Button oilers

[redvan22]

Little hesitant to post anything again since the last posting due to the responses to my response but here goes...

My mini mill table was almost seazed yesterday after sitting for a week.

Determined that the ways were bone dry and that along with the fact that I've lapped the ways to eliminate slop, which has made a huge improvement regarding chatter, caused it.

I give the machine a going over with light machine oil before use but never had it this tight before.

What can I do to prevent this from happening again?

I've thought about installing button oilers in the channels of the table so I can get oil into the ways from up top but not sure if that is a solution or setting the stage for other non-reversible issues.

Oil grooves was suggested by a friend as was heavier oil.

Suggestions?

 

[ErichKeane]

>> Little hesitant to post anything again since the last posting due to the responses to my response but here goes...
The bit about the height gauge? That seemed like a reasonable discussion?

Typically ways have a 'flaking' of some sort on one side for oil retention in addition to oil passageways. The whole point of ways is that they 'float' on a thin film of oil. So perhaps look into doing 1/2 moon flaking?

The idea of adding an oiler and oil passageways both sound like good ideas as well.

 

[Jim F]

The person who designed those button oilers need to have their crayons taken away from them.

 

[ErichKeane]

The person who designed those button oilers need to have their crayons taken away from them.

Eh? I've never really had a problem... While I prefer Zerk type oilers, I'd much rather have buttons than a machine that spent its whole life with grease in the holes

 

[sdelivery]

Welcome to the forum.
What kind of ways do you have? Some Way oils have a tactifier in it that makes it a little stickier. It can be found in chain saw bar oil and some oil additives.
If it has gotten tighter since the issue happen then more than likely it has a "pick up" this is a little but that develops into a scratch or groove.
If it has roller packs or linear bearings they might need a shot of lubes, probably grease.

 

[redvan22]

>> Little hesitant to post anything again since the last posting due to the responses to my response but here goes...
The bit about the height gauge? That seemed like a reasonable discussion?

Typically ways have a 'flaking' of some sort on one side for oil retention in addition to oil passageways. The whole point of ways is that they 'float' on a thin film of oil. So perhaps look into doing 1/2 moon flaking?

The idea of adding an oiler and oil passageways both sound like good ideas as well.

Not the height gauge. The turret post. It caused quite a discussion.

As for the height gauge, couldn't be happier. Got a Shars that is beautiful. Good enough for me but others, well they weren't too happy with THEIRS based on the reviews but I am.

 

[redvan22]

Welcome to the forum.
What kind of ways do you have? Some Way oils have a tactifier in it that makes it a little stickier. It can be found in chain saw bar oil and some oil additives.
If it has gotten tighter since the issue happen then more than likely it has a "pick up" this is a little but that develops into a scratch or groove.
If it has roller packs or linear bearings they might need a shot of lubes, probably grease.

Smooth ways but I've scraped the Dovetails on my lathe compound and cross slide so I'll consider adding the flaking you mentioned. (I was working on my lathe before posting and 'ways' sort of stuck in my mind. Nomenclature goes a long way to getting your point across.)

 

[compact8]

Bearing surfaces must have lows of some kind to retain oil. I dont think button oilers can solve the problem. My mill has button oilers for the ways but I never use them and oil the ways directly. There are distributed small lows on the rail although I don't know how they were created.