My oiler
- Thread starter kjudd
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Pauls_Workshop
ArboristSite Operative
I need to make one just like this. Can I ask what are the fittings sizes and the tubing size? And the control flow valve? Where could I buy these? thx- Paul
It is 1 1/2 in tubing and fittings. With a 3/4in npt to 1/4in barn fitting for the bottom. Then 1/4in clear tubing from tractor supply. And the Valve is Just a lawn mower gas shut off valve.
The one thing I do suggest is make sure you can take it off the mill easily. That's why mine is zip tied to the stick. I can just pull it out of the up right and set it off to the side when needed. Makes Life a lot nicer.
Pauls_Workshop
ArboristSite Operative
Beautiful Kjudd, I've been thinking about making one for some time but didn't get around to it yet, and thinking about how to control the flow, etc. I have a Tractor Supply local so will start there. Super! - Paul
I can't see why this is needed unless perhaps a mill is laid on its side for transport or sharpening the chain while it's on the mill, and the top of the aux oil reservoir is not sealed. I find it easier to leave the oiler on the mill and use a tight fitting screw top with a hole drilled in it part way down the side. when Milling I turn the screw fitting to expose the hole and when transporting/sharpening screw the top on to cover the hole.
I can appreciate you are only cutting small logs but one problem with a tall narrow reservoir is the oil delivery rate falls more rapidly as the level changed and adjustment on the flow rate mid cut will be required.
To overcome that problem a short/squat reservoir is preferred or better still is an adjustable oil flow control that the operator can easily operate from the milling position. On a small mill its possible to just reach over to the outboard side of the mill and do this. For bigger logs I setup this old bicycle gear selector lever to control the flow.
I can leave the oiler on to sharpen. But its easier for me just to pop it off. That way I don't have to worry about breaking it. 95% of my milling is done with a 25in bar. Very rarely do I use my 32in bar. So i can easy reach the valve from the milling position. So the small oiler works for me. But I see how a short/wide one would work better for bigger trees and less fills. I wounder how much the flow rate actual changes over those couple of inches. I have ran it almost dry and didn't notice any difference in chain wetness. (which is a super scientific measurement. lol)
Same on my small mill
Now that I think about it I noticed the difference when using canola but since switching back to bar oil, not so much. Maybe the viscosity of the oil is the main factor that determines the flow?
The viscosity would a factor to take in consideration. And they may be why I have seen a noticeable difference flow with the narrow/tall oiler. I might have to a time test to see if there is a noticeable difference.
Fill the oiler full. Open the valve all the way and see how long it takes to fill a cup. Then do it at half full and almost empty just to see what the difference is.
I like the idea of your experiment as the tackifier additives in bar oil almost certainly make it a non-Newtonian fluid. This means the flow does not depend linearly with pressure. so doubling the pressure will not double the flow.
Pauls_Workshop
ArboristSite Operative
Bob, there will be some effect from the pressure for sure as the height changes - your original thought. So there might be some benefit from a stubby reservoir over a tall small diameter one. Kjudd's time measurement idea is a good one. I would only add one more run at 1/4 full to compare to 1/2 and full times. Viscosity also is a factor in the rate for a given oil used, but it won't change the ratio of times measured with a given oil. Meaning the flow rate would differ between oil viscosities, but not the pressure effect as the oil drains from the reservoir. The pressure effect is purely a function of the height of the reservoir and where the exit hole is. - Paul
This assumes the viscosity stays constant with pressure. The tackifier and other additives added to bar oil is a rather strange material designed to flow more easily at low pressure but less so at higher pressure. This is done so that it does not get squeezed out quite so easily from the bar rails and groove when under the chain pressure.
Experimentally it would be better easier to let oil drain into a container placed on a set of scales and weigh and record the amount of oil coming out every 15 seconds or so. Then plot a graph of added oil as a function of time. If the oil is Newtonian the graph will be a straight line - if it is non-newtonian the graph will be a curve. I have all the gear for this in my lab (er . . . shop) and will do the experiment maybe today.
I don't think the wife would be very happy to find her baking scale in my shed with a cup of bar oil on it. lol It would be the one time she would come out to see what I was doing. I will be looking forward to your results BobL.
IyaMan
Addicted to ArboristSite
Also, temperature will have a noticeable effect, depending on the oil. Vegetable oils will be certainly thicker on cool days. (heck, on cold days, olive oil becomes hard... not that you'd ever use it though). I can imagine bar oil too will change on cool vs warm days, or even early morning vs mid-afternoon.
Anyway, I'm curious to see your test outcomes!
Anyway, I'm curious to see your test outcomes!
Pauls_Workshop
ArboristSite Operative
Bob, yes, but I'm saying the viscosity effect from the oil additives is not that great and can't come close to overpowering the pressure effect. The key thing with the oil additives is to try to maintain a reasonable viscosity with different TEMPERATURES, not pressures, so your car oil will still flow at freezing or 90 F ok. This is the W in the 10-W30. Straight SAE 30 will not flow well at all cold whereas 10-W30 weight will. All incompressible Newtonion fluids follow fundamental laws of physics and fluid flow, whatever the viscosity of them is at any given temperature (i.e. pressure effect or head). Anyhow, the experiment sounds like fun to share here! I believe the flow rate will be much greater with a full tank than with a 1/4 tank! - Paul
I thought I had learned that the W in an oil weight designation indicated that that was its viscosity at the low temperature standard (0 F or maybe it is 32 F) and without the W it is the velocity at a higher standard test temperature. (No idea what that temp is, 120 F? Maybe considerably higher. )
10W-30 means it has the viscosity of a 10 weight (thinner) at the low temp, and the viscosity of a 30 at the higher temp. (It doesn't thin out as much at higher temps as a 10 weight. ) That is what multi-viscosity means.
10W-30 means it has the viscosity of a 10 weight (thinner) at the low temp, and the viscosity of a 30 at the higher temp. (It doesn't thin out as much at higher temps as a 10 weight. ) That is what multi-viscosity means.
Pauls_Workshop
ArboristSite Operative
Sure but straight SAE 30 will not flow well below freezing so not for cars. OK for lawn equipment and small engines as they don't operate there. All these details can just be googled. Point is pressure or head applies to all of them, which is the major input into the flow rate, where temperature effects on the viscosity is a separate matter. - Paul
IyaMan
Addicted to ArboristSite
I was also now curios about viscosity... then found that Bob was also an expert on this too:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/viscosity-charts/
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/viscosity-charts/
Wow - he also has a forum on oil with 58000 members and 4 million posts. I must have a browse some time.
Sure but there's more to oil additives than just maintaining viscosity with temperature. Eg gear oil additives are pressure related, bar oil additives are sticky or tacky related.
Pauls_Workshop
ArboristSite Operative
Most of the additives to oils are a black box, different and secret by each oil manufacturer. The temp/viscosity effects are well known and understood as they meet a given rating. Let's see the test results. I'll be pretty surprised if the additives have much of an effect on the test results with the oils we are talking about here. Another way to confirm that would be to repeat the test again with a vegetable based oil and compare. - Paul
