oil grooves on the lathe would you or not

[DennisCA]

What reviews??? It unlocked every ones pictures. What's the worst they can do?? figure out a way to block it.

JL................

When I went looking for it int he chrome app store there's a bit that says reviews;

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/photobucket-hotlink-fix/kegnjbncdcliihbemealioapbifiaedg/reviews

I did not like the sound of it nor the level of access they are given. I do use this computer for online banking and shopping so I am unwilling to compromise safety.

[DennisCA]

to state the obvious, take what you read on internet with a grain of salt. Sometimes statements could be correct, but lack complete context. There is no exam required before posting advice, here and this post included lol

If your bed has no wear, or at least not enough that you care about correcting, do nothing to it. When a bed is scraped its for one one purpose: to correct the geometry and bring it back to factory or better condition/accuracy. I don't see any advocates for scraping the bed for oil pockets (the oil pocket proponents would do so on the saddle afaik). If you do need to bring a bed to perfection, scraping can be an excellent choice. The reasons why I would choose to grind instead are 1) labour reduction and 2) if the bed was hardened. There is imo zero reason to otherwise prefer a ground to a scraped one. A properly scraped bed is a very smooth and accurate surface; wipers will have no trouble keeping it clean.

as for slides, as a rule I put in oil delivery everywhere I can whenever I have one apart. There is not reason not to, its easy work and its really the only way to ensure oil gets everywhere and flushes out whatever is underneath. mill channels with a 1/8" ball endmill so its distributed....after milling go over it with a burr file or Arkansas stone

here's to example - DSG compound and Maximat cross slide.....and for the heck of it, and to show this comes with at least some experience (vs Google expertise), here are a couple of beds I've scraped - the maximat 10 and a Holbrook B8. Each of these will almost not move a needle on a 10ths indicator, certainly it won't move it a a tenth. I can see no way a wiper will be any less effective on these surfaces than ground; I don't think I've ever heard that promoted as a reason not to scrape

https://i.imgur.com/JQXJLIf.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/YWyaSqG.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MHYNTue.jpg[

https://i.imgur.com/E2WAiFI.jpg

I did google it afterwards and it does seem it's a contentious issue. It also seems there's a distinction between flaking for oil retention on exposed surfaces vs. rebuilding the geometry of a worn part. More research is needed.

[JoeLee]

When I went looking for it int he chrome app store there's a bit that says reviews;

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/photobucket-hotlink-fix/kegnjbncdcliihbemealioapbifiaedg/reviews

I did not like the sound of it nor the level of access they are given. I do use this computer for online banking and shopping so I am unwilling to compromise safety.

So how would one know if the PB hot fix is doing what some of these people are claiming it's doing??
I don't do anything with Amazon.

JL...............

[DennisCA]

Anyway speaking of oiling, I was contemplating a simple solution for adding oil to the bed ways, basically just drill holes and fit nipples so it'll drop down on the center of the v-groove. Do you think this would work, I mean it can't be worse than what I am doing now, oiling the ways directly and hoping as much gets in under as possible.



For the cross slide and compound slide, I just watched this, 8 minutes in:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLs7wjpuU_c

Ofcourse, I don't have a mill.

[old mart]

That would work, Dennis, but you need to dismantle the saddle first and clean out all the drilling swarf and chamfer the ends of the drillings. If you support the apron, you can probably disconnect the saddle and lift it off for the modification.

[DennisCA]

Oh I've had the lathe apart before. I'd remove the saddle and drill the holes in the drill press.

[J Tiers]

You can get as complicated as you want. It is not necessary... And of all things to worry about the compound is the last, as it is typically not moved much. I think mine gets moved only for threading, and for turning short tapers (I do not turn many longer than an MT3, and not many of those)

I have a Logan, which had no provisions whatever for oiling under the saddle. I drilled holes, much as you suggest. I did widen out a place on the V-way. although I suspect that was not required.

I did the side toward the chuck. That was very effective, but swarf got caught in the oiler cups (I do not like ball oilers for this application, they are very hard to clean, and tend to admit grit). Later, I changed to a different (later version) saddle and apron, and when I put oilers in that, I did the tailstock side of the saddle. Less effective, but also much less in the way. To spread the oil, it is necessary now to move the carriage around a bit.

Of course you clean off the swarf. But nobody would drill into the saddle without having it off the lathe, as you are drilling directly toward the ways if the saddle is in place. I used a hand power drill. That way I could get the angles I wanted. I suppose you could use a drill press if you wanted.

Old saddle top




Old saddle bottom. Note the bevels to wipe oil under the saddle.



Typical Gits oiler (old saddle)



Copper tube to bring oil to where it was wanted. Also shows the scraped bevel on the edge nearby, to "wipe" oil under the saddle ( inside the saddle, where grit is not present)

[DennisCA]

What would be the reason for drilling at an angle? My idea was to drill as straight down a hole as I could, which was why I was thinking of the drill press.

[JoeLee]

What would be the reason for drilling at an angle? My idea was to drill as straight down a hole as I could, which was why I was thinking of the drill press.

The reason for the angle is so the hole coming out on the V way side is not elongated. If you want to place your hole over the center of the V than I don't see why you can't drill straight down. But I would take the saddle off the machine. It would be a good time to clean and inspect it.

JL................

[J Tiers]

What would be the reason for drilling at an angle? My idea was to drill as straight down a hole as I could, which was why I was thinking of the drill press.

To put the outlet of the hole where I wanted it, which was actually under the crosslide ways on the flat slideway portion of the saddle, where obviously there was no way to locate an oiling fixture.

[Arcane]

I added 4 Gits cups to my 9" SB saddle and drilled straight down on top of the way grooves. I also used a hand held die grinder with a very small ball nosed bit to make little (very little) grooves on each side of the holes to act as small oil reservoirs to spread oil crossways on the ways.

[DennisCA]

To put the outlet of the hole where I wanted it, which was actually under the crosslide ways on the flat slideway portion of the saddle, where obviously there was no way to locate an oiling fixture.

OK it wasn't immediately obvious to me that the hole could not be drilled over a flat sliding surface and the hole chamfered, maybe there just isn't enough material to drill in such a spot or it just looks aesthetically unpleasaing vs. having the oilers lined up symmetrically.

My saddle slides on two v-surfaces so I should be able to get away with a simple straight down hole. Depending on the thickness I could drill a 3mm hole first, then a 6mm hole for the oilers I have ordered and if the height permits it will create a small oil reservoir under the oiler

[J Tiers]

I did straight down for the v-way side.

I wanted to drop oil in that cavity over the flat way, so I angled that one. That oil will oil both the flat way and the underside gib.

[Euph0ny]

Here is video from our member Stefan Gotteswinter of putting some oil grooves in a compound slide:

https://youtu.be/PLs7wjpuU_c?t=7m48s

[Seastar]

Seems to me that adding oil groves to a small lathe is a waste of time.
My Logan's and Atlas are from the 1940s and show no wear under the saddles or on the ways.
If they were needed they would be there already.
I just oil the ways outside and enough gets inside to do the job.
Why would anyone worry about this?
But then, what do I know? LOL,
Bill