metalmagpie
Titanium
- Joined
- May 22, 2006
- Location
- Seattle
First of all, I have looked at the Gits MFG site and I have looked at McMaster-Carr. They both sell flush drive fit ball oilers. However, mine appear to be different.
Second, I apologize for my photography - I'm lousy at closeups. But I think these images convey the relevant information.
See how the ball sits down in a conical recess?
And do you see the band around the barrel and the relief above and below?
This is a Gits GB style:
and one of their metric ball oilers:
Their metric ball oilers do have the conical recess on top, but do not have the band on the barrel.
Now here's the really crazy part. My barrel measures 7.01mm, and the upper head diameter is 0.376" i.e. M7 and 3/8"! WTF??
*Nobody* seems to sell M7 ball oilers. The holes on my compound (Nardini) are too big for 1/4" oilers or M6 oilers.
Up on top of the compound is pretty easy - I could just use small conical rubber plugs to keep the swarf and dirt out. I'd just pull the plug to oil, then immediately replace it. But my lathe has flush mount ball oilers underneath the cross-slide, where they lubricate the longitudinal ways under the apron. There is very little clearance above those ball oilers, so using little rubber plugs won't work.
I'm starting to think maybe the raised boss on the barrel is actually a pressed-on bushing to convert it from 1/4" to 7mm.
What do you think?
metalmagpie
Second, I apologize for my photography - I'm lousy at closeups. But I think these images convey the relevant information.
See how the ball sits down in a conical recess?
And do you see the band around the barrel and the relief above and below?
This is a Gits GB style:
and one of their metric ball oilers:
Their metric ball oilers do have the conical recess on top, but do not have the band on the barrel.
Now here's the really crazy part. My barrel measures 7.01mm, and the upper head diameter is 0.376" i.e. M7 and 3/8"! WTF??
*Nobody* seems to sell M7 ball oilers. The holes on my compound (Nardini) are too big for 1/4" oilers or M6 oilers.
Up on top of the compound is pretty easy - I could just use small conical rubber plugs to keep the swarf and dirt out. I'd just pull the plug to oil, then immediately replace it. But my lathe has flush mount ball oilers underneath the cross-slide, where they lubricate the longitudinal ways under the apron. There is very little clearance above those ball oilers, so using little rubber plugs won't work.
I'm starting to think maybe the raised boss on the barrel is actually a pressed-on bushing to convert it from 1/4" to 7mm.
What do you think?
metalmagpie