Wood bearing speed.

[Joe Hillmann]

I have an old tractor I am working on and want to use wood bearings because they are easier and cheaper than using bearing blocks.  I've used wooden bearings a lot before but at slower speeds.  The shaft is 3/4 and will be spinning at  about 3600rpm. 

Has anyone here used wood bearings on a shaft that spins that fast?  If so do they hold up well or do they or the shaft wear quickly?

[Don_Papenburg]

I think you need to think babbet  for that speed .  Most wood bearings were used for low speed rotation , made of hard maple , and had ample grease supplied to them. 

[Kbeitz]

I think you will get fire....

[Magicman]

For continuous 3600, I would want rollers.

[21incher]

I think you would need some kind of liner. As Kbeitz says wood does not handle heat from friction very good. 

[scsmith42]

If you do choose to use wood, get some Lignum Vitae.  Submarine main shaft bearings are made from it; it's about as hard a wood as you can get.

[r.man]

I am an experimenter at heart so I think everyone should be. I would make the bearings out of the best available wood and carry lots of water when I tested the higher speeds. Add to human knowledge and report back.

[r.man]

Forgot to ask, what is the tractor?

[Joe Hillmann]

It is mostly an old david bradley two wheel tractor.   The shaft is for a weed wacker fence mower for it.  I think I am just going to build the wood bearings and see how it works. 

[DelawhereJoe]

Do you know what type of wood you will be using yet, or are you just gonna use whatever you have on hand ?

[Joe Hillmann]

Do you know what type of wood you will be using yet, or are you just gonna use whatever you have on hand ?

The only hard woods I have that are dry and thick enough are red oak and apple.  I usually use red oak boiled in oil with 3/4 inch pipe for the the shaft but I also never built anything that runs over 1800 rpm.

[kensfarm]

I use wood bearings for an old cultipacker.. I grease often.. they get too hot to touch.  I made them out of oak.. I was looking at making up a continuous oiler.  I have to make new set because one broke on me by end of planting season. 

If it was in a oil bath might work.  There are some old tractor junkyards you can get parts for cheaper.  Any pictures?  Hope you can work it out. 

[coalsmok]

I am just wonder if you have tried this yet and how it worked out?

[Joe Hillmann]

Nope, I haven't built it yet.  I need to get the tractor itself running first.