Grease for boxed ways on grinder.

H

Houndogforever

Hot Rolled

Joined

Oct 20, 2015

Location

Boring

• Jan 10, 2023

• #1

I'm working on getting my old Norton surface grinder running and functioning properly.
The square box ways that the spindle and entire Up/Down set ups are very dry and I need to get the, or at least A grease.
This will be for up down only, the cross and long feed are all hydraulic pumped oil.
Do I want a sticky grease, a light one, red, purple what?

 

R

RJT

Titanium

Joined

Aug 24, 2006

Location

greensboro,northcarolina

• Jan 11, 2023

• #2

Are you sure there is not an oil pump that recirculates oil to those ways? Or an oil cup?

 

T

Tyrone Shoelaces

Diamond

Joined

Apr 19, 2006

Location

Manchester, England

• Jan 11, 2023

• #3

I wouldn’t use grease at all on grinding machine ways. Unless you’re putting it into storage.

Regards Tyrone.

 

michiganbuck

Diamond

Joined

Jun 28, 2012

Location

Mt Clemens, Michigan 48035

• Jan 11, 2023

• #4

a little clearance and dry is OK, a little oil if dust guarding is there is ok.
Grease will become lapping grit over time and do damage to the machine.
Grinders that have a lub system use new oil to flush out any grits.

 

H

Houndogforever

Hot Rolled

Joined

Oct 20, 2015

Location

Boring

• Jan 11, 2023

• #5

 

H

Houndogforever

Hot Rolled

Joined

Oct 20, 2015

Location

Boring

• Jan 11, 2023

• #6

So the two pictures above show the way and also the grease fitting. The dust guards have been removed from the ways in order to see them and notice they are bone dry.

This is a 1952 Norton 6 x 18 hydraulic grinder. The long stroke and cross stroke are both lubed via pressurized hydraulic fluid recirculation.

Is there an oil that I can pump into a grease fitting to make it spread and fill the lube grooves?

 

Richard King

Diamond

Joined

Jul 12, 2005

Location

Cottage Grove, MN 55016

• Jan 11, 2023

• #7

I'll be, the Norton manual shows it uses grease on the column. I would also advised against using grease. Page iii shows a picture pointing to the grease fittings and page 4 says to grease it. It says a calcium medium consistency and smooth texture grease. Grease once a week.

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/1834/25051.pdf

 

Richard King

Diamond

Joined

Jul 12, 2005

Location

Cottage Grove, MN 55016

• Jan 11, 2023

• #8

I would clean off the old grease in your pictures. Even though it says to use grease I would fill the grease gun with way oil and squirt it in there. As Buck said if you forget to grease it to purge out the old grease and wipe off the exposed ways, the grease will act like lapping compound.

 

H

Houndogforever

Hot Rolled

Joined

Oct 20, 2015

Location

Boring

• Jan 11, 2023

• #9

I found a cheap bridgeport type way oil pump that is hand operated. I think I will bolt that to the machine and just route two small lines and screw them into where the grease fittings are.
That way it will pump some pressure to move the oil up from the center fitting and I can just pump it one time at the start of using the machine.
At least I hope that is the result.

 

M.B. Naegle

Titanium

Joined

Feb 7, 2011

Location

Conroe, TX USA

• Jan 11, 2023

• #10

We have a surface grinder with a similar vertical way arrangement that had zerk fittings. If you found an oil pump, you're in business, but on ours we replaced the fittings with flip top oil cups and have them on the routine maintenance list. It's a highly common mistake for people to see zerks and immediately go for the grease, so I'd recommend trying to flush yours out with some solvent and compressed air (if taking it apart to clean isn't an immediate option). Otherwise the grease that a past operator shot in there will keep the oil from getting where you want it.

 

H

Houndogforever

Hot Rolled

Joined

Oct 20, 2015

Location

Boring

• Jan 11, 2023

• #11

Once I get it mounted and plumbed, I think I will push some kerosene thru to flush the ways.
Then I will fill it with slideway oil and flush out the kerosene.
I'll be back in a couple days once I get all my hoses and components.
Thanks guys.

 

michiganbuck

Diamond

Joined

Jun 28, 2012

Location

Mt Clemens, Michigan 48035

• Jan 11, 2023

• #12

if the down travel had super guarding and the manual said grease then grease would be OK ... but I would clean out the grease and likely run it dry.
And go to the furnace shop and have dust guards made so there are no openings for grits to grits to get in.
*looks like bolt holes for guards.

Many modern machines fail on shielding grits from getting into the works, China machines are even worse.
A strip of tape in the right place might make a modern machine last twice as long.
Good to free-travel the down nut on an old machine and getting a half turn to think about replacing the down travel nut. Loose enough to slip the thread they can be a bugger to repair.

 

Last edited: Jan 11, 2023

H

Houndogforever

Hot Rolled

Joined

Oct 20, 2015

Location

Boring

• Jan 11, 2023

• #13

Yes, those are bolt holes for guards. There are 2 guards, both removed in those pictures, One bolts down on the saddle and the other on the upper part near the spindle.
When the wheel is as high as it goes, about 5 inches above magnet, there is a 7" gap between the upper and lower guard shields.

I was thinking maybe a flexible rubber flap but getting sheet metal bent up is probably the best idea. I will work on that.

Thanks again for all the ideas.

 

michiganbuck

Diamond

Joined

Jun 28, 2012

Location

Mt Clemens, Michigan 48035

• Jan 11, 2023

• #14

46 wheel grit is about .015" but gets easily fractured to get smaller and smaller. On mild steel, it acts like chunks of diamonds.

 

M

majohnson

Cast Iron

Joined

Jan 3, 2013

Location

Erie, CO

• Jan 12, 2023

• #15

Since you zerk type fittings another option would be to use a hand oil with a #4 way lube. Number 4 way lube is pretty heavy duty lube, and clings really well. It might also be cheaper than trying to find a specific type grease. You have less mess to deal with, H&W sells the hand oilers. Like others that posted not a fan of grease in a machining environment.

 

H

Houndogforever

Hot Rolled

Joined

Oct 20, 2015

Location

Boring

• Monday at 6:08 PM

• #16

Richard King said:

I'll be, the Norton manual shows it uses grease on the column. I would also advised against using grease. Page iii shows a picture pointing to the grease fittings and page 4 says to grease it. It says a calcium medium consistency and smooth texture grease. Grease once a week.

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/1834/25051.pdf

Click to expand...

Your link states..... We recommend that highly refined oil (S. U. V. 145 to 175 at 100°F. ) be used in the hydraulic system, and that this oil have oily additives for ways lubrication and inhibitors for rust, foam, and oxidation.

This is for the hydraulic and long and cross ways. It sounds like hydraulic24 with a little STP in it, but what oil/additives will work?