Oiless Bearings & Electrolysis.. Oops

[Mr Mike]

After

If you are talking about oilite bronze bearings. You can re-oil them by putting them in a warm oil bath for a couple hours. We had to do the re-oiling on bearings for aircraft after machining. The heat from machining would let some of the oil leach out.

Bill50 is absolutely correct..
You can Machine Oillite bearings with a special diamond blade and you can change and or recharge Oilite bearings too..! After much researching and making calls about this issue, The ideal recommended way to recharge an oillite bearing is by pulling a vacuum on the bearing introducing fresh none detergent SAE 30w oil and releasing the vacuum causing the oil to be drawn into the bearing.

Another acceptable way is heating SAE 20w none detergent oil to 180°F, place the Oillite bearing in the heated oil for 2 hours, and let cool down naturally while remaining submerged. The air & moisture will heat and expand being expelled, while cooling the pressure will lower in the voids drawing in oil.. Note: This is a maintenance Hack, it will not replenish the bearing fully..

I read Oillite bearing were originally created under extreme pressure using the bearing materials which their are many, and saw dust - then heated to burn off the saw dust and fuse the bearing material, then using a vacuum to fill the bearing with oils along with other fortifying materials.

I have posted links to the Oillite manufacturers websites that describe this methodology in my Logan restoration thread.. I have not found a proper answer yet to the question about what happens to Oillite bearing in a electrolytic bath, when I do I will post it here.

Also do not mechanically clean Oillite bearings by, sanding or grinding.. this can collapses and or force debris into the voids closing them off.

Hopefully ill have more info soon.. Mike.

 

[4GSR]

Drill and tap a hole in the middle of the back gear, be sure to spot face the surface flat for a seal with a button head screw and copper washer. This is how South Bend lathe does this on their 9" lathe. This way, you have a way to feed oil to the bearing. Over time the Oilite bearing will become saturated with oil. There's nothing wrong with oiling a Oilite bearing by conventional methods. I rather over oil a bushing than starve it of lubrication, even if it's an Olilte bushing.

 

[RandyM]

Also, if I may add to Ken's response. The over oiling will just tend to flush the dirt and metal particles out of the running surfaces adding to less wear.

 

[Mr Mike]

Drill and tap a hole in the middle of the back gear, be sure to spot face the surface flat for a seal with a button head screw and copper washer. This is how South Bend lathe does this on their 9" lathe. This way, you have a way to feed oil to the bearing. Over time the Oilite bearing will become saturated with oil. There's nothing wrong with oiling a Oilite bearing by conventional methods. I rather over oil a bushing than starve it of lubrication, even if it's an Olilte bushing.

Also, if I may add to Ken's response. The over oiling will just tend to flush the dirt and metal particles out of the running surfaces adding to less wear.

Unfortunately with this 1875 and many other Logan lathes, the back gears are directly below the spindle and cannot be accessed without removing the spindle assembly, and you can't remove the back gears without removing the headstock..

Hmm.. If the quill holding the back gears did have a hole for oiling, that would at-least make it possible to oil it by remove the spindle which is better then removing the entire headstock at least making it possible to oil, Yes.. Good thinking..! I'll add that to my restoration project - Thanks Mike..!

 

[4GSR]

Another alternative is, if you can access the end of the shaft, drill a hole to mid length of the shaft. Then cross drill the shaft, last, install a Gits 90 degree oil cup in the end of the shaft. I assume the shaft stays stationary?

 

[Mr Mike]

Another alternative is, if you can access the end of the shaft, drill a hole to mid length of the shaft. Then cross drill the shaft, last, install a Gits 90 degree oil cup in the end of the shaft. I assume the shaft stays stationary?

Hello 4gsr.
The eccentric shaft rotates only to raise and lower the back gears which are pressed on a Quill that rotates on the eccentric shaft. The Quill has an oillite bearing at each end with a void between them that could hold oil. The center of the quill is the best place to drill and tap.. but the quill is also inaccessible from above or below.

The easiest way to gain access to the Quill is by removing the spindle, The spindle was designed to be removed to replace the drive belts using just a couple of tools in about 10 minutes.

The black arrow is pointing to the Quill under the spindle in photo #1, Photo #2 is the Headstock with the spindle removed exposing the quill with the back gears.



I'll do a quick check and assemble enough to see if I would be able to oil a Ball Oiler anywhere from above with the spindle assembly installed.. If I am able to add a ball oiler in an accessible area where a long tube could reach that would be the ticket. If not then at least a hole with a screw.

The back gears operate at a much lower speed then the spindle pulley so I don't think there would be a chance to eject the Ball Oiler.

I'm also working on a visual aide so people can more easily grasp how back gears function in relation to the spindle.. The other day one of our members was having issues understanding how the system functioned, He was stuck trying to attach the spindle pulley to the spindle which would have negated the use of and or destroyed the back gear teeth.

Thanks for trying to come up with options. Mike.