Lathe Ways - clean oil vs. dark grey smudge

[dansawyer]

The front way on my lathe has a dark grey smuge after the carrage moves over it. The back way has a clean coat of light oil. I removed the carrage and cleaned it, this helped some but did not fix the problem. Is this a result of worn wipers? Is there another cause? What is the best way to fix it?
Thanks in advance, Dan

 

[Ulma Doctor]

it's grinding paste, for all intent and purpose.
it may be best to remove offending assemblies and remove grit or swarf that has been trapped
it is nearly impossible to remove all traces of contaminants while the lathe is assembled unfortunately.
you could remove the wipers and see if they are less than serviceable

 

[dansawyer]

Thank you. I have ordered some felt and will replace the wipers. Is it safe to stone the underside of the carrage to clean it? Can there be particles imbeded in the carrage that cause excessive ware?

 

[Ulma Doctor]

yes, you can safely , lightly stone the carriage if necessary- just go easy and don't stay any one area for more than a couple strokes

it is possible to have embedded materials, but most can be removed with a small pick , or simply wiping or brushing if necessary

 

[rabler]

Don’t know what type of oil distribution system your lathe has, but the front way usually carries more pressure and may therefore need a bit more oil. If something has reduced the oil to the front way, that could cause problems like you describe. While you’re cleaning, definitely check your oil flow.

 

[dansawyer]

Don’t know what type of oil distribution system your lathe has, but the front way usually carries more pressure and may therefore need a bit more oil. If something has reduced the oil to the front way, that could cause problems like you describe. While you’re cleaning, definitely check your oil flow.

The lathe is an older round head Clausing Colchester. There are oiler holes in the saddle, I will check to see if there is an internal oiler circuit that needs cleaning or repair.

 

[sdelivery]

Decaying rubber wipers will also leave a dark smudge......

 

[dansawyer]

Thank you all. I removed the wipers and ran the the saddle up and down the ways, the result was clean ways. The cause of the smudge was in the wipers. I have new felt and will replace the wipers. So far so good. Thank you for pointing the the decaying rupper, that is definitley and issue.