Another use for skate bearings.

[fyffe555]

Seems like everyone has a stash of skate bearings left over after their first machine building efforts.. I found they came in really handy this weekend after coming home to find that the Shop-vac (brand name) had developed a nasty noise and was on my by now extensive honey-do list.

The thing sounded like the motor was alternately stalling and then seizing with some disgusting noises. Pulled it apart and found the fan side ball bearing shield had fallen out and was knackered. The top end commutator side bearing was a bronze bushing running directly on the motor shaft and had siezed and galled.. ah c$%p. Put it down expecting to have to buy a whole new vac when I saw a pile of skate bearings sitting on a shelf

Would you believe the shaft was a perfect press fit in the skate bearing? and that the outer race was a perfect press fit in the old bearing holders... talk about luck!

No idea how long they'll last of course, but they're sealed, I have a bunch of them and a quick calc says that they're now skating at about 12mph.....

So what else do people use these things for? apart from pipe bearings or, even skating?

[JSCB]

fyffe555,

I too have been dealing with a nasty growl in my Shop-Vac. A couple of weeks ago I added a couple of drops of oil to the bushing and that helped for about 10 seconds. I figure the only answer to my noise delema was a new vacuum.
Thank you for posting your idea to replace the bushing with a skate bearing. That went in without any problems and there is no more growl. You saved me from buying a new vac.

Thanks again,
JSCB

[sol]

Had the same thing happen to an old reclaimed Hoover a while back, skate bearing to the rescue and a perfect fit at that. Sometimes we get lucky.
The bearing has lasted a few months now; sure beats buying a $60 armature.

[JFettig]

I use my skate bearings for skateboarding

I was looking at vxb.com the other day and saw some 10mm ID 22mm OD bearings that caught my eye... 80,000rpm max rather than typical abec 7 44000rpm... I was thinking about picking them up, making some sleves and throwing them on my skateboard


I have used them for a chain tensioner on the high mileage car that I built a while back, works good.


Jon