DIY chain oiler / scottoiler ... need valve

[javaman]

After that vic ride my chain was bone dry, perhaps due to rain and it made funny noise all the way home. so I built an oiler, somewhat like scottoiler. I tried it today and it works great.

I need to shut it everytime I stop, to not have a puddle of oil so I need to know if there's a product out there which can do this. Perhaps a simple small 12v valve, vacuum valve or something.

Any ideas ?

[MiG]

I sure hope it's not constantly flinging oil onto the road.

[MickLC]

What size tubing do you have on it? Irrigation places may have something if it's a standard size like 3mm, although I don't know how they'd handle the oil.

[BikerBoy]

Dude,

Use Motorex Chain Lube - recommended to me as one of the best road use chain lubes, doesn't spray all over the place
when you ride like motul lube and isn't as hard to get off as wax. Goes on white so you know what you've sprayed

around $20 for a big can, so far its been great, and i've tried quite a few chain lubes before

and for your actual question... i've no idea/// heh

[javaman]

It's using that black garden tubing and it works excellent. It is set to drip every 1.5 minutes so unless I stop at the traffic light for 2 hours that should not be a problem

I think this system is superior to normal spraying/wax as the chain is kept moist all the time.

I will try to go to Burson's to see what they've got.

[MickLC]

Cool, I think they do little solenoids for irrigations systems, so you might find something. I'm not sure about the cost, size or voltage they work off though.

[javaman]

Interesting. I'll have a look then, hopefully they're 12v, not 110v...

[Benno]

You'll find that they (the irrigation ones) are probably 24v Andy. However, a 12v solenoid is all you need, most gas conversion joints have em. Might be a bit bulky for what you're looking for though!

[mike-s]

Try replacing the irrigation tubing with silicone tubing, the same sort that you get in hobby stores for methanol based model engines. also there are a few vacuum actuated valves, then again a 12v solenoid might me a good idea too, but the worry i'd have is the hold current requirements for the solenoid to be kept open.

[ozten]

Sounds a little dodgy Got any pics??

[javaman]

Sounds a little dodgy Got any pics??

Not as dodgy as my heated grips and bottle holder ozten but yeah I'll post a pic of this magnificent invention soon ..ish

What is a "hobby store" and where can I find one? It's not bunnings/mitre10 isn't it? I cant even get small copper tubing there.

[Ratmick]

I was thinking if you really wanted to get technical (and you had the crap lying around like I do) then a simple 555 timer circuit actuating a small servo from a model remote-control plane/car would do the job.

If you made a cam to fit on the output drive of the servo and had it in its normally unactivated position squash a piece of silicone fuel hose closed, and have the timer circuit drive it open for a short time every 1.5 minutes, then problem solved. When the ignition is switched off, the servo would return to its unactivated postion and the hose would be crimped shut. You could fit it all in a small black Jiffy box, even thread the fuel hose through.

Hobby Shops are shops that sell plastic models, kites, model trains, and radio-controlled planes/car/boats and helicopters. They also sell plastic and metal tubing, model paint, balsa wood and all sorts of expensive crap that appeals to the inner boy in most blokes .

There's three in the city that I know of:

Hobby Place
280- 282 Lonsdale St Melbourne VIC 3000
ph: (03) 9663 4407

Hearns Hobbies
295 Flinders St Melbourne VIC 3000
ph: (03) 9629 1425

Victorian Hobby Centre
1st Floor 21a Swanston St Melbourne VIC 3000
ph: (03) 9650 4817

...but there quite a few scattered across the suburbs as well, just go to http://www.yellowpages.com.au and put in 'Hobby Shop' and your postcode.

Mick

[petro]

Here's something that I have bought, have been too lazy to put it on yet but for the price it is worth a go.

http://loobman.com/

[javaman]

Thanks Mick .. I think I will like going into such shops . Not really prepared to wire something complex like circuits though. Will look at simple solution like vacuum valve or 12 solenoids. The current system already work great, just trying to get rid of manual process of shutting down the valve.

Loobman is a better priced of the available system, but I don't really fancy the manual squeezing of bottle. Original Scottoiler looks the business but they are like $200+. There are some as expensive as $400 for distance-measured oiling too . As the DIY cost me only 50c so far I'm happier to spend $10 or $20 for an automatic valve.

Testing pic before final product, but usually it will stay that way