Information please

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

Hi
As anybody got any info/ diagrams about wick oilers for small vintage lathes

Nobby

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

wick oilers for lathes etc

[AndyfParticipant @andyf]

I made some for my small Perris lathe, Nobby, as shown on the bottom third of this page. Easy to make, and they seem to work well, with the oil siphoning slowly through to the spindle bearings,

You can test the principle with a small container such as a bottle top, a saucer and a bit of wool. Stand the container in the saucer, half fill it with oil, and arrange the wool with one end in the oil and the other lying on the saucer. After a while, the container will be empty and there will be a pool of oil in the saucer.

Andy

Edit: I thought I had replied to this last night, and now see that I did, you having posed the question twice. 

Edited By Andyf on 24/11/2012 08:36:52

[chris jParticipant @chrisj]

 

I've got one in my shed that I took out of a Myford S7 that you would be welcome to if you wanted to cut it down for re-use..

Chris

 

 

Edited By chris j on 24/11/2012 09:16:02

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

I have used lathes that had wick oilers but did not use wool as a wick, they had a wire with a hook on the end that hung over the lip of the hole and allowed the oil to capillary down to the bearing. The hook end dipped down into the oil.

They lasted all day and I only filled first thing in the morning.

Clive

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

Hi Andy. & Clive
Thank you for this infomation. guys . I had a problem starting this thread hence 2 goe's
I bought 2 cup ones with flip lids but there was no control with the rate . so I may fit a center tube to fit a wick . If i do I may post a photo when fitted to the Exe lathe I am working on & try wool or use Clive's idea
Nobby

[Geoffrey SwalesParticipant @geoffreyswales34461]

Hello Nobby

I have a good quantity of worsted trimming wool as used in oil boxes etc. on full sized loco's. Will glady send you some?

Geoff.

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

HI Guys & Chris
Thank you for the offer Chris I should be ok now . This afternoon I fitted tubes to the cup oilers but I havent put wicks or wire yet as i wanted to see if the tubed leaked .

Nobby

[AndyfParticipant @andyf]

Those look pretty posh compared to mine, Nobby! So does what I can see of the lathe, compared to the scruffy EXEs at lathe.co.uk.

I can see the advantages of Clive's wire; bent into place, it will stay put. Fairly obvious question, Clive: it is multistranded wire, isn't it?

Andy

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

No Andy, it was just a bit of standard wire and as I said it had a hook end that dipped into the oilpot and the longer length down the hole, it all seemed to work Ok as far as I couild see as I used it for at least 3 years.

Clive

[AndyfParticipant @andyf]

Good Heavens, Clive! I know little about capillary action; at school 50-odd years back, it was all fine tubes and fibrous stuff like blotting paper and wool.

Must try this for myself, with one of my oil cups, a toolmaker's clamp to hold it, a saucer, a bit of wire and a few drops of oil. I wonder if the diameter of wire has any bearing on the "oil rate". Experiments are called for – probably tomorrow, looking at the weather forecast! Thanks for the info. Something's just gone wrong, because my carriage return/line feed key has just stopped working in this reply pane (though it's OK in other programs) so I'll have to sign off here: Andy

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Andy,

What you learned about capilliary action remains valid … it's just that in Clive's version the liquid takes the form of a hollow cylinder instead of a rod.

And yes, [at least in a pressurised system] a wire in a hole is a very good way of controlling flow rates

1. Used by Vincent Motorcycles in the lubrication of the valve gear
2. Effectively it's what the needle valve is, in a carburettor

… much easier to adjust accurately than reaming a plain hole.

MichaelG.

.

For Vincent info … see the closing section of this

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 24/11/2012 21:14:55

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

I think you may be considering a high flow rate from the oiler but in fact as long as there is an oil flow going down into the bearing that will be fine.

Too much oil flow will only be flung out of the bearing and make a mess. The oil 'Wedge' in the bearing will mantain itself as long as there is a small replenishment while it is running.

As to the capillary action I can only think it is between the wall of the tube and the wire and the hook part establishes it. I remember it was a parallel bend and not angled out at all.

This may be a case of suck it and see ! I would hate to work on a machine that was throwing out globs of dirty oil all over my shirt and then explain to wifey how to get black oil stains out.

Clive

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Clive,

[ Assuming that your last post was in response to mine. ]

I should really have made two seperate replies to Andy.

• My first paragraph relates to the Capilliary action
• The remainder was a response to Andy's wondering about control of flow rates

Apologies if I have muddied the water [oil ?]

MichaelG.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 24/11/2012 21:04:27:

Andy,

What you learned about capilliary action remains valid … it's just that in Clive's version the liquid takes the form of a hollow cylinder instead of a rod.

MichaelG.

Concentrating on that aspect …

For my penance; here is a nice small scale example of "wire in a tube" capilliary action.

MichaelG

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Nobby on 24/11/2012 16:59:15:

HI Guys & Chris
Thank you for the offer Chris I should be ok now . This afternoon I fitted tubes to the cup oilers but I havent put wicks or wire yet as i wanted to see if the tubed leaked .

Nobby

Nobby,

Looking at what you have already made

The first illustration here looks exactly right (Fig. 80)

MichaelG.

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

Hi Michael
As I said i bought these cup oilers and added the tube . I looked a Fig 80 thank you Years ago in the 50s the capstan I worked on had these oilers and the guy used to come round & top them up
I wiil run it today and see how it goes under power not treadling
Nobby

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

> "wire in a tube" capilliary action.

Rotring pens.

Neil

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

If one wire is not enough add more, or on some of the machinery I work with I use a bit of pipe cleaner, non pipe smokers thats a thin furry stick made of two wires twisted with some sort of fiber caught in the twist. The pipe cleaners find other uses around the workshop also. Ian S C

[MICHAEL WILLIAMSParticipant @michaelwilliams41215]

(1) Both wire and wool in centre tube type oilers act as syphons . Flow is in multitude of random tubes in fibres of wool or externally on surface of wire . Not much to do with capilliary action – more like syphoning water from a cistern .

Such oilers are actually described in some (old) catalogues as Siphon Tube Oilers .

(2) The external syphon flow on the wire is an interesting action and turns up in all sorts of unexpected places . There is a natural action as in the lubricator and a less common thermally activated action .

(3) Capilliary action is essentially a static action . The capilliary rise seen in for example a gauge glass is a simple force balance between surface tension on the inside of glass and weight of fluid colum supported . Capilliary action does not generate any continuous flow under normal circumstances though it can be made to do so with external energy input .

Michael Williams .

[John McNamaraParticipant @johnmcnamara74883]

Hi All

Take a small piece of fine wire and fold it in half and lightly twist it leaving a small eye, Thread some cotton through the eye ideally thickish and fluffy to lightly fill the hole it is to be placed in (threads from an old flannel sheet, cotton string or the like) lightly pinch the wire eye closed. Then poke it down the oil hole and wrap the remaining cotton around the bit of wire left over and bend it down into the oil reservoir that will feed the wick. trim off any excess.

This method allows you to remove the wick at any time by tugging the wire and the wire keeps the wick at the bottom of the hole and in the reservoir where it belongs.

I have pulled these wicks out of 50 year old machines in working condition if the oil was clean.

Cheers
John

 

 

Edited By John McNamara on 25/11/2012 12:09:40

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

Hi Guys
Thats what I like about this forum . You can get a lot of good ideas from like minded people .
I have got to sort out the motor drive next on my Exe lathe project It's a lash up at the moment

Nobby

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