At work our large centrifugal pumps uses a set thrust bearings on the outboard end. The outer race OD is 7.25. The inner race ID is 6.35 and the bearings are 1.25 OD. What steel would these be made from and what would the uses be?

Thanks,

Scott

Some of the bearing manufacturers name the alloys on their website. Many bearings are 52100 or similar alloy.

My wife's grandfather was a gunsmith and he used to make flat and round wood carving chisels with bearing race. worth looking into, the prices of round chisels is outrageous ... still have a few in the tool box.  

Those bearings are on the larger side, (won't use the adjective enormous for fear of pictures with one meter bearings showing up) ...  may be you could make wood turning tools with them. As far as making knifes, I don't make knifes so don't know if they would be ok for that. Probably would  ...  with appropriate tampering and tempering  

Some large bearings have races made form case hardened 9620; smaller bearings often are 52100; as is not surprising this has been mentioned here several times before...

5 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

as is not surprising this has been mentioned here several times before...

One of the hazards of impending geezerhood, is that sad feeling, that you've seen it all before .....

Is geezerhood the precursor of curmudgeonhood, or its successor?

Yes!

I had the size where the Timken bearings generally switched as I had a student who spent a couple of years as a metallurgist for Timken bearings; but I believe that was on my previous computer as it was 15-20 years ago...

On 6/13/2017 at 8:42 AM, JHCC said:

Is geezerhood the precursor of curmudgeonhood, or its successor?

As a life-long curmudgeon, ... I can assure you that geezerhood is an "end-stage" condition. 

 

.

I disagree because one can become an old geezer just by waiting to grow old, while becoming a true Curmudgeon is an art form

1 hour ago, Steve Sells said:

while becoming a true Curmudgeon is an art form

I have an older brother who was born that way, and was on his way to being peerless by age 16. I worked for him for two months as a subcontractor - never again.

Thomas is a big teddy bear, he said, from the safety of hundreds of miles of separation.

Are bears omnivores?

Off topic,

Robert Taylor

A friend of mine is a timber mill machinery engineer. He brought in a few old bearings of that sort of size and asked me to straighten the outer races up and put a curved taper into the ends of them for use as pry bars/shifting levers. As far as I know he is still using them 30 years on.

Alan

 Thanks for the replies. I wanted to make sure they were useful for something and not just worthy of the junk yard.

On 6/14/2017 at 8:29 AM, Anachronist58 said:

I have an older brother who was born that way, and was on his way to being peerless by age 16. I worked for him for two months as a subcontractor - never again.

Thomas is a big teddy bear, he said, from the safety of hundreds of miles of separation.

Are bears omnivores?

Off topic,

Robert Taylor

Yes, bears'll vore anything.

Frosty The Lucky.

I made a knife from a differential bearing  for my brother. It came from his Chevy one ton. It has Has not lost it's edge yet. And that has been 27 years since it is still in his sock drawer! Last knife I have made since they are made to be used. Bearing steel will make a good blade. I tested it.