Just picked up some machinery...

[McRabbet]

Back in the first year of NCWW Steve D and Rob "McRabbet" refurbed an old jointer and documented their experience with pouring bearings. The pics are no longer in the thread. Rob may have copies? https://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2310&highlight=babbit

I've looked back at my old photos and at Steve D's as well and the referenced photos in the thread cited by Tarhead are still in Steve's Gallery. Here is a section from Steve's first post and I have added links to the photos in his gallery. My added text is in Italics.

Filling the end (obligatory plaid): Steve is putting "dam" material in at the end of the jointer knife head - the white/blue/yellow pieces are spacers set atop the lower bearing housing to provide a needed gap. The picture: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/421/medium/Babbitt001.jpg



McRabbett laying on the heat: As you can see, we put the bearing caps on and added a metal funnel through the oil cap hole to prepare for the pour. The shaft is in place and shimmed up to leave a gallery where the babbit metal will fill; the ends are dammed up and I am heating the entire housing to slow the solidification of the 600 degree metal. The picture: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/421/medium/Babbitt003.jpg



We attempted to pour the whole bearing at once, it looked great at this stage but when we opened things up... not so good. We chiseled out our efforts and had to start over.



In round two, we decided to pour just the lower half of the bearings. This seems to have gone very well and we will have to get back together in the next day or so and pour the upper half. Here is the lower half after being poured -- in this cased, the lower bearing housing was dammed at each end and filled to the level of the flanges (plus a bit). As you will read in later posts from Steve in his thread, he leveled the bearing pour with a rasp before we did the upper pour. A shim was added over that surface to separate the lower and upper pours. Here is the picture of the lower bearing pour.: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/421/medium/Babbitt004.jpg

Okay, if you read down through Steve's original thread, we finally met with success (see post 21) and here is a picture taken after the top bearing housings was shimmed up and the molten metal poured into the oil port. A little more rasp work are the job was complete. Here is the picture of one of those final pours (remember, there are bearings on each side).: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/421/medium/Babbitt006.jpg

 

[Mike Davis]

Thanks Rob, I’m sure that is very helpful.

 

[shawn]

A. didn't realize it was locked up.
B. while pulling the sheave, it freed.:wsmile:
C. I got it for free along with seven other machines.:gar-Bi
an interesting point, the guy I got the machines from thought they were 3 phase motors. I figured I'd either get a phase converter or swap motors. It wasn't till I got home and started unloading that I realized they were single phase.

 

[shawn]

Shawn, you're right up the road from me, cool machine! Would love to see it in action once you get it fully restored/running!

I have it assembled. Just have to run a circuit and mount the motor. I'll keep you posted.

 

[shawn]

Where does one find such amazing finds....? I have been looking for a bigger (not as ginormous as yours) and keep hoping to find a darling steal on Craiglist but that hasnt happened yet.

It takes a fair amount of patients. I've been looking for years. Even old classics can be pricey, and then you have to ship them. This guy listed this jointer on CL without a price. When I inquired, he said he'd be happy to give it away, along with several other machines. He need the space more than the money. He had tried to sell them previously, but was a PITA making himself available to lookyloos who didn't want to bother with disassembled 3 phase machines.

 

[shawn]

I've looked back at my old photos and at Steve D's as well and the referenced photos in the thread cited by Tarhead are still in Steve's Gallery. Here is a section from Steve's first post and I have added links to the photos in his gallery. My added text is in Italics.

Filling the end (obligatory plaid): Steve is putting "dam" material in at the end of the jointer knife head - the white/blue/yellow pieces are spacers set atop the lower bearing housing to provide a needed gap. The picture: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/421/medium/Babbitt001.jpg



McRabbett laying on the heat: As you can see, we put the bearing caps on and added a metal funnel through the oil cap hole to prepare for the pour. The shaft is in place and shimmed up to leave a gallery where the babbit metal will fill; the ends are dammed up and I am heating the entire housing to slow the solidification of the 600 degree metal. The picture: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/421/medium/Babbitt003.jpg



We attempted to pour the whole bearing at once, it looked great at this stage but when we opened things up... not so good. We chiseled out our efforts and had to start over.



In round two, we decided to pour just the lower half of the bearings. This seems to have gone very well and we will have to get back together in the next day or so and pour the upper half. Here is the lower half after being poured -- in this cased, the lower bearing housing was dammed at each end and filled to the level of the flanges (plus a bit). As you will read in later posts from Steve in his thread, he leveled the bearing pour with a rasp before we did the upper pour. A shim was added over that surface to separate the lower and upper pours. Here is the picture of the lower bearing pour.: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/421/medium/Babbitt004.jpg

Okay, if you read down through Steve's original thread, we finally met with success (see post 21) and here is a picture taken after the top bearing housings was shimmed up and the molten metal poured into the oil port. A little more rasp work are the job was complete. Here is the picture of one of those final pours (remember, there are bearings on each side).: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/421/medium/Babbitt006.jpg

Are there any pics of the finished jointer?

 

[Chips]

they are oil grooves and it look like there is a shim there its yellow
hope this helps
Chips

 

[Jeff]

You got a good deal despite my earlier question (doubts) so carry on and send us some more pics.

There are WIP and finished pictures of the restored Crescent jointer in the Steven D gallery under "Crescent", not "Babbitt".

A. didn't realize it was locked up.
B. while pulling the sheave, it freed.:wsmile:
C. I got it for free along with seven other machines.:gar-Bi
an interesting point, the guy I got the machines from thought they were 3 phase motors. I figured I'd either get a phase converter or swap motors. It wasn't till I got home and started unloading that I realized they were single phase.

 

[Ed Fasano]

Wow!

 

[shawn]

they are oil grooves and it look like there is a shim there its yellow
hope this helps
Chips

yep. there are 4 of those shims along with what looks like leather gaskets.