# Quick change box bearing oilers



## Dranreb (Sep 22, 2012)

Hi folks, first post since my introduction, a little bit of help needed if you would be so kind.

I've been cleaning the AcornTools branded q/c gearbox on my 10" Atlas lathe, I used a hand held drill bit to clean the muck and even paint out of the oiler holes for the shafts.

I noticed the holes seem to end above the bushes, with no apparent oil path to the shafts, so have the bearings turned and closed off the holes or are the bearings some sort of porous oil retaining type that the oil just seeps through?

Also there are no oil cups fitted, hence all the muck inside, are these tiny ones still available and if so do they need felt wicks if the bearings are porous?

Thanks for your time, 

Bernard


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## pdentrem (Sep 22, 2012)

Likely the bushings are Oil Lite bronze (correction if required) The oil will seep through and around to the shafts.
Pierre


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## Dranreb (Sep 26, 2012)

Thanks for your reply Pierre, looked it up and that's indeed what they are, they just don't look porous, I did a test with some penetrating oil which I thought would wash any muck through and it went through over night.


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## wa5cab (Oct 7, 2012)

Bernard,

I'm not familiar with the Acorn Tools version QCGB but if the oil holes are nearly horizontal or nearly vertical you might try looking for some press in oil cups of the style used on the Atlas versions.  All of the ones used on the Atlas version are right-angle but straight ones are also made.  They have spring-loaded flip-up caps to keep out swarf and other crap.  I think that the only straight ones that Atlas carries are larger ones with felts for the spindle bearings.  But McMaster has a selection of smaller ones, both straight and right angle.  I'll warn you before you go and look that they aren't cheap either from McMaster or from Clausing.

Robert D.


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## Dranreb (Oct 8, 2012)

Hi Robert, thanks for the info, being a bit stingy, I got a bit creative and made a couple, they turned out looking a bit 'Steam Punk', which I quite like..

The lead screw bearing has a hole though to the shaft and may need a wick, the one in the end of the shaft definitely needs a wick as the oil vanishes quite quickly. will try making something smaller for the rest of the Oilite type or else they will look like a bunch of toadstools on a log!

Bernard


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## 7HC (Oct 8, 2012)

Dranreb said:


> Hi Robert, thanks for the info, being a bit stingy, I got a bit creative and made a couple, they turned out looking a bit 'Steam Punk', which I quite like..
> 
> The lead screw bearing has a hole though to the shaft and may need a wick, the one in the end of the shaft definitely needs a wick as the oil vanishes quite quickly. will try making something smaller for the rest of the Oilite type or else they will look like a bunch of toadstools on a log!
> 
> Bernard



No, nothing wrong with steampunk, in fact maybe you could fashion a brass cover to replace the red plastic one on the switch for a more retro look.


M


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## wa5cab (Oct 8, 2012)

Bernard,

OK.  Now I know what the Acorn box looks like.  And the brass or copper actually goes quite well visually with the green.  Better I think than the cad plated steel ones would have.

Robert D.


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## Dranreb (Oct 9, 2012)

7HC said:


> No, nothing wrong with steampunk, in fact maybe you could fashion a brass cover to replace the red plastic one on the switch for a more retro look.M



Now you've got me going  



wa5cab said:


> the brass or copper actually goes quite well visually with the green.  Better I think than the cad plated steel ones would have. Robert D.



So do I 



etard said:


> Love those oilers man!  That's the perfect project for my watchmaker's lathe! Thanks for posting that...



So glad you all like them  The pipe is 3/16 copper brake line, glued into the cups with Locktite bearing fit, for ease of use the caps should not be too tight a fit, but relatively heavy, a tiny air hole may be needed in the caps is wicks are used.

Bernard


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