Myford Lubrication... yet again!

I realise this subject has almost been done to death but...

The Myford oil gun is currently £80 incl. VAT. I have also read that even that gun leaks oil over time, or needs a cloth between it and the nipple to seal properly. This has led me, and I’m sure many others, to pursuing other options.

I have no end of oil cans and grease guns of varying qualities, but nothing that has really worked on the Myford nipples without significant leaking around the gun before the oil even got anywhere near the nipples. So far, I’ve had to remove the nipples to oil many areas, and the rest have been oiled with a grease gun, but the majority of the oil ended up all over me. There must be an easier way that doesn’t break the bank!

I understand that, without modification, the nipples need a high pressure to dislodge the sprung ball. I have a good oil can and tried attaching a very short length of hose to seal around the can spout and a nipple removed from the machine, but even though I pumped hard, no oil got through the sprung ball. I’ve read that some have used syringe needles, but I assume as this doesn’t force oil into the machine, many areas are left dry.

I noticed that several have mentioned using a Reilang oil can (around £31). These seem to be very good quality and very nicely designed tools, but are they able to oil the Myford nipples?

I've also noticed that the PressParts oil/grease gun (£17) has been recommended. Can anyone tell me whether this has provided a long-term solution, without modifications?

I also read many articles that mentioned Guy Lautard’s grease gun modification, but I’ve been unable to find his article online.

It would be interesting to find out how other (frugal) Myford users lubricate their lathes.

Mike

I'm perfectly happy with the Myford oil gun.

regards Martin

Why not make an end for your gun that fits nipple correctly.Put a small o ring in the end to seal it.

Myford oil gun (silver one) and Reilang guns are fine, but then I have renewed the oilers to take clip on fitting.

I have had a PressParts oil gun for a number of years and it works as expected without leaks and I don't need to use a cloth over the oil nipple. I keep it sitting nozzle up in a can when not in use.

One thing that always interested me is why the spring inside the oil nipples is so strong as to need a high pressure to allow the oil to pass. I reduced the spring pressure in the nipples on my Myford and all works well. I took the nipples out and checked they passed oil before and after modification, some were blocked before the reduction in spring pressure and nothing would pass oil through them. Has anyone else tested their oil nipples actually pass oil?

The PresParts oil gun is up to the job with the standard nipples.

On my ml7 I use a Tecalemit gun, part number GB2787. Think they date from late 50's

It's relatively small so requires more frequent filling but works well pumping oil right through the cross slide/bed ways and the tailstock quill.

Highly recommended!

Alan

The details for Guy Lautard’s grease gun are apparently to be found in A Brief Treatise on Oiling Machine Tools priced at CDN$11 (about £7).

Unfortunately, however, he is not set up to take PayPal or credit cards, only bank drafts and cheques drawn on a Canadian bank which would likely increase the cost dramatically for anyone outside of Canada.

If anyone would like to order a copy and doesn't want to deal with the bank costs, as I am in Canada I would be happy to act as an intermediary, I can accept PayPal and then send him a cheque. Needless to say this would be at cost. Please feel free to contact me by private message if interested.

Clive

Edited By clivel on 29/05/2020 04:30:05

+1 for the Pressparts oil gun, mines a few years old now still works well. The Lautard book used to be available from Camden, I did have a copy once, from what I remember there was nothing in it that was an earth shattering revelation, I seem to remember the grease gun mod involved a new piston with O ring seals.

I'll have a good look for it today if I find it I'll put a post on, but for me the Pressparts gun works fine out of the box.

Dave

Mike

Just found the Lautard book, It is specific to the Alemite model 500 grease gun, the basic idea is to remove the plunger assembly, blank off the non business end and make a better nozzle. I can't post the drawings online in case there are copyright issues.

PM me and I'll scan the relevant pages. I really wouldn't bother buying the book there's only a few pages on the oil gun, the rest is stuff that's been done to death online and in magazines. I bought it when I was working somewhere and we had lubrication issues with some large turret mills, couldn't get oil in. But I found the answer in MEW using Arc's oil system.

Dave

Try a 5$ Chinese oil can from Halfords or Ebay or whatever, 375 or 500ml, the type that come with two spouts, bendy and solid.

Been using them for years, work great, c/w brass internals.

And yeah i have a Reilang too, but not used on my machine tools as its rather large 1000ml, but it works upside down on cars and bikes.

Still have problems, modify the spout end.

Have a look at my cheap, easy,Myford oiler in this thread.

https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=130514

MEW No.178, Page 46. An Oiler for the Myford Lathe. I made one, and it works very well.

The Pressparts oil gun is great, though I’ll have to make a bespoke nozzle to fit the cone pulley nipple.

Regarding the two nipples on the cover of the gearbox, I’m thinking of replacing these with oil cups as in the Myford Lubrication article. Has anyone done this, and do I need to remove the gearbox cover to press these out?

Mike

+1

That is what I've done for mine. However the oil also leaks out of the other end of the Myford oil gun. So I made a proper piston with an "O" ring ! It still weeps, but nowhere as badly.

In my opinion a poor design, and way too expensive !

Has anyone changed the oil nipples on top of the gearbox with oil cups, as mentioned in David Haythornthwaite's article? Do you know if I need to remove the gearbox cover to press the nipples out?

Many thanks,

Mike

Gentlemen the ongoing Myford issue, when I swapped my ML7 for a newer Super 7B a couple of years ago the new machine came with a nice shiny Wanner oil gun fitted with the Myford oil nozzle which seems to hold oil but only works effectively in the vertical position. It will not pump when held horizontally.

I resolved to sort out this problem over the weekend as access to the rear saddle oiler is very restricted due to the fitment of the Machine DRO and the Wanner gun and Myford nozzle permit good access. I gently removed the nozzle and noticed the presence of a spring fitting between the nozzle and spout but no evidence of a ball bearing or other type of one way valve. This would explain the gun working in the vertical position but not the horizontal position. My guess is the nozzle was dismantled and the ball bearing or one way valve misplaced. If the valve is in fact a ball bearing does anyone know the diameter please. Also common sense would indicate the ball is fitted nearest to the oil gun.

Any help would be gratefully received. Thank you. Robert Butler

Hi Robert,my oilgun is not same make as yours ,but the nozzle has an 1/8 bsp thread and the ball is 1/4 inch diameter .Hope this helps.

Dear Maurice thank you for your reply, regrettably the Myford Wanner gun has a long nozzle but only 7mm outside diameter which is useful for access. I think perhaps there is a ball bearing which fits in the tube to which the nozzle is fitted trapped between the spring and the nozzle. I wouldn't expect a more sophisticated valve given the small diameter of the delivery tube and nozzle.

The reason for the posting was to establish if a ball bearing was fitted and if so the diameter.

Robert Butler

Hi ,

This website has drawings of Wanner oil guns on it ,they show spring etc in nozzle.**LINK** .Dont know whether this will help.You’ve probably been on this site already .

Dear Maurice, thank you I had found the website but missed the drawing. I have also found the UK agents as well. Thanks again Robert.