Tapped Hole In Top Of Carriage For Oiling Cross-feed Screw Bearing

[wa5cab]

Recently, someone on the Yahoo Atlas 618 list started a brief discussion about how you oil the cross-feed screw bearing by commenting on losing the screw plug for the oil hole. Someone else said that his (assumed to be early) 618 carriage did not have the hole. I did some research and found that only the earliest (that we have) 618 parts list, which is of the style where all the parts are laid out on a table and photographed, didn't show a hole in the top front of the carriage and did seem to show the threads on the M6-46 bearing as running right up to the shoulder. All of the variants of the 101.07301 parts manuals have a line drawing instead of a photograph of all of the parts laid out as if on a table. The drawing of the carriage is a front view, so no clue there. The drawing of the bearing is an isometric and doesn't show a thread relief although the similar drawing of the M6-47 Tumbler Gear Stud does. The lube chart for the 10D calls for removing the screw in order to oil the cross-feed screw bearing. And the parts lists and lube charts for all of the mills show the screw plugs and/or their location..


So despite the fact that neither the carriage nor the bearing part numbers ever got a Revision A suffix, I had to conclude that the very early 6" machines didn't have the oil hole.

Then the person who had said that his carriage didn't have the hole came back and reported that after a thorough cleaning of the top of the carriage dovetail, he had found the screw.

So my question to put the matter to rest is this:

Does anyone actually have any size (6", 9", 10" or 12") or model of Atlas or Atlas/Craftsman lathe with a carriage that is missing the tapped hole for oiling the cross-feed bearing? If present, it will be on top of the dovetail flat near the front.

Edit - 9" owners are requested to respond whether you machine does or doesn't have the oil hole.

 

[westsailpat]

Hi Robert , I know you asked for a machine w/out the oil hole . But I thought I would comment on my machine anyhow , a 101.07301 618 mk1 mfged. 37-57, and it has a oil hole . and I might add is clearly stamped ( in articulate style ) OIL .

 

[wa5cab]

Thanks. I meant this morning (actually yesterday morning) to add that I could also use a couple of "Yes" responses on the 101.07301 and on any 9". We only have one 9" model, a Sears Metalcraft one. And as with the early 6" manual, the parts were laid out on a table and photographed. And as with the 6", there is a fairly decent quality (actually great quality considering that the manual was likely printed in 1933) top view photo of the carriage. And it shows no hole!

 

[Round in circles]

In my Atlas cum Sphere lathe , I have two holes in the top for oiling the screw thread . One some five inches from the front the other about an inch & a half in above the bearing point where the operating screw t passes through the front of the casting into the hand wheel , both are tapped with a fine thread and stamped " OIL ".

I've started leaving those grub screws out because diabetes is making it hard for me to pick up the screws and feed then into the holes .
I've found that the daily oiling is enough to keep them clean & clear , any bits of ferrous metal down the front hole are pulled out with a big toroidal magnet & a long very thin electrical screwdriver upon every cleaning of the lathe . Bits of brass or aluminium down the front hole are easily be flushed up & out with the tube on a WD 40 spray can & they are then re oiled as usual .

 

[wa5cab]

5" to the rear on all of the Atlas carriages would be out in space. The rear hole on the Atlas machines is for oiling the power cross-feed gears. Not sure what it might be for on a Sphere.

I've found in practice, at least on a 3996, that under intermittent use an oiling interval for the front hole of about once a week is adequate. If two or three squirts of oil are injected under pressure, you can check whether or not you need to pull the screw plug by running your finger under the dial. If the finger comes out clean, time to oil.

An alternative to having to clean out the hole might be to wipe off the area around the hole, with an alcohol moistened paper towel and stick a square of blue masking tape over the hole.

 

[wa5cab]

Surely we have at least one or two 9" owners on this site???

 

[Round in circles]

5" to the rear on all of the Atlas carriages would be out in space. The rear hole on the Atlas machines is for oiling the power cross-feed gears. Not sure what it might be for on a Sphere.

I've found in practice, at least on a 3996, that under intermittent use an oiling interval for the front hole of about once a week is adequate. If two or three squirts of oil are injected under pressure, you can check whether or not you need to pull the screw plug by running your finger under the dial. If the finger comes out clean, time to oil.

An alternative to having to clean out the hole might be to wipe off the area around the hole, with an alcohol moistened paper towel and stick a square of blue masking tape over the hole.

Sorry I got my figures messed up in between the neck top computer and robotic fingers . The front hole is aboput 5 mm from the shaft's hand wheel boss & the rear hole is about 50 mm back , like you say it lubes the shaft threads . ( Some days I think dyslexia & dementia are taking me over big time ) .

I'm not sure if me using two of those tiny spring loaded ball bearing devices in a brass housing type oiler , where you press the oil can nozzle tip on to the ball is the way to go to see me easily lubing up when needed .. What do you think ?

 

[wa5cab]

Just about every time I have to pull those tiny screws I think about doing that. Then I forget about it until the next time. I never have checked whether or not there is sufficient vertical clearance for the flange and ball and whether the front hole is deep enough. Might have to make a split collet adapter to hold a stock oiler and shorten it.

 

[Round in circles]

Just about every time I have to pull those tiny screws I think about doing that. Then I forget about it until the next time. I never have checked whether or not there is sufficient vertical clearance for the flange and ball and whether the front hole is deep enough. Might have to make a split collet adapter to hold a stock oiler and shorten it.

Another thing I've thougt of thought of was to turn up a small 5.5 mm felt pad punch , drill out the holes & tap them for 5 mm , insert by screwing in the punched out felt pads and then just use a thin oil to drip a drop or two of oil on the pads each time I use the lathe as it's not like they are needing copious amounts of oil everyday is it ?

 

[wa5cab]

I would say yes on the rear one over the cross feed gear, if you can make the felt rod long enough to nearly touch the gear. But probably not on the front one as the pad will have to be short and won't hold much oil. The front one has a built-in reservoir in the form of the upper 55% of the thread relief. I know from experience that if I fill it up under pressure, the shaft stays oiled for several days. I would go with the ball oiler at least on the front.