Needle Valve Sight Gravity Drip Feed Oiler - What tubing have you used?

[Metalmuncher]

Well, as I mentioned, I want to be able to use this on my lathe or mill. On the lathe, it could probably be a fairly rigid setup. But on the mill, with the various kinds of operations and work mounting it can handle, I think a flexible tube coming down from some safe location, say the side of the head casting, would be the best way to go, so I could then position the drip wherever it is needed, on either side of a cutter, close to a small end mill, further away for a large fly cutter or boring head, etc. , while keeping the glass oiler up out of harm's way from flying chips and spinning cutters.

The oil can spout is a really good idea, if I can come up with one that actually will stay how it is bent. I have several oil cans, and none of their flexible spouts can be used with much accuracy unless I use one hand on the spout and one on the can. The beauty of the Cardan Joint tube is that it is highly position-able. But, I do have one can that has a nice thin flexible metal spout, rather like a piece of miniature armored cable in appearance. It is probably the best at staying as positioned, and it threads into the top of the can pump. If I can match whatever thread they used and make an adapter over to female 1/8 pipe thread I can give that a try!

Thanks for the idea!

Hopefully its ID is not too small so as to interfere with oil flow under only the pressure of gravity.

Edit - Good news! Since the oil can using said spout is a Dutton-Lainson, made in USA, I am pleased to find they used 1/4-28 threads to attach the spout to their can. So all I need to do is make a 1/8 NPT to 1/4-28 F to F thread adapter to try it. I was afraid it would be some unusual thread I didn't have taps and dies for. (I've never turned internal threads yet on a lathe, and wouldn't want to try to learn on something this small. )

It is not what I would call "highly" position-able, but it does seem to hold whatever curvature I make on it, within its limitations. It won't curve very tightly. Now to make the adapter and see if its small passage will allow a drip feed.