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Oiling Lathe Ways

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Jim:
How often do you oil your lathe ways?

rklopp:
I oil the Colchester ways when I have not done it in a while but there's still an oil film left by the way wipers detectable as a smear when wiped with a finger. The Monarch oils itself with an cam-driven pump in the apron sump. It tends to over-oil, perhaps because some prior owner replaced the metering valves with oversized ones. All the ways are quite wet with oil all the time. The oil drains to the base of the machine, which is rather soaked, and then onto the floor.

Jim:

--- Quote from: rklopp on June 22, 2026, 05:05:12 am ---I oil the Colchester ways when I have not done it in a while but there's still an oil film left by the way wipers detectable as a smear when wiped with a finger. The Monarch oils itself with an cam-driven pump in the apron sump. It tends to over-oil, perhaps because some prior owner replaced the metering valves with oversized ones. All the ways are quite wet with oil all the time. The oil drains to the base of the machine, which is rather soaked, and then onto the floor.

--- End quote ---

Cheers  :cheers:

Jo:
I make sure that the bed oilers are filled before I start using a lathe. That way every movement of the saddle/tailstock is on a film of oil.

Oil is cheap, replacing the lathe ways is not.

Jo

Jim:

--- Quote from: Jo on June 22, 2026, 05:42:38 am ---I make sure that the bed oilers are filled before I start using a lathe. That way every movement of the saddle/tailstock is on a film of oil.

Oil is cheap, replacing the lathe ways is not.

Jo

--- End quote ---

Cheers  :cheers:

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