My grandfather gave me a pair of bearing scrapers and I had no idea what they were used for until this video. Thanks for showing this in your video. Thanks again for the education.
First time I saw babbitt bearing job was in Keith Fenner Turn wright machine works. Good job I really like watching you guys fixing stuff. Thank You for sharing.
Keith in 1954, I saw workmen pouring babbitt bearings. As they were 'placing' the daming material I remember thinking that looks like something I'd like to play with, but I was told to "stay back". I didn't know what the bearings were or why they were needed but I enjoyed seeing the men do their work and I've enjoyed you doing/showing the process again. Your video is GREAT, a job well done! Thanks....13
Nice job on the bearing pour. I have never poured any Babbitt bearing but have worked with many. The largest, just the bearing cap weighed 1800 lbs. and I had to fit and scrap it in. Very big job and very time consuming. The shaft had to be left in place and the bottom bearing shell had to be rolled out each time to scrap. Babbitt bearing are still used today in many large machines, from 100,000 hp Diesel engines, steam turbines and reduction gear boxes, to your average car engine. Thanks for sharing. Randy
***** It was a Slow Speed Direct Reversing Sulzer Diesel engine 5 Cylinder, about 8000 Hp pretty small. It was the propulsion engine on a small oil tanker I worked on for a few years. The journal was for the Connecting Rod to the Crankshaft.
Interesting. Thanks. No worries about being too busy for the brass. It's all good, and I enjoy watching your mastery of the old skills. I'd heard about my elders grooving babbets I think, but that was a long, long time ago, some kind of bearing on ancient steam boilers(?). Take all the time you want, because I like watching and trying to remember who and when.
great video keith its great watching how some of the old processes are done well not long now and we will be seeing spark in to life when it is all belted up and connected to the line drive cant wait to see that looking forward to the next installment
Keith, thank you for sharing your videos with us I have truly enjoyed them. Please take care of yourself I don’t want to see you overdo it and burn your self out.
Another well done Babbitt pour, Keith! Nice to see the "Vance" almost finished! Can't wait to see it working! Hope to have a video of the Babbitt pour on my "C.S. Bell Eclipse No. 1 Cane Mill" posted soon! Needs to be back together by Oct. 3, 2014 so we cane press Sorghum Cane to make syrup that weekend! Thanks! Jeff
Yep! The sorghum is an "acquired taste" as I always tell people! But it's great for making cookies or bars in place of sugar! Most people think of "molasses" when you talk sugar cane, but the syrup from the actual sugar cane is a lighter syrup; where molasses is a by-product of making sugar from the cane! I'll have to send you some syrup this October, along with the recipe for gingersnaps, or Sorghum caramels, and you can try it that way! Thanks! Jeff
I'm surprised at the work that goes into these bearings after the pour is done! I can hardly imagine how thrilling it will be to fire it up for the first time! If it would happen to be on November 9th at about 9pm, let me know, as we'll be passing through Tifton on our way to Florida. (I'm sure you'll be sitting at home in the recliner about then!)
Hi Keith, love your videos. The steel suppliers I deal with usually stock 1-15/16 shaft in turn ground polished. It is not real cheap but just under $1 per inch. I have a 6 foot piece you can have but shipping from Canada May be a deal breaker. Keep up the great videos.
Thanks for another great video, Keith!. Before long, you'll be making chips -- wood ones instead of metal! Good luck trying to find the shafting you need. Have a good one! Dave
Nice Job, Keith! One small observation about Babbitt, I think we all depend in it every day. The crankshaft & connecting rod bearing inserts in our automobile engines have a thin layer of Babbitt over copper to provide a durable bearing surface. Just an observation, Great work. Dick
Good pour Keith, what you call Babbit right we always called it Duct seal or some other unusual name. I always liked pouring bearings, I guess it made me feel like I was bringing the machine back to life or at least giving it new life. Thanks
I may be way out on a limb here, but have you ever considered cutting your oil grooves with a round burr in a dremel or die-grinder? Maybe a 1/8" or 3/16" burr...I think it would be quick, make a nice round channel, and provide plenty of volume to fill with oil.
Keith, could you use the 2" shaft you have and just bore out the pulleys"? The blocks look like the extra 1/16" wouldn't be a problem. Unless of course the material you have needs to be cleaned up, then turning it down is easy enough. This was just a thought to save a few bucks. Someone out there has to have some 15/16" ground and polished stock they can donate to the restoration project. ;)
Keith, I've had my share of all sizes and lengths of shaft replacements in my 40+ years as a Commercial Electrician/HVAC master technician. I agree the balance would be slightly affected but the bulk of the rotating mass of those big cast pulleys is on the outer half. I don't know what the speed is on that particular shaft, but I suspect it's also slow enough that the rotating mass would dampen the minor offset of the bore. Could it be opened up on a mill instead of a lathe? I'm just throwing some suggestions out there. I really enjoy your videos. I just got finished viewing the Safe refurb. videos. I can't wait for the brass pour and fitting to start!
Keith, Very cool stuff! I wonder how many of those machines had pillow blocks retrofitted with 2" shafts and bored out pulleys in an effort to "modernize" the driveline. Keep up the great videos!
***** I'd can see how you'd hate to see the old babbits cut off, but no one can disagree that it's better that the bearings are replaced and the machine still used, than it be send to the scrap yard because nobody knows how or cares to pour or maintain babbit. :)
Keith do you think you could show us all the tools for scraping in the bearings there hard to find around here in cal. But not difficult to make. I bet
Keith, Really enjoy your vids and your dedication to enlighten those of us that enjoy reconditioning and using the old iron! I have and reconditioned a 1909 17A Oliver bandsaw. My question is , what oil do you recommend for the babbitt bearings?
+tony gall For Babbitt bearings, the kind of oil is really not that important - what is most important is that you keep things oiled. But with that said, for high speed stuff, use a very light weight machine oil (something like sewing machine oil) and for slower shafts something like 30 weight is great. A lot of times I just use way oil like I use in the machine shop.
Keith, you are as busy as a cat on a hot tin roof, looking to do business! Also, pouring babbitt outside in the hot south Summer can't be comfortable. I hope you take some "down time" for yourself and your health. Thank you. Take care.
***** I was browsing the web for pictures and i saw some pictures myself, it would look really nice. I believe it would tie up the whole machine, only black can be a bit bland. Do you know if the artwork done on these machines was by customer demand or something that the maker took liberty in offering?
hello keith, another excellent video.... out of interest is babbitt the same as the white metal bearing shells on modern engines ? best regards Andrew Norman Guernsey, Channel islands
Hmm... Cal me nuts but... Have an feeling that an checker carver. watt they use on gun stocks. The single row cutters. Will be an handy tool to make oil groves with this alloy =)
@5:50 it looks as though the shaft has a turned finish on it. Is this so? If you have not polished the bearing surface why are you showing this as an example of good workmanship to your eager audience? Do the museum have any idea what you are about here and how many hidden problems you are building into this machine?
Keith do you think you could show us all the tools for scraping in the bearings there hard to find around here in cal. But not difficult to make. I bet
