Shopsmith Forums

JPG wrote: ↑Tue Aug 15, 2023 5:34 pm I do not think leaking oil out the bottom was a design objective with a plews oiler cap /bronze bearing.

Here is the description from the docs. Maybe it leaks and after the fact they're saying "We did that on purpose". But I think they were talking about oil seeping out from the sides of the bushings.

That leakage is a result of wear, not an intentional design.

JPG wrote: ↑Tue Aug 15, 2023 8:28 pm That leakage is a result of wear, not an intentional design.

Not following what you mean. It seems they mean that oil will leak from the faces of the bronze bearing (not absolutely sure, I wasn't planning on oiling it or running it to find out). That would be the result of no seals on the bearing faces, which is not surprising with bronze bearings. So it seems it would be the result of normal operation with a porous bronze bearing as the design intended. If I'm missing something about this please explain.

Coming soon, the drill press. I have to take new pictures, the ones I have are too dark to make out any detail and I'm busy drying out the basement today after a shocking morning deluge.

Some time later:

And here they are! And there's an interesting new feature in MS Paint too.

Here's the drill press in upright position. It's attached to a hinge that is bolted to the right side of the main table.


This pic shows it being tilted over with my son holding up the head. The long belts have to be detached from the main spindle first. The drill press head is held on to the top of the post using 2 bolts in slots allowing the head to move up and down to adjust belt tension in conjunction with the saw blade height control. You can see those bolts in the next picture where they at the bottom of the post in it's upside down storage position.




Here's the assembly in the down position. The drill press table has to be the right height on the post and swung to the left side so it doesn't hit the cabinet or the tilt control mechanism. There are stand-alone versions of this drill press that had the motor attached at the top like most drill presses do. Sometimes people think long belts are unreliable and inefficient but they are used in all sorts of machinery without high failure rates. They do cost more and create a hazard in this use where they are totally exposed.


I mentioned an interesting new feature in MS Paint. Now it allows background removal. It worked better than I would expect. Here's one with my son's arm removed, but part of his hand was still there. The drill press table and part of the post were removed too. It works better than I expected though.

I'm using bronze bushings in my mini traditional bench build. I set that project aside for a month or so, and yesterday I noticed that oil is wicking out of those bushings into the walnut and maple wood of the moxon vise. Not sure what I'm going to use as a varnish now...or if it will take a varnish. I can picture that kind of bushing oozing oil all over a piece of shop equipment.

I think we have a different view of leaking. Obviously the presence of the oil cup suggests frequent addition of oil. I would describe the migration of the oil as seepage.

So my original statements are suspect and I have to agree in your context.

I guess we can't be clear if the result was intentional. Obviously, it was intentionally designed, but what result they intended is unclear. What I mean is that the design wasn't accidental, a drawing didn't just appear on some engineer's desk one day, but maybe they didn't realize how much leakage would result until they started using it.

edma194 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 19, 2023 9:40 am I guess we can't be clear if the result was intentional. Obviously, it was intentionally designed, but what result they intended is unclear. What I mean is that the design wasn't accidental, a drawing didn't just appear on some engineer's desk one day, but maybe they didn't realize how much leakage would result until they started using it.

We have to realize the year(s) the design took place in. Much improvement in bearing technology has occurred since. Ball bearings were less common then.(unsealed roller skate ball bearings excepted!). Today bronze bearings come 'pre-charged' with lubricant.