Elliott Omnimill 00 Vertical Head Lube

[Colin H]

Evening all,

I have acquired a new toy with the bigger travels I needed and seems a lovely machine all round. Paint scuffed in lances but what matters is extremely good.

The vertical spindle has oil nipples on my machine but paint is broken out around then which says they have been fitted later. Manual says Alvania 2 grease for both top and bottom bearings.

What are peoples experience running oil instead of grease on a setup designed to be greased?

When I look at original pictures of the machine it definitely looks like grease nipples.

Many of my mills were oil as were the CNC spindles. I prefer oil as it can purge any crap out which we get in small workshops, used for everything a machine shop shouldn’t be.

The spindle sounds sweet although the poor old motor bearings need replacing.

Welcome thoughts around your preferences.

Here is the little beauty

 

[Brad93]

@Milkybars

 

[WvW]

Asked the same question on here a while back:

Omnimil - Oil or Grease in head bearings

Hi there, I'm currently cleaning up my omnimil, and have a bit of a query about whether the lubrication points should be oiled or greased. I stripped the pulley off the head, and noted that there was plenty of grease in the cavity. However the manual suggests that these points should be oiled...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

 

[Milkybars]

They are a lovely machine

Stick with grease, mine runs perfect with that. Its oil everywhere else aside from the feed gearing and worm wheel (as per manual)
With regards the vertical head, I always keep an eye on it and feel for any form of heat periodically.

Is it 30int in the horizontal or a 3mt ?

 

[Colin H]

They are a lovely machine

Stick with grease, mine runs perfect with that. Its oil everywhere else aside from the feed gearing and worm wheel (as per manual)
With regards the vertical head, I always keep an eye on it and feel for any form of heat periodically.

Is it 30int in the horizontal or a 3mt ?

Thanks for info. It’s obviously been this way a while so not sure I’ll be able to get enough grease in there without repacking bearings first, I’ll have a look and see if perhaps it was greased through oil nipples in past.

This has the INT30 horizontal so should be very useful. It is going to become my temporary lathe while the lathe is in bits!

 

[Milkybars]

If your going to have a look at the bearings be careful with the clock spring on the left hand side of the column. Once that is released the spindle will drop straight out if you are not prepared.

 

[Colin H]

If your going to have a look at the bearings be careful with the clock spring on the left hand side of the column. Once that is released the spindle will drop straight out if you are not prepared.

Thanks for the warning, could make a quick job a very long one. I am just going to look for evidence of grease first before strip down.

 

[Martin Hocking]

If your going to have a look at the bearings be careful with the clock spring on the left hand side of the column. Once that is released the spindle will drop straight out if you are not prepared.

I’ve got the spindle out of mine at the moment. I took the circlip out on the top bearing, that’s underneath the spindle pulley housing and gently tapped it out. Have I done it wrong? Was I supposed to take the whole quill out?
It wouldn’t surprise me, I was going to start a thread on my incidents and accidents replacing the bearings!

 

[Martin Hocking]

Oh and very nice machine too Colin. Mines a munter…

Looks like it’s been modded for the stiffening piece for the vertical head, I am looking on my phone though so not sure…

 

[Colin H]

I’ve got the spindle out of mine at the moment. I took the circlip out on the top bearing, that’s underneath the spindle pulley housing and gently tapped it out. Have I done it wrong? Was I supposed to take the whole quill out?
It wouldn’t surprise me, I was going to start a thread on my incidents and accidents replacing the bearings!

I can’t see either way being a problem Martin, if it’s out it’s out

 

[Colin H]

Oh and very nice machine too Colin. Mines a munter…

Looks like it’s been modded for the stiffening piece for the vertical head, I am looking on my phone though so not sure…

Yes she is very tidy thanks. I don’t think modified but don’t know the machine well enough to know

 

[RobCox]

I don’t think modified but don’t know the machine well enough to know

Looks pretty original. A fair bit tidier than mine was when I bought it.
Do you have the arbor support and the int30 arbor for horizontal milling? I find the machine really good in that mode.

 

[Colin H]

Looks pretty original. A fair bit tidier than mine was when I bought it.
Do you have the arbor support and the int30 arbor for horizontal milling? I find the machine really good in that mode.

I don’t have those parts but will be making in the future if I can’t find them.

 

[Martin Hocking]

Yes she is very tidy thanks. I don’t think modified but don’t know the machine well enough to know

Sorry I should have been a bit clearer…
It’s the over arm support bit I’m referring too. Some owners have drilled and tapped the end to take a support bracket for the vertical head.
Yours looks like it has had something attached to it, unless Elliott put a badge or something there on the later ones.
In any case here’s a picture of what I mean…

 

[Milkybars]

@Colin H @RobCox
The horizontal arbour is always the bit that goes walkies unfortunately

Gettting hold of a 30int 1" horizontal arbor is a tall mountain to climb !!
What i would say is if you have a lathe aquiring a 40int arbour of the same dimensions is somewhat easier
I'd take a look at this solution ..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLpnrv2J3A0&t=525s

as for the support for the arbor ..maybe we could sort a casting out using an original as a patten

 

[Agroshield]

Gettting hold of a 30int 1" horizontal arbor is a tall mountain to climb

I am cheap. ER40 chuck on a 30 taper. 26mm ER40 collet. Piece of 1" dia. ground mild steel, silver steel or chromed hydraulic rod in increasing difficulty of putting thread directly onto the end. The inner race of a 1" bore bearing looks like an arbor spacer.

Waterjet arbor support out of 40mm plate. Finish machining on a cast piece is the same as on a water cut part.

With the arbor support, try not to make the dxf in millimetres and then cut it in inches, or the following may result:

 

[Colin H]

Sorry I should have been a bit clearer…
It’s the over arm support bit I’m referring too. Some owners have drilled and tapped the end to take a support bracket for the vertical head.
Yours looks like it has had something attached to it, unless Elliott put a badge or something there on the later ones.
In any case here’s a picture of what I mean…
View attachment 417234View attachment 417235

Ah, I see what you mean now. Mine is a badge as you said but like the idea of that. The head on mine has a little droop as you would expect at the age so an adjustable bracket like this would really help with that also.

 

[Colin H]

@Colin H @RobCox
The horizontal arbour is always the bit that goes walkies unfortunately

Gettting hold of a 30int 1" horizontal arbor is a tall mountain to climb !!
What i would say is if you have a lathe aquiring a 40int arbour of the same dimensions is somewhat easier
I'd take a look at this solution ..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLpnrv2J3A0&t=525s

as for the support for the arbor ..maybe we could sort a casting out using an original as a patten

Yeah they don’t seem commonly available. I was thinking along same lines as @Agroshield bit thought about using a side lock INT30 arbour.

Turn outside diameter true while in horizontal head with turning tool mounted on table.

Then use that as internal spigot into 1” shaft, light press fit and pin somehow.

I’m then thinking of machining the support arm out of cast from machine I have here.

 

[Colin H]

I am cheap. ER40 chuck on a 30 taper. 26mm ER40 collet. Piece of 1" dia. ground mild steel, silver steel or chromed hydraulic rod in increasing difficulty of putting thread directly onto the end. The inner race of a 1" bore bearing looks like an arbor spacer.

Waterjet arbor support out of 40mm plate. Finish machining on a cast piece is the same as on a water cut part.

With the arbor support, try not to make the dxf in millimetres and then cut it in inches, or the following may result:

View attachment 417251

Haha can’t beat mixing up the units. I had very similar thoughts to you on this, maybe that makes me cheap also

 

[Colin H]

Sorry I should have been a bit clearer…
It’s the over arm support bit I’m referring too. Some owners have drilled and tapped the end to take a support bracket for the vertical head.
Yours looks like it has had something attached to it, unless Elliott put a badge or something there on the later ones.
In any case here’s a picture of what I mean…
View attachment 417234View attachment 417235

@Martin Hocking Do you happen to know RAL colour for the Omnimills please? I only want to touch up vertical head that has big lump of paint missing and swarf tray so would ideally like to match.
Paragon don't list the Elliott Colour so I may get it matched at local paint company if not.