wood bearings

[bushhog bob]

Is anyone familiar with wooden bearings for old cultipacker? They are 3 1/2" wide, 5 1/2" high and 1 3/4" thick. The hole for axle is 1 3/4" diameter. It has (2) two 3/8" bolt holes. The old bearings are rotten and busted apart.

 

[Z-Michigan]

This is a very old style, but the idea is that they are easy to replace because you can make your own replacements with basic woodworking tools. I think the wood would most likely be oak or hickory and you would oil or wax the bearing surface.

 

[Ford850]

Yep, White Oak or Hickory are the common ones to use.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Is anyone familiar with wooden bearings for old cultipacker? They are 3 1/2" wide, 5 1/2" high and 1 3/4" thick. The hole for axle is 1 3/4" diameter. It has (2) two 3/8" bolt holes. The old bearings are rotten and busted apart.

They used to be very common. A friend has a Dearborn (Ford) disc that has wooden boxings (bearings) Dad used to like elm, beech, or hickory when replacing them. They actually held up fairly well even compared to iron.

 

[Egon]

I too can remember wooden bearings.

I'd use whatever high density wood you have available.

 

[art]

For the non-wood working people we have often just changed them out to pillow block bearings. Oak, hickory and ash were used as well as the strongest is an african wood that is red in color.

 

[OldMcDonald]

There is a good article (which I saved but regret do not have the technological brain to direct link anyone else to it) from the Schumacher Centre -www.practicalaction.org abouth Oil Soaked Wood Bearings giving the how and why about making your own. Old McDonald.

 

[cp1969]

For the non-wood working people we have often just changed them out to pillow block bearings. Oak, hickory and ash were used as well as the strongest is an african wood that is red in color.

I have heard of a wood called lignum vitae used as bearings.
Lignum vitae - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[diyDave]

Lignum Vitae is good, but expensive. Better and cheaper is Black Locust, you can even drill it and tap it for a grease fitting.

 

[SFish]

I have a chunk of Lignum vitae that was pulled from a worn propeller shaft bearing on an old steam ship. I cut off a piece, drilled, tapped, and turned it on a metal lathe to make a gearshift knob. It was very dense and nice looking.

Steve