What felt to use for way wipers?

[Mayhem]

What felt should I use to make new way wipers out of and can you suggest a supplier (doesn't matter if it is in the US)?

[EdK]

(01-20-2014, 05:16 AM)Mayhem Wrote: What felt should I use to make new way wipers out of and can you suggest a supplier (doesn't matter if it is in the US)?

Darren,

There was a discussion about way wipers embedded in this thread. You may want to rethink using felt. It might be worth reading.

http://www.metalworkingfun.com/showthrea...ight=wiper

If you're still set on using felt then McMaster carries it.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#felt/=qc1hg4

I doubt they ship to Australia but I could get it and send it to you.

Ed

[Micktoon]

Hi Lads , I have read not up on the felt as wipers BUT if you do want felt I have noticed that many DIY type stores and places like Wilkinsons supermarket type shops in the UK sell thick felt ( 3-4mm thick ) for putting on the bottom of wood furniture feet so you will scratch wood floors. It comes in either packs of precut shapes or in quite large rectangle sizes that you can cut up yourself, It looks like it would do the job of the old felt and seems quite cheap too, so maybe worth a trial ?
Cheers Mick.

[12345678910]

Tubal Cain recently did this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83Xuu7E1N9M

[stevec]

(01-20-2014, 12:07 PM)Micktoon Wrote: for putting on the bottom of wood furniture feet so you will scratch wood floors. Cheers Mick.

Mick I realize that that's a typo but I've often wondered if the felt on furniture feet (say that 10 times fast) could be guilty of trapping abrasive stuff and grind away at the floor in spite of the intention.

There have been numerous discussions about way felts or rubber wipers. The strongest point, I believe, is that if you lube the carriage/table/whatever, from between the rubber wipers (as in through the carriage of the machine) that would minimize intrusion of abrasive build up by performing a "flush".
Felts, on the other hand, can serve as "filters entrapping the abrasive before it becomes compressed between the sliding elements.
Both devices should be checked, cleaned or changed at regular intervals which NOBODY knows the duration of.

[Mayhem]

Thanks Ed - I vaguely recall that thread but forgot about it when posting. My recollection however was that felt was advisable over rubber or plastic.

I was thinking about felt, as that is what my mill has on it and I am planning to put some on my lathe (which doesn't have any). One mod I will be doing to my lathe once I get my mill running is to mill some oil grooves into the carriage ways. I'm thinking about a rubber 'scraper' between the felt and the holder as a means of limiting the ingress of chips.

Oh - McMaster-Carr will ship anywhere if you pay them

[EdK]

(01-21-2014, 10:30 AM)Mayhem Wrote: Thanks Ed - I vaguely recall that thread but forgot about it when posting. ...

It took me awhile to find that post since the search engine this software uses is so great.

You would think that the thread would have showed up when searching on "felt" but it did not. I had to use "wiper" to finally find it.

Ed

[stevec]

Many years ago my Aunt got on the elevator in a department store and asked the operator (I told you it was long ago) "where should I go to get felt" the elevator operator bit his tongue while the other passengers laughed.