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bandsaw gearbox lube


JPH

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Howdy!

Well my meal cutting bandsaw has been giving  me fits so after trouble shooting it and replacing the top wheel bearings..I decided that I may as well replace the lower bearing as well..... long story short is the worm gear that runs from the V belt wheel into the gear box is 100% a-OK however the bronze gear that drives the lower wheel shaft is toast..I am amazed that the thing still worked!!  So..after cleaning out all the bronze shards, shavings and bits and ordering the new bearings, oil seals and the new gear..what kind of grease/lube should I use?? I am a wee bit leery of using gear box oil alone for this..

The new parts will be here Weds I was told...so.. any suggestions??

FAB-

JPH

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What's the manufacturer say? If it's ancient or a seriously off brand and I had to wing it I'd use something like motorcycle trany gear oil with a little of one of the friction reduction oil additives. Heck, maybe use what Jet recommends for their metal band saws. 

Seeing your smiling face reminds me I forgot to report on my northern minion duties! My ophthalmologist's office says the plastic used in glasses frames is thermal plastic and is pressed out in sheets. 

Right now Fur Rondy is running. The second fish and game auction will be coming up where they auction off hides, horn, etc. either taken illegally road kill, DLP, etc. (DLP means in Defense of Life and Property). Ivory is all carved and really expensive. Everything during Rondy is expensive but you might be able to make better contacts than me. https://alaskaauction.hibid.com/catalog/155004/february-21--2019-live---fur-rondy/

Frosty The Lucky.

 

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My metal cutting band saw is over 30 years old. The last and only time I had the gear box cover off it had what looked like White Lithium Grease in it. That's what I went with at least ten years ago and it's still going strong. Probably time to check on it again. Thanks for the reminder.

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Frosty:

This is an old Atlas..made before or early WWI ish..so I have been told...I am thinking lithium grease and a gear box slurry mixed up real goopy and runny like... still looking at some Atlas machine tool boards for info..

FAB-

JPH

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Sounds like a lithium grease job to me, I doubt it would know what to do with special lube. It'd probably last another half century using lard. Dad used to talk about greasing his Model A with rendered bacon fat because he couldn't afford regular grease. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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These old machines were made by craftsmen for craftsmen..Not like  the disposable throw away pieces of trash that they make now.. Use it for a while and when it breaks  buy another.. No..I'll take the quality of a properly made machine any time..I have no problem getting covered in grease, oil and grime to maintain  a good piece of equipment. It's all part of the experience..

FAB-

JPH

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I've never had trouble getting covered in grease, oil, etc. no matter how hard I tried not to. Good tools are worth the effort, I'd LOVE to have Dad's old drill press it had a quill lock. I could bring a bit to a level and lock it there so it wouldn't retract. It made positioning holes exactly so much easier. I haven't seen a drill press with a quill lock in I don't remember when. <sigh>

Frosty The Lucky.

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4 hours ago, JHCC said:

Like this?

YES!! You have a drill press with a quill lock! Now I'm suffering drill press envy. Mr. Harding my occupational heavy metal shop teacher devoted an entire 2 hr. period to how to use a quill lock. 

Ever have trouble getting the drill bit lined up on the punch mark and setting the clamp without moving something? Chuck the scribe you made in shop in the press, advance it into the center punch mark firmly and tighten the quill lock. The work won't move while you set the clamps, loosen the quill lock and check for shifting by lifting the scribe and bringing it back down. If good replace your scribe with the drill bit. 

It baffles me why they eliminated so useful a control on drill presses but I haven't seen one in years. Cherish your drill press John, shes a treat!

Frosty The Lucky.

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On 2/26/2019 at 4:06 PM, JPH said:

Here is the gear in question: Ya think it's thrashed?

Shimming the pillow block won't do it? Do they make grease Heavy enough?

Yeah, you might want to think about a replacement.

Frosty The Lucky.

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Frosty!!  Mi hermano!

Yeah..thank you for validating my decision... the replacements will be here in the AM..so I have been told..went out and got me some red sticky grease and some gear case oil so I am all set..so I think I am...(I got to remember that this is a 100 year+ old machine so...red grease was from the days way back when)...

I got the little bugger torn down and ready for the new parts..replacing the gear..(no brainer there)..upper bearings, oil seal..lower bearings as well as the snap rings..(I really hate those..they can shoot any and every where..and they are a real PITA to hunt down..)   so I be prepared..so I think...  Yeah..I know.ME thinking??> NOT a good idea but...In gotta get this one up and back on line ASAP as I have stuff to make!!..

FAB-

JPH

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JPH

Keep a finger in the middle of the shaft when removing a snap-ring!!!!!! It won't hurt your finger if it sproings. One of my employees got a snap-ring in the eye-ball, a xxxxxx way to get time off!!

The location of the half-nut doesn't leave itself for automatic lubricating cycles. I know, you could always design a simpler answer.

Neil

Edited by Mod34
Edited for inappropriate language
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Jim: Mi Hermano de una madre diferente! :)

My Father used to give me advice till I got sick of hearing it but as I got older I discovered he was right far more often than he was wrong. One of his sayings was, "A little oil is better than too much." It'd vary, sometimes it was "a drop is better," etc. 

My point being, is that gear box supposed to have both grease and oil in it? I don't know about your saw but some machinery doesn't do well over lubed. My Little Giant power hammer doesn't drip or sling oil. The oil points get a few drops, the mains a short squirt, before I turn it on, it runs smoothly and cool. I use chainsaw bar oil with a friction reducing additive though. Bar oil is sticky, STICKY lube, too sticky for a gear box for sure but the LG50 loves it.

Frosty The Lucky.

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Frosty:

From what I can tell from reading up on Atlas saws..the gear box is suppose to be full...I know it was when I cracked it open and it had the glop of grease around the gears and oil everywhere else..it was a mess to clean it out..geeze that took a while... still waiting for the parts to show...

 

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6 minutes ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said:

On the other hand with many pieces of equipment, like a Harley, if it isn't dripping a little oil, it's out of it.:)

Yeah, that's what THEY say but I've known too many people who's Harley doesn't drip oil. I don't know what the secret is but there's not an oil spot on Julie's garage floor and no there's no pads or pans under her bikes. 

53 minutes ago, JPH said:

From what I can tell from reading up on Atlas saws..the gear box is suppose to be full..

Just checking Jim, it's too easy to get carried away. I still don't get oil and grease together but I don't get a LOT of things. 

If you're wondering, I don't speak Spanish, I can order breakfast, say please thank you, etc. that's about it. My Google fu. works though. ;)

Frosty The Lucky.

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