Bearing Question

[eeka chu]

Originally posted by sq225917
re plastics, there's alwasy annealed vesconite, lower friction coefficient than wet ice....

bitch to work with.

I noticed the guys who make Vesconite do a line of premoulded bushings. MOQ is ten parts. I might be interested in getting hold of one or two if anyone else was; depends how much they are.

I asked them about glass filled Teflon. Apparently Vesconite is better (wudn't 'ya have guessed! ). I haven't checked the data sheets, but it may be a bit more resistant to compression and such than Teflon given that it's designed for ship prop and rudder bushings. The Vesconite to steel coefficient of friction is 0.08, which is pretty good considering Teflon (t3h bestorz) is 0.04.

They do a version called HiLube, which lubricates it's self like oil impregnated bronze.

[makinson1]

I still like the idea of a hardened tool steel shaft in a bronze bushing with a small amount of automatic transmission fluid.

[eeka chu]

Originally posted by makinson1
I still like the idea of a hardened tool steel shaft in a bronze bushing with a small amount of automatic transmission fluid.

Maybe you could use the Chrome Vanadium shaft of a screwdriver. Although, it (and tool steel) will be next to impossible to machine compared with some of the other possibilites; you'd probably need access to a cylinderical surface grinder to use those in custom profiles.

Although, if you were very careful with the sizes you might be able to get away with using a stock piece of drill rod from www.onlinemetals.com. They do ground and polished lengths of the steel.

Vesconite is harder wearing than bronze. The manufacturers found it lasts about ten times longer, without any lubrication.

[sq225917]

i cnc'd a 1 1/8" bicycle headset out of vesconite when i was at Uni, it lasted me 3 years before it cracked, no lube,no cleaning, if i hadn't been such a weight weenie it would still be going strong today..

[eeka chu]

I've been trying to hunt down reasonable lengths of either Vesconite or glass filled Teflon.

Vesconite HiLube is available in premoulded bushings, so they'll probably be an okay option but, as I say, they have a 10 part MOQ.

I also found somewhere selling glass filled Teflon tubing, but the stock lengths are 2m and $200+ each. They also have a $250 MOQ for international orders.

I did find one place that supplies vacuum chamber equipment for labs that sells glass filled Teflon washers. They're 3/4" and £6.68 + VAT each. They also have a £35 MOQ. I'm not sure about the exact dimensions of the washers either. They're probably only about 1/4 - 1/5" thick, and I don't know if the 3/4" is OD or ID. I did ask.

I would agree that Vesconite is competition for glass filled Teflon based on what I've read so far about it, perhaps even better (harder wearing / less flexible). Might also be cheaper. Neither is easy to get.

Where did you get your's from sq225917?

[makinson1]

Guess I'm not the first guy to think of the Chris King headset idea. How about a Thompson seatpost? Gey out that mountain bike junk box and see what else is in there! Mcmaster-Carr in Chicago will sell you pre-machined Tungsden Carbide shafts, bronze bushings, drill rod, ceramic and glass ball bearings, etc.

[sq225917]

I cadged it from a mate who i kitesurf with who used to work for SP systems the carbon fibre manufacturers,no idea what they used it for.

unfortunately he's moved jobs

vesconite.com do it in 1m lengths, nearest supplier is SA.

[makinson1]

Cadged? Is that a lesser crime than nicking? Or is Cadge the first part of beg-borrow-steal? We will now have to show the turntable world the amazing properties of lubes made by Phil Wood, the guy who invented the sealed hubs for bicycles.
http://www.philwood.com/

[sq225917]

i think cadged comes somewhere between requesting and begging..

i used to have Phil Woods on my track bike..