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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
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    Australia Brisbane Qld
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    51

    Default Al320g lathe headstock oil procedure

    Hi all. It’s just started making unusual noise. My little glass inspection window is empty. Shame on me.... on top of the headstock box is a black disc with a big screwdriver slot. Is this where I add new oil? And what type of oil? Can’t find anything in the manual. Hoping someone knows what to do

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
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    Australia Brisbane Qld
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    I assume I fill till glass inspection point is half full / level half way in the glass circle?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
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    sydney ( st marys )
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    64
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    46 hydraulic should be fine, if the noise is/was lube related it might be too late to save it.

  4. #4
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    Feb 2021
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    Australia Brisbane Qld
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    Default

    Thanks pipe. Problem solved and I got on with the job

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Adelaide
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    68
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    1,373

    Default

    You should probably look to see where the oil leaked out of the headstock to avoid a repeat. I had one of those AL320 lethes many years ago - that leaked from the top cover because the "seal" between the headstock lid and case was made of something with only a passing resemblance to rubber. The oil would leak out and run down behind the front cover so it wasn't immediately obvious.

    The solution was to remove the headstock top cover and replace the "rubber" gasket with some proper cork gasket material. The lathe was oil tight after that.

  6. #6
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    Feb 2021
    Location
    Australia Brisbane Qld
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    51

    Default


    Thanks Gavin. I will look into that. I was sort of wondering WHERE DID ALL THE ORIGINAL OIL GO TO

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,436

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by STEVEMORSE View Post

    Thanks Gavin. I will look into that. I was sort of wondering WHERE DID ALL THE ORIGINAL OIL GO TO
    Hi Steve,

    I don't know if you saw the picture of all the crap that I washed out of my mill spindle bearings ! I didn't discover it until I poured the cleaning solvent away...

    Mill Bearings Debris.jpg

    The bearings had become noisy and felt odd when turning them by hand out of the mill.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Australia Brisbane Qld
    Posts
    51

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    So tomorrow I start my preventative maintenance schedule on mill and lathe so that I don’t get in the . I really need to research all that I gotta do instead of just jumping on a machine and making whatever I want ... Better late than never

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,436

    Default

    Hi Steve, Guys,

    My mill is a Chinese clone of the "Optimum" mill ! I had various issues with it right from the start. The original spindle didn't have the MT3 taper machined in it properly, it hadn't been reamed out and was just a rough hole. Then when using the machine, it made a light thumping noise that varied with spindle speed. It turned out that the plastic intermediate gear was machined off centre.

    Then recently I bought a DRO, and as part of fitting it decided to give the mill a sorting out. That was when I discovered that the brass head lifting gear wasn't meshing properly and had started to strip the teeth. Then I discovered that the spindle didn't feel right ! So I made an adjustable pin wrench and stripped the spindle.

    The rest you know. You really don't know how deep the muddy water is when you start doing these jobs.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    On the Bellarine
    Posts
    167

    Default

    G'day Steve,

    Sorry about tardy reply and you're probably all sorted now but I have that lathe and there are a few 'tricks' to setting the oil up and maintaining that might be worth mentioning.

    First up pull the plug to disconnect the mains.....short out the two terminals (active and neutral) just in case as there's a pretty big cap on that motor and you are opening the switch mounting where there will be exposed wires underneath .....probably don't need too but force of habit afraid

    On my AL320G, the switch box is on top and half covers the large black screw cap so the switch box needs to be removed.
    Careful when you remove that switch housing - the screws are small and tend to drop down the back......they are called Profanity Screws for a good reason...

    The gasket mine came with was probably Noah's first jock strap and definitely needs replacing but the replacement needs to be thin and cut in such a way that it does not impeded the drainage flow holes. That's because the gear box is designed to splash and the oil drip back down through those holes otherwise the top might leak if those holes are covered or blocked. Gasket goo may work but overflow could be an issue so best to use the original gasket if it's OK or replace it with similar rather than just rely solely on goo.

    When you have the cover plate off, you may find lots of sand castings left behind in the box as John said in earlier post - it will probably be settled in the corners or low spots - they can be removed with an oil soaked rag wrapped around a half inch piece of dowel and stuffed down through the gears to get as much out as you can though by rights it should stay there if it's not disturbed......I prefer to remove it all as when you change the oil, things can get stirred up.

    The drainage hole is the long spigot in the gear box pulley housing under the left door and just beneath the second drive belt.....just unscrew that a few turns and make sure you collect the oil flow, put a funnel under it otherwise it will spill - it is set up from the bottom of the oil pan an inch or so that's where the rags on a stick trick come into play removing the last bit of oil and casting sand. Just make sure you tighten that when done otherwise you may drain all your oil out when full

    For oil I use Tellus 32 in mine...never had any issues with it as it is light enough to be lifted and sprayed around the gears while at the same time sticks like the proverbial on your shoe. I also use it on my ways. Don't use too thick an oil otherwise it will not splash up. This is where the manual is pretty much useless as you'd expect...Use the sight glass to gauge correct capacity or if that's stuffed, use your piece of wood dowel as a dip stick to indicate the halfway level of that sight glass and fill to that plus 200mls more....try not to over fill as that can also lead to leakage.

    Don't over tighten the cover cap lock screws on the top plate otherwise they will pinch the gasket and cause a leak. If you need a new gasket don't bother with getting an original as easy enough to make one with some rubber (oil resistant type) which you can get from any rubber place and just trace the original shape and cut one out.

    Why they leak is for the reasons above...gaskets caught up or drainage holes blocked..could have been over filled or maybe the drain bolt loose..any number of reasons so just go through it methodically and easily fixed.....in the 20 years I've had mine, not one leak...... after I cleaned it up that is.....

    As an aside, I fitted a chip guard behind the top switch to meet flush with the rear splash guard...that area is normally open and the motor is exposed directly below it. So I covered mine up by making an extension out of ply on the rear of the top cover, using some masking tape around the main leads to seal it over and stop chips and oil splashes dropping onto the donk........might help you keep it cleaner.

    Good luck
    Lee



    edit...spelling

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Australia Brisbane Qld
    Posts
    51

    Default

    Legend lee thank u very much ......other than the inspection glass , and the hole in the side where I open the door for the leadscrew change Gears, is there a drain hole somewhere, like a sump on a car for easy oil removal ?

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    On the Bellarine
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    167

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    Steve,

    attached some piccies of mine.....the tall centre spigot is the actual drainage plug......just undo it and you'll drain your gear box. As mentioned, it is an inch or so off the box bottom so won't drain it completely.

    In all honesty I've only used mine a few times preferring to use a diff pump tool to drain it that way I get it all. Just take care when you refit it that you don't over-tighten and munge the fibre washer......then it'll leak.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Australia Brisbane Qld
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    51

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    Thanks again lee. I get what u mean about getting to the very bottom regardless of that high drain plug. So for me. Big fat plastic syringe pump thingy ,,, then rag on a long thin Dowell to get as much particles out as possible. While we are at it. What sort of spray lubricant to you apply to your lead screw change gears ?

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    sydney ( st marys )
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    64
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    If I may suggest to you after draining the oil , fill the machine to just above the gears in the head with either diesel or kero, put the cover back on the headstock ( cover weight only ) put in high speed and rotate for a while by hand and drain again.

    For the change gears use bike change lube or chainsaw bar oil, the chain lube comes in spray cans so maybe easier to apply, application should be done by manually apply whilst rotating the spindle with all drives engaged.

  15. #15
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    Feb 2021
    Location
    Australia Brisbane Qld
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    Default

    Good ideas pipeclay. Nothing like a good total flush out prior to adding new oil.

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