Fobco 1/2 capacity grease nipple size.

[rwbayleyParticipant @rwbayley]

Morning, I have just inherited my dad’s FOBCO 1/2 capacity bench drill,

before he died one of the thousands of things I wanted to ask him was where he stored the grease nipples for the drill. I’m still sorting his workshop out (he wasn’t one for tidying up ever).

I am struggling to find out what size grease nipple fits this drill? And anyone help please

 

 

 

[Charles LamontParticipant @charleslamont71117]

Just checked. They are 1/4″ BSF thread, and fit a 3BA spanner. Now my mug of tea has gone cold. I can’t help you with finding your dad’s supply. What’s wrong with the ones in the photos?

[Craig BrownParticipant @craigbrown60096]

Are the grease nipples missing from your drill then? Or do you want to know what grease gun end fits the grease nipples fitted to the drill?

If your grease nipples are missing then the ones fitted to the drill originally are very short, in order to fit in the recess in the quill and I have never found a compatible new item. I can’t remember the thread size and I am unable to check as I am not home

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Is that a grease nipple or an oil nipple?

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Like Bernard I think from the picture it is an oil nipple ? Noel.

[rwbayleyParticipant @rwbayley]

Thank you all for your reply’s (apologies for the late response it’s the summer holidays and I have a 6 and 8 year old which keep me occupied!) the nipples are still on the drill thankfully I’m after the grease gun fittings that fit the grease nipples.

Ive got all my dads grease guns (3 in total) and none of them have the correct fittings although I have found a tub of suitable grease!

 

thank you for your help

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

I have looked on ebay and there are several sellers offering 1/4 BSF nipples and in the Lathes UK website under Fobco drills, the label on the side of one clearly states that the spindle bearings and the quill both use grease, not oil.

The OP’s photos show the bottom one looking like the common type and the recessed one for the spindle bearings is hard to see, it might be best to unscrew it to find out, but my guess is that they match.

[Charles LamontParticipant @charleslamont71117]

It just needs one of the old push type grease guns like the crappy little Tecalemit thing that came as an oil gun with a Myford lathe. Eg: ebay listing 196523214379

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Fit modern grease nipples and use a standard modern grease gun.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Surely the gun supplied with a Myford was an oil gun?. And a profile image of the nipple would help.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

What was posted was not the standard , ball ended, Tecalamit type hydraulic nipple, and did look more like an oil nipple.

But Old Mart says that the lubrication is grease.

The problem may be that that the grease already there will have congealed, making “top ups” difficult, if not impossible, withoutb resort to trying to soften the deposit by forcing kerosene or white spirit through to soften things.

Howard

[Hopper]

On Hopper Said:

Fit modern grease nipples and use a standard modern grease gun.

Probably too long for the one recessed in the quill, and even if it were short enough, the recess is not large enough to get the business end of a modern grease gun over it. So not even close, let alone a cigar.

For home shop use this thing only needs lubricating about once every ten years anyway, so I don’t think it justifies much worry.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

The other possibility is buy a grease gun injector needle from your local tool or car parts shop. It either screws onto the end of the grease gun in place of the standard nozzle, or has a nipple that fits into the standard nozzle. The other end is a long thin “needle” a few mm diameter with a sharp point on the end and a very small ‘ole up the middle. You stick it in the hole in the grease nipple, displacing the little spring loaded ball that lives in there, and pump a few shots of grease in through that.

[Ian HewsonParticipant @ianhewson99641]

When I had a convo, I used to remove the quill grease nipple and screw in an angled grease nipple, grease and then refit the original nipple.

Ian

[Ian HewsonParticipant @ianhewson99641]

Should read Fobco, but won’t let me edit.

Ian

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