Lathe wick oilers

[MattF]

Finally got around to making some wick oilers for the lathe. Just used some odds and sods I had knocking about here to make them from. The piece on the left is what they were turned from.

Just used a piece of 5mm diameter lamp wick in them. Fitted to the machine.

They're a snug push fit, both the lids and the cups themselves. Ran a thin bead of solder around the bottom of the cups so that they'd bed in completely when tapped into the headstock casting.

 

[Norm]

Hey great job Matt, gives me an idea for an old lathe I've just bought, I need to raid the plumbing box, what's the thinking behind the lampwick ? the ones I have been looking at are just topped up with oil
Norm

 

[MattF]

It mainly just slows the oil feed rate down, save it emptying the cup pretty much straight away.

 

[Wedg1e]

Goood thinking. What's the lathe? Looks similar to my first lathe, a Mellor... maybe we should have a 'show us your lathe' thread

 

[MattF]

Goood thinking. What's the lathe? Looks similar to my first lathe, a Mellor... maybe we should have a 'show us your lathe' thread

It's a 3-1/2" Warwick. There's a picture on page two in the newly spawned thread you suggested.

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=32978

 

[Qwertyco]

Nice job!
What type of oil do you use?

 

[MattF]

What type of oil do you use?

It's a bit of a brew, to be honest. I just pop any small amounts of leftover, (generally 15/40), unused motor oil in a container to use as a standard oil everything type thing. Saves it being wasted, as I'm not keen on mixing brands of oil for vehicle use. I thin it down slightly with about 500ml of gum turpentine when I fill a gallon or so container.

 

[graffian]

I made some to fit my lathe, I just put a bit of rag in them though and I used to squirt a bit of engine oil in them every day I used the lathe.