Wooden bearings
-
- Warming the Engine
- Posts: 82
- Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2017 1:10 am
- Boat Name: No Boat Yet
Wooden bearings
I know I'm probably asking for a hailstorm of flaming arrows to shoot down the idea, but, growing up I worked with lots of farm equipment that used wooden bearings, from grain augers to hay bailer plungers. My grandfather was what would now be considered a "Mennonite" (German anabaptist) and was very much against owning anything that he couldn't make parts for and taught me how to make "bearings" by weight down the densest parts of hard wood to submerge it under oil then heat it to 250F and hold that temperature a while after it stopped bubbling and let it slow cool. The water fraction of the wood steamed away, and as it slowly cooled was replaced with the oil (grass fed pig lard was his preferred). Then shape it with simple wood working tools. From what I saw (filtered through the rose colored glasses of time) they worked extremely well, failed gracefully rather than catastrophically, and usually outlasted proper "English" bearings. So..anybody using wooden bearings?
May predictive auto spell be damned
- TahoeSteam
- Full Steam Ahead
- Posts: 813
- Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2014 5:38 am
- Boat Name: Wayward Belle
- Location: South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
- Contact:
Re: Wooden bearings
Lignum vitae was a commonly used wood bearing for cutlass bearings and rudder gudgeons back in the steam ship era and at least into the big WW2
~Wesley Harcourt~
https://www.youtube.com/c/wesleyharcourtsteamandmore
https://www.youtube.com/c/wesleyharcourtsteamandmore
- Kelly Anderson
- Full Steam Ahead
- Posts: 173
- Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2011 1:28 am
- Boat Name: Vividus
- Location: Strasburg, PA
- Contact:
Re: Wooden bearings
I understand that some traction engines came from the factory with wooden link blocks, some of which survived into the preservation era.
It was not easy to convince Allnutt. All his shop training had given him a profound prejudice against inexact work, experimental work, hit-or-miss work.
-
- Full Steam Ahead
- Posts: 936
- Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2011 6:41 pm
- Boat Name: B.N.Y.S.
- Location: Middle Earth
Re: Wooden bearings
I volunteered for a time working on restoring a flint and bone mill, and the line shafts (10" dia) were set in Lignum bearings. It was said as long as the speeds were slow it was ideal. They had possibly been there since the place was built 150 years before.
Retirement is about doing what floats your boat!
A BODGE : - A Bit Of Damn Good Engineering.
A BODGE : - A Bit Of Damn Good Engineering.
- barts
- Full Steam Ahead
- Posts: 1070
- Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:08 am
- Boat Name: Otter, Rainbow
- Location: Lopez Island, WA and sometimes Menlo Park, CA
- Contact:
Re: Wooden bearings
You may find this paper on wooden bearings interesting.
https://rogersathre.com/Sathre&Gorman_2 ... arings.pdf
https://rogersathre.com/Sathre&Gorman_2 ... arings.pdf
Wooden journal bearings continue to be used in specialized
industrial applications in North America (Steuernagle 2001).
At least three companies currently manufacture wooden bear-
ings in the United States with total annual sales estimated at
$2 to 2.5 million (Steuernagle 2002). The bearings are used in
screw-auger conveyers to transport bulk materials, because of
the bearings’ ability to work well under dry abrasive condi-
tions with irregular lubrication. Wood is also used in roll-end
bearings for roller conveyers and other specialty applications,
where their low cost is an advantage. These bearings are gen-
erally made of hard maple wood (Acer saccharum, ‘rock
maple’) saturated with wax or oil lubricant, and compete suc-
cessfully with a wide range of other bearing materials includ-
ing metals, plastics and ceramics. Accumulated experience
has led to design guidelines regarding radial clearance, grain
direction, load-speed relationships, and other operational fac-
tors (Steuernagle 2001, Anon. 1977).
-------
Bart Smaalders http://smaalders.net/barts Lopez Island, WA
Bart Smaalders http://smaalders.net/barts Lopez Island, WA
-
- Warming the Engine
- Posts: 82
- Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2017 1:10 am
- Boat Name: No Boat Yet
Re: Wooden bearings
Very interesting! They even tested pork tallow! I've only skimmed it but saw no mention of burnishing them in. I was taught whenever possible(split bearing with a retaining strap or housing) to make it slightly to small of a clearance for the shaft then tighten it down while the shaft was turning, first sign of smoke stop the shaft, douse it with water until the shaft was cooled and repeat until it was tight. It polished the surfaces and when the shaft cooled it left the proper clearance.
May predictive auto spell be damned
- RNoe
- Full Steam Ahead
- Posts: 250
- Joined: Sun May 26, 2019 5:29 pm
- Boat Name: Cluaran
- Location: Northern Oregon, USA
Re: Wooden bearings
The 1910 Altman Taylor 16 h.p. steam traction engine I work on has Wolf valve gear with wooden blocks for sliders.Kelly Anderson wrote: ↑Wed Oct 20, 2021 2:50 amI understand that some traction engines came from the factory with wooden link blocks, some of which survived into the preservation era.
They are adjustable for clearances and have not required replacement in many decades.
I am not sure what USA species of wood they are made from.
RussN
- DetroiTug
- Full Steam Ahead
- Posts: 1863
- Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 5:56 pm
- Boat Name: Iron Chief
- Location: Northwest Detroit
Re: Wooden bearings
Wood bearings used in agricultural implements like disc cultivators were from Boxwood. A Hardwood and naturally oily wood.
- Lopez Mike
- Full Steam Ahead
- Posts: 1903
- Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2011 6:41 am
- Boat Name: S.L. Spiffy
- Location: Lopez Island, Washington State, USA
Re: Wooden bearings
I've seen them in a number of applications. There is one thing in common with all of these successful uses. Low speeds and little resulting heat.
All of the various wood treatments don't do much for thermal conductivity. As soon as there is much heat generated, things go downhill. The smoke gets out!
As Wes and Mike have noted, Lignum Vitae (sic) has a long history in slow speed applications. Myself, I'll take acetal resins. Easier to find hereabouts.
Mike
All of the various wood treatments don't do much for thermal conductivity. As soon as there is much heat generated, things go downhill. The smoke gets out!
As Wes and Mike have noted, Lignum Vitae (sic) has a long history in slow speed applications. Myself, I'll take acetal resins. Easier to find hereabouts.
Mike
If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.
Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
-
- Warming the Engine
- Posts: 82
- Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2017 1:10 am
- Boat Name: No Boat Yet
Re: Wooden bearings
I would think that if the wood has given its smoke up that the acetyl would have failed already also
May predictive auto spell be damned