Qustions for you machine heads

C Craft

C Craft

Well-Known Member
I have been searching for two days and have made numerous searches for something and I am not calling it by the right terminology to pull up what I am needing.

I need a bearing or roller that has the ability to handle an exterior load force. Such as you might think of on a material handler or conveyer roller. It seems no matter how I enter the search I can't pull up what I need.

I need a steel bearing/roller capable of handling a steel surface running across it with load. However it has to have a yoke style mount, in other words supported on both ends, (not a stud type mount).

Refer to this page, http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/m...mpaignId=T9A&gclid=CMWh3OmsnLwCFQto7AodeScA0Q

In the center is a stud type mount on the top right is yoke mount. My problem is I can't seem to find anything close to the dimensions I need!!
Approximate deminsions should be 1" length X 1/4" ID ( or smaller ID for shaft) X 3/8" OD (or larger OD). I would prefer to buy this with mount if possible. If not I can fabricate the mount!

What I am thinking of is something similar to the roller in this pic

1306-next-generation-race-engine-ls-elite-roller-lifters_zps22bed8b7.jpg


of these roller lifters from an auto engine! Has anyone got any ideas here on where to find what I am looking for?????????????
 
Hey thanks to both of you. Calvin I might have to come and look at those. If nothing else I finally would get too meet you, (seeing as we only live a short distance from each ohter).

Ausbrooks I don't have the yoke I will have to fabricate it unless I can find what I have in mind!Guys sometimes I get exited about an idea and it make perfect sense to me but when I try to explain it, well that is another story! LOL

This is what I am up to. I have a heavy gauge 2" square tube and a 1 1/2" heavy square tube, now we all know that one will slide inside the other. However there is little over 1/8" of play.

Well what I am working on requires closer tolerances than that. Thus the idea of roller bearing spaced along the outside of the tube should compensate for the tolerance as the small tube slides inside the larger tube, thus keeping the smaller tube centered in the large tube as it travels. The mounts will have to be adjustable so I can get the pressure right, and be mounted on all four sides of the larger tube, (NOT SHOWN ON ALL FOUR SIDES IN DRAWING). Sometimes my ideas are more trouble than there worth but, you never know till you try!!

Here is a pic of what I am building, my version of a Stewmac vice they sell for $440 dollars. So far I got about $60.00 in scrap metal invested in it and some time for fabrication.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Vises/Ultimate_Vise.html

Ultimate_Vise_sm1_zps2a61e969.jpg


Well they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I hope a crude drawing is worth something! My scanner on my printer quit so I am doing this the hard way, trying to photograph a crude hand drawing to explain what I am trying to accomplish! OK I used the edit feature on photobucket to try and clean-up this picture so I hope you can see it!

IMG_2611_zpsa2c7f4f0.jpg


I have been fabricating tools all my life. I learned from my father and there was times when he thought I was crazy to try and build some of the things I have built over the year. Most folks look upon an old tool as junk or scrap metal but I always see those parts that I could use do something else with. I have always been a packrat with old things so here I go again. Trying to fabricate up what I can see in my minds eye so clearly.

My neighbor that recently passed always called me MacGyver and he would always ask if there was anything I couldn't build! I miss him so when I finish this I am going to paint on the side of it TomMac in honor of my friend! Vietnam veteran and a third bout from cancer caused from Agent Orange bother him no more! God's speed Tom!
 
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Here is what I have fabricated up at this point. IT is MY version of the Stewmac.
Most of has only tack welds holding parts in place. How ever it was at this point I began to realize that the jawS were not going to pull up centered all the time due the play in the small and large tube!


IMG_2612_zpsc7815a92.jpg


IMG_2614_zpsdbc34154.jpg


The difference in my version and the original is that the rear jaw is set-up on a pivot similar to a hinge.
When finished you loosen a screw and it will allow for the rear jaw to pivot slightly when needed thus allowing you to clamp-up any odd shaped thing you want to clamp up in the vice securely.

IMG_2613_zpsaf59cf17.jpg


This idea came from a gun smith who had built his own version of the Stewmac and uses it when he is building gun stocks and in his gun smith bussiness! Here is his version of the Stewmac.

Workbench2_zpsbaf2cbde.jpg


I was following a thread about a double barreled black powder rifle he was building and I kept catching glimpses of his vice he uses. One day I emailed him and asked about the vice. He was nice enough to send me detailed pics of his vice plus a link to the original Stewmac.

Ultimate_Vise_sm1_zps2a61e969.jpg


That's when my wheels began to turn and I have been working on this idea off and on for a while!
 
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I like your ideas - I've enjoyed building tools almost as much as knives:)

From looking at the photos, there is only a small clearance between the two square tubes. What about a couple of 1/2" bolts tapped into the sides and the top. Two bolts on the left side would keep the inside tube lightly pressed to the right side preventing any slop there. Then tap two bolts holes in top to keep inside tube lightly pressed to bottom to prevent any slop. One top and bottom bolt would right at the vise end, the other a few inches back of the stationary vice jaws. Perhaps use of brass bolts that would allow inside tube to slide a bit easier?

This would at least be easy to do and provide "proof of concept" - and just might be all that's needed.

I like the looks of that vise! Keep us updated on progress.

Ken H>
 
Ken, I have already thought about that one. I was hesitant as I was afraid the travel might be too rough, and dismissed the idea. Now that I re-think about that idea again, it would be much quicker and easier to do. I may have to try it and if it won't provide the result I need I can always fall back on the rollers again!

I think if I can figure out an easy consistent way to grind a ball more or less on the end of the bolts to let the tube slide over it easily!

Thanks for bringing that idea back to the forefront again!!:les:
 
That's what we're here for - to bounce ideas around trying to come up with best way to do something. The result is usually a combination of several ideas from different folks. That's what makes this place (and the internet in general) such a great place.

I don't think grinding a ball on the end will be a problem for a knife maker like you - the ball doesn't need to be anywhere near perfect, just sorta break the corners so it doesn't tend to hang. I think you'll be surprised how easy it will slide. You're not looking for "free" sliding are you? Just sliding as you turn the handle for screw to move vise in 'n out? I don't think you'll ever really know the difference with the screw - and you've got a nice long handle - that is the handle I see in one of the photos?

Ken H>
 
After I got to re-thinking the idea I did a Goggle search on grinding a ball on the end of a bolt, and up pops these sites.

Lo and behold there is such a bolt available with a ball bearing set in the end. You can buy them headed or no head W/SOCKET SET SCREW Boy Howdy are they proud of them though.

http://www.jwwinco.com/products/section11/gn605-ni/

1/4 X 20 size are $6.88ea. :what!::31::confused2:
http://estore.jwwinco.com/default.aspx?page=item detail&itemcode=3T5000P46/AN

Unless I can find them at a much better price I will be making my own, minus the ball bearing!!

EDIT: OK, I did find them for about 1/2 that price, $3.15ea.

http://workholdingcomponents.morton...cat=master-catalog&prodid=3001161&itemid=3465

And yes that is the handle you see in one of the pics!
 
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Those are a good idea - and at $3.15 each, that's only $12.60 for 4 of them, plus shipping of course. Did they have anything larger than 1/4-20? At a reasonable price of course:)

I do think you'd be surprised how little resistance just a rounded brass bolt would give thru the screw/handle setup you've got.

Ken
 
The bigger they get the bigger the price, however I opted for a set screw. I am going to round the end and go for it! I bought 16 today for about $7.50. With that many I can screw up a few rounding the ends and still be good to go! Got them locally and a whole lot cheaper. So time will tell but I think they will work!:happy:
 
Mr Craft - I applaud your decision. I think that will work just fine. Let us know how it does work out. What size setscrews did you get?
 
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