Homemade Lathe Headstock EXTERNAL Gearbox

[Toolmaker51]

Thanks for the comments. Recirculating oil pump would be very nice addition to this project, but I wanted to make it simple. There are plenty lathes with oil bath system and they are working just fine.

Your gearbox, entire development, and presentation gets my vote for "Tool of the Week". Forever!

Benefits from recirculating oil are probably suited to equipment with long run cycles, where baths aerate lubricants to unhappy plain bearings.

Bath oiling works perfectly satisfactory. Suits many gear forms including hypoid and spherical or roller bearings.
I've noticed some work better, where the engineering provides 'paths' for oil to reach components above the fluid level.
Rotating gears transfer oil upward readily, even at slow speeds. Slingers [oil knives] are common in small engines.
Shafts grooved with a shallow long pitched helix generate lengthwise travel. Most are rounded, not vee'd grooves.
Oil wicks [capillaries] are very effective; cotton cord or pipe cleaners wrapped loosely around light gauge stiff wire. Position these over oil ports of bearing housings. About the first boxed gear train I worked on included small balconies; reservoirs to better feed remote capillaries.