Being relatively new to a machine shop environment, one thing that can be heard above all other information is that everything must be oiled well. When something goes wrong it is typically improper use, or a lack of oiling. In the manual it states that the spindle must be oiled daily, the ways must be oiled each hour and there are two other reservoirs that need oiling each week! Now, at least at TechShop, the weekly and daily oiling are taken care of. If something goes wrong however, it is important to know how to remedy a problem that comes up!

Step 1: Knowing the Atatomy

First and most importantly, refer to the owner's manual of whatever machine you are working on before preforming maintenance. While oiling is a very simple task, it is important to pay attention to what kind of oil that particular machine requires, where each resvoir is and the frequency of oiling. For the Jet Mills here at TechShop San Jose (Model JTM-4VS), I have included the proper page that has all of this information.

At TechShop, all of the necessary oil is provided and labeled for the members use, don't hesitate to ask a DC if you have any questions regarding the process!

Step 2: Way Oiling

This oiling procedure is the one that is the most simple, which is convenient since it is the one that needs to be done the most often. Every hour while operating the mill the user should use the one-shot system that is installed. When the pump is pulled, it will distribute oil to the X and Y axis, as well as the Z. When I was first instructed to do this, I was told that moving the mill in each direction after pulling the pump would ensure proper coverage in the system. At TechShop San Jose, the oil for this reservoir is checked and refilled by the staff. If it happens to be empty, they will gladly refill it for you.

When you pull the pump, hold it for a couple of seconds after it reaches this limit, this ensures that the full amount will be dispensed.

Step 3: Spindle Oil

This is the type of oiling that first caught my attention for the need for this instructable. The chief symptoms that indicate that the spindle isn't oiled properly is that there is an unusual amount of friction when turned on, which generates more heat and noise during operation. The remedy is simple, especially since the oil required is supplied in the supply cabinet.

While the spindle is on at a moderate speed, continuously fill the reservoir with light spindle oil DTE. By the end of this process, there should be oil leaking through and on the the mill's ways (This indicates that the oil has reached the entire area). There is no way to really over lubricate the spindle, it's really just a matter of how much is wasted in the process.

Step 4: Knee Leadscrew Grease Nipple and Rear Grease Nipple

The picture included in this step illustrates the proper way to grease this portion of the milling machine. While this is a portion of maintenance that will be taken care of by TechShop staff, it is important to know how to preform this. The grease gun at TechShop San Jose can be usually found on the bottom shelf of the mill/lathe supply cabinet. Lock the end of the grease gun on to the reservoir and pull the trigger to dispense. At a certain point the grease will start to come out at the ends of the nozzle, which is an indication that the system doesn't need any more.

This will be the procedure for both the rear grease nipple (pictured, and the knee leadscrew.

And that's all! Per the manual, this is the amount of regular oiling required for the mills at TSSJ and more. There is other maintenance beyond this, but for regular operation this is all that is needed. If there are any better ways to take car of these operations please let me know for I am learning as well. This is what I have discovered that works at TechShop San Jose and I am writing this with the hope that it will help others with maintaining their equipment.

Cheers!