# "Oil Points" what are these called?



## Phonnold (Aug 18, 2014)

Hey all,

I am rebuilding an Atlas 10" lathe and need some help with the oil points.  I am needing to replace some of these as they are damaged or missing.



I have tried different searches.  'oil cups', 'lube points', etc. etc.  What am I looking for here? :thinking: Any links to them for sale would be great as well.  Also how are they sized?  Is the size across the bottom of them?



Also I am seeing that this lathe appears to have been worked on before.  This picture is showing the side of the quick change gear box.  Most of the holes appear to have been resized to allow for sleeves to be put in.  This has blocked all the oil points.  Is this ok or do I need to be changing this in some way?  Any oil put in these oil points goes no where.  Do I need to put a hole into these sleeves so that the oil gets in the joint?

Thanks for any help.

Philip


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## OldMachinist (Aug 18, 2014)

McMaster Carr has those oil cups.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#oil-cups/=tc6kn4

And yes I would drill a small hole thru the bushings to allow some oil to flow onto the shafts.


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## CluelessNewB (Aug 18, 2014)

I always heard them called "Gits Oilers".  Gits is the name of the manufacturer. Like  "OldMachinist" said McMaster Carr is an easy place to find them.


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## rafe (Aug 18, 2014)

I would not drill holes in the bushings they are probably oilite? Bronze that will absorb the oil and disperse it on the shaft, probably original


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## Terrywerm (Aug 19, 2014)

+1 on what Rafe said. Oilite bushings are somewhat porous, and are designed to hold oil and disperse it slowly onto the shaft it holds. The Gits oilers work with them very well by acting as a small reservoir of oil for the bushing. If you drill holes through the bushings, the oil will disappear immediately after you put it into the oilers, and you will have a dripping oily mess of a machine.  Granted, they are supposed to be oily, but you could make them more oily than what they are meant to be by drilling holes in the bushings.


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## OldMachinist (Aug 19, 2014)

Not drilling a hole is fine as long as they are 841 bronze(Oilite) bushings but if they are 932 or 954 then oil will not flow as those materials are non-porous.


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## wa5cab (Aug 19, 2014)

You can also buy the oil cups from Clausing.  And probably the bushings.

Robert D.


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## Phonnold (Aug 20, 2014)

Thanks for the link to the oil covers Don,  I don't think I ever would have found them.  I didn't see these as covers at all.

Thanks for the tips on the bushings.  Is there a simple test I can do to find out what the materials is?  I am going to put some oil in one cup and see what happens.  I should be able to see oil after some time right?

Philip


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## Cobra (Aug 20, 2014)

If you look inside the bushing oillite and bronze will look differnt. The oillite is made of sintered metal and has a "grainy" look to the surface. Bronze will look like solid metal.


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## OldMachinist (Aug 20, 2014)

I'm not sure you'll see oil seeping thru but you may feel it getting slick.


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