Free 186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook:  
Get 2,000+ tool plans, full site access, and more.

User Tag List

Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Making steel balls for large bearings - GIF

  1. #1
    Jon
    Jon is online now Jon has agreed the Seller's Terms of Service
    Administrator
    Supporting Member
    Jon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Colorado, USA
    Posts
    25,451
    Thanks
    7,928
    Thanked 38,619 Times in 11,284 Posts

    Making steel balls for large bearings - GIF

    And that's how baby wrecking balls are born.

    Actually: making steel balls for large bearings. I really like the use of a worm gear type mechanism here to convey the balls. And to cut them too? What happens if two of the balls strike each other while they're rolling down the slides?




    Previously:

    Forging a large flange in China - video
    Forging titanium - GIF and video
    Forging crankshafts GIF
    Freehand forging a corkscrew GIF
    Forging a crown wheel - GIF and video

    186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook
    Last edited by Jon; Sep 11, 2020 at 12:59 PM.

  2. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Jon For This Useful Post:

    Moby Duck (Oct 6, 2018), Seedtick (Sep 24, 2017)

  3. #2
    Supporting Member Frank S's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Peacock TX
    Posts
    11,178
    Thanks
    1,974
    Thanked 8,766 Times in 4,195 Posts

    Frank S's Tools
    Since those balls appear to be about 100 mm in diameter the argument could also be made that many of them might be destined for use in a ball mill to pulverize cement clinker into dust

    2000 Tool Plans
    Never try to tell me it can't be done
    When I have to paint I use KBS products

  4. #3
    Supporting Member Hans Pearson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Posts
    170
    Thanks
    16
    Thanked 70 Times in 48 Posts
    I make these balls between 150 - 200 mm. If they were destined for crushing cement, would they not be made of cast iron?

  5. #4
    Supporting Member Frank S's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Peacock TX
    Posts
    11,178
    Thanks
    1,974
    Thanked 8,766 Times in 4,195 Posts

    Frank S's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by Hans Pearson View Post
    I make these balls between 150 - 200 mm. If they were destined for crushing cement, would they not be made of cast iron?
    When we used to work the shut downs at the TXI plant in Midolothian TX They would sometimes change out the balls in the mill and run them through a qualifier any balls less than 40 mm or just a little over 1 1/2 inches went to the scrap pile 40 to 80 mm were saved to be placed in a different mill above 80 mm were returned to the mill new balls for their largest mill were 100 mm
    They could be torch cut in half so I doubt if were cast iron
    Cast iron could be poured and made into round bar stock and passed through a die much the same as what was shown in the video
    Last edited by Frank S; Sep 25, 2017 at 10:39 AM.
    Never try to tell me it can't be done
    When I have to paint I use KBS products

  6. #5
    Jon
    Jon is online now Jon has agreed the Seller's Terms of Service
    Administrator
    Supporting Member
    Jon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Colorado, USA
    Posts
    25,451
    Thanks
    7,928
    Thanked 38,619 Times in 11,284 Posts
    Full video. Note the use of the Archimedes Screw mechanism for moving the balls at one point in the process. Not too many machine guards in place, but a fascinating, almost Rube Goldberg-like process.


  7. #6
    Supporting Member mklotz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    LA, CA, USA
    Posts
    3,434
    Thanks
    357
    Thanked 6,379 Times in 2,117 Posts

    mklotz's Tools
    Can you imagine the double entendre conversations when someone asks one of these guys what he does for a living?

    You gotta have big balls to do what I do. etc...

    I've seen that screw-forming of nice consistent balls somewhere else but can't remember where. Some sort of pastry or pasta thing where precise balls of dough were formed into cups or shells or something. It was probably more for volume metering rather than the need for nice spheres but it was similar.
    ---
    Regards, Marv

    Home Shop Freeware
    https://www.myvirtualnetwork.com/mklotz

  8. #7
    Supporting Member Frank S's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Peacock TX
    Posts
    11,178
    Thanks
    1,974
    Thanked 8,766 Times in 4,195 Posts

    Frank S's Tools
    here is another way to make steel balls these would be the more precise balls used in bearings
    Never try to tell me it can't be done
    When I have to paint I use KBS products

  9. #8
    Supporting Member marksbug's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Posts
    1,898
    Thanks
    725
    Thanked 372 Times in 298 Posts
    Ive had german steel balls with flats on them in vw bug steering boxes.....made that way...not on purpose. I replaced them all with china hardened balls. I somewhat trust the china bearings&balls now days but 20 years ago they were pure ****. wheel bearings that last 3-6 months...not so good of a deal at the parts store...$3 bearing or $5 bearing...well I had to try then at least 1 time. I changed them to timkin or gkn and they went 18 years pluss( I sold it after that.) old vws are known for the death wobble in the front end.it's due to people know knowing how to adjust the wheel bearings. they have to have preload!!!and a good amount of it for beaings that small and they also fit the spindal like **** so thats another reason why they have to have a good amount of preload. american cars are correct fit and much larger and do not require much preload at all.and some racers run them with no preload....but shouldent.



    186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •