Welding Tips and Tricks

This auger has had a bad lower bearing for years. Balls and cage toally gone.
Finally decided to replace it.
Screw gear pullers and set screws, I torched it all off.

Enjpy.

~John


















































There you be.
Only thing I did wrong was cut the keyway 1/8" to long.
Only had a vise crip and reciprocating saw.

Chain is kinda stiff so I'll soak it in oil or replace it.

Then she'll be ready for service.

Thanks for watching.

Looks about like a lot of the cooling tower / condenser fan stuff I get into. Hasn't seen grease since the day it was put in service! Nice work demo without destruction can be a fine line.

Well done. I use similar tactics in bearing removal.

I didn't think to take pics, as no welding was involved, but on reflection I did use a cutting torch to remove the old bearings recently on a 1HP 3-phase motor. I washed them off the rotor shaft just as you did in the picture. The trick is to have a super-clean tip that will cut precisely, then wash the inner race to within a 32nd of an inch. This is enough disruption to easily slide the remains off without cutting all the way through and risking scarring the shaft. It's a great technique to practice, as even with the proper press, fixtures, and fitting, an old rusty shaft will damage itself in the bearing's removal.

Then, I got to use my favorite tactic... I dropped the whole rotating assembly in liquid nitrogen for five minutes or so, until the boiling stopped, then basically slid the new bearings on by hand, with a couple gentle taps on a shaft-sized socket to confirm they were fully seated. Call it a different definition of "cold pressed"...

Steve S

Another good one we should post is getting old twisted off pipe out and saving the threads they were screwed into.

Poland308 wrote:Looks about like a lot of the cooling tower / condenser fan stuff I get into. Hasn't seen grease since the day it was put in service! Nice work demo without destruction can be a fine line.

Forida cooling tower work, guaranteed to make use lose 15lbs in one day.