homemade lube system

[panman]

Just wondering what kind of a pump motor, you guys are using for a home brewed lube system?
I read a little in the archives, any more ideas?
Jim

[fishpharmer]

Gravity pump for me so far.  It always works

[Magicman]

Mine is not homebrewed and has an RV water pump in it.  I've read where folks have used windshield washer pumps.

[ErikC]

 I had to rework mine when I put a new motor on. It is gravity fed, I highly recommend you try to make that work. If not a windshield wiper fluid pump is 12v, cheap, and provides about the right amount of flow without a lot of trouble. Easy to find a universal one at an auto parts, or if you have an old car of some kind you might be able to rob it for free.

[Wudman]

Gravity for me too.

Wudman

[logwalker]

I am using diesel and bar oil so I need something that will resist the solvent. I just picked up a nice small Carter fuel pump off of Amazon.com for $17 bucks. I added a book to it so I could get the free shipping. I expect it to work a long time. I don't have great luck with the windshield spray pumps.

Joe

[thecfarm]

If you do go with gravity put 2 shut offs in your line.One to adjust the flow and one to turn off and on when needed.That way when you get the flow just right and you have to stop you can shut the first one off and won't have to adjust the second one again.

[Chuck White]

If you do go with gravity put 2 shut offs in your line.One to adjust the flow and one to turn off and on when needed.That way when you get the flow just right and you have to stop you can shut the first one off and won't have to adjust the second one again. 

This is a real good idea.  I just happen to have a bunch of fuel shut-off valves on hand, so I guess this will get done soon.

It's been a pain in the _ _ _, in the past when I'd shut the lube valve to change a blade, take a break, etc. then take 4-5 minutes to get it right again.

GOOD TIP, thanks.

[sdunston]

Great advice on the second valve deal, Its at the top of my list of things to do
Thanks Sam

[Wudman]

I went one step simpler than that.  I plumbed an outlet into the bottom of a 1 gallon plastic gas can.  When I need to shut off the flow, I just turn the gas can 90 degrees so the outlet is at the top.

Wudman

[bandmiller2]

I did something a little different, use a mix of diesel and bar oil applied with a wick top and bottom of the band.It leaves a light sheen on the band nothing sticks and I've never seen it drip.One quart of the mix seems to last forever.Frank C.

[coastlogger]

Frank as usual you seem to have an excellent idea put to use. Can you enlighten us a bit on how you rigged this up-the wick thing?Also did you try a wick onjust one side?  it seems for me all the buildup is on the inside of band for reasons im not sure of.
clgr

[panman]

Frank;
I'm also curious about your set-up?
Do you have your system, on the drive side, the idle side, or both sides?
Jim

[fishpharmer]

Bandmiller2, the wick idea for top and bottom sounds like a good setup.  Cooks has a similar setup although it is only for the top as far as I can tell.  Here is a link.....
http://www.cookssaw.com/shop/index.php?target=products&product_id=30157

[backwoods sawyer]

If you take a good look at the band wheel in the picture of the Cooks lube system, you will see that there is a build up, and that looks to me like it is the idler side. Any time you are running steel wheels you should have a wiper on them, brass and neoprene both work well for wipers. A pivot point and a counterweight is all that is needed to hold the wiper on the wheels. You can also put a wiper on the saw between the guide and the wheel.   

[bandmiller2]

I am not picture capable,but its a simple device and I can describe it with my one finger.For a wick I found a whole bundle of 3/4" round wicks they used in the old road pots,you know the black kerosene smokers the put beside road ditches.They sell a new version for patio skeeter control with citronella in the oil, wicks are available.Probibly lantern wicks could be used.I took about a 6" piece of 2" square tube welded caps on boath ends.On one endcap theirs a piece of pipe 3/4" id welded hole up and down,outher cap has a hinge attached.On the top of the tube drilled and taped a fill hole for a pipe plug,and near the pipe end a 3/4 inch hole to stuff the wick in the resivour.The wick comes out ofthe resivour U turn through the piece of pipe and extends out the bottom to rest on the band.The wick rests with the weight of the device on the band because of the end hinge.When not in use the square tube will flip up verticle and stop wicking.One is mounted on the top with a hole in the guard to get the outside of the band outher is just clearing the idler wheel to get inside.I'v never seen it drip it dosen't stain or damage the lightest wood and really no smell,bands don't rust.Frank C.

[thecfarm]

Just another way to get the same results.I have a drip system on mine.Just a piece of short 1/8 copper pipe shoved into a clear plastic line.Just a drip every few seconds works good.I can tell when I forget to turn it on.This drips on top of the blade.

[DextorDee]

I used a pump up 2 gal. garden sprayer.
 

[scrout]

I was thinking about one of these:

https://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2356031216025301&item=1-3256&catname=water

then switch it on when I power up off idle with the electric governor/throttle.

[Chuck White]

Petefrombearswamp (the previous owner of my mill) had a car windshield washer tank/pump mounted on the mill and used a diesel/gear oil mix instead of the factory water bottle.
Well, one of the first things I did was remove it and go back to the water bottle.
Now. I'm thinking of putting it back on the mill (still leaving the water bottle) and using the windshield washer tank/pump whenever I might get a bad case of Pitch Build-Up, and to clean up the blade before removal.
I'm just not sure where I'll mount it, probably just hang it on the bottom of the gas tank/water bottle shelf!  The electrical is already run for it, so I just have to run the lube line across the mill and mount that near the water line.