Machining Split Journal Bearings - Home Workshop 

Back in the 1960’s, I was building big astronomical telescopes, making my own mountings and optics, living in Leeds back then. One day I saw an article in the Yorkshire Evening Post with picture of a young fellow also building a large telescope. He lived a long bus trip away, no telephones in my house or his, so it was find his address, write to him to arrange a visit. What is interesting in this story is that during my visit he showed me a big working steam locomotive under construction, nothing too unusual you might say, except he only had one arm. His high precision machining was just like Mr Crispin’s. I think these model engineers have all come out of the same mould. I was very impressed to say the least.

You are an amazing craftsman--far beyond your years. Beautiful job on those bearings. I like the way you soldered them. I will plug you in a future video

Incredible craftsmanship. Think of what they would cost to buy. That's what great about hobby machining, elaborate creations are made without the thought of man hour costs.

Just working my way through the archives ... I really like your use of the slot drills in the tailstock chuck to prevent drift into the soft bronze, I think you were right to be concerned there. Beautiful work ... I like doing 4 jaw work in my own ML7... 😎👍☘️🍺

what a craftsmanship ! Mr Crispin I'm impressed. Best regards from France

Great idea soldering the bronze together thanks

Great work Crispin!

Lovely to watch all this being done. I have used solid brass for my keeps and 2 smaller pins.

If I was not so far away from you I would sure like to meet you but I live in Ohio -USA and that is quiet a swim. Keep up the Great Work you are one hell of a nice young man.

Great lathe fixture design. I have never seen this approach before. Your work was beautiful, the camera work was great, and the explanations clear and concise. Very enjoyable video.

Excellent craftsmanship.

I love your approach on these journal boxes, with the half round upper shell. These bearings are beautiful miniature versions of large press bearings we used in Reynolds can machinery, with a 15" journal diameter. They could run for 10 years, 24 hours a day, before being reworked.

Crispin, very clever with all of your fixtures, and jigging.

Great work and you've gotten better.

Beautiful work Crispin.

Really nice work presented in a nice video. Well done!

Excellent work Crispin, next time someone asks me how to make some of these I'll point them to your video, we have a member in our society (NorwichDSME) whose building a Holmeside with boxes like these! Regards from Norfolk, UK

what an interesting order of operations! well done!!

Fantastic work Crispin, very impressive. I have subscribed, and look forward to your next video. I found this one after watching your nomination to Keith Fenner's 'What's in your box?' I too watch him and Mr Pete, along with Adam Booth, Tom Lipton, James Killroy and a few others. Best wishes from Devon, UK.

Great machining,you are very skilled.

Excellent work Crispin! You are a very talented young man. Look forward to watching all of your videos.

Very well done Crispin, I see you have some nice tooling. Your mill and lathe seem to be in excellent shape, very quiet! I am in the process of refurbishing my Bridgeport step pulley mill. Next will be my Heavy10 Southbend lathe. Nice job on your axle housings. The fit and finish look quite nice. Looking forward to the next step! Razor!

Mrpete222 posted your channel. What a find! Tom - Vista, California - USA

Incredible workmanship and good to watch, keep posting the vids. All the best Gazz

Great video, Crispin. I should have subscribed when I watched your nomination video for the toolbox giveaway a few months ago! I really like your videos, and would like to see more of the machining processes. You've got everything else covered! I was looking forward to the facing operation of the bearing blocks, then BAM, to the next segment showing a pretty part. Great work, and again, thanks for sharing your video.

I found these bearing very interesting how the are made You did some Great machinig work on them

Excellent work.

You're some craftsman.................. lovely work

Amazing! 👌

nicely done ive just got into the hobby and bought a started model of lbsc speedy it needs most of the work redoing and the axle boxes are the first thing that require some work thanks for sharing

Excellent video, really nice products too.

Excellent video and a real pleasure to watch, take an orange out of the bag as first prize, Edmund.............Alberta

I really enjoyed watching that, Please keep up these videos.

I just found your videos--very educational and entertaining! Thank you.

That's a set of perfect and very complicated parts!! Congratulations, I envy your skills :-)! Very fine video work also! Subscribed!

well done

best wishes in your career

Wonderful piece of work, puts my efforts (reamed holes in a lump of cast bronze) at making axleboxes to shame.

excellent!

Very impressive craftsmanship. I just wonder about the concept though, as there will surely be significant sideways forces on the bearing when the loco is working, in addition to the weight acting vertically?

Crispin, all I can say is WOW.....one Brilliant job........you are sure on your way to a fantastic career in metal working.......wishing you the best in the What's in your Box drawing.....best wishes from the USA....Paul

This info may or may not be of any use to you, but it may also be of historical interest for some :) Where you have the Phosphor bronze in your bearing, the trams I used to work on in the museum had a layer of whitemetal as bearing material, being soft metal. I mostly did electrical, but got to help out cast a set of blocks one time, was heaps of fun :)

Those are beautiful! About how long did it take you to make all six?

Fantastic machine work. Would like to have seen more detail on how you made the main housing piece. Did you mill the whole thing mounted in the dividing head?

Mrpete222 sent me here. I'm glad he did.

How many lathes do you have Mr Crispin. I like the work you do nice and clean.

I was really curious about how you'd tackle boring the hole. Can I ask- what is a "slot drill?" Would that be the same thing as an end mill?

what is clearance between the axle journal and the half bronze bearing? 2 or 3 thou?

This mentions previous work, is that available to see too?

why the need for the dividing head on the mill? Why not just set the square block on parallels in the vise and flip it 180?

I reckon you have a faded painting hidden away in your loft, a la Dorian Gray, and in fact you are in your forties or fifties, either that or you are an example of reincarnation.

Audio. See Keith Appelton.