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Grease for boxed ways on grinder.

Houndogforever

Hot Rolled
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Oct 20, 2015
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Boring
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?
 
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?
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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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.
 
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.
 
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.
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?
 








 
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