Lathe bearing oiler wicks/felt

[Andy CarlsonParticipant @andycarlson18141]

I've recently acquired a Cowells lathe.which I'm currently giving a darned good strip down and clean before I start using it. Colin Childs of Cowells estimates that mine was made in the mid-1970s

Mt micrometer indicates that wear on the bearing faces of the spindle seems commendably low and I'd like to keep it like that.

I've seen discussion on US forums about replacing the wicks in the oilers of plain bearing lathes. I've also found US sites selling the felt wick material in various grades and diameters…

… but I've found no UK suppliers

I've asked Cowells but they don't sell anything like this.

Has anyone found any UK suppliers for wick material for plain bearing oilers?

Thanks

[Andy CarlsonParticipant @andycarlson18141]

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Andy,

I get my felt from a specialist shop selling cloth and sundries.

1/2 a yard/metre quite cheap.

Rgds,

John

Edited By DMB on 15/08/2018 08:22:05

[MichaelRParticipant @michaelr]

I use oil lamp wicks, get the round type and you can unravel the stands to suit your oil pot, there are plenty of UK supplier's on the internet. Mike.

[Andy CarlsonParticipant @andycarlson18141]

Thanks.

Were you able to find something of the right shape and size in a fabrics shop?

If so, any idea what I should be looking/asking for?

I've also seen discussion about cutting up felt sheet but I'm not too confident that I could cut such a small cylindrical shape from such a spongy material. If possible I'd lilke to find something that is sold in cord form so that I just need to cut a suitable length.

This is a US example…

https://www.mcmaster.com/#oil-wicks/=1e5586d

Regards, Andy

[Andy CarlsonParticipant @andycarlson18141]

Thanks Michael. Yes, oil lamp wicks could be an option

[Chris GunnParticipant @chrisgunn36534]

Andy, you could make your own from Worsted wool and thin copper wire, quick and easy to make, and you can tailor it to fit.

Chris Gunn

[Andy CarlsonParticipant @andycarlson18141]

Thanks Chris.

I've managed to dig up some more info since my original posting.

First off I managed to order some almost correct felt as 5mm diameter cord from Hardy and Hanson. It's the right material but the grade is harder (s44) than would be perfect – s36 seems to be a match for the American F-1 grade.

Secondly I think that my oil cups are still available from Adams Lube in Coventry. Judging by the size I think they are 'BS1512 shoulder drive oil cup 3/16 inch hole' but without taking mine out I can't be 100% sure of the size. I contacted Adams and was advised that they are recommended to be used with nothing in the oil flow.

So I think that the oilers probably left the factory without any felt in them.

It remains to be seen whether this will produce a reasonable oil flow on my lathe. It's in bits just now. If it proves excessive then I will experiment with the felt and also consider fitting different lubricators altogether.

Looking at the photos on Cowells site they still use very similar cups but there is an extra 'thing' between the cup and the top of the bearing casting. Does anyone know what this 'thing' is? I can guess but does anyone know? My cups are fitted straight into holes in the bearing casting.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

I get my felt from a specialist shop selling cloth and sundries.

It even has a specialist name – haberdashers.

If you have an old real wool jumper that is beyond even charity shop use just throw it in the wash, every week for a few months and you get free felt.

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Andy,

Just looked at this thread again and read your reply and replies by others.

Very sorry to mislead, I was thinking of replacement of the (flat) felt wipers on my Myford. I get flat sheet felt from a cloth shop.

Out of interest, a book on steam loco maintenance published during BR days, shows different types of wicks that were in use at the time. From memory, they were all made of worsted wrapped around a wire support, just like Chris described.

[Neil GreenawayParticipant @neilgreenaway71611]

Hi,

try https://hardy-hanson.co.uk/ – they appear to have a range of different industrial felts including wicking rope types.

Neil

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

Worsted wool yarns are spun from fibres that have been combed, to ensure that the fibres all run the same direction and are are used to make clothing. The yarn has to be 100% wool and not synthetic for lubricator wicks.

Wicks made from wool yarn, wrapped around a wire support are commonly used in steam traction engines lubricators. It is important to not have the wire too tightly wrapped around the wool because it will restrict the flow of oil thru the wool fibres.

Paul.

[Andy CarlsonParticipant @andycarlson18141]

Gosh, many replies. Thank you all.

I don't think there is any question of 'misleading' – my original question was based on an assumption that turned out to be wrong so no worries there.

The more general question is whether the 'open bottom' cup arrangement on my lathe will cause too much oil flow and general spraying of oil from the spindle pulleys etc onto the lathe's surroundings. Time will tell. If so then I wil be looking for ways to get enough oil flow without getting too much.

Any info on what arrangement Cowells now use for the oilers would be useful – like I said there appears to be a 'thing' in between the oiler and the top of the headstock casting in the photos of a more recent machine on the Cowells site.

Regards, Andy

[Pete RimmerParticipant @peterimmer30576]

I fitted new felt wicks into a 100yr old Cataract lathe yesterday. I used 5mm round F1 felt. I see that there's a guy selling 1/4" diameter for £15 a metre. If you need it flat just flatten it out in some smooth-jawed grips/pliers. Mine needed to be flat one end and round the other where it dipped into the reservoir.

[BWParticipant @bw]

If you google 1/4" diameter felt cord

You will find heaps of it quite cheap, I need to learn more about the density/quality before I buy any. Have been meaning to investigate this for ages.

Other options for flat felt for vee wipers are a daggy old akubra hat or similar, or those felt pads that people put on the bottom of chair/table legs to prevent scratching polished floors.

Bill

[BWParticipant @bw]

Double post

Edited By BW on 17/08/2018 00:02:17

[Andy CarlsonParticipant @andycarlson18141]

Tanya at Hardy and Hanson was very helpful. The 5mm diameter s44 stuff is on sale just now on their web site but they make other things. They don't do cord in less than s44 grade (which is harder than F-1) though but I think they do other shapes/sheets in the softer felt. She was keen to quote me for a custom job to do the exact size I wanted… but 5mm was probably my best guess anyway… assuming I even need any felt now!

As far as I could gather from various sites, F-1 and F-3 are the usual choices with F-1 being preferable.

[TomfileryParticipant @tomfilery]

Andy,

I think you are over thinking things!

The Cowells lathes don't have any felt in the oilers and it is described in their literature as a "total loss" system.

I don't know what you expect in terms of "oil flow". The cups only hold a drop each and you don't need to fill them every 5 minutes. The oil does run out (and gets sprayed around), but as already stated, the quantities are very small. When you look into the cups you can see how well the spindle is lubricated. If using the lathe on the dining room table, you would definitely need a splash guard behind it and on the floor where you sit/ stand in front of it. I also used to wear a lab coat to prevent getting oil on my clothes.

Providing there isn't too much work involved, the felt wicks might prevent the spraying, but in a workshop environment it isn't really a problem.

Regards Tom

[Andy CarlsonParticipant @andycarlson18141]

Hi Tom,

Yes, the lathe will need to be house trained. It will certainly be stored indoors when not being used. I will use it outdoors or in the shed when possible but I'd like to have the option of using it indoors when the job is small and the weather is inclement.

I anticipate arranging some splash guards but just now the focus is on getting the thing fettled and hopefully soon putting it back together.

Regards, Andy

[John McNamaraParticipant @johnmcnamara74883]

Hi Andy

JJ Davies Australia supply industrial felts to DIN or UK Standard.

I have no connection with them but have had good service.

>**LINK**

 

Edited By John McNamara on 18/08/2018 13:55:28

[Roger WoollettParticipant @rogerwoollett53105]

I have a rather more recent Cowells. As Tom says the oil does come out and can be sprayed around. The worst bit is it can get on the headstock drive belt.

I do not have to top up every time I use the lathe but have found that if the level goes down too fast it is worth checking the headstock bearings. These can be tightened using the pinch bolts. You only need to adjust them by a tiny amount.

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Somewhere back in the mists of time, I recall such a thing as an 'oil flinger', which consisted of a thin sheet disc of metal fixed to the shaft/mandrel and revolving with it. This would be placed between the oil spraying bearing and the pulley. The oil would work its way along the mandrel til it met the obstruction and centrifugal force would make it spread out across the disc to th edge and flick it elsewhere but not on the vulnerable pulley and its belt.

HTH

John

[Andy CarlsonParticipant @andycarlson18141]

The orange belt that came with my lathe looks like it has seen a fair bit of oil in its time. Not sure if they are intended to cope with such an oily environment but I guess they must be.

I've ordered a new belt from Cowells (among other things) and will keep the other one as a spare, I suspect the new one will get oily too.

The motor belt is a rubber vee belt but from the spray marks inside the wooden base it looks like this has seen some oil too… which reminds me I still need to source one of these because the old one, while intact, has definitely developed a 'memory' of being left in one position probably for years.

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Andy,

That is why, if you have a belt tensioning lever as on Myfords, it should always be released when work is finished for the day.

John

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