[Fastest1]

I have disliked most of the solutions to machine lubrication for us hobbyists. I have of course seen some beautiful work and ideas from many here. However I just did not like the fittings and their bulk etc. Many fittings are just too large and in precarious locations just inviting collisions. Also the Chinese ball screws come with a Zerks fitting of some kind that have an additional benefit, they are 1 way or check valve. They are also very small.

I had a piece tubing that just fit over the Zerks fitting. When pressed on the fitting, the tubing has a larger OD. I then ran a nut the size of the tubing's original OD all the way to the expanded area. Upon tightening the nut it created an incredible fit. Having a few other fittings around, I pressure tested this arrangement. I was able to exert 120 psi with no failure. I could have gone higher but would have to had cycled my compressor again and saw no need,
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How about a video?
Cheap pressure fitting Pt 1 - YouTube

[hoss2006]

Good thinking dude!
Hoss

[Fastest1]

Thanks Hoss, odd how the good ideas are cheap and didnt involve anything new? I always want to over engineer things.

So on this same note and seeing this actually work. I wondered why not use it for remote greasing of typically any fitting that is hard to get at, maybe a car or what ever. I then screwed a Zerks into the ID of that same tubing. I didnt nut it like the other side but I could to provide a larger margin of safety.

[Fastest1]

Here is the pressure testing in action.
Cheap pressure fitting Pt 2 - YouTube

[Fastest1]

Because when it rains, it pours. Here is another idea.

Since the tubing is itself easily threaded (in this case) using an even smaller nut. Why not combine the 2 and a washer for a bulk head mount for the remote oiling?

Like this.

[Fastest1]

Ok, even easier and takes up less room, though the example pic is with what was on hand. I used a piece of brass flared tubing with an ID very close to the OD of the plastic tubing, screwed the Zerks fitting into the plastic tubing and pushed the flared tubing onto the head. Very low profile.

Also it would work if the Zerks was inserted the opposite way (the ball in the tubing).

[vertcnc]

Looks like it works good. I wouldn't use it on a regular zerk fitting used for grease. Hand pumps can usually put out several thousand PSI. Maybe aright for grease if there is nothing restricting flow. Thanks for sharing.

[Fastest1]

Though I understand your concern, some Zerks fittings release with as little as 7.5psi according to their website. In fact these used in the video started flowing on the lowest settings of my pressure regulator, sub 10 psi.

My plan is for oil or way lube at low pressures, max 50psi.

[vertcnc]

Yeah that would be fine. I thought you may have also been taking about doing this for grease. Where the release of the zerk is not the problem, but the pressure used to fill the bearing or cavity. The last commercial machining center I worked on had the 4mm nylon tube just stuck down the the threaded hole of the ball screw, basically just dripping on screw. They did have Bijur flow controls for each lube line though..

[CNCfun&games]

Fastest:

An excellent solution to a vexing problem!!

Very professional implementation too. Thanks for sharing.

W. Smith Mission Viejo, CA

[Fastest1]

CNC, Thanks for the kind words. I loved the price!

[pippin88]

Interesting.
I've ordered all the parts for an auto oiler for my conversion. Total cost should be $50 if it works out.

[nvaldez]

Any recommended auto oilers in the Bristol, CT area?

[Fastest1]

What only 3-4 years before implementation? Say it isn't so.
I will be pulling the hose thru the hole where the center bolt was on the head mount. I am running (3) M12 X 1.75 X 140mm (might be a little shorter can't remember) instead of the T bolts for the 3 bolt mod. I had just seen someone mention they fit. Sure enough they do. Since I am running a 2.5" head spacer, I thought the bigger the bolts the better. I did have to redrill the holes in the spacer. As they were for a smaller set of bolts/studs. The line will eventually run thru the E Chain.


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[Jon.N.CNC]

So how does this work, where does the oil come into the equation?

It's cheap to do if you have an air compressor. If you don't, I use a compressor off an old fridge simply sucking oil in inlet and pumps out of outlet, it will pump an inch of mineral oil 10m through 5mm pipe. I then use a splitter with adjustable valves which oils each of the 10 nipples on my machine. The compressor automatically shuts off after an inch of oil is pushed, and will kick back in 5mins later if left on and so forth. One pump is enough and you can restrict how much goes through at the splitter. been running now for 2 years no problems.

I did however need to modify the nipples so that it had less Spring behind the balls. Not the neatest solution but I simply cut and stretched the springs. It's a job opening 10 of them with oil pressure simultaneously, the compressor is capable of it but you will find you will have one that will open weaker than the rest and your oil will all go down that one. But with minimul resistance they do, just enough to stop air getting back in. Air is otherwise you enemy in a system like this as you end up with some accepting oil and others just blowing air.

The fridge compressor cost £5 from local scrap man. So another cheap solution.

[Fastest1]

When testing the zerks fittings, they broke away at less than 8lbs of pressure. Plus they dont allow anything to flow backwards ;-)

[Jon.N.CNC]

When testing the zerks fittings, they broke away at less than 8lbs of pressure. Plus they dont allow anything to flow backwards ;-)

Thats quite low but for a total of 10 say you need 80lbs of pressure total so 8lbs is still too high really and they need to all have the exact same opening pressure which is unlikely especially once they are used for a while. If you can get some them to open with just a couple of pounds the requirement for them to all be the same seems be less stringent i found.

[kawazuki]

I would guess this works best on either a single line or a switchable multi line manifold as logic says if multiple lines have a common pressure source they will all see equal pressure ie 8psi until one cracks then the whole system will drop to zero (path of least resistance fluid mechanics) unless continuous over pressurisation can be achieved due to the 'continuous 'leak'?

[Jon.N.CNC]

I would guess this works best on either a single line or a switchable multi line manifold as logic says if multiple lines have a common pressure source they will all see equal pressure ie 8psi until one cracks then the whole system will drop to zero (path of least resistance fluid mechanics) unless continuous over pressurisation can be achieved due to the 'continuous 'leak'?

I thought about using solenoids to open and close valves instead and remove the balls completely. But they are big and not the kind of things you want mounted on a ball nut say + additional wires. Its a fiddly task but modifying the springs from 8lb to 2-3lb is possible providing you can get to the spring. 8lb pressure nipples simultaneously definitely wont work. A system that works on the lowest pressure possible just enough to move the oil in the pipe would ultimately be the best one, its just stopping air getting in, How about a straight through nipple, no valve with a fine metal gauze, Might do it. The pressure might just blow the gauze, but having a small section of larger diameter tube where the pressure will reduce just before the nipple with say a 20mm disk of gauze could be a fix.

The problem with single or switchable lines is controlling that flow, when just a drip of oil is required through the nipple, you would need a mechanical actuation to momentarily open and close the valve at exactly the right time within say 5% accuracy, split over 10 nipple on a multiple line setup you have a system that will be a little more lenient as high pressure is required to move oil from the sump to the splitter where the pressure drops and it is easier to manage, otherwise you have high pressure all the way to the nipple. Oil compresses at high pressure which is also why having a lower pressure at the nipple by splitting makes it more manageable.

[Fastest1]

Any attention to the ballnuts or the ways will be better than the acid brush & can of oil method I had been using. A simple extension from each ball nut, x, y & z carriage to a bulkhead or even gravity flow might work.

After your mention of the pressure required etc. I did take a zerk apart to see the issue. Removing the ball and spring or cutting down the spring would be easy enough.

I am now starting to like the sound of an IV bottle suspended above the machine for a gravity fed oiling ;-)

I was really only putting my hose connection technique into play. The ability to plumb a small 0,45 or 90 degree fitting as opposed to the big PTF connectors many use looked appealing and cheap. I can use a variety of hoses and a simple piece of metal tubing takes care of the attachment.