[Concepts_Design]

Does anyone know of the best way to gain access to the X ballnut? I imagine removing the slide is the only way, but what would be the correct method to do so and not have to deal with a mess putting it all back together again? I am pretty sure the ball nut oil fitting is either clogged or kinked and not getting oil to the ball screw. I have already tried flushing the line and still nothing, I believe everything is leaking out before it gets into the ball nut

[LeeWay]

You should be able to see it with the table run all the way up.

Here is a shot where I nearly got it.



To get to it though, you would have to take it apart.
Maybe you can snap a couple pictures with your phone?

[Concepts_Design]

You should be able to see it with the table run all the way up.

Here is a shot where I nearly got it.



To get to it though, you would have to take it apart.
Maybe you can snap a couple pictures with your phone?

The fitting is on the bottom and with the slide all the way up I can see it and see that the oil line is cut. I have taken the end plates off and slide the table to each extent and it can't be removed from the top due to the top bearing plate (I don't want to mess with the bearing preload) and it can't be slide out the bottom because it hits the stand, would have to lift it off the stand to slide it out.

If I were to take out the gib, would I be able to tilt the table out? Don't really want to do this but I see no other option, that's if it will even tilt out...

[adamvs]

Man that sucks. A month without oil and you can kiss that ballscrew goodbye. Have you checked the manifold at the bottom of the X slide, there are bunch of short lines coming off of it, some have tight bends. When I got my lathe, I noticed one was kinked, so I replaced it before using the machine. Just a thought, but it's the easiest path which *might* be a cause to the symptom.

[LeeWay]

It does appear that there is enough room to do that with the Gib. That sure sounds a lot easier. It would be nice if the oil lines were stainless steel and almost indestructible from incidental contact like automotive brake lines. They are just little vinyl tubing with a sleeve around them. I know brake lines would not work everywhere, but for static installation, they would be excellent. However, have you ever tried bending a brake line?

[adamvs]

It does appear that there is enough room to do that with the Gib. That sure sounds a lot easier. It would be nice if the oil lines were stainless steel and almost indestructible from incidental contact like automotive brake lines. They are just little vinyl tubing with a sleeve around them. I know brake lines would not work everywhere, but for static installation, they would be excellent. However, have you ever tried bending a brake line?

I done quite a bit of brake line bending, there's a pliable copper alloy based tubing available from a company called 'FedHill'; very easy to bend and form. It's a fantasy project of mine to replace all the static lines on the 1100 with such and AN3 fittings.

[Concepts_Design]

well, here it is makes no sense to me to have a fitting that can rotate in a area where movement could pinch it, but maybe the fitting is supposed to be tightened more keeping it from rotating?

I was able to slide out the gib and lift the table off. None of this is easy to do alone and with an enclosure on the machine.

Fortunately I think that the line just recently got pinched as I tend to use the lathe so little that I usually manually turn the oiler on when i start it up and check. I don't think I have more that 4-5 hours of actually run time on it since I got the lathe, so at least I found it early if anything

[adamvs]

Wow! Good on you for finding that. That's scary - and tightening it would rotate it in the pinch direction, if the assembler wasn't careful. Tho, it's a banjo bolt, so you can snug it good without impeding any oil flow. I'm going to see if I can see that with a flash light and check it on my lathe. You should contact Tormach tomorrow and send them that picture so they can get their QA on the case.

[LeeWay]

I am glad you were able to get the table off like that. I have no doubt that is was not easy. I would have probably put the engine hoist on it. No way I would want to remove all the tooling on mine.
I have one of these and I will look at mine first thing in the AM. Mine runs a lot.

[Concepts_Design]

that is a pretty cool camera! I am going to have to look into one of those.

I just went out and tried to tighten the bolt and it was bottomed out so the hole must not be tapped deep enough and I'm not about to risk tapping it myself and getting chips in the ball nut. Probably have to add a crush washer to take up the space. This it the case on a couple of the others that were located at the bottom of the slide and one moved and snapped off during this whole process.

I'd like to be able to get one locally or at least some place like McMaster where i can get it overnight but don't know what the actual bolt is, thought it was just a banjo bolt but can only find the type with crush washers and not the o-rings, any ideas?? I'm sure Tormach would send me one, but will make me pay overnight shipping if I want it , so hoping to just be able to pick one up locally but tough going in not knowing the actual technical name of designation

I would actually like to be able to replace them with something better than the crappy plastic tubing but I dont think changing just one would be a good idea, plus I dont really know of a better fitting.

[adamvs]

I got my phone up in there and it looks like that banjo bolt, on my lathe, is secured for now. I think your lathe is still under warranty. I would call call Tormach and complain. A crush washer would do the trick, but it can't so thick it obscures the oil flow. You can get one at the local NAPA or possibly AutoZone.

[LeeWay]

If you had a lathe, you could turn off a thread or two and not need the washer. How much is the hole shy of?

[Concepts_Design]

the gap is about 1/16 , adding a washer is a simple fix. I do have a manual lathe but with my luck I screw it up in the process. I checked all my other fittings and they are all able to rotate as well. This seems like a really bad idea especially areas like the ball nut where it can easily get pinched, or the 2 under the dovetails as shown in Adams picture, these are the two that I broke in the disassemble process, all that needed to happen was them get cocked slightly and the dovetail snapped them off.

I did send an email off to Tormach about this and asked that they replace them and ship them overnight under warranty, but I have the feeling they will want to charge me for overnight shipping, we'll see

[LeeWay]

Yeah. I agree. Copper washers are probably better to put under there anyway. I don't recall ever seeing this type connection without one, but I don't recall seeing them with o rings either.

[Concepts_Design]

Yeah. I agree. Copper washers are probably better to put under there anyway. I don't recall ever seeing this type connection without one, but I don't recall seeing them with o rings either.

yeah, the o-rings are what's making it hard to find replacements. I've never seen them like this before, but the only ones I've seen are on cars and motorcycles. Hopefully Tormach takes care of this today

[LeeWay]

They have a few different types at Mcmaster Carr. Hopefully Tormach will fix you up. Definitely a failure in workmanship there. By more than one guy, unless the machinist, the assembly tech and the QA was all the same guy.
Why does that even need a banjo fitting?
I think a straight fitting would have been more appropriate right there. I think there might be less stress on the line that way.

You have a stressed line on the manifold, Adam. I have a few in that shape as well. I do get some oil drips but I thought it might have been coming from the ways. No I really need to inspect it in depth. The entire oiler system.

If I have to replace or repair anything on it, rather than going back vinyl or PVC or whatever that is, I would probably use something like this.
McMaster-Carr

Or since it is probably metric.
McMaster-Carr


You might get away with using a hand bender for either of these. Both are annealed.

[rowbare]

It almost looks as though the strap clamp that secures the tubing was installed upside down. In its current orientation, it makes for a very sharp bend at the banjo. Looking at the photo adamvs posted, I don't see that sharp bend and the tubing is well within the valley of the casting.

bob

[LeeWay]

I think what you are seeing is the end of the sheathing. Not a clamp.

[Concepts_Design]

to make matters worse, I don't think it's ever been getting any oil for two more reasons, one is that the cross line in the mount doesn't line up with the holes in the ball nut and the cross hole was completely blocked by a silicone plug. Waiting to hear back from Tormach. Either way, it was obviously never inspected, whether it was in the US or in China...

[adamvs]

@Lee: I see that line, but it looks like it's not kinked in any way. When I got the lathe, I inspected this area, as I remember, the bends on some of that tubing needed to be very tight. On Concept's lathe, ha, my bet, is the assembly guy and QA were the same guy, and cousin to the guy that owns the factory.
@Concept: Lee's idea of trimming the end of the bolt is better than crush washers in this case, because the orings need to seat a specific depth, tho nothing about the oiling system is that precise, Looks like a 1mm or 1.25mm thread, so a trim of 1 to 1-1/2 threads should do it and leave plenty to secure the bolt.
Orings: check out 'the o-ring store' online.The orings are probably metric.