Bearing Recomendation

Chewy

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I would like to build a grinding wheel balancer. A couple of uprights, with a V notch and a bearing on either side of the V. I would like to get a brand and number that is low fiction. A couple of inches OD and ID to fit a shoulder bolt, if possible. If not I can turn a custom attachment bolt. I am going to make arbor adapters for each wheel and balance it. Right now I am going to make 1"to1/2" adapters for practice. Then when I get a surface grinder I will have the bugs worked out.

My concern is a free turning bearing that won't break the bank. I have all sorts of bearings around but there is too much drag on the seals or whatever to be any good.

Thanks in advance!! Charles
 
My concern is a free turning bearing that won't break the bank
Any radial ball bearing will do. Pop the shields or seals and flush the lubricant out with iso alcohol. Lubricate with lightweight sewing oil.
 
I had thought about popping seals out. My concern was grit getting into bearing and scratching it. In real life, is this a problem or my imagination??

Thanks Charles
 
Store bearings in plastic bag when not in use.
 
Just use the device in a clean environment, the grit/dirt won't be a problem
Cover it when not in use
As an alternative, consider a knife-edge type of bearing arrangement
 
The bearings are all hardened steel don't worry about scratches your not running at a high speed anyway.
 
I never had any thought as to disassembling after use. Wouldn't be a problem. I Shouldn't have said about scratching the bearings. I meant the grit getting inside and inhibiting the the roll. Bearings are a dime a dozen on Ebay. Any thoughts about skate board or roller blade bearings?
Thanks. Charles
 
Use the bearings you say you have lying around. After you pop the seals or shields and install them, just give them a shot of WD-40 or spray oil (I use air tool lube for spray-can thin oil) before you balance a wheel. This will flush any poo out.

Yes, skateboard bearings are fine.

And remember, don't put the grinding wheel directly on a shaft mounted in the bearings. Mount large diameter knife-edged wheels on the bearings. You'll need 4 wheels and they should overlap and be hard. The grinding wheel is mounted on a separate shaft and rests in the V-shaped notch between the two wheels.

The trick is that the wheels have to be mounted pretty precisely (parallel) or the shaft will try to 'walk' as it spins. This walking is a result of sliding friction between the wheel shaft and one or more of the wheels being at an angle other than 90 degrees.

The large wheel diameter provides a substantial increase in leverage to help an imbalanced wheel overcome any resistance in the bearing. The balance assembly made this way will be MUCH more sensitive.
 
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