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lubricating old amaco wheel

updated fri 19 nov 99

 

C. A. Sanger on tue 16 nov 99

I have made repeated calls to Amaco for help, and never get anyone
to call back. My problem is I have four old Model No. 1 Amaco wheels.
One has an irritating vibration, like one of those vibrating pillows. I
added a little light oil and it made it somewhat better. How much, and
what type, of oil do I add to the oil reservoir in back? And what
lubricant, and how much, do I add to the gear box below the wheel shaft?
Is lack of oil causing the vibration? Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

C. A. Sanger
ShardRock Clay Studio
Kansas, USA
www.ikansas.com/~chuck/

elizabeth priddy on wed 17 nov 99

if you have a regular mechanic type friend,
ask them to look at your motor. It is
essentially a starter motor like on a car.

They can make them run smooth for you.

---
Elizabeth Priddy

personal email: epriddy@usa.net
website: http://www.angelfire.com/nc/clayworkshop





On Tue, 16 Nov 1999 18:23:36 C. A. Sanger wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I have made repeated calls to Amaco for help, and never get anyone
>to call back. My problem is I have four old Model No. 1 Amaco wheels.
>One has an irritating vibration, like one of those vibrating pillows. I
>added a little light oil and it made it somewhat better. How much, and
>what type, of oil do I add to the oil reservoir in back? And what
>lubricant, and how much, do I add to the gear box below the wheel shaft?
>Is lack of oil causing the vibration? Any help would be greatly
>appreciated.
>
>C. A. Sanger
>ShardRock Clay Studio
>Kansas, USA
>www.ikansas.com/~chuck/
>


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Earl Brunner on wed 17 nov 99

If I remember right, gear box oil should be about 90 weight

C. A. Sanger wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I have made repeated calls to Amaco for help, and never get anyone
> to call back. My problem is I have four old Model No. 1 Amaco wheels.
> One has an irritating vibration, like one of those vibrating pillows. I
> added a little light oil and it made it somewhat better. How much, and
> what type, of oil do I add to the oil reservoir in back? And what
> lubricant, and how much, do I add to the gear box below the wheel shaft?
> Is lack of oil causing the vibration? Any help would be greatly
> appreciated.
>
> C. A. Sanger
> ShardRock Clay Studio
> Kansas, USA
> www.ikansas.com/~chuck/

--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
mailto:bruec@anv.net

Vince Pitelka on thu 18 nov 99

>> I have made repeated calls to Amaco for help, and never get anyone
>>to call back. My problem is I have four old Model No. 1 Amaco wheels.
>>One has an irritating vibration, like one of those vibrating pillows. I
>>added a little light oil and it made it somewhat better. How much, and
>>what type, of oil do I add to the oil reservoir in back? And what
>>lubricant, and how much, do I add to the gear box below the wheel shaft?
>>Is lack of oil causing the vibration? Any help would be greatly
>>appreciated.

C.A. -
Light machine oil is exactly the right kind of oil to use in the cups or
reservoirs on the motor. Incidentally, Marvel Mystery Oil (used as a
top-end lube in auto engines), available from any auto parts store, is an
excellent general purpose light machine oil, is inexpensive, plus it smells
good and is a recognizeable red color. If you have oiled the motor, and if
it is still vibrating, then something else is wrong. If the motor is an
open-frame AC motor with an internal cooling fan, then buildup of dirt over
time can make the armature run off balance.

Most of those old AMACO wheels utilized a gearmotor - a motor and gear box
in one unit. If yours is of that type, then it is very possible that the
oil within the gearbox is low, or has thickened over time and is no longer
properly lubricating the gears and bearings. Normally on such gearboxes
there removeable plug on the side of the housing, which is for checking the
oil level and for adding oil. Remove the side plug and see if the oil is
still fluid and if it is very dirty. If oil comes out the hole when you
remove the plug, and if the oil is fairly clean, then it is OK and you can
put the plug back in. If the oil is very dirty, tip the wheel on its side
and drain out the oil (into a drain pan, dispose of properly). To refill
the gearbox, purchase several quarts of 90-weight gear oil in plastic
bottles with attached filler tube. Stand the wheel back upright, insert the
filler tube in the side port and squeeze the oil into the gearbox. Add oil
until it just begins to spill back out of the side port, and then put the
plug back in.

I am not aware of any old AMACO which involve a belt drive, but if there is
such a thing then it is very possible that the entire problem is due to
old/worn belts. If your machines have belts, check their condition, and if
the rubber is hard and/or cracked, remove the belts and take them to an auto
parts store and they will sell you replacement ones.

One advantage of those old wheels is that almost all the parts are
off-the-shelf industrial parts, so if you need to replace belts, bearings,
seals, etc. you should be able to get them at any industrial
power-transmission supplier or good auto-parts store. And by the way, when
looking for a good auto parts store avoid all the big chain places like
Car-Quest, Advance Auto Parts, Autozone, etc. Instead, seek local NAPA Auto
Parts franchises, and those local non-chain auto parts stores where all the
local mechanics go.

Didn't mean to go on and on. Good luck.
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Home - vpitelka@DeKalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166