Mill table oil grooves.

Hi All,

Is there a preference regarding shape / size of oil grooves for ways?

When my saddle ways were more akin to 2 banana's protruding from the casting, oiling the ways was pretty easy and there was plenty of void for the oil to go into but now they are flat, along with the table ways I am thinking that I really should cut some oil grooves to help things along.

This is the pattern I was thinking about cutting into the table, the first 'z' section either side of centre is within the saddle way area then extending outwards.

I've seen this pattern on ways before but also seen the S pattern rather than Z.

Was thinking of about cutting them with a die grinder and a ball burr then stoning the edges to roll them off.. about 1mm deep.

Would that be sufficient?

Cheers..

A lot depends where the oil can be introduced to the ways, anything will help, though as oil will be dragged along as movement takes place. There are probably as many different ways to do the grooving as there are people doing the grooving and all will help. If you can clamp a guide for the grinder to follow it would give straighter grooves,or just follow a pre marked pattern.

I do some grooving in a motorcycle kit that I do and the grooves are only 0.012 in deep and the lube pours through. I think you will be surprised how little metal you need to remove.

Thanks both, appreciate it..

Old Mart, at the moment it is just individual ball oilers but I am planning to fit some sort of 1 shot system, the kits seem to be cheap enough. I can use some connections to get straight to the gibs then. the table has an oiler at the centre point front and back, you can just make out the hole on the centre line each side in the pic above.

I thought 1mm depth would be good as some i've seem are like dirty great canals cut into the ways maybe try somewhat less then.

Taf

When I made the larger table for my Linley mill I put the grooves in the saddle ways using a 3mm ball nosed endmill - as Bernard says they don't have to be very deep to convey oil

That way the oil sits in the groove and the table ways take it with the movement - I have a single oil point with long drilled holes to the grooves.

If the grooves are in the table ways then it will just leak out from where the table emanates from the saddle

Best - Tug

Taf, your ideas are more-or-less sound, providing you can control the die-grinder (I know I couldn't, so would have to set up some sort of guidance fence, template, whatever).

There's a typically excellent YouTube video by Stefan Gotteswinter, some time ago, in which he discusses the desirable features of oil grooves, particularly the desirable shape of the arris at the transition from groove to guidance surface. (You don't want the groove to act as a scraper.)

Not sure about Tug's suggestion. I'd have thought that when the table picks up some oil, the saddle's groove's oil level drops, so no more chance of pick-up by the table. Perhaps a sump and wick might work? Having the grooves in the upper surface is like having oil-retaining scraped features preferentially in the upper surface: they don't accumulate potentially abrasive gunge. Also, the resevoir of oil in the groove and its supply channel feeds until it's empty. Sure, oil dribbles out from the exposed grooves, where the table overhangs the saddle, but that's a reason to have the table's groove system broken up into shorter lengths, with individual supplies.

Hi Kiwi, A good point but it's worked for me on my mill for many years - it appears to me that even with a reservoir, with continuous grooves the oil wil quickly drain so a continuous loss system not to mention the oil in the tray most of the time. With separate grooves, that will require separate feed points too or a very long feed chamber.

As always though - 'Yer pays yer money' etc

Best - Tug

Thanks all, appreciate the comments

I suppose asking a question like this is like starting a 'which tyre' thread on a motorcycle forum!

They say nothing is obvious until you see it, but Tug's point about being in the saddle makes perfect sense to me, the continuation of the oil groove along the underside of the table past the saddle would surely provide an easy escape route for the slippy stuff.

I see that chinesium 1 shot oil kits are readily available for not much money on the usual paces and the distribution blocks appear to be meterable to an extent.. if that's a word! and as usual will probably require a bit of fettling but seems like a fairly economical option

I would have thought the injection point fittings should contain check valves to stop dribbling / syphoning but I very much doubt it... probably a further cost.

I will give it a go with the die grinder and a guide as suggested and roll all the edges, should help the oil to escape rather than scraping it away.

I'll have another look through Stefan's videos see what I can find.

Thanks all..!

Watch out for DRO if you fit one shot oilers, particularly on the rear of the table and allow for a potential reduction in cross travel (column).

Robert Butler

On my X45 mill, I put the grooves into the cross block, and made them with a ball mill cutter. While at it, made a side mounted single point to lube both sides of the X axis and the Y axis. I just followed what other mills I have used that have lasted a long time have used. I also added an oil area to get oil in the gib on the sliding side, instead of relying on just what ever dripped from somewhere. I have some pictures in my album of what I did to the X45mill . My view is grooving all the table length does is drips oil onto the floor.

Now instead of pumping oil through, I am now pumping the grease from DMG Moori , 000 grease. Quite an amazing product, and it keeps lubricating for longer. It can also allow for smaller gaps and not seize as well. It goes through the oil gun just great, like oil but is a very light grease. It is whitish in colour.

Neil

Thanks all, good tip re DRO as that is on the shopping list..

Looked at some good pics there Neil, cheers. Does the 000 grease go through the one shot system? I thought it might be a bit thick for that?

The one shot lubrication is also a potential issue with DRO as well as reduced travel. Suggest rebuild and observe carefully where everyhing needs to go as you may find location and clearance issues.

Robert Butler

Yes it does. on the DMG mill, the onshot system is filled with the 000 grease. I have greased my cross slide and top slide on my S7 myford, as well as the ways on my mill. Very happy with it. It transforms the machine to use is for sure.

Zig-zag or S-pattern will work just fine just don't make the grooves straight along the way or you'll have problems when it starts to wear.

Having the grooves in the non-moving part is also a good idea, I have a slotting head I just rebuilt from chronic lube failure because they put the oil grooves in the slide, and they extend past the bottom of the fixed ways. To compound the issue they put the feed hole half way up the slide so the oil purs out the bottom but doesn't make it to the top.

Found an interesting video by Kieth Rucker on restoring a New Haven Metal Planer (part 25 I think) all about cutting oil ways.

The pattern is different but explained well and makes sense. I might blatantly copy that when it comes to it.

Need to finish the bed ways first.. way tooooo cold in the garage yet though .. I WILL get round to insulating the place but unfortunately it will means loosing about 3 inches of space all the way round and it's too small as it is!

Thanks again all..