Lubrication for arbor bearings 1938 Delta table sa

My question is, what type of lube should I put in this thing. I can't afford to replace my table saw at this time. So I have to take care of this one until I can replace it.

I used to have a manual for it that I got from Delta when I called and ordered a new rip fence for it. Finding that manual would be nearly impossible.

So how should I lube this thing. Oil, thicker oil (90wt), grease, cornhead grease, etc?

Thanks.

Pooh Bear

Same thing for the spindle on a South Bend Lathe, just get rid of the oil cups and install zerk fittings. No need to even check the oil levels anymore.

See any problem with this?

I have taken apart several old machine tools where the oil holes had been replaced by alemites to "ease maintenance and make it quiet and less messy". Usually, I had to drive the dried hardened grease out of the holes with a punch. The grease on top looked fine, but not down at the bearing where it counts. You have to clean the bearing oil grooves with a chisel, if you can save them. Usually the bearings and journals are ruined.

If those bearings have wood plugs and holes, they are meant to run on oil and grease fittings will ruin it. Yes it will run quiet for a short while, but it's gonna make a LOT of noise real soon, then it'll get real quiet because that beautiful old saw will be ruined.

You might want to flush the bearings out real good with kerosene, or better yet, take it apart and clean it real good. That would also give you a chance to see if the bearings need to be replaced, which they might after being run dry.

I kinda hate to try to take that arbor assembly apart. I don't want to damage it. I'm half afraid of what I will find. Although it would be nice to know what's in there.

It wasn't run dry long. Maybe 5-10 seconds.
Soon as I heard it not sound rite I shut it off.
After that I filled it with oil and run it a few times for 5-10 seconds with oil in it. So I shouldn't have done any damage. Wonder if I could just pump it full of grease and see what happens. If it still don't sound rite then take it apart and flush it out real good and inspect it.

Pooh Bear

I have taken apart lots of old machine tools with ruined bearings from where somebody decided it would be easier and less messy to just install grease fittings. The grease turns to wax, clogs the oil grooves, and the bearings burn up.

The arbor assembly on a 1938 table saw should be nothing but a shaft with a couple of setscrew retained collars and maybe a pulley.

The reason it is leaking oil is that there probably aren't any seals to begin with. On older machinery, they just let it dribble. Likely it has porous bronze bushings instead of ball bearings. Once you oil them, what's needed will soak into those bushings, the rest wil run out on the floor.

Take it apart so you KNOW what you are dealing with. Let us know what kind of bearings you have and we can go from there.

I really like this old saw.
It is one of the old tilting table types.
If you want to cut an angle you have to tilt the table.
But the tilt mechanism doesn't work any more.
But for general ripping work you can't beat it.

I have another little saw.
One of those little $100 deals from Home Depot.
I can use it until I get a chance to work on the other saw.

I'm glad y'all confirmed for me not to use grease.
I figured that wooden plug was in place of an oil cup.

Thanks.

Pooh Bear

Spend a dollar or two putting this saw back up right. You'll be glad you did 30 yrs from now.