Wise squeaking when pulling tension

happyandbob

Legend
My Wise Series 14 has started squeaking when pulling tension. I'm sure it just needs some lubrication, but I'm not sure where it needs it. I reached out to Dan but haven't heard back.

Hoping some of the wise folks on TTW can provide some guidance :D
 

10shoe

Professional
Is it difficult to open the casing of a Wise? I don't know. Never owned one. But, I'm not shy about taking things apart and if it was me I'd open the case and give the bearings a hit of WD-40. If you do open the case, could you post a pic of the innards? I'm curious to know whether it has a lead screw drive.
 

hadoken

Professional
Opening a wise is easy and you will see a screw drive where the tensioner rides...I would lube that screw drive or the pivots where it sits
 

10shoe

Professional
My machine has a lead screw drive and the carriage assembly actually has a standard grease fitting for lubing the screw. I don't think that would be the source of the squeak though. More likely the bearings supporting the screw at either end. On my machine those are mounted flange bearings and they actually go bad often enough that I keep a spare set of new ones on hand.
 

happyandbob

Legend
Thanks everyone! Heard back from Dan as well:

Lubricating the Lead screw

The main Lead screw is the large shiny screw you can see thru the brush where the gripper slides. Please use lithium grease.

The lubricant should be very minimal, no need to open the machine. Just turn the machine On then turn off with the main switch before it reaches the end of travel, add a small amount of grease at the ends of the screw, that will be enough to reduce the noise.

Please do not need to saturate the screw with lubricant. Do not overspill on the electronics.

I recommend using a long swab and applying directly on the screw. It is not for wear and tear, the thermoplastic used for the nut handles friction well. The lubricant is only for reducing noise caused due to dryness and when it has trouble reaching the test cycle.

You can use lithium grease on the lead screw but only if you feel comfortable opening the case. Just put the screws back in the same place, especially the longest one should be on the upper left side. The advantage is that the grease lasts longer. Apply the grease lightly, a little bit is enough.

Another option is spray the screw with a lithium spray, but very careful not to spray the electronics. This you can reach without opening it, you can see the shiny screw through the brush when you move the gripper to the end of the pull.

This video will show you how to open the back cover:
 
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