[TheForge] A Balancing act

[Bruce .]

I would have suspected the bearings, but you say you've checked the pillow
blocks. I presume those are for the fan shaft.

Did you check the motor bearings as well?  There are a lot of motors out
there that need the bearings oiled.  It's amazing how noisy a fan motor can
get.  Look for oil holes somewhere above the bearings, or felts immediately
above the bearings.  You may have to use a bright flashlight to find them
as they can be quite obscure.

Use 10-wt electric motor oil on them.  Oil generously if you haven't been
oiling regularly.  Normally about 20 drops for each bearing suffices, but
not if they're dry.
You can buy a small bottle of this oil at most auto parts stores, but it's
cheaper by the gallon from a supply house.

Bruce
NJ

On Tue, Mar 3, 2015 at 4:11 PM, Steve Bloom <sabloom at ironflower.com> wrote:

> Greetings all...
>
> I have a large (~18" diameter) Champion blower ("snail" configuration,
> driven by external shaft & motor) that I have been using as a dust/grind
> removal unit for years.  The sound level has gotten to be a concern.  I
> done the easy stuff -- check and align pulleys, grease the pillow blocks,
> tension the belt) - all to no avail.  I suspect the problem is
> out-of-balance fan.  I intend to rip it apart in the next few days and try
> to quiet the beast.  I was wondering if any of you have words of wisdom
> about just how to check the balance and then adjust it.
>
> Steve Bloom (Ironflower Forge)
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