Best ball oilers

[yota]

my new lathe (57 years old) has a dozen ball oilers in 3 different sizes. about 1/3 of them are broken (not bad for the age). have been looking at them online, most I see are cheap chinese ones. I found some GITS ones on their website but in a photo, they don't look like brass, which may not be a bad thing, don't know, never messed with these before. mine are the flush type with a barrel that taps into a hole and a small, flanged rim at the top. anyone have a source for quality made ones?

 

[Pevehouse]

I’m also in need? Waiting on reply

 

[ChazzC]

Keith Appleton's favorites:


Hand-Push Oiler (RL010012) & MERKUR Double-Pump Precision Oiler (RL010002-001).

Available from:

https://www.jensputzier.com/tools-by-brand/reilang/

I won't spoil the surprise when you see the prices, but you wanted the best!


EDIT: Sorry, I mis-read the original post – thought you wanted the Oilers, not the oilers.

McMaster has Zinc-Plated Steel ones:

 

[Pevehouse]

He and I are looking for the actual ball valves

 

[benmychree]

McMaster Carr, having said that, I don't like ball oilers, too difficult to get oil into them, much prefer Gits hinged oilers.

 

[yota]

He and I are looking for the actual ball valves

yes. I have old US made oil cans that work great.

 

[ChazzC]

McMaster Carr, having said that, I don't like ball oilers, too difficult to get oil into them, much prefer Gits hinged oilers.

I agree, but GITS won't work on many machine tool applications (to tall). A work-around is the remove the ball oiler, tuck a bit of felt into the bottom of the hole, fill the hole with oil and use an itsy-bitsy plastic plug to cover the hole:




I found the plugs on Amazon:

 

[yota]

kinda hard to get hinged oilers to go under the compound..

 

[ChazzC]

kinda hard to get hinged oilers to go under the compound..

I’ve gotten the plastic plugs in some pretty tight places; you could also make a shallow counterbore To get the plug flush with the surface: they’re pretty much disposable so just poke a hole in the plug, pry it out, add oil & replace with a new plug.

 

[yota]

I’ve gotten the plastic plugs in some pretty tight places; you could also make a shallow counterbore To get the plug flush with the surface: they’re pretty much disposable so just poke a hole in the plug, pry it out, add oil & replace with a new plug.

you're supposed to oil these points every time you use the lathe as they are typically total loss oiling points. plastic plugs not a good idea. thanks.