Improved Oiling System

About a week or so ago, I found several parts of my system were no longer getting properly oiled. I had a problem once before, that I was able to resolve by blowing out the offending line with air. This time, the lines were not accessible, so some major surgery was required.

I've had this problem with every machine I've owned or worked on - eventually, the oiling system stops working properly, and it is a major PITA to fix, since all the manifolds and flow control valves are buried under the table, and on top of the head.

Rather than just "fix" the problem, I decided to take another approach entirely, and completely replace it. The stock system has 13 oiling points:

X Rear Horizontal sliding surface and Dovetail
X Front Horizontal sliding surface and Dovetail
X Front Dovetall/Gib
X Ballnut
Y Rear Horizontal sliding surface and Dovetail
Y Front Horizontal sliding surface and Dovetail
Y Front Dovetall/Gib
Y Ballnut
Z Linear Guide (X4)
Z Ballnut

One oil pump line feeds the X/Y axes, a second feeds the Z axis. The Z axis has a 5-outlet manifold, located on top of the head, with a #2 check-valve/flow-control-valve on each of the 5 outlets. The X/Y axes have two manifolds connected in series, located between the saddle and table, with a #2 check-valve/flow-control-valve on each of the 8 outlets. The check valves prevent back-flow between circuits when the pump is not active, and also regulate flow to all the oiling points. Trouble is, several of my valves were partially, or completely plugged, and even 125 PSI air was not enough to open them.

To make the system more serviceable, I decided to move all the manifolds outside, where they'd be accessible, and where the oil flow in each circuit could be monitored visually. I also opted to do away with the fixed check valves/flow control valves, and replace them with this kind of manifold, which has a needle valve to adjust the flow to each circuit:

Attachment 247496

To get them quickly I had to take what I could get, which was one 10-circuit and one 8-circuit manifold, both from Amazon. I mounted the 10-circuit manifold to the left side of the saddle, and the 8-circuit manifold to the right side of the head carriage, then ran all new lines to the 13 oiling points. The result is excellent oil distribution, and adjusting how much oil each circuit gets is trivial, since everything is out in the open. As I used translucent white tubing, I can now easily see that each circuit is getting its oil. If anything does clog, I'll be able to clear the clog easily, without having to disassemble the machine.

The only issue I have right now is the Z manifold drains back to the oil pump between uses. I planned all along to have one-way valves on the two pump outlets to prevent exactly this problem but I don't yet have the valves in-hand.

The final step will be to build a very simple piston pump operated by a small air cylinder, and use that to make an auto-oiler.

Here are a couple of pictures of the new manifolds. The X/Y manifold is now mounted to a bracket bolted to the side of the saddle, with a sheet-metal cover over it, to divert coolant.

Attachment 247498 Attachment 247500

This was a big job - it took basically three days, but at this point, I think it was well worth the effort! One thing I will say - this is NOT an easy machine to take apart and re-assemble. Doing the Z axis was not terribly difficult (and I expected that to be the hardest part!), and I was able to do it without actually removing the head or carriage. But the X/Y axes are actually pretty difficult to disassemble and reassemble, compared to the other machines I've worked on. The "easy" way to do it would actually involve completely removing the table and saddle, which I did not want to do, as I was working alone, and the table is too much for one person to handle safely.

Regards,
Ray L.

Awesome upgrade Ray!!! I just posted my dealings with the oiling system on youtube this morning. I just didn't get around to putting a link in my thread. Since I haven't put mine into use yet, I may just do this upgrade now. Are you getting the check valves from ebay, too? The original check valves can't be re used? Is there a reason to put more check valves in the higher individual lines so they don't back flow into the lower?

I'll go post my link......it will give the guys a better idea of the kind of grief you're talking about on the X/Y axis'.
Mike

any other pointers on getting to them? Did you pull the X axis ball screw?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mklotz70

any other pointers on getting to them? Did you pull the X axis ball screw?

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I did have to remove the X screw. My manifolds were mounted further in than yours, so nothing was accessible by simply moving the table. Here is the procedure I used to remove the screw without removing the gib or table:

1) Remove the bolts holding both ballscrew support bearings to the table (two bolts each mount).
2) Remove the small center screw from the knob on the LH end of the X ballscrew, and remove the knob, engraved number wheel, and small key.
3) Move table to the right far enough to be able to access the ballnut mounting bolts
4) Using loooooooong Allen wrenches (I used ball-end wrenches with 3/8" ratchet ends), remove the four bolts holding the ballnut to its mount
5) Turn the ballscrew to pull the nut out of its mount (mine was a light press fit), then run it all the way up against the RH end of the screw
6) Move the table far to the left until the ballnutis just outside the right side of the saddle
7) GENTLY pry the LH bearing block down enough to free the dowel pins from the table, then pull the mount off the shaft. You should not have to put any bending stress on the screw to do this.
8) Push the table as far to the right as possible, and remove the RH bearing block. You should not have to put any bending stress on the screw to do this.
9) Assembly is the reverse of disassembly.

The fiddly part is getting the ballnut oriented so the bolt holes line up, and getting the bolts back in, but it's not too bad.

The Y axis ballnut can be moved out to where it's accessible by simply undoing the four mounting bolts, then turning the screw to pull the nut out from under the table.

The Z axis ballscrew is actually quite easy to remove:

1) Run the head all the way up, and support it from underneath with a small hydraulic bottle jack.
2) Remove the Z axis motor and motor
3) Remove the four bolts that fasten the motor mount to the top of the column
4) Turn the ballscrew to raise the motor mount 8-10" above the top of the column
5) Lower the head several inches, then, using loooooong Allen wrenches, remove the five bolts that fasten the ballnut to its mount
6) Lower the head further, and the motor mount/ballscrew/ballnut can be lifted out
9) Assembly is the reverse of disassembly.

Separate check valves on each circuit would be a nice-to-have, but with proper routing of the lines I think it is not essential. Had I not had several clogged valves, I would have simply moved all the valves outside the saddle, to make them more accessible. As I did not have ready access to replacement valves, the adjustable manifolds I used were a more expedient solution.

I would suggest most owners keep several spare valves on-hand, just in case. The stock valves on the Torus Pro are #1, and are available from Bijur and other suppliers. As long as the valves are all working properly , and the fittings are all properly tightened, the stock system works fine, and it would be a relatively simple matter to simply re-plumb the existing parts to put the manifolds and valve out where they are accessible.

When re-assembling the system, I suggest using this style of compression ferrule:

Attachment 247576

They are stupid expensive ($.50 or more each from Amazon), but they work much better - they do not have to be tightened as hard to form a good seal, and cannot be over-tightened. The more common style:

Attachment 247574

are, surprisingly, much harder to tighten properly.

Regards,
Ray L.

Just finished another long-awaited update to the machine - I finally got clear plastic doors on the opening in the enclosure, and got rid of the !@#$%^&*( shower curtains. I used two 24"x 38" pieces of 1/4" Lexan for the doors. Surprisingly, Lexan was cheaper than Plexiglas!

The doors are top-hung, using $20 worth of aluminum T-track - the kind used to make clamps and fence guides for router tables. I've had two 4-foot pieces laying around the shop for over ten years, and I've finally used them! The "glides" are four pieces of 3/4" thick UHMW, approximately 2" x 5". They are profiled in a table saw, to make a T-section at the top that fits very nicely into the T-track, with a deep slot on the bottom to hold the Lexan. Two 1/4" bolts clamp each glide to one end of each Lexan panel. They slide beautifully, and are high enough up I don't have to worry about contamination from chips. The panels extend down far enough to completely close the opening, and they fit nicely into the slot created between the front panel of the chip tray and the front of the Y axis bellows.

Here's a (poor) picture. You can't really see the doors, since they're clear! The blue stripe across the top is the T-track. The black blocks just under that are the "glides" - two per door. The two panels close perfectly, with a gap of no more than 25 thou. I will probably still have to attach a strip of metal or plastic to one of the panels just to cover that small gap. They open creating an opening almost 4 feet wide.

Attachment 247610

Regards,
Ray L.

Thanks Ray! I'm going to be digging back into mine. I'll see if I can use that as a reference when I do. I'm sure I'll do a vid while I'm at it. :)

The new doors work great! The close tightly enough, just butted together, that no coolant leaks out! I wish I'd done this a long time ago!

Regards,
Ray L.

If you get a chance, maybe you could put up a pic of the T channel...scrap piece left over.......I'm still considering how I want to make mine when I get to that point and your sliding doors is what I've been thinking about for a couple of months now. Love to see a pic or two of the hangers.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mklotz70

If you get a chance, maybe you could put up a pic of the T channel...scrap piece left over.......I'm still considering how I want to make mine when I get to that point and your sliding doors is what I've been thinking about for a couple of months now. Love to see a pic or two of the hangers.

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I used two 4-foot sections of this: Universal T-Track-Universal T-Track - Rockler Woodworking Tools

Thought it's gotten a LOT more expensive since I bought mine. I think I paid $10 for a 4-foot section, along with a bunch of T-nuts and threaded knobs.

Regards,
Ray L.

Awesome! Thanks!! Now that I've seen the profile of the track, I understand the "profile" cut on the table saw. Perfect!!

Mike

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SCzEngrgGroup

Thought it's gotten a LOT more expensive since I bought mine. I think I paid $10 for a 4-foot section, along with a bunch of T-nuts and threaded knobs.

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Rockler's never been the cheapest place to buy woodworking equipment.

Woodpeckers is a good choice ($17 for 4' is better than $25 for 4'). Grizzly sells 3' sections for $10.
Woodworking Accessories - Woodpecker T Track

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