I have had a Nova DVR drill press for several years (4 to 6, I do not remember). Lately I have been seeing some oil or grease coming down the shaft. It is enough that the rubber ring at the bottom of the shaft is swelling up.

Is this a common thing, or is it a sign of a failure somewhere? Where could the oil/grease be coming from?

I dug out my dial indicator to see what the run-out is. The spindle and the chuck end of the taper are well within tolerance, and in fact the needle on the indicator barely moves. Checking a rod in the chuck is another story, though, as run-out is about 0.007”. That is the maximum allowed under the manufacturer’s specification.

Just for grins I checked lateral deflection. A 10-pound lateral load on a Forster bit results in 0.008” of deflection. Any thoughts about whether this level of lateral stiffness is good, bad, or normal?

I appreciate any thoughts on this, particularly the leaking oil or grease. I’m trying to decide if I need to find a repair shop for it.

Thanks!