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+--- Thread: mill/drill table oiling upgrades? (/thread-1155.html)
mill/drill table oiling upgrades? - monkers - 01-23-2013
I searched but came up with nothing. Has anyone upgraded their oiling methods on a mill drill table and saddle? Could I add oil zerks in place of the ball oilers? Maybe put a couple more on there and use a converted grease gun to oil it? The zerks may hit the column on the back side I imagine. Im not sure I want to try to add a one shot system, may be more work than Im looking to get into, but Im not certain.
Any ideas for improving the oiling methods would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
RE: mill/drill table oiling upgrades? - Mayhem - 01-24-2013
I see no reason why you cannot upgrade the existing system, unless of course you want to keep the machine original.
My lathe simply has open holes for oiling the shafts, to which I have fitted grease nipples. Nothing for the slide ways and/or nuts. These are simply wipe down and then apply oil. As soon as I have my mill up and running, I will be milling oil channels and inserting a one shot system. Fortunately, my mill has one (actually HAD one), which I will repair and bring to working order. When it broke, the PO inserted some grease nipples (and it looks like he used grease too
).I made an oil gun which you can see here
At the end of the day - the only real limiting factors are money, time and imagination.
RE: mill/drill table oiling upgrades? - EdK - 01-24-2013
Another option would be oil cups. I think they would get in the way though.
Ed
RE: mill/drill table oiling upgrades? - monkers - 01-24-2013
I was thinking about the oil cups Edk, I wasnt sure if I would need zerks though to provide some pressure when oiling, didnt know if it would be as effective with just the cups and no pressure behind it. The zerks (on the back of the table) will steal a little travel, but well see, just thinking out loud
RE: mill/drill table oiling upgrades? - monkers - 01-24-2013
Im gonna eyeball putting 3 zerks in the front and rear of the table, where there is only one ball oiler now in the center, also look at putting some on the saddle somehow, hoping once I look at it the light bulb will go on.
RE: mill/drill table oiling upgrades? - DanH - 01-25-2013
This blog shows adding oiling fittings to a ZF45 clone mill. His site also outlines modifying a grease gun for pressure oiling.
http://gordsgarage.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/now-i-know-my-x-y-zs/
RE: mill/drill table oiling upgrades? - monkers - 01-26-2013
i will check it out thanks. Mayhem,nice job on the oil gun!!
RE: mill/drill table oiling upgrades? - monkers - 01-26-2013
DanH, thanks for the link, neat site. Looks like he just drilled and cross drilled and then epoxied some tube to the leadscrew nuts to oil them, some sort of metal tube epoxied to the nuts. Then made a "manifold" to hold the two zerks for oiling the screws. Ill have to check it out today if I can get it warm out there lol......
RE: mill/drill table oiling upgrades? - monkers - 01-26-2013
looked at it again, he took the ball out of the fitting for the lead screws and has tubing over it for the connection to the nut it appears.
RE: mill/drill table oiling upgrades? - Brian - 01-26-2013
I have seen old inline diesel injection pumps user as calibrated oilers on a lot of machines , either driven or turned by hand.
with a 6 cyl pump you can lube 6 points with a individualy calibrated amount of oil with one turn of the pump.
Just thinking
Brian.