Has anyone here found a way to perform regular maintenance on the Elite, without having to remove the Z sider to get to the X and Z oil ports?
It’s a pain to have to take it off and put it back on again, and then re-tram and recalibrate your tool setter and 3D probe.
I’d love to find a way to make this easier.
Just took a look at mine. I haven’t done this, but it looks like there is enough room for a 90 degree zerk fitting. That would allow you to use a oil/grease gun to lubricate the x-axis.
I’ve been lazy about it, so far. Just squirting 3-in-1 oil on the rails and screws and moving the axes around…
I had this same concern when 1F told me to reverse my oil port on my x-ball screw. If it was on the back which was much more accessible, it interfered with the cable raceway bracket… But I am thinking about switching to some aftermarket raceways to put it back there again or possibly just doing a sacrificial cut on an extra hex-head i have laying around with a Dremel to make a stubbed version that can get in there…
Just now, I cut an allen key down to a stub and was able to get the screw out. I used an elbow driver attachment to take the four bolts that hold the ball nut in. With that, it was easy to access all four from the front, and I have 1.5" aluminum angle for my drag chains installed in the back.
I believe a hex head bolt would be easier to navigate than a allen head bolt. It’s a tight space. You can bend the tip of the 3:1 to fill the oil port when the ball nut is cleaned and back in place.
However, a zerk would be a much better solution. I’m on the hunt for a M6 threaded zerk that will fit.
I haven’t got my Elite yet, but I’m anticipating this issue. I have similar issues with machines costing ten times as much, but this one will be for me, and I intend to resolve it quickly. Your help is appreciated.
(pics or it didn’t happen)
Thanks.
It’s more difficult than I though to find a oil can with a zerk coupler that doesn’t cost a couple hundred dollars. Grease guns are easy to find, but they leak with oil. If anyone knows of one, please share.
Maybe something like this? It mentions ball head grease fittings…same as zerks? If so, its $11 on Amazon.
LUMAX LX-1174 Push-Type Grease Gun (3 Oz). One-Hand Operation. Compact Manual Grease Gun get Grease into Tight Spaces. Transparent Body for Visual Control of Fill Level. https://a.co/d/fWeNKoA
Otherwise, you may be able to find an oil can that has a tip that is removable and has NPT threads that’d accept a zerk…or has the same threading as a grease gun (not sure what that is) to accept a grease gun hose.
I just bought a kit of zerks. We need an M6x1 with no more than 15mm after the threads. This is the one I bought: https://amzn.to/3TkEuYR #afiliatelink. I also bought this oiler: Push N Lube Oiler- Bridgeport Oil Gun - Industrial Control & Automation.
That should do it for me. I’ll almost certainly have to remove the z slider to install the zerk, but that’s just a one time deal.
Onefinity’s video recommends just flooding the top fo the z ball screw, which is easy to do without removing the spindle.
Removing the bolts from the ball nut on the Y axis was a little of hassle with the drag train trough in my way. I think the gantry block has a hole for the oil port on inside also. I think I can simply rotate it around and put it back in, and I’ll be able to access that port from the inside. Anyone see issues with that?
I’ll be back to review this when I get my Elite: I’ll want to mount that before I finish setting up.
Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
I found a pushNlube oiler at H&W Machine for about $10 less lock-stock-n-tomahawk. The shipping at the other place was like $28!
I like where you went with this.
Great idea!
I added a manual oiler to my Woodworker X50 a while ago - works very well.
It is part of this build update if interested…
I was just over at Youtube asking you about this very thing. Should have known you’d be here too. !