Thread: Source for pieces for 1 shot oiler - flow control valves, other stuff?

Hi I'm looking to make an automatic oiler or a 1 shot oiler for my benchtop mill as I'm cnc'ing it. Anyone know where to get stuff locally like the things in this picture?
flow control stuff valves.png

Been reading through this article looking for ideas - https://www.cnccookbook.com/way-oile...tion-vactra-2/

Pneumatic supply shop.
Legris use to be the best value for you money. (Though I have been out of air for a few years it would be wise to check prices)
Parker, top product but you pay for the name. ( they bought Legris several years ago but there was still a difference in pricing)
SMC was other we used a lot of.

The brass flow valves are nice but at a cost. I would go with plastic. Does the same job.

The pump I have no idea.

I use to have boxes of this stuff, its going to hurt when I have to start paying for it.


DSC06186 e.jpg


Usually called push-fit but some call it Instant fittings.

So... air fittings are suitable? I guess it's not high pressure. Something like these? https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Assorted...rRBb5unDWfNfGI

They have similar hose attachments to my 3d printer's tubes. You just push it in to release... Wonder if they'd leak - probably not if they don't leak gas.

Process Systems at New Cleveland Road, Tingalpa, should have what you are wanting. They have a website listing their products with prices and a cash sale counter at their warehouse. You can buy online but then up for postage. Depends how far away you are for the pick up option to be viable.

In theory they should not leak but I have had a few. Order a few extra just in case.

10 bar was usual max working pressure but from memory Legris quoted a max circuit pressure of 20 bar depending on the tubing size and material used.

You are going to pay so much more locally compared to AliExpress and eBay, for products that most likely come from the same place.

Had a quick look on AliExpress so these may not be the cheapest prices, there is a screenshot of a complete setup for around$100
There are also automatic pumps which can be programmed easy, the Bujur site will tell you everything you need to know about SLR a and PDI systems.

I've included some screen shots of the manual oiler and automatic one to show the cheap prices. The pump in your picture is around $35 delivered.

I’ve been down this road semi recently. I used air fittings like those linked above. It was not the most fun of projects. I essentially built it twice. The first one used hose that was too large and plastic check valves. It was hopeless and leaked. It also delivered far too much oil.

My advice is to use small hose 4mm max for the outputs. Use 6mm or so from the pump to the splitting station (brass part above). Use a number of spitting stations with metering and use metering on the outlets. Air fitting needle valves work perfectly at the outputs to control how much oil flows. At the time the plastic check valves were only available in inconvenient sizes (not small!). You want your check valves close to the output ports. My line was small as needed and I got lucky finding some small metric check valves in stainless from EBay UK. If I recall they were about $30 each and I needed a bunch. Not cheap but worked perfectly.

The one shot oiler functions nicely on my RF. My only complaint is the leaky manual oil pump. Fill it up and a week later it’s on the floor. I have not got around to fixing it and hence keep a minimal amount of oil in it.

Originally Posted by variant22

I’ve been down this road semi recently. I used air fittings like those linked above. It was not the most fun of projects. I essentially built it twice. The first one used hose that was too large and plastic check valves. It was hopeless and leaked. It also delivered far too much oil.

My advice is to use small hose 4mm max for the outputs. Use 6mm or so from the pump to the splitting station (brass part above). Use a number of spitting stations with metering and use metering on the outlets. Air fitting needle valves work perfectly at the outputs to control how much oil flows. At the time the plastic check valves were only available in inconvenient sizes (not small!). You want your check valves close to the output ports. My line was small as needed and I got lucky finding some small metric check valves in stainless from EBay UK. If I recall they were about $30 each and I needed a bunch. Not cheap but worked perfectly.

The one shot oiler functions nicely on my RF. My only complaint is the leaky manual oil pump. Fill it up and a week later it’s on the floor. I have not got around to fixing it and hence keep a minimal amount of oil in it.

Around 6 or 7 years ago I bought a pump as in the photo on the original posters photo, it pumps when the handle is pulled.
I wanted one where you pull the handle or plunger and it slowly retracted to squirt the oil over a period depending on the metering I chose. They where only pretty new to AliExpress back then so the description was vague and I ended up with the wrong type of pump.

It's still sitting in the box, one day I'll get around to it on my manual mill except with a automatic oiling pump from AliExpress, also one day my mill will be CNC,
I've got the ball screws etc but have been saying that for some years lol. I do like manual milling where I'm in control and the thought of something else controlling it is a bit scary.

I think I need to replace at least some of the oil metering valves on my pacific mill. I'm pretty sure some of them do not deliver oil. I cleaned them to within an inch of theie life when I had them out but I don't think they are working properly. The only place I have found that sells them is Arc Euro Trade and by the time you pay their prices and the postage, it ends up a bit of coin.

The pump system on the pacific is a little unique, the oil resevoir and pump are cast into the actual saddle.

Simon

Originally Posted by simonl

I think I need to replace at least some of the oil metering valves on my pacific mill. I'm pretty sure some of them do not deliver oil. I cleaned them to within an inch of theie life when I had them out but I don't think they are working properly. The only place I have found that sells them is Arc Euro Trade and by the time you pay their prices and the postage, it ends up a bit of coin.

The pump system on the pacific is a little unique, the oil resevoir and pump are cast into the actual saddle.

Simon

A while back I found them getting sold on AliExpress, both SLR and PDI and the 6 sizes 0 to 5. It was in one of the shops selling the lubricators as they call them.

Originally Posted by Dave J

Around 6 or 7 years ago.. It's still sitting in the box, one day I'll get around to it on my manual mill except with a automatic oiling pump from AliExpress, also one day my mill will be CNC,
I've got the ball screws etc but have been saying that for some years lol.

5 or so years ago I thought it could be "fun" to build a CNC. I "needed" it. 5 years later that idea of fun has well and truly worn off. It's a lot more work than one would expect. Even seemingly trivial things like figuring out where to drill holes for the oil system. There is a lot of research to get the specifics together. I've built a few components more than once. Almost all my mounts have been built twice. Alignment type issues are non-obvious (at least to the inexperienced) until you slam into the issue. Then there is the ball nut preloading, finding out your ball screws are bent and that's completely normal for Chinese screws. You straighten them to fix binding and then how are your mount alignments? All the little details add up to be time consuming and frustrating. Then you get to the electronics and find that tuning drives can be a black art. I only got my drives tuned after turfing the Geckos and putting in an entire set of MachDrives then watching a MIT lecture to understand PID tuning. Then finding you have some strange interference issue. To then re-do all of your cabling to ensure it's all grounded to a single point. Then you find out the plugin you were running had a bug (since fixed) that was glitching and your wiring was likely fine all along. Endless amounts of time to work through this stuff. I can really only say that as of a few months ago my machine was more or less complete from a basic function standpoint. I would not really recommend it to people if they want a CNC to make stuff.

Anyway some photos of my oil system - shows some of the functional pieces, grooves, metering valves, distribution blocks, check valves. All sliding surfaces get oil, as do the ball screws:

IMG_6986.jpg IMG_7009.jpg IMG_7020.jpg

Originally Posted by simonl

I think I need to replace at least some of the oil metering valves on my pacific mill. I'm pretty sure some of them do not deliver oil. I cleaned them to within an inch of theie life when I had them out but I don't think they are working properly. The only place I have found that sells them is Arc Euro Trade and by the time you pay their prices and the postage, it ends up a bit of coin.

The pump system on the pacific is a little unique, the oil resevoir and pump are cast into the actual saddle.

Simon

I recently purchased a surface grinder with a central lubrication system and most of the valves were blocked. I was able to free them up by soaking them in automotive carburettor cleaner. Not the spray “solvent” type but a water based soaking type. The only brand I could find was Yamalube as in Yamaha Motorcycle. This stuf does a fantastic job on carbies as well.

Cheers

Piers