Lathe - Leaking Oil

[In My Garage]

I have one of those "cheap" lathe-mill combos that does what I need it to do. I bought it new back in ~2006 and I believe it started leaking even back then. Its about time to fix it right, if it can be fixed (lets hope it is not a casting issue).

Does anyone have one of these that had a similar issue and if so, what was required to fix the problem? Yes, I have a manual with drawings of the unit, but nothing with what I would call clear images.


The paper towel under the head stock is wet as well as the paper towel at the front hold-down screws. So is that portion of the drip tray.

 

[dutchgray]

Just put more oil in and don't worry about it.
It doesn't look like the machined surfaces have had much oil, they should be coated at all times with way oil, machine tools are meant to be oiled in use.

 

[In My Garage]

Just put more oil in and don't worry about it.

In that case, I might as well add oil every week or two and clean up the mess from the leak. That is not a solution, but thanks.

 

[dutchgray]

You could completely strip the headstock end of the machine, find out what oil seals are in there, replace them, clean the insides of the castings and paint with glyptal paint to seal them, rebuild it all and it might stop leaking, or it might not if it was not designed well to begin with.
But the rest of the machine should be well oiled so it should be making a mess everywhere.
Both my working lathes leak, one needs a pint added to the threading gearbox every couple months, but there is near a whole gallon in there so it isn't that bad a leak.

 

[foghorn1966]

Is that a Craftex one? I have a 10x22 lathe of theirs has weeped oil since I un-crated it.
It is hard to tell how bad yours is leaking. Mine is enough to stain the paint. I just cut up those grey absorbant pads for it & don't worry about it.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

Mine is earlier, larger one. I rebuilt the headstock when I had to change the belt . It was apart anyway. There was not much in the way of seals . And the apron gear box has none. I put cook pans under to catch the oil.

 

[gorilla]

I would make sure that I had a reliable source of parts before I disassembled that machine. Parts for import stuff like that can be hard to get. Most machine tools have somewhat of a total loss oil system that lubes the leadscrews and ways.

 

[DocsMachine]

In that case, I might as well add oil every week or two and clean up the mess from the leak. That is not a solution, but thanks.

-Um, that's actually how a good many machine tools work. If the machine doesn't have a proper sump for splash oiling, or even a sump and pump for pressurized oiling, they're generally considered "total loss" oiling.

That is, you do in fact regularly attend it with an oil can. Excess oil drips off, taking dirt and swarf with it. Generally the spindle bearings are sealed (or greased) but usually, every other moving part gets hand-applied oil, occasionally needs to be wiped down, and more oil applied.

That's how they work.

Doc.

 

[In My Garage]

Is that a Craftex one? I have a 10x22 lathe of theirs has weeped oil since I un-crated it.
It is hard to tell how bad yours is leaking. Mine is enough to stain the paint. I just cut up those grey absorbant pads for it & don't worry about it.

You got it, a Busy Bee Craftex POS!

I rarely buy junk, in fact ultra rare. I should have bought an EMCO, a lathe I used during one of my summer jobs. Hell, I drive right by their plant just south of Salzburg, Austria every year. Never stopped in though.

Other lathes I would consider are those made in Taiwan and I am talking consumer lathes used in private homes, unless you are loaded enough to buy a Schaublin. Maybe a Southbend Heavy 10?

It is leaking out of the headstock area that has oil to lube the bearings. No grease in there.

 

[In My Garage]

That's how they work.

Doc.

Maybe, but I'll know when I strip it down. The owner's manual and line drawing pics is totally useless. I have other things on my plate though. Thanks!

 

[cvairwerks]

I'd avoid taking the headstock off the bed if you can. Trying to get it back on and aligned will be an exercise in frustration and at the same time, a new language learning process.

 

[In My Garage]

I'd avoid taking the headstock off the bed if you can. Trying to get it back on and aligned will be an exercise in frustration and at the same time, a new language learning process.

On some lathes, there is a cover plate on the top of the headstock, but in this case since a milling attachment is attached there, the cover plate is on the back side of the headstock. If the casting leaks I might clean the inside and use some glyptal paint (whatever that is...I'll look it up) as mentioned in post #4.

 

[isb cornbinder]

My Mother used to say, "You cannot make a silk purse from a sows ear." This is one of those situations. Keep filling the leaking gearbox or do the right thing and get a real mill and lathe. My neighbour bought a combination. He was so frustrated with it, he tried to gift it to me. I refused his offer and he got rid of it on CL.

 

[In My Garage]

My Mother used to say, "You cannot make a silk purse from a sows ear." This is one of those situations.

And for decades I have always said "poor people cannot afford to buy junk and rich people don't need to".

Most of my Snap-On tools are over 45 years old and I buy what is needed from time to time. Same for my torque wrenches; Snap-On and Precision Instruments and other measurement tools. And hell, I am not even a mechanic or machinist. But nobody touches or works on my cars and motorcycles...ain't going to happen.

 

[DocsMachine]

Maybe, but I'll know when I strip it down.

-No offense, sir, but there's no "maybe" about it.

Chances are very good your spindle bearings are either sealed, or are lubed with grease. Chances are as close to 100% as makes no difference, that everything else on that machine- apron, carriage, tailstock barrel, etc.- are lubed manually, with a hand oiler.

And that assumes they even gave you oil ports where needed.

Sheldons, Logans, Southbends, Rivettes, virtually every lathe shown in the "vintage lathes" thread here on this board, all require some level of manual oiling, and that oil is left to simply run off into the drip/chip tray.

My big Springfield- which weighs six thousand pounds, when new cost more than a house, and is considered in a class not far off the big Pacemakers or Dean, Smith & Graces'- has a sump and pressurized oiling to the headstock, and an automatic way oiler in the carriage... but also has manual oil cups on the entire quickchange gearbox, the tailstock, the take-off gearing at the back of the spindle, the dog clutch, the rod support block at the right-hand end, the cross slide screw boss, the entire compound and the clutch mechanism.

My Sheldon is covered with oil cups. There's something like fifteen just on the apron.

That's SOP. Every manual lathe maker up to the early NC/CNC age required manual oiling. Yours is absolutely no different. Machines like that LIVE in oil. The more you oil it, the longer it will last- and you can't over-oil it. (Unless your socks start to feel squishy. )

Yes, it makes a mess, and yes, you have to keep applying new and wiping up old. That's the nature of the game. It's like driving a car and expecting to not have to fill it up with gas (or charge it) or ever change the tires. It doesn't work that way.

Doc.

 

[In My Garage]

-No offense, sir, but there's no "maybe" about it.

Doc.

Well I have to wonder why there is an oil sight glass directly under the 3-jaw chuck well above the bedway.

Plus when I removed the large plate on the rear of the headstock, it exposes the inside of the headstock. But it has been years so I'll have to check that again. Anyway, no worries, I can fix anything. Got more important things on the go.

 

[DocsMachine]

Well I have to wonder why there is an oil sight glass directly under the 3-jaw chuck well above the bedway.

-All that means is there's a small sump that likely splash-oils the spindle and back-gear. Considering it's rather unlikely any of those shafts have proper seals, it's still 'total loss'- you'll still have to keep topping up the sump as it drips out.

Doc.

 

[dutchgray]

I have an oil gun for the Dean Smith and Grace, it takes 250ml per fill or about a quarter of a quart in American units, it lasts 3 oilings until empty which is 3 days use. I wipe it down and get the chips off before re-oiling.