guess it's not really a big deal. I'll leave them and use them. I'd rather have too much oil than too little

Martin

 

J

john.k

Diamond

Joined

Dec 21, 2012

Location

Brisbane Qld Australia

• Oct 7, 2019

• #13

When i was a wee lad,plain holes in machines often had cork tip ciggie filters plugged in them.....about 1/2 way,pull out to oil,replace to keep dirt out...............now the question Who is old enough to remember cork tipped cigarettes?