Lubricate RB-180

[Sharpco]

My RB-180 does not rotate smoothly.

How can I lubricate it?

[RickKrung]

My RB-180 does not rotate smoothly.

How can I lubricate it?

A fair number of Views, but no Replies, so I'll give it a shot. 

I am surely no expert, but I'd say you don't lubricate it, just keep it clean. 

I pulled mine out from under and looked at it.  I saw some scratch marks on the surfaces of the top and bottom platforms that turn against each other, probably from grinding dust spilled from the reservoir.  Turned it over and there is a 10mm nut holding it together, but it and the washer under it turn easily with no apparent way of securing the washer and loosening the nut. 

I'd say keep it washed out with flood irrigation, with active rotation, so any grit that may be between the rotation platforms are kept clear and clean.  I think it is not a good idea to put any lubricant in that interface as it will pick up grit and hold it there, in a medium that can't easily be washed away, causing wear and difficulty of rotation.

I could not speculate on whether the hardware used there is stainless steel, but I certainly hope so.  If it corrodes due to water spillage from the reservoir, that would not be good.  Need confirmation from Sweden. 

Just my 2 cents. (do you none-USA guys get that idiom?  What is the Swedish currency equivalent?  That would be "just my 0.17 Krona", but that is at the US dollar equivalency and doesn't have the same "ring".  There must be a smaller coin denomination.)

Rick

[Sharpco]

My RB-180 does not rotate smoothly.

How can I lubricate it?

A fair number of Views, but no Replies, so I'll give it a shot. 

I am surely no expert, but I'd say you don't lubricate it, just keep it clean. 

I pulled mine out from under and looked at it.  I saw some scratch marks on the surfaces of the top and bottom platforms that turn against each other, probably from grinding dust spilled from the reservoir.  Turned it over and there is a 10mm nut holding it together, but it and the washer under it turn easily with no apparent way of securing the washer and loosening the nut. 

I'd say keep it washed out with flood irrigation, with active rotation, so any grit that may be between the rotation platforms are kept clear and clean.  I think it is not a good idea to put any lubricant in that interface as it will pick up grit and hold it there, in a medium that can't easily be washed away, causing wear and difficulty of rotation.

I could not speculate on whether the hardware used there is stainless steel, but I certainly hope so.  If it corrodes due to water spillage from the reservoir, that wold not be good.  Need confirmation from Sweden. 

Just my 2 cents. (do you none-USA guys get that idiom?  What is the Swedish currency equivilent?  That would be "just my 0.17 Krona", but that is at the US dollar equivalency and doesn't have the same "ring".  There must be a smaller coin denomination.)

Rick

Thank you for the comments. Rick.

I will contact Sweden.

[cbwx34]

I had to look... I'm not sure there's anything you could lube.  But I agree with Rick... would probably cause more issues.

Easiest way to evaluate if you have an issue, would probably be to just compare it to the videos... and see if there's a difference.

Mine is scratched up... but seems to work as advertised.

[Stickan]

Hi,
Take it apart and wash it. When you mount it together us some WD-40/5-56 on the nut and screw.

Best,
Stig

[RickKrung]

... snip...

and there is a 10mm nut holding it together, but it and the washer under it turn easily with no apparent way of securing the washer and loosening the nut. 

...snip....
I could not speculate on whether the hardware used there is stainless steel, but I certainly hope so.  If it corrodes due to water spillage from the reservoir, that would not be good.  Need confirmation from Sweden. 

...snip...
Rick

Hi,
Take it apart and wash it. When you mount it together us some WD-40/5-56 on the nut and screw.

Best,
Stig

"take it apart" how?  The nut and washer spin with no way to stop it enough to get the nut loose.

Rick

[cbwx34]

"take it apart" how?  The nut and washer spin with no way to stop it enough to get the nut loose.

Rick

It appears there's a little cap on top that you can remove and expose the top of the bolt....

[Ken S]

Considering that Tormek went through the expense of switching to stainless steel main shafts in 2006, I can't imagine them cheaping out and not making a small nut and bolt of stainless steel in an area prone to getting wet.

Ken

[RickKrung]

Considering that Tormek went through the expense of switching to stainless steel main shafts in 2006, I can't imagine them cheaping out and not making a small nut and bolt of stainless steel in an area prone to getting wet.

Ken

Sorry to burst your bubble, Ken, but bolt, nut washer and spring are typical plated steel.  There is a 12mm long bushing in the middle, which is stainless steel.  I used the magnet test, see pix below.  The fasteners and spring "jumped' upward about a half and inch (12.7mm), whereas the SS bushing just sat there and didn't move whatever distance the magnet was away.  I know that some SSs are slightly magnetic, but the way these popped and the bushing didn't budge, suggests strongly to me that the fasteners and spring are not SS. 

The fasteners were very tight against the bushing, positively setting the clearance between the base and the rotating plate.  There is no "adjustment" for rotation tension.  The only way to change it would be to make a bushing of a different length or use shims. But, this is one case where, for me at least, "if it isn't broken, don't fix it".

Rick

[cbwx34]

I actually don't see this as an area that would have a chance of seeing much water... the top has the "cap" I mentioned earlier, and the top of the base itself should retain any water that is spilled.

It would take quite a bit of water, and/or some unique conditions, for water to make it to the center, IMO.   

[RickKrung]

I actually don't see this as an area that would have a chance of seeing much water... the top has the "cap" I mentioned earlier, and the top of the base itself should retain any water that is spilled.

It would take quite a bit of water, and/or some unique conditions, for water to make it to the center, IMO.   

I agree completely.  It was more of a curiosity thing (I took Ken's bait ).  I remember thinking when I first looked at the nut and washer from the bottom that they didn't look like SS.  It would be nothing to zip down to the local hardware store and get 6mm SS replacements, but I don't think it is necessary and I wouldn't do that unless they began to rust. 

Rick

[Sharpco]

Today, I bought two wrenches and disassemble RB-180 then clean it.

Now, It rotates very very smoothly.

[Marc]

Hi,

I've just made a topic about the solution I found :

https://forum.tormek.com/index.php?topic=3784.0