[TheForge] Little Giant drive motor

Tue Jan 21 19:58:01 2003

        Larry, After melting the babbit out of the hammer and you go to
align the shaft back to the guides.......you use two brass blocks to shim
the shaft to it's location, then hold it in place with a chain and bungee
cord (like the article shows).   The shaft should sit square to the guides,
use a framing square to find that.  Then pour the lower bearings,
etc........the articles give the steps.
        Not having a rental mandrel like Sid used to send out(before they
didn't get returned) you'll have to make a mandrel and collars to do the
pour.  Babbitrite is a good product as it does not contain water........so
you don't get steam and problems that way.   The clutch pour is easily done
on a surface with daming compound around the hub, and just fill it up, with
some sort of slightly tapered block you can drive out when done........this
will allow you the hollow to run a boring head thru to enlarge to the size
you need(depending on the size of the clutch spider).  Make sure to true the
clutch hub with an indicator so it isn't off center.  A perfectly round hole
just of center in a hub will have you starting over.  An indicator on a
milling machine does a good job of that.  The babbit machines real easy, so
don't get carried away.
        I use a weedburner and tempil markers to get the housing and caps to
the correct temperature.  The babbit is ready to pour when you get a slight
brown color to a softwood stiring stick after 3 seconds in the liquid
babbit.  Make sure you wear safety equipment, as the babbit is like solder
when you plumbing......hot and solidifies when you spill it.......but the
volume is so great a leak or spill can really burn you badly.
        I'll send you a picture of a shaft collar (from Doug's pour last
week) so you can see how to adjust end play in a main shaft.

Ralph


----- Original Message -----
From: "DragonsWatch" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2003 12:36 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Little Giant drive motor


> Hi Ralph,
>     Loved your site.  Must be nice to work in so organized a shop.
>
>     I would like to read the article as I will be pouring the babbit in my
> hammer.  I had seen an article somewhere but can not remember where.  I
also
> suspect I will be pouring babbit in the clutch hub also.
>     Do you preheat the frame with a weed burner or rose bud before you
pour the
> babbit?  How do you recommend squaring up the shaft to the guides?
>     I think I am going to mount the motor to the side also.  Seems like
the
> easiest way to go.  Thanks!
>
> Larry
>
> Ralph Sproul wrote:
>
> >         Larry,  The motor mounts I saw at LaCross that Sid had put on
the
> > Little Giants was mounted off the the side of the hammer.  If you have
to
> > repour the babbit in the hammer, I have an article on the Metal Web News
on
> > how to do that.  The real trick is to keep the preheat on the housing up
to
> > 300-350 for a nice pour with no cold shunts in the babbit occuring.
> >         One thing not mentioned in the article is to sqaure the shaft to
the
> > guide face of the hammer at first when locating the shaft for the
initial
> > pour.  This article was six years old, and I didn't mention this point
when
> > I wrote it.
> >         Sid no longer offers his rental mandrels as no one returned them
> > from what he said.....so you will have to make up shaft end collars for
the
> > pour if you have excessive end play in the main shaft. Sid also sells
> > oversized pins for the arms.  I just finished doing the babbit pours and
> > oversized pins on Doug Wilsons hammer last week......it makes all the
> > difference in the world as to the hammers smooth operation.
> >         As a note, I have a side motor mount on my 50 LG and it works
well.
> > I like the upper belt systems also......but they take more to build in
doing
> > a tower or running it off the building frame.
> >
> > Ralph
>
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