Hardinge/Cataract tailstock dauber?

I was wondering if anyone has an original tailstock white lead "dauber" from either an early Hardinge or Cataract lathe. I was hoping someone could post a picture and maybe a few measurements so I can make a copy. I will most likely not use the dauber, but im tired of looking at the empty hole in the tailstock, and it will be a quick little project.

Thanks!

Tyler

The early, Chicago-built, Cataract tailstocks in my collection do not have oilers. Maybe the quick change swing tailstock does, but I don't own one. The oilers first appear on my circa 1935 Elmira tailstocks and continued until 1950 or 1960. Here is a picture of one, which is of course very scarce. Overall length is about 1-15/16 and the maximum diameter is about 9/16. This one has a hole drilled through it, but my others are solid. The hole is a clue that it was for a thinner oil, not a paste. White lead can be mixed with oil any way you like, from thick to thin. And you can use extreme pressure oil with no white lead, molybdenum disulfide, etc.



Larry

Thanks for the information and the picture Larry! Its a little bit more fancy then I was expecting. How tight does it fit the tailstock?

My dauber hole (boy doesnt that sound dirty?) in the tailstock still shows signs of what I think is lead, but ill clean that out and see if I can find some molybdenum disulfide to put in there.

Here is a couple pictures of the tailstock:





A quick question, anyone know what the technical name of this oiler is? I'm trying to find out if there is a company that still makes them.



It has a rotating sleeve to cover up the oil hole to keep stuff out.

Thanks!!

The oil applicator is .246 where it sits in the 1/4 hole drilled in the tailstock.

Gits calls the oil fitting an oil cover, style I revolving sleeve. Unfortunately, they only list two sizes, both too big for a Cataract.
http://www.gitsmfg.com/gits-oil-hole-covers-style-i.htm

But our friend Google found a Gits close-out list, showing 10-32 and 1/4-32 thread Style I covers, while quantities last, for just under $10 each.
http://www.gitsmfg.com/documents/inventory_reduction_list.pdf

Here is the entire stock of Larry's Hardware, accumulated over several decades. Only the two smallest ones are from Cataracts. Some have springs to return the sleeve to the closed position (the ones with the slot in the knurled part).




Larry

Thanks for the help Larry, On both the dauber, and the oilers!

Here is my version of the Cataract dauber for my lathe. It came out ok, the ball on the top is a little squat, but thats alright, I don't mind.








Thanks again,

Tyler

L Vanice said:

Gits calls the oil fitting an oil cover, style I revolving sleeve. Unfortunately, they only list two sizes, both too big for a Cataract.
Page not found | GITS Manufacturing

But our friend Google found a Gits close-out list, showing 10-32 and 1/4-32 thread Style I covers, while quantities last, for just under $10 each.
Page not found | GITS Manufacturing

Here is the entire stock of Larry's Hardware, accumulated over several decades. Only the two smallest ones are from Cataracts. Some have springs to return the sleeve to the closed position (the ones with the slot in the knurled part).

Larry

Click to expand...

Digging up a 10 year old thread. I need a couple of these rotating sleeve oilers with 10-32 thread. Unfortunately Larry’s link to a source is no more. Not a surprise. I’m thinking of making a couple but have a question. The diameter at the slotted head is the same as the diameter of the body. So what holds the sleeve on? Does someone have one of these with the sleeve separate from the body?

For those intereste:

Gits still makes a few of these oiler covers however not the size you're looking for. You can find their site here. It's hard to tell how they were made however I think that slot is critical to the two pieces going together. I needed a few for my Hardinge Cataract QC lathe so I made my own. They may not be as elegant however they do the job. Mine are made from three pieces. The inner body, the outer sleeve and a small brass screw. The inner body is threaded to fit the oil hole at one end. Then drilled to allow you to meet another drilled hole that comes through the outer body and meets the inner hole at 90deg. The top end has a hole drilled appropriately to thread for the small brass screw. The outer cover is drilled to fit over the inner body and then has slot cut that allows you to access the cross drilled hole for oiling. Then a hole at the top to allow the screw to go through and then knurled at the top end. The inner piece had two flats milled in to allow you to thread it in using a small wrench. Here are some pictures that I believe will help with the explanation.

Those are nice, but quite a bit larger than the originals. On the Gits site, which you linked to, they show a cross section drawing. You can see the screw slotted part is part of the main body. There’s some circlip that holds the sleeve on. It doesn’t show but I suppose the groove is extra deep so the clip can compress. To get one apart just force it?


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I seem to recall the ones on my cataract headstock have torsion springs in them, they self-close.

jim rozen said:

I seem to recall the ones on my cataract headstock have torsion springs in them, they self-close.

Click to expand...

According to Larry in post #4 the ones with the slot in the knurled part have return springs. The others do not.


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