From: none@none.com99   
      
   On 3/9/2025 2:28 PM, Joe Gwinn wrote:   
   > On Sun, 9 Mar 2025 13:56:24 -0700, Bob La Londe    
   > wrote:   
   >   
   >> Okay, I get about the best finish with stainless and alloy steel on the   
   >> lathe with oil.  The 14x40 (and the turret lathe) has a coolant pump,   
   >> but a single drop of oil goes much further without soaking me down.   
   >>   
   >> There are oil drippers available, but they are either pretty crummy like   
   >> the one I lost a decade or more ago that came with my Harbor Freight   
   >> drill press, or they are very incomplete for the application.   
   >>   
   >> I think one of the issues with the cheap ones is they don't have a hole   
   >> in the bottom (top) to let air in.  It makes it very hard to get a nice   
   >> controlled drip.   
   >>   
   >> For lathe work my thought is it needs to be on an articulating arm that   
   >> can be mounted to the back splash or on a mag base.  It needs to be able   
   >> to be visually checked for volume.  It needs a valve at both ends.  One   
   >> to control inflow of air, and one to be able to adjust to as slow as one   
   >> drip every 3-5 seconds.   
   >>   
   >> I don't know where I am going with this, but aerosolizing cutting oil is   
   >> not the answer I want.  I just want a nice slow drip of oil.  I'm   
   >> actually thinking two valves at the bottom.  A ball valve to turn it on   
   >> and off, and a needle valve to control flow when its on.  So it can be   
   >> adjusted and left adjusted.   
   >>   
   >> Varying head pressure might be an issue.  I guess it would need to be   
   >> kept pretty full.  Hence its volume needs to be easily checked at a   
   >> glance.   
   >>   
   >> I'm about decided I'll have to make one, but I'm open to being surprised   
   >> with an economical and elegant solution.   
   >   
   > How about a can of oil up on a shelf with a hose down to a needle   
   > valve assembly on the carriage, with a 1/8" copper drip tube that is   
   > hand bent as needed.  This is almost what I do.   
   >   
   > What I do is to replace the can on the shelf with a strained-pump   
   > assembly on the floor running soluble oil to the needle-valve   
   > assembly, and the chip pan draining back into the coolant filter-pump.   
   >   
   > Joe   
      
      
   Oil can on a shelf is as good of an idea as any.  Not sure if being on a   
   shelf up high (there is one above that lathe) will add much pressure   
   over right there on the machine.  I would think the majority of the head   
   pressure if from weight rather than height.  Can't hurt though I suppose.   
      
   --   
   Bob La Londe   
   CNC Molds N Stuff   
      
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