Covel 8A

I recently picked up a Covel 8A Surface Grinder. It is an old machine in need of a bit of work, but the price was right.
It has 2 oil cups on the front of the table that lube the x axis and I think maybe the y axis also, but I'm not sure about that.
Anyway I don't know what the proper oil would be to lube the table. The oil goes in the cup, through a passage and then soaks through a thick felt to the bottom of the ways.
I don't think a standard way oil like for a mill would be correct due to the thick felts.
I am also going to be in need of spindle bearings for this machine, but at this point am just now getting it cleaned and powerd up.

Any of you folks out there familier with this machine , and know what type of oil to use in it ? Have a good source for bearings, and, or maybe could direct me to a source for a manual ?
Any help would be appreciated,

Kerry

Clausing bought the rights to Covel. Call the clausing service center. Be really polite and they may help.

Every time I have called they have been very helpful. The down side is they are so expensive (like double or triple monarch) that not only will I never buy the part but will NEVER buy a new machine from them. At least from Monarch you get a well designed well made part. Clausing is underbuilt junk.

Do you have a picture of the machine? I may have the same machine.

Does it have a cast hydraulic tank mounted to one side?

Well, it is a 7A model, NOT an 8.
Don't know why that got stuck in my head.
Machine is in fair shape aside from the Spindle bearings, needs a little more cleaning up. Considering it only cost me a six pack of bud, I think I can maybe afford to put a couple of bucks into it.
It has (I'm guessing) an access plate missing from the right side.
Magnet is good and strong, all axis move smoothly.
Kerry

Lot newer then my machine. Clausing should be able to help.

Just in case you haven't found out yet they told me that i should use #10 or #20 machine oil for my covel no15. Im pretty new to all this so if that doesn't sound right could someone else throw thier 2 cents in also!?

Like cyberwolph, "in case you haven't yet gotten an answer to the lube question", I've been using ISO 46 hydraulic oil on mine, (my lathes and mills too, plus ISO 68 for some gear boxes.). It works well and is available for a good price, in bulk from my local lube dealer. This is easy to find where
ever hydraulic equipment is in common use, tractors, const. equip. etc.

Mine is a Covel 7A too. Incidentally, the column slides and plates on mine are unpainted steel, good factory paint makes me believe that's the way it came from the factory.

It has become an indispensable addition to my shop, my first and only surface grinder, to date.

My biggest problem with it; I finally gave up trying to remember to turn off the top slide oiler after use, which of course totally drained it each time, with oil finding it's way to the floor. I now tie a big red bow on it, hard to ignore on shutdown. I also have a large red flashing light waiting, in case the big bow starts to fail....may eventually have to wire a solenoid valve in series with the on-button, fur Pete's sake...

Bob

I never had gotten any info, thanks for the heads up.
It is all clean and operational now, haven't done anything with the spindle
bearings and probably won't. I believe it will be fine for the kind of stuff I plan to use it for. Right now it is cold out in the shop and pretty much closed for the winter kind of thing......so long as my day job holds on that is, things are starting to look pretty questionable as to how long they will stay open.

Thanks

Ive got one of the Covel 8as as well. Paint is crap, but mechanically is ok. Ill be doing a quicky cleanup this spring. Then maybe I can sell the big Ramco 6-18 that is taking up shop space that I dont use but every month or two.
Thanks for the heads up on lubes and fluids.

Anyone know what the wheel taper is? Jarno? I picked up some wheel holders and they didnt fit.

Thanks
Gunner

I too have a Covel 7A grinder and was wondering if anyone had a pdf manual I could download or even a blowup of the spindle? And to Mr. O those spindle bearings the cheapest I found was at DalRs for over $500. So I decided to try to repack my existing bearings.