Oil a air bearing??? (Corrosion)

Laverda · Jun 30, 2018

Needed to use my cuttermaster yesterday and the air bearing spindle had some corrosion again! So after an hour of using soft steel wool and oil to get it apart and then polishing the spindle, it's working like new. Now I have perfectly clean un-plated steel parts which will rust again. So today, I took the air bearing back apart and gave everything a good coating of Velocite No. 6 spindle oil. put it back together and it runs fine with the oil. So the question is, any problems in the future if I keep it oiled? My shop can get very damp in the winter and everything rusts unless coated in oil. I know the oil will attract the grinding grit, but maybe can find a way around that.

Milland · Jun 30, 2018

If it was a porous block-style bearing, a coating of oil might clog pores and lower the efficiency of the bearing, but with a plain sleeve bearing I'd bet it's OK as long as the oil doesn't oxidize or otherwise decompose and get sticky.

Can you set up a dehumidifier or two in your shop? Unless you've got massive air leaks (and if you do, they should be closed up), a dehumidifier can really help reduce excess moisture in a relatively small area. I run a couple in my place year round.

eKretz · Jun 30, 2018

Maybe run an oiler on the air line? Definitely use a dehumidifier if it's possible. I ran one for years in my garage until it bit the dust. Never had rusting issues. Need to get another one, things are starting to rust now that it's been gone a year.

JRIowa · Jun 30, 2018

Oil mist is one way to solve. Most of the new high speed stuff runs oil injection: http://www.bijurdelimon.com/us/usa/...ail/article/596/dynamis-maxx-copy-3-1104.html

IIRC, the high dollar spindles we had in automotive used Velocite #3, ISO 2 spindle oil in a mist.
JR

atomarc · Jun 30, 2018

My Darex won't run with any oil even in the same room as the spindle. Dry, it spins for 10 minutes. Could you air spindle be worn a tad?

Stuart

Toolznthings · Jun 30, 2018

I'd be afraid the oil would collect grinding grit/dust. Remove spindle and store elsewhere until needed ? I store mine out of the bearing since I don't use it that often.

Bill D · Jun 30, 2018

Where do you live that you humidity problems in summer? A low watt worklight next to the spindle should stop any condensation.
Bill D.

eKretz · Jun 30, 2018

It shouldn't collect grit while running since it's under positive pressure. I'd definitely recommend disassembly and cleaning after running though. Bad idea to leave it sitting assembled for long periods. The oil would have to be very minimal, like mist/vapor - obviously you don't want much liquid oil going into the bearing.

CarbideBob · Jul 1, 2018

atomarc said:
My Darex won't run with any oil even in the same room as the spindle. Dry, it spins for 10 minutes. Could you air spindle be worn a tad?

Stuart

I don't understand this.
Heavy oil, light oil? With air applied it is not happy?
With periods of no use this is certainly a problem in high humidly environments.
Don't want to be a dickhead but please check that 10 minutes with a stopwatch for me.
I've been doing air bearings in grinders and cmms for a very long time and I just don't get that.
I'm missing something in the physics here of how unless the start speed is very high.
Bob

sable · Jul 1, 2018

CarbideBob said:
I don't understand this.
Heavy oil, light oil? With air applied it is not happy?
With periods of no use this is certainly a problem in high humidly environments.
Don't want to be a dickhead but please check that 10 minutes with a stopwatch for me.
I've been doing air bearings in grinders and cmms for a very long time and I just don't get that.
I'm missing something in the physics here of how unless the start speed is very high.
Bob

I would be amazed if it were more than nine minutes.

Laverda · Jul 2, 2018

The corrosion is from the tool grinder sitting as I don't use it very often. Why cuttermaster did not hard chrome the spindle makes no sense. The velocite oil is very thin and does not seem to be causing any problems. I checked spindle run out with the oil and it is .00004" TIR. As I am in inland Southern California, humidity during the summer is nonexistent, often less than 10%. Winter is a different problem. If it rains, the shop is damp! Everything gets a coat of WD-40.

Now after inspecting the air bearing, I don't understand why they are so expensive? Spindle looks to be center less ground. Bearing housing looks like it was honed. So I don't see any machining that looks like something I could not do myself. What am I missing??????

4GSR · Jul 2, 2018

NO! Not WD-40.

The Weldon air spindles are harden and ground, then super finished to a near mirror finish when new. The sleeve the spindle run in is harden, ground and honed to a specific size and finish. Any sizable grain of grinding grit will not pass thru the air bearing without hanging up at it's entry. The blast or air generally keeps the passages thru the air bearing free of any finds of grit. For storage, I coat the air bearing with Starrett M-1, and remove the spindle from the fixture. I keep the fixture stored in my office area when not being used, which is air condition. Outside humidity runs around 75-95% year round here.

Ken

Conrad Hoffman · Jul 2, 2018

"CDA" = clean, dry air. I'm guessing you don't have that and the spindle isn't really dry when shut down or put away. Get a drier or maybe keep it warm with a low wattage light bulb or heater, or bag it with desiccant?

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Oil a air bearing??? (Corrosion)

Laverda

Cast Iron

Milland

Diamond

eKretz

Diamond; Mod Squad

JRIowa

Diamond

atomarc

Diamond

Toolznthings

Hot Rolled

Bill D

Diamond

eKretz

Diamond; Mod Squad

CarbideBob

Diamond

sable

Titanium

Laverda

Cast Iron

4GSR

Diamond

Conrad Hoffman

Diamond

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