Project: One photo a day (but not necessarily every day)

[bigbill]

I've changed out wheels where the bearing got so hot that the outer race was split open and fused to the adapter and the rollers were falling out.

And before roller bearings they were babbitt bearings topped with brass. The thieves would hit a cut of cars sitting on a siding and with makeshift levers lift the bearing box enough to knock the brass bearing out with a bar. The good ones could get a string on cars and if the cars were moved every wheel needed changing. They got hot fast. Moved far enough and the axle end, where the bearing was supposed to be , would wear away till it was gone.

I was a submarine electrician and we changed out bearings because they all had resistance temperature detectors that were wired. High speed steam turbines had journal and thrust bearings, and motors had ball bearings. Wiped bearings were very rare, but many hours of work to replace. Submarines had two turbines driving one reduction gear so we'd have to disconnect the turbine with the bad bearing to restore propulsion. No roller bearings, they were too noisy.

[Tom]

I've changed out wheels where the bearing got so hot that the outer race was split open and fused to the adapter and the rollers were falling out.

And before roller bearings they were babbitt bearings topped with brass. The thieves would hit a cut of cars sitting on a siding and with makeshift levers lift the bearing box enough to knock the brass bearing out with a bar. The good ones could get a string on cars and if the cars were moved every wheel needed changing. They got hot fast. Moved far enough and the axle end, where the bearing was supposed to be , would wear away till it was gone.

The local metal recycling firm, aka scrap buyers, require photo ID if you bring in more than a certain amount. Not sure when they implemented that policy, it might be after a couple city employees came up with the genius idea to lift manhole covers and sell them. They have the city seal on them, of course. The guy at the yard called up the city engineer, he called the police, the ex city employees didn't get out the driveway.

[j44ke]

I've changed out wheels where the bearing got so hot that the outer race was split open and fused to the adapter and the rollers were falling out.

And before roller bearings they were babbitt bearings topped with brass. The thieves would hit a cut of cars sitting on a siding and with makeshift levers lift the bearing box enough to knock the brass bearing out with a bar. The good ones could get a string on cars and if the cars were moved every wheel needed changing. They got hot fast. Moved far enough and the axle end, where the bearing was supposed to be , would wear away till it was gone.

That's incredible.

The ancient DC motor on the elevator in our building (used to drive a freight elevator for a printing press before it was changed to residential) started making this god-awful noise. Our building was self-managed at that time, so my neighbor on the first floor and I called the elevator company and one of their guys came out. He went down to the elevator room, came back up and said the shaft bearing is completely gone, just metal on metal. My neighbor, an electrical engineer who designed the first cellular network for Japan and was in his late 70's, said let's call this guy I know who worked at the elevator company when they were a local business. He shows up and we all go down to the elevator room. He listens to the sound and pulls out an oil can, then he opens a small oil cup on top of the bearing housing and fills it up. Noise decreases and disappears. "Babbitt bearing." And that was that.

[TonyP]

When I was a teenager I had a couple of friends who were brothers. One rode a motorcycle and one night he turned down their street and almost rode into an open manhole before turning into the driveway. He didn't get really pissed until he found the weight bar in the basement had two manhole covers for his brother to use for heavy work.

[bigbill]

That's incredible.

The ancient DC motor on the elevator in our building (used to drive a freight elevator for a printing press before it was changed to residential) started making this god-awful noise. Our building was self-managed at that time, so my neighbor on the first floor and I called the elevator company and one of their guys came out. He went down to the elevator room, came back up and said the shaft bearing is completely gone, just metal on metal. My neighbor, an electrical engineer who designed the first cellular network for Japan and was in his late 70's, said let's call this guy I know who worked at the elevator company when they were a local business. He shows up and we all go down to the elevator room. He listens to the sound and pulls out an oil can, then he opens a small oil cup on top of the bearing housing and fills it up. Noise decreases and disappears. "Babbitt bearing." And that was that.

My last submarine was modified for special projects. We would deploy with a much larger crew than normal and had two washers and dryers. If a dryer went down, it was a huge impact. We had motor failure on a dryer, so I removed the motor and took it to the workbench. It had ball bearings, one of which had failed, and we had no spares. I made a brass bushing on the lathe and cut a groove that I lined with felt. The corpsman created an oil feed system with an IV bag full of 2190TEP oil and a drip. The motor ran with the bushing and oil IV for two months. When you can't surface and return to port, you figure stuff out. I'm also reminded on cold mornings about the fracture of my left hand during the 1997 mission when it was crushed by a 300 horsepower motor fan. No xray machines, just lots of morphine, local anesthesia, and traction. After we returned from mission three months later, xrays showed it was okayish and not worth rebreaking.

[rwsaunders]

[72gmc]

I liked that piece, RW, and loved the piece constructed with dog tags …

[rwsaunders]

Dan…any relation to the founder?

[robin3mj]

[72gmc]

Dan…any relation to the founder?

We have a name and the University of Washington in common, but that’s all I know. Maybe I’ll ask my kid to consult the family tree, it’s one of her hobbies.

[rwsaunders]

[e-RICHIE]

[rwsaunders]

[72gmc]

Photo story: RW walks on a ferry in the Puget Sound and disembarks in the desert.

[rwsaunders]

Photo story: RW walks on a ferry in the Puget Sound and disembarks in the desert.

Just call me 008…

[vertical_doug]

Just call me 008…

It's all fun until you find yourself in the trunk of a car.

[rwsaunders]

It's all fun until you find yourself in the trunk of a car.

No tummy tuck trips across the border for me.

[ides1056]

Where is this?

[rwsaunders]

Where is this?

Jay…Saguaro National Park…the section that is southeast of Tuscon. Plenty of rain lately, so the desert is really turning on some color.

[ides1056]

I am heading in that direction soon: leaving the Bay Area around April 3. Hoping the rain has stopped by then.