CKillgore Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Hello again guys, Well my foundation for the 100lb LG is coming along. I have the hammer still on the trailer as I'm waiting to get the foundation ready to get someone with a forklift over here. One thing I noticed was that there were no shims under the main bearing caps. I was thinking I would be pouring new babbitt bearings. Well, I started to clean off the gunk on the outside of it and found something unexpected... It appears to be brass or bronze main bearings instead of babbitt. I haven't been able to make the shaft slop up and down by hand but I haven't been able to really run it since it's on the trailer still. Will brass work okay for this? Should I leave these bearings in place or try my hand at pouring new ones?? It was being used before I got it. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Bronze bearings are generally considered a step up. If they are in good shape why would you want to change them out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKillgore Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 Bronze bearings are generally considered a step up. If they are in good shape why would you want to change them out? Well, I don't know a whole lot about these machines and did not know if they work as well as the original babbitt ones. They do appear to be in good shape so I will leave them alone! Thankyou for the reply! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Just remember the oil/grease for the bearings. Do the bronze bearings have a grease fitting and way to pump in the lube? Usually with these hammers, too much oil is just about enough. I oil my hammer ever time I walk past it, even if I am not using it. Oil is cheap compared to the work to fix things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew T Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Have the iron castings been machined to take the bronze bearings? Are they pinned or screwed to the bore? If you ever take the caps off please take some photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKillgore Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 Just remember the oil/grease for the bearings. Do the bronze bearings have a grease fitting and way to pump in the lube? Usually with these hammers, too much oil is just about enough. I oil my hammer ever time I walk past it, even if I am not using it. Oil is cheap compared to the work to fix things. I went to double check. I have been spraying some oil up in there but haven't gotten a ladder to go look in and see what it looks like. There are some holes in there. Kind of hard to see in the picture but they are there! I will be sure to put excess amounts of oil :) Have the iron castings been machined to take the bronze bearings? Are they pinned or screwed to the bore? If you ever take the caps off please take some photos. I really have no idea if they are machined or not. If I do take the caps off, I'll let you know :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I associate spraying with lighter oils; did you mean pumping? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Happy New Year, Mr. Kilgore The shims between the bearing caps and the body are used as clearance adjusters. If the bearings have been replaced with brass/bronze, that is a very good thing. Like Thomas said, that is a step up (more than one step up in my mind. That means someone cared about your Baby!!!!). "If it ain't broke, Don't fix it". Create a log book. On (this date) I checked the top bearings and there was (.005" play????). Check it with a mag base and a dial indicator. Check everything and write the clearance down. How much movement in the toggle arms (write it down), what is the center line length of the toggle arms, What are the pin diameters. Etc. Etc. Etc. If you don't have a magnetic base and a Dial Indicator, consider it an investment in your livelyhood. You can find them for about $40.00 and up. More expensive does not mean more accurate. Reasonable quality is good. Get yourself a set of 8" Vernier Calipers, non digital or dial work the best (yes they are extremely accurate without a battery or a rack that dirt can get in and make the dial jump) IMHO. Create enough information so you can fabricate a part, if/when a part fails. Some people call that a Blueprint, I call it creating a data base. Enjoy the journey, "Respect returned, is Respect given", :) :) Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L Smith Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Before you remove the bronze bearings or any part related center punch witness marks on it and the adjoining part. Such as a punch mark an the casing and a punch mark in line on the upper bearing. The next part removed gets two punches. Pencil, ink, or paint identifiers on old equipment won't last they rub off. This will save you days of frustration during reassembly. They must be indelible. They may be already there -- you just need to look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 The reservoir with the to weep holes is the oiler for the main bearings. I believe there should be a felt pad in the bottom of each so the oil doesn't just run through. I've only taken a close look at this detail on a few LGs. I really like chainsaw bar oil with a little Duralube as an additive. Spray oils aren't going to cut it, you'll do better with bacon grease or lard. Chinsaw bar oil is sticky stuff, it has to be to keep from being slung out of the chain. Oh it does get slung off but nothing like using say 30wt. motor oil or gear oil, they just spray out like water off a bicycle tire. Bar oil sticks to the bearings, my LG weeps oil instead of dripping it like most. The Duralube is a super high film strength very slick oil (of some sort). I decided to give it a try in my chainsaw just because I had some and about two jiggers worth in a gallon of bar oil made a HUGE difference. If you use chainsaws this next bit is something you deal with every tie you run one. The chain has to be kept at the right tension or one of two things will happen, too loose and it'll jump out of the track in the bar, called throwing the chain. OR it'll be too tight to move and just sit there while the clutch squeals. So, you start with the chain adjusted to the correct tension but as you use it the chain sliding in the track starts to heat up and expand so after a bit you have to stop the saw and tighten the chain. This goes on during the day but once it's good and hot it'll be good for a few hours. What the heck is Frosty rambling about chainsaws for, what's that got to do with blacksmithing or LGs? You ask. Well, a little curiosity and serendipity paid off. Seems the bar oil with a little Duralube in it is so lick the chain hardly got warm enough to melt snow on the bar so I only had to do a tiny warm up adjustment after about 10 minutes of cutting and it was good to go for the rest of the day. (Yeah, I still have the bar oil with Duralube I was using when the Great White . . . Birch got me) And that's the oil I use in my LG, it works great, better than anything else I've seen used. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Frosty, it seems Debs forgot to put chainsaws on your 'do not use ' list, or are you looking for a whupping :) :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKillgore Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 Thanks for all the advice everyone. I had been spraying some mink oil lube in there as a penetrant to get it free and moving. It was a bit seized up when I first tried to turn it. I'm planning on switching to bar and chain oil once I actually get the thing in the shop and running. Now I'm thinking I will add some Duralube to it as well. How much do you add Frosty? Also, good to know on the chainsaw. I've been hunting for figured woods and burls and chainsawing them up. I'll have to try the duralube for that as well :D That sounds like some sound advice swededfiddle. I'll go huntin for a magnetic dial indicator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKillgore Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 One thing I still don't understand is how to properly tension the spring. I would probably need to make a separate thread for that. Right now, the dies are touching and I was told I would need to adjust it where there is 1-2" of clearance with the hammer at the 6 o'clock position. I guess there is some kind of balance between how much to tension the spring vs how much to move the whole assembly up on the pitman? Is there any rule of thumb as to how much tension to put on the spring of a 100lb LG? I was told if it's too loose, the ram will go up and hit the spring. Too tight, and the spring could explode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Yes tension it so they don't do either! You may want to look up "the Bang Tap Miss" video if you want extensive information on methods of tuning your hammer. I generally just adjust till I get it where I like it's action.Ianinsa---I wouldn't get on Frosty's bad side---he's been know to play Irish stand down with a son of a birch and *win* and cut his enemy's relations up with a chainsaw and burn them in the woodstove.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Thomas, I believe that frosty has many sides i.e. in, out ,near ,far, etc. But I can't(refuse to) believe that he can have a 'bad' side! The only reason that we( I ) make fun of his is cause its so easy we love him. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Fosty, is that "duralube" as in high end two stroke oil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Duralube as found in the automotive section near motor oil. I earball a couple jiggers worth to a gallon, say a scant 1/4 cup. Nothing exact about it I earball just under 2 glugs on a warm day. No squeezing the bottle now! A little bit does the trick, a whole lot doesn't improve things. Oh and while you guys are picking on me will you scratch that spot I can't reach under my left shoulder blade? I don't want to birch but the itch won't leave me alone. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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