# How is an automatic oiler supposed to work?



## strantor (Feb 12, 2020)

I have a CNC mill I'm in the middle of refurbishing. It has an old Bijur TM-5 oiler with an electric motor and a level switch. There's some cryptic mention of cycle time (27.7 min) in the datasheet for it. Am I just supposed to apply power to it any time the machine is powered on? Or during a cut? What's the normal mode of operation? When I received the machine it had this oiler, and the coolant pump, and a few other things disconnected.


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## Martin W (Feb 13, 2020)

An oiler for the machine itself should be running every time the machine is on.

I just clicked on your attachment. Looks like its a little hydraulic gear pump. It will lube every time the solenoid cycles which you set.  Definitely get this working asap.
Cheers
Martin


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## FOMOGO (Feb 13, 2020)

Probably a good idea to go through the entire system, and make sure all lines are in good shape, and no orifices are plugged. Mike


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## BGHansen (Feb 13, 2020)

Not that the instructions of a Tormach CNC mill match every other mill for lubrication, but Tormach mills are stock with a manual way oiler.  Tormach recommends pulling the oiler handle every time the mill is used.  Also pull once for every 4 hours of use.

Bruce


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## middle.road (Feb 13, 2020)

FOMOGO said:


> Probably a good idea to go through the entire system, and make sure all lines are in good shape, and no orifices are plugged. Mike


Plugged orifices on a Bijur? You don't say...  

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## derf (Feb 13, 2020)

Basically when the oiler has power to it, it will administer 1 shot of oil in that time interval. You can't change the timer, but you can change the amount of the shot. It should be wired up so it is energized only when the servo motors are.


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## strantor (Feb 13, 2020)

FOMOGO said:


> Probably a good idea to go through the entire system, and make sure all lines are in good shape, and no orifices are plugged. Mike


I am replacing every metering unit on the machine and installing all new hoses and tubing as well. New filters in the oilers, cleaning out the pump pistons, everything except the compression nuts, junctions, and the pumps themselves are going to be new.


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## middle.road (Feb 13, 2020)

strantor said:


> I am replacing every metering unit on the machine and installing all new hoses and tubing as well. New filters in the oilers, cleaning out the pump pistons, everything except the compression nuts, junctions, and the pumps themselves are going to be new.


Did you find a good source for the metering units?


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## strantor (Feb 13, 2020)

middle.road said:


> Plugged orifices on a Bijur? You don't say...


Can they even really be called an orifices? "Orifice" implies something you can clean up. A simple tiny hole one might pass an acetylene torch tip cleaner through. But this ain't that. I don't know what it is but it's some kind of science. In the absence of a microscope, it looks to me like the metering units might be packed with some sintered material like a pneumatic muffler is made of? I don't know. But just because I can spray brake cleaner through them does not give me a warm fuzzy that I've "cleaned" them. I feel it's safer to replace.


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## strantor (Feb 13, 2020)

middle.road said:


> Did you find a good source for the metering units?


High quality tools. They're nearly half price as compared to the Bijur originals.


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## middle.road (Feb 13, 2020)

strantor said:


> Can they even really be called an orifices? Orfifice implies something you can clean up. A simple tiny hole one might pass an acetylene torch tip cleaner through. But this ain't that. I don't know what it is but it's some kind of science. In the absence of a microscope, it looks to me like the metering units might be packed with some sintered material like a pneumatic muffler is made of? I don't know. But just because I can spray brake cleaner through them does not give me a warm fuzzy that I've "cleaned" them. I feel it's safer to replace.


Read though my post that I linked to, I got mine cleaned out.
I couldn't afford the cost of new _metering devices_.


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## middle.road (Feb 13, 2020)

strantor said:


> High quality tools. They're nearly half price as compared to the Bijur originals.


Nice - at those prices (~$9) I can afford to do the Z-Axis now. Just have to remember which ones came out of there.
$25+/ea. was a bit hard to stomach.






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## strantor (Feb 13, 2020)

middle.road said:


> Read though my post that I linked to, I got mine cleaned out.
> I couldn't afford the cost of new _metering devices_.


I hope you did, _actually_ get them cleaned out. That's not a veiled detraction from your method or your discovery; it's an honest well wish. Personally, I never want to take this beast apart to this level again. The cost of the new metering units was an insurance I was willing to pay. I'm not even sure the ones installed were bad. I was able to blow break cleaner through them, but as I said, not convinced that indicates anything I should take comfort in. "Better safe than sorry" in my mind, and my mind likes to dwell on little uncertainties which ruin my day.


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## strantor (Feb 13, 2020)

middle.road said:


> Nice - at those prices (~$9) I can afford to do the Z-Axis now. Just have to remember which ones came out of there.
> $25+/ea. was a bit hard to stomach.
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah, there's over a dozen of the suckers on my machine. If it was down to paying that price or not, I don't know what I would have done. Well, yeah I do, but I would have been none too happy doing 3-4 each month until complete.


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## strantor (Feb 13, 2020)

middle.road said:


> Nice - at those prices (~$9) I can afford to do the Z-Axis now. Just have to remember which ones came out of there.
> $25+/ea. was a bit hard to stomach.
> 
> 
> ...


What sizes do you need? If I have your needed sizes I could send you some of what comes off my machine, if you want to try cleaning them.


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## middle.road (Feb 13, 2020)

strantor said:


> What sizes do you need? If I have your needed sizes I could send you some of what comes off my machine, if you want to try cleaning them.


Thanks! I appreciate that. I'll go dig through my notes and figure out what was on the 'Z' ports. 
I had to plug them back when.
I still have all the stuff I used to unplug the others. Couldn't get two of them to flow though.


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## strantor (Feb 13, 2020)

middle.road said:


> Nice - at those prices (~$9) I can afford to do the Z-Axis now. Just have to remember which ones came out of there.
> $25+/ea. was a bit hard to stomach.
> 
> 
> ...


P.s. a note about that website: their pictures and descriptions are lacking at best, and outright incorrect at worst. Before you order anything, confrim the part number on the LubeUSA website; they have a cross-reference for Bijur part numbers. They have metric and imperial versions of the same part. Just ordering a FJB-1/HJB-1 is a recipe for disappointment. Order based on a p/n like 105010/185010 instead.






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EDIT: I lied. LubeUSA doesn't have a bijur cross reference. I don't remember where I found that. But FJB=HJB


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## middle.road (Feb 13, 2020)

strantor said:


> ... _clipped_
> 
> EDIT: I lied. LubeUSA doesn't have a bijur cross reference. I don't remember where I found that. But FJB=HJB


I think I might have found it.
Was this it?:





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## strantor (Feb 13, 2020)

middle.road said:


> I think I might have found it.
> Was this it?:
> 
> 
> ...


Sure was! Thanks for linking to it. This has become a pretty valuable thread by now I think. Between this one and yours from 2018, I think we have provided the citizens of earth with all the best available resources for solving their way oiler woes.


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## middle.road (Feb 13, 2020)

strantor said:


> Sure was! Thanks for linking to it. This has become a pretty valuable thread by now I think. Between this one and yours from 2018, I think we have provided the citizens of earth with all the best available resources for solving their way oiler woes.


Most definitely. I remember searching all over and not finding much except for solutions that cost $$$$.
I really should have removed my table at the time but my HD sawhorses are mia.


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## strantor (Feb 13, 2020)

middle.road said:


> Most definitely. I remember searching all over and not finding much except for solutions that cost $$$$.
> I really should have removed my table at the time but my HD sawhorses are mia.


What mill do you have?


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## strantor (Feb 13, 2020)

derf said:


> Basically when the oiler has power to it, it will administer 1 shot of oil in that time interval. You can't change the timer, but you can change the amount of the shot. It should be wired up so it is energized only when the servo motors are.


Ok and after it has administered its shot, how long should pressure remaining the lines? Does it bleed away momentarily or does it bleed off slowly over the next 27 minutes?


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## middle.road (Feb 13, 2020)

strantor said:


> What mill do you have?


An oldie Series I VS 2HP Bridgeport 9x48.
Here's an original picture of mine. I can't make out the metering valve numbers though.  
*edit* Found a better picture, shows *FJB *on the side of the fitting.



	

		
			
		

		
	
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## strantor (Feb 13, 2020)

middle.road said:


> An oldie Series I VS 2HP Bridgeport 9x48.
> Here's an original picture of mine. I can't make out the metering valve numbers though.
> *edit* Found a better picture, shows *FJB *on the side of the fitting.
> 
> ...


Make sure you have a friend, or better yet, a machine, to help you. The table is SO heavy. I mean it looks heavy, but it's even heavier than it looks. It weighs more than the knee.


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## derf (Feb 14, 2020)

It is quite simple, the timer motor lifts a piston via a cam. The piston is spring loaded, so when the cam hits it's peak, it releases the piston to push the oil into the system. It's not a big gush, but rather a steady push of oil through the lines because only the spring is pushing it.


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