# Oil Filled Rotary Tables



## darkzero (Dec 9, 2014)

Occassionally I hear of oil filled rotary tables. I've never seen one in person, at least I don't think I have. I searched online and did see one with a sight glass.

I've only owned 2 Vertex RTs & the only other one I've used was a Moore but I don't remember seeing a sight glass. How do you tell if it's oil filled? Would they have obvious filler & drain plugs?


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## Sandia (Dec 10, 2014)

darkzero,

I have a 8" Phase II purchased new from Enco and it is supposed to be filled with oil. There is no sight glass just a fill plug and what is interesting is it also has a GITS oiler on the side?? Don't know why that would be necessary if it is oil filled 

None the less,when I received it I filled it with oil as instructed, in the vertical position. Then I set it back down horizontal on my work bench. A few minutes later I was shocked to see all the oil had drained out on my bench. Don't have a clue where it is coming from. I had read somewhere there was a fix for that but I did not pursue it because I figured just put some oil in it via the GITS oiler before use and not worry about it.

Hope that helps,
Sandia


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## RandyM (Dec 10, 2014)

I have an 8" Phase II also and *mine does have a sight glass*. You are correct, I have done the same thing, fill it in one position and then have it run out in the other.


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## Reeltor (Dec 10, 2014)

I have a 10" horizontal only R/T that I picked up off of craigs list.  It is badged MSC, and MSC couldn't tell me how old it is.  
It is filled with way oil, has a site glass and the oil does stay in the unit.  I don't know what was in it when I bought it but the oil dried up to the consistency of concrete. 
If oil can leak out then flood coolant etc. can leak in.


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## Bill C. (Dec 10, 2014)

darkzero said:


> Occassionally I hear of oil filled rotary tables. I've never seen one in person, at least I don't think I have. I searched online and did see one with a sight glass.
> 
> I've only owned 2 Vertex RTs & the only other one I've used was a Moore but I don't remember seeing a sight glass. How do you tell if it's oil filled? Would they have obvious filler & drain plugs?



I personally never heard of a oil filled table.  I searched on the internet, apparently it was a smoother operation than non oil filled table. I was thinking they were designed to heavier loads.

 I don't recall using a rotary table in my career.  I must have at least once or twice.  The same with dividing heads.  That is why I like this trade, for some of us dividing heads and rotary tables are everyday tools.


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## xalky (Dec 10, 2014)

I have a gigantic 20" rotary table that I bought from craigslist. It's oil filed. It's just a horizontal, no vertical capability. I've used it a couple of times already believe it or not. I only have a small 6"rotary table besides this monster. I paid $50 for that 20" rotary table, I had to grab it.


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## Mark in Indiana (Dec 10, 2014)

This is the first I've learned of rotary table oil levels.
I have a 14" Kamakura horizontal rotary table. There's just the cup oiler for the handle (drive gear), and a couple of ball valve oilers on the table.


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## Cheeseking (Dec 10, 2014)

Im sure some makes and models designed for oil and some for grease.  My troyke takes 90w gear lube per the manual.   Even has the little oiler cups on the crank and side of the housing.  It does leak out though rather profusely depending on orientation.   There aren't rubber seals or anything so its really just nature of the beast i suppose.  Ive seen some guys open them up, grease well and leave it at that to avoid the oil leak.


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## darkzero (Dec 10, 2014)

Thanks everyone. I have hear of certain oil filled models leaking often. Basically I'm just trying to figure out if mine is oil filled. I only have ball oilers on mine, which I do oil on use but I don'y see a drain plug anyway for oil. I'm assuming mine is not an oil filled model. It's a Yuasa copy made by Vertex. Could not find anything in the manual stating it needs to be filled with oil, just squirt oil in the ball oilers.


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## jim18655 (Dec 10, 2014)

I have the Grizzly "Yuasa style" 8'\" and it also needed to be filled with oil before use. It was a pain trying to get the oil to run into the oil fill port. It kept air locking.


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## darkzero (Dec 10, 2014)

jim18655 said:


> I have the Grizzly "Yuasa style" 8'\" and it also needed to be filled with oil before use. It was a pain trying to get the oil to run into the oil fill port. It kept air locking.



I looked at the manual for the Grizzly Yuasa style RTs & it does not say anything about being oil filled. Just has the typical ball oilers like my Vertex. But for the other style like Phase II sells, Grizzly does describe it as "oil immersed gears". 

I just looked at Yuasa's manual & it does not say anything about be oil filled either. I'm  thinking mine is not oil filled & I'll just continue using it. Or is it certain sizes & larger?


This is the one I have.





And this is the type Grizzly lists as oil filled. http://www.grizzly.com/products/8-Horizontal-Vertical-Rotary-Table/G9292


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## Rbeckett (Dec 10, 2014)

I took my NIB 6 inch out of the box and all it has is GITS oilers, no sight glass or fill plug either.  My manual does not even mention what oil to put in the GITS, so I plan on just using way oil in my hand pump oiler and calling it good.

Bob


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## Rbeckett (Dec 10, 2014)

XALKY, 
That RT is for fixing up dead people on the embalming table, can't think of anything big enough to even use a 20" RT on besides that 60 footer that was shown a while back maybe...

Bob


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## xalky (Dec 10, 2014)

Rbeckett said:


> XALKY,
> That RT is for fixing up dead people on the embalming table, can't think of anything big enough to even use a 20" RT on besides that 60 footer that was shown a while back maybe...
> 
> Bob


One thing's for sure, there's plenty of room on it to clamp parts down. It has also come in real handy to make a large radius cut. I was gonna sell it, but decided to keep it. I bought a hydraulic lift table specifically for that rotary table, just so I can get it on the mill fairly easily.  The 20"rotary table and the hydraulic lift table , combined, cost me less than my 6" New grizzly rotary table did.


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## darkzero (Dec 10, 2014)

$50 for a 20" is one heck of a deal, or for any nice RT. I got an unbelievable deal on mine too & I'm still not sure why. I called to order the brand new 8" Vertex RT. When I tried to give my credit card number I was refused, I said "I can't let you send it to me for free", then he said "well I can't let you pay for it". I lost & _had_ to accept it for free! I'm forever thankful!


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## Sandia (Dec 10, 2014)

darkzero said:


> I looked at the manual for the Grizzly Yuasa style RTs & it does not say anything about being oil filled. Just has the typical ball oilers like my Vertex. But for the other style like Phase II sells, Grizzly does describe it as "oil immersed gears".
> 
> I just looked at Yuasa's manual & it does not say anything about be oil filled either. I'm  thinking mine is not oil filled & I'll just continue using it. Or is it certain sizes & larger?
> 
> ...




The picture at the bottom is exactly the same as mine.


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## jim18655 (Dec 10, 2014)

darkzero said:


> I looked at the manual for the Grizzly Yuasa style RTs & it does not say anything about being oil filled. Just has the typical ball oilers like my Vertex. But for the other style like Phase II sells, Grizzly does describe it as "oil immersed gears".
> 
> I just looked at Yuasa's manual & it does not say anything about be oil filled either. I'm  thinking mine is not oil filled & I'll just continue using it. Or is it certain sizes & larger?
> 
> ...



Look at the picture on the manual and read section 5 of the manual. G9298.


20
). 
i
f necessary, add a 
high-quality  80W–90W  gear  oil  until  the  oil  level 
reaches half-way in the site glass.


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## darkzero (Dec 10, 2014)

jim18655 said:


> Look at the picture on the manual and read section 5 of the manual. G9298.
> 
> 
> 20
> ...



Yup, no oil cup filler or sight glass like that on mine. I guess the 8" Vertex is a Yuasa copy without the oil res. :rofl: I had a 6" Vertex, it didn't have them either.


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## Video_man (Dec 18, 2014)

I also have a PhaseII 8 inch, and having had it apart (long sad story) it appears to me that (1) there are no oil seals except on the two clamps underneath that retain the table, there being none around the edge of the table at all and (2) it really doesn't take much oil at all to lube the sump, which is a fairly small area around the worm.  I think (although there is a sight glass to guide) that over-oiling is probably a large part of the leakage problem.  And vertical use seems to worsen the problem, as well.


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