Subject: Need oiler for Zerk fitting

From: [email-masked] (Russ Kepler)
Date: Tue, 20 Dec 1994 06:01:01 GMT

My mill has Zerk fittings for the knee ways, and I'm having trouble
finding a decently small oiler/grease gun that can handle the Zerk and
not leak the oil (or look as though it will, anyway).  Anyone know of
a grease gun that doesn't weigh 20 pounds that'll handle way oil and a
Zerk?  The local Grainger's is ordering in a couple of the small
Lincoln grease guns (3 oz capacity) and I'm hoping that they'll do,
but I've not seen them yet.

-- 
Russ Kepler posting from home  [email-masked]

                      Please don't feed the Engineers

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From: [email-masked] (-F.KERFOOT)
Date: Fri, 23 Dec 1994 14:12:00 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
>but I've not seen them yet.

I had the same problem. After looking for a suitable grease gun, I gave
up and used a standard oil squirt gun. I silver-soldered a fitting on
it which allowed me to attach a standard grease gun head. The only problem
was that the squirt can's pressure was not sufficient to open the ball
check on the Zerk fitting. I ended up making a simple pin which is
mounted in the grease gun head which pushes the ball valve open when the
grease gun head is snapped on the fitting. It works fine, and doesn't
leak oil on the shelf. I also use some push on grease fitting covers
to keep them from leaking oil (the ones feeding the table are at the
bottom of the feed holes).

Frank Kerfoot
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Joseph R. Landau)
Date: Sun, 25 Dec 1994 06:05:48 GMT

>bottom of the feed holes).

I have a caveat:  I just disassembled the table slides on my mill
(an old LeBlond).  It has grease fittings--not zerk, just holes,
that you'd have to press a conical tipped grease gun into in order
to force grease in.  The passages and chambers inside that lead
grease to the ways are open-ended!  The grease goes into a shallow
chamber (about .125" deep and 1" wide, which has a .125" passage
leading out of it that allows the surplus to escape). If you put oil
in there, it would just leak out, and wouldn't stay long enough to
really lube the ways. Probably wouldn't even reach them.  Grease,
being stiff, will apparently stay in the chamber and pack up a bit,
thus reaching the way and lubing it as it slides. 

--
Joseph R. Landau                       Internet:[email-masked]
Applied Software Technology                         (408) 370-2662
591 W. Hamilton Ave., #201
Campbell, CA 95008  USA                             Even Jove Nods

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From: [email-masked] (-F.KERFOOT)
Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 16:44:13 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, Joseph R. Landau <[email-masked]> wrote:
>>>...
>>...

I agree that you should research the issue as to whether converting
>from  grease to oil makes sense for the machine. In my case, on a
1960 vintage Bridgeport, I called the factory to get a current
grease recommendation, and they said that they recommended converting
to way oil on any Bridgeport of any vintage. So my only issue was how
to get the oil in.

Frank Kerfoot
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Mike Rehmus)
Date: 4 Jan 1995 01:20:21 GMT

In <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (-F.KERFOOT) 

>to way oil on any Bridgeport of any vintage. So my only issue was how

The easiest way to get oil in is to put GITZ Oil Cups (from the Gits 
Manaufacturing company in Chicago0 in place of the Zerk fittings.  They 
make NPT cups that should just screw in.  THey also make them in 
straight and right-angle models.  Actually, your mill probably has one 
or two on the head, depending on the model.

Best,
Mike

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From: [email-masked] (Russ Kepler)
Date: Wed, 4 Jan 1995 04:25:40 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
>to way oil on any Bridgeport of any vintage. So my only issue was how

I know that my mill uses oil on the knee ways, I've got the original
manuals and that's what it wants.  I still haven't found a oiler for
Zerk fittings or a grease gun that'll hold way oil for any length of
time.  It's beginning to be frustrating...
-- 
Russ Kepler posting from home  [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (-F.KERFOOT)
Date: Wed, 4 Jan 1995 14:17:37 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
>or two on the head, depending on the model.

The problem doing this on a Bridgeport, assuming I am thinking of
the same type of oil cups as you propose, is that the oil (originally
grease) passages to the X-axis have an upward angle from the feed
point to the ways. This is fine for grease, and also not a problem
with oil if the feed point is oil tight and the oil is fed under
pressure, but an open cup wouldn't work. Also, on the Z-axis, the
fitting is about in the middle of the way, so positive pressure is
required to oil (or grease) the top half of the way.

By the way, the "normal" way to solve this problem, and the way the
Bridgeport factory went to at some point, is a centralized pressure
oiler. I considered doing this to my machine, but eventually took
the easy way out, deciding I was more interested in making chips
than in making the tools more elegant.

Your comment that the head uses these oil cups is partially accurate.
There is one "ordinary" oil cup intended for simple gravity feed,
and one larger oil cup which uses a felt wick for a slower, more
continuous oil feed. Both have spring-loaded lids.

Frank kerfoot
[email-masked]