Bearing material.

[Rio_Grande]

The Cultipacker I am reworking needs new bearings. The old ones look like bronze, or an off color brass.

I have looked at several options and they are all outrageously expensive. What is everyone else using in this enviroment to get this old stuff running again?

Jeff

 

[Egon]

Would wooden bearings be a possible fit?

 

[Youare]

Depending on the size bearing you need there may be bronze bushings the correct size available from supply houses like McMaster-Carr.

There are many different types of bearing material available depending on the hardness of the shaft that is turning inside the bearing. You may be able to find a local machine shop that will make the parts you need, most of them are pretty hungry for work and might cut you a deal.

Randy

 

[SensibleNick]

Don't be tempted to make them out of brass: it's terrible as a bearing material and generally only ever gets used due to confusion with bronze.

A fair few machinists will probably have some bronze bar in stock... do you have anyone local machinists you know of? A crate of beers would usually get that sort of work done over here.. :thumbsup:

 

[Baby Grand]

You might consider oil impregnated bronze:
http://www.anchorbronze.com/sinteredbronze.htm
I had good luck with this material for a pilot bearing for an automotive transmission input shaft. Do a quick PV calculation and see if it makes sense. Do the bearings have any kind of dust seals? I'm not familiar with cultipacker construction - they seem pretty minimal/simple.
-Jim

 

[Brad_Blazer]

Can you adapt it to modern bearings?
BEARINGS, DISC - Agri Supply

Enco has some bronze stock on sale if you have lathe access:
Enco - Guaranteed Lowest Prices on Machinery, Measuring Tools, Cutting Tools and Shop Supplies

 

[payton]

I don't know how much these cost but I rememberer my friend who is a machinist telling me about them, I don't rememberer what he was doing with them.

Graphite Plugged Bearings, Self Lubricated Wearplates & Metaline

 

[/pine]

I'm curious as to what type of bearings are needed and exatly what "options" the OP means?
I agree that it sounds like bronze and it's likely that they are a standard size...I've replace them in several old table saws...

Bronze bearing (not solid bronze) is porous and there is usually an oil hole in the casting or journal etc that is used to saturate the bronze bushings..

For wood bearings....

scroll down to "uses" (4th paragraph)
Lignum vitae

 

[pat32rf]

What kind of speed, ID, OD are we talking about? I just scrapped an old cement mixer that has been running (off and on) for twenty years with a simple oil soaked spruce wood bearing....

 

[Soundguy]

I got a disc with old grey iron bearings..

soundguy