# Re-felting the 10K



## DavidR8 (Dec 30, 2019)

Hi all, I'm on the verge of ordering the re-felting kit for the 10K. 
But I'm hesitating because I don't really want to pull the spindle on what is obviously a low-hour machine. 
How can I tell if the spindle bearings etc. are getting the oil they need?


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## graham-xrf (Dec 30, 2019)

DavidR8 said:


> Hi all, I'm on the verge of ordering the re-felting kit for the 10K.
> But I'm hesitating because I don't really want to pull the spindle on what is obviously a low-hour machine.
> How can I tell if the spindle bearings etc. are getting the oil they need?


Hi David: If the the oils have evaporated, and gummed up the wicks to the point they won't "wick" any more, one way to tell is to discover if they still accept oil. You won't easily see oil escaping the spindle unless something is very badly worn, (and the wicks work OK). but you can rig up a temporary oiler to discover if the oil is making it through the wick.
Try eBay and type "syringe" in the search.
Hmm.. --> Item 302931150330 is typical. LINK

I tried rigging up stuff like this. (The syringe with some spindle oil has been laying about for weeks)!




I hijacked a piece of the slightly flexible plastic tube from an old gel pen. It fits on the end of a syringe nicely, with a bit of a squeeze, and is firm enough to hold up the syringe. It does not fit quite as well into the oil flip-cap, but does better if you unscrew the cap, and just use the hole. I ended up sealing it temporarily with hot-melt.
You can, of course, vary the recipe to suit what you can rig up.

Roll the lathe for a bit with the syringe (without the plunger). If the lathe is accepting oil, you can see the usage. I don't yet know how many "drips per minute" is good. At the present, I just squirt some oil into the 9C every time I use it.

There are two types of wick oiler on SB's. One is a straightforward slight gravity feed through the wick. The other has (I think), two oiler entries, and the wick takes the oil "upwards" by capillary action, and a spring thing to keep it pressed onto the delivery point. For me, the 9A gearbox wick seemed "OK", but I am going to have to change the wick in the spindle. That one is now gutted anyway.

I still have to eventually get into wick replacement, delayed because for the present, other things will get in the way of messing about with lathes, but I did learn quite a lot about it from these..

From Halligan 142
Southbend Oiler Modification/Upgrade

The capillary action type is shown here (for South Bend-)
-> 




For a whole lot more, just search "oiler South Bend".
------------------------------
*Getting fancy*
This guy has a Myford lathe, and he is far into oilers.
How To Make Good Quality Brass Wick Feed Machine Lathe Oilers
Home Made Oiler Upgrade For Myford ML7
Home Made Oiler Upgrade For Myford ML7 lathe Drip & Cup Oil Manifold

I think I will just stay with the oil can!


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## DavidR8 (Dec 30, 2019)

Thanks @graham-xrf, I did fill the spindle oil caps today with 20w and it wicked away just fine. The oil cap nearest the chuck is fiendishly hard to get at so I oiled more of the exterior than in might have made it into the cup. But what got in wicked away quickly which leads me to believe that the wicks are doing what they should.

By chance I saw the same video from Halligan and thought that was a lot of oil coming out.


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## graham-xrf (Dec 30, 2019)

DavidR8 said:


> Thanks @graham-xrf, I did fill the spindle oil caps today with 20w and it wicked away just fine. The oil cap nearest the chuck is fiendishly hard to get at so I oiled more of the exterior than in might have made it into the cup. But what got in wicked away quickly which leads me to believe that the wicks are doing what they should.
> 
> By chance I saw the same video from Halligan and thought that was a lot of oil coming out.


I was using Mobil Vactra 10. If the oil you put in "wicks away", that is at least a good first indication that the wicks are transporting oil, BUT, especially if it wicks away too quickly, it can also be an indication that there is an adjustment issue at the bearing. Basically you put an indicator on it, then stick a piece of old pipe or rod up the spindle, and haul upwards, and also push downwards, and see the amount it moves. . You can do the same at the left end of the headstock. There is a specification for it. There _has_ to be some clearance for the oil film. Once turning, that clearance disappears, From memory, I think it needs about 8 tenths up to perhaps 0.001", but don't trust me on that!

If that clearance is too much, or there is bearing scuff or wear, it will use too much oil.


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## SLK001 (Dec 30, 2019)

DavidR8 said:


> I did fill the spindle oil caps today with 20w and it wicked away just fine.



20W oil is too heavy for the spindle.  If you must use the non-recommended oils, use ATF in the cups.  Or, better yet, get the correct oils.


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## DavidR8 (Dec 30, 2019)

@SLK001 yup. On order!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## darkzero (Dec 30, 2019)

graham-xrf said:


> I was using Mobil Vactra 10.



Vactra 10! They make a Vactra 10? I have Vactra 2 & 4, Vactra 4 is pretty thick, ISO 220, is like the equivelent viscosity to 90w gear oil. I only use it on vertical ways. Vactra 10 must be thicker than molasses!   

I'm assuming you meant Velocite 10 (I hope). That's commonly used as a spindle oil, viscocity is like 5w engine oil.


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## SLK001 (Dec 30, 2019)

Yes, he meant Velocite 10 for the spindle.  Vactra 2 is a heavy WAY oil.  Here is a pic of the 4 oils for the SB Heavy 10.


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## lordbeezer (Dec 30, 2019)

Not that difficult to replace spindle wicks. I would replace if you plan on keeping lathe.


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## darkzero (Dec 30, 2019)

SLK001 said:


> Yes, he meant Velocite 10 for the spindle.



I'm sure he did, I was just poking fun at him. I don't have a SB but I know Velocite is commonly used for the spindle bearings. I use Velocite 10 for the leadscrew & power feed rod on my import lathe.


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## graham-xrf (Dec 31, 2019)

You are right, and I am embarrassed!

I have a bottle of Mobil Vactra 2 way oil, and Velocite 10 right next to each other.
This along with Mobil1 0W-10, and Castrol EDGE 0W-30 Full Synthetic, which should only ever see the insides of a car engine!

I think I was maybe just a bit tired.


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