Grease nipple lubrication

[Gremmy]

Good evening,

I’d appreciate some viewpoints on lubrication if anyone would care to give me their two pence worth?


I’ve recently refurbished a Multico planer 6.
I’m new to machine refurbishment and this is only my second machine.
I’ve really enjoyed using various posts to help me along the way. There are numerous view points on lubrication,

The cast iron planer tables are attached to the main cast iron body by steel pins.
The pins are c.3/4” diameter and c.6” length.
They have a partially tapped 2” deep hole drilled down each end with a recessed grease nipple that screws into the thread. (apologies in advance that I have no photos of the pins out during refurb, hopefully my description makes sense)



There is a reservoir space behind the grease nipple and this opens via a small hole onto the outside of the pin. There is a grooved slot around the diameter of the pin, perhaps a mm wide and mm deep that the grease should run around. The grooved slot in the pin is push into a cast iron parallelogram mechanism and the grease lubrication is to aid the rise and fall of the table.
There is also a grease nipple on the main rise/fall handle pins for what I assume is the same reason.

My understanding is that lubrication technology has come on leaps and bounds since this machine was designed.

A reservoir in the pins fed by grease nipples which has no pressure unless being forced with grease is surely not really affective? The grease will and had clogged with saw dust, hardened and made the tables very hard to move. I can’t understand how putting a grease gun on the nipples would force new grease through if the grease was already clogged?

What is wrong with using a PTFE spray down the pins at regular intervals? It’s easier to apply and less messy, plus doesn’t attract as much dust and wood grime. It’s buttery smooth at present.

Am I being naive with my assumptions? Or is the clash of steel and cast iron going to wear down the softer material much more quickly without the grease?

 

[Trevanion]

Thing is it's not particularly a heavy-use part of the machine so I don't really see them ever wearing out even with absolutely no lubricant whatsoever. One shot of grease per year would be good enough but frankly, anything would be good enough! The only thing you could say with grease is it creates a sort of barrier layer that separates the steel and cast iron and stops something like this from happening:

But again, in such a light application it's not actually getting any stress or wear whatsoever so you just need it to move smoothly, how you do that is up to you really!

I haven't forgotten, by the way, I'll have a proper look at it this weekend

 

[Droogs]

As the GOAT says but also be aware that PTFE will ruin a surface area that is to have a finish on it. Personally I would not have it in a wood workshop at all. Now matter how careful you are there is always the chance either overspray will land on a finish ready surface and cause fisheye or will be thrown onto the fresh surface of the material you just put through the machine as it passes through

 

[sunnybob]

When using a grease gun on a bearing for the first time, you squeeze until grease comes out the sides of the joint, or back out the nipple, depending on type.
The original maintenance instructions would call for another squeeze of grease at intervals depending on the bearing movement. It could be anything from once an hour to once every six months. At which time you squeeze grease in until you see it come out the sides. IF you dont see that, then you take stuff apart till you find the cause.
Also, machines made more than 60 years ago would have had a strip down maintenance schedule. In the old days large factories would shut entirely for 2 weeks to allow the fitters to overhaul and lubricate everything in the place. My dad was a factory fitter. I used to go into the factory with him during the holidays.