Overhauling my skates again. I find this a good way to clean the bearings.
... grab the edge of the outer ring of the bearing with a pair of vise grips, firmly not tightly
... hold the bearing at arm's length and spray both sides with a powerful stream of water, such as from a garden hose sprayer attachment
... lubricate them
The powerful stream of water cleans them very well. I get a little wet.
Do not forget to lubricate them afterwards, or they will rust.
I also spray a little WD-40 into the vise grips afterwards to keep it in good working order.
This lubricant "LubeGel" bought at Wal-Mart is very easy to apply and works great so far. The grease flows slowly and smoothly out of the thin tube that attaches to the nozzle.
Here are some corrections/additions to my prior original post.
To clean the bearings:
... Put the used bearings in a ziplock bag and soak them in WD-40 for an hour or more.
... grab the edge of the outer ring of the bearing with a pair of vise grips, firmly not tightly
If done skillfully, that does no harm whatsoever to the bearings which are made a very hard steel. My vise grips jaws are smoothed. You can smooth the jaws with sandpaper.
... hold the bearing at arm's length and spray both sides with a powerful stream of water, such as from a garden hose sprayer attachment
After being soaked in WD-40, the powerful stream of water cleans them perfectly. It's a blast [playing].
Blowing them out with high-pressure air probably would be ideal. I just slap them down on some paper towels to remove excess water.
... lubricate them
Do not forget to lubricate them afterwards, or they will rust. I also spray a little WD-40 into the vise grips afterwards to keep it in good working order.
This lubricant "LubeGel" bought at Wal-Mart is very easy to apply and works great so far. The grease flows slowly and smoothly out of the thin tube that attaches to the nozzle.
... leave the inner bearing shield off, place the bearings with spacer in all of the wheels
... apply the grease
The type of grease might matter. I think all greases will displace water residue. A light, penetrating grease like I use definitely displaces the water.
... drop the shield on to the greased side of the bearing
... angle the pointy ends of the C ring down into the side of the bearing shield and press downwards
Orienting the C ring correctly will help the next time you remove them. Maybe depending on whether you are left or right handed, inserting them all one way or another is best.
I use that method for perfectly clean and easy rolling bearings. My wheels roll smoothly for a very long time even though I traverse long distances of dirty terrain. This last time, my wheels were still rolling very smoothly when it came time to overhaul my skates.
John, I have never heard of people using water to clean> bearings...
You have now.
if you did use water you would want to either warm them up> considerably to evaporate the water or comepletely dissasemble> them ...but just slapping them on paper towels is not really> sufficient to make sure the water is gone, you could easily trap > water in the bearing. I certainly wouldn't advise people to> spray out bearings with a high pressure hose.
You can say anything you want without really knowing and without having the experience, but I know better and it works great so far.
If you had to make corrections in your own process then> obviously your first description was hastily concieved.
The first part of your sentence does not coincide with the last. I was making corrections to my description, not to my process. My description was incomplete partly because most people can work around the lack of details.
People should go to Londonskaters.com to get a proper> description of the process... They use a citus solvent and let> the bearings dry overnight...now that is a smart way to do it.
My bearings are in great shape and my wheels are rolling very smoothly. And all I have to use is WD-40, a garden hose, and some light weight grease.
"John Doe" <jdoe@usenet.love.invalid> wrote in message news:Xns963ECE6CEE6D2wisdomfolly@207.115.63.158...> "motorblade" <motorblade@aol.com> wrote:>
John, I have never heard of people using water to clean>> bearings...>
You have now.>
if you did use water you would want to either warm them up>> considerably to evaporate the water or comepletely dissasemble>> them ...but just slapping them on paper towels is not really>> sufficient to make sure the water is gone, you could easily trap>> water in the bearing. I certainly wouldn't advise people to>> spray out bearings with a high pressure hose.>
You can say anything you want without really knowing and without> having the experience, but I know better and it works great so> far.>
If you had to make corrections in your own process then>> obviously your first description was hastily concieved.>
The first part of your sentence does not coincide with the last. I> was making corrections to my description, not to my process. My> description was incomplete partly because most people can work> around the lack of details.>
People should go to Londonskaters.com to get a proper>> description of the process... They use a citus solvent and let>> the bearings dry overnight...now that is a smart way to do it.>
My bearings are in great shape and my wheels are rolling very> smoothly. And all I have to use is WD-40, a garden hose, and some> light weight grease.>
"motorblade" <motorblade@aol.com> wrote: > John Doe wrote: >> "motorblade" <motorblade@aol.com> wrote:
if you did use water you would want to either warm them up >> > considerably to evaporate the water or comepletely >> > dissasemble them ...but just slapping them on paper towels is>> > not really sufficient to make sure the water is gone, you >> > could easily trap water in the bearing. I certainly wouldn't >> > advise people to spray out bearings with a high pressure >> > hose. >>
You can say anything you want without really knowing and >> without having the experience, but I know better and it works >> great so far. >
twenty years of experience tells me that as a rule you avoid > contact between bearings and water...this is common sense and it> is born out by experience and group concensus...I am almost sure> if I went to a group of skate boarders , quad skaters , or > engineers and suggested they clean their bearings with a garden > hose and wd-40 they would have the same reaction. Go figure.
Go figure? Your hypothesis is fact without proof?
I usually get along well with (sober) engineers. Even though I have the proof by my own experience, I have no problem with asking engineers what they think. The benefit of using a garden house sprayer is the force it applies which might help dislodge grit.
I am confident that steel does not rust immediately upon contact with water, and that applying grease prevents it from rusting. The light grease I am using is a penetrating type of grease.
If you had to make corrections in your own process then >> > obviously your first description was hastily concieved. >>
The first part of your sentence does not coincide with the >> last. I was making corrections to my description, not to my >> process. My description was incomplete partly because most >> people can work around the lack of details. >
The ONLY people who would be reading your post for info would be > newbies who are lurking or googling the archives, this is one of> those places where inexperienced people looking for sage advice > ...they need details not assumptions about what details they can> work around. So Bill and the rest of us with experience have to > come in and mop up after you throw out hastily written and > poorly concieved advice.
Your opinions are hastily written and poorly conceived. You spent a few minutes before you voiced your opinion? I have been using a method for months, two or three times so far.
People should go to Londonskaters.com to get a proper >> > description of the process... They use a citus solvent and >> > let the bearings dry overnight...now that is a smart way to >> > do it. >>
My bearings are in great shape and my wheels are rolling very >> smoothly. And all I have to use is WD-40, a garden hose, and >> some light weight grease. >
Very cool John, just don't expect a worldwide concensus on your > garden hose procedure..in fact so far you have worldwide > dissension.
In my opinion, more like a couple of monkeys flailing/railing about something they don't recognize and for whatever odd reason they fear.
That's not uncommon. I have had the same initial reaction about a novel/strange idea, afterwards accepted, from people much more respected and educated than either of you.
I'm going to continue using the method. If it continues to work as well as it has, I will continue posting about it. I do appreciate your admission of having never heard of it before. I recall asking here about how to dislodge grit and (as I recall) receiving no positive answer. This method seems to work, although probably not perfectly.
I went for a six and half-mile skate tonight and it was great. I didn't even have to push going uphill [kidding].
"John Doe" <jdoe@usenet.love.invalid> wrote in message > news:Xns963ECE6CEE6D2wisdomfolly@207.115.63.158...>> "motorblade" <motorblade@aol.com> wrote:>>
John, I have never heard of people using water to clean>>> bearings...>>
You have now.>>
if you did use water you would want to either warm them up>>> considerably to evaporate the water or comepletely dissasemble>>> them ...but just slapping them on paper towels is not really>>> sufficient to make sure the water is gone, you could easily trap>>> water in the bearing. I certainly wouldn't advise people to>>> spray out bearings with a high pressure hose.>>
You can say anything you want without really knowing and without>> having the experience, but I know better and it works great so>> far.>>
If you had to make corrections in your own process then>>> obviously your first description was hastily concieved.>>
The first part of your sentence does not coincide with the last.
was making corrections to my description, not to my process. My>> description was incomplete partly because most people can work>> around the lack of details.>>
People should go to Londonskaters.com to get a proper>>> description of the process... They use a citus solvent and let>>> the bearings dry overnight...now that is a smart way to do it.>>
My bearings are in great shape and my wheels are rolling very>> smoothly. And all I have to use is WD-40, a garden hose, and some>> light weight grease.>>
retainer out, the balls collecting and blowing the inner race out. And the > vice idea, why would one sandpaper the jaws, generally not neccessary, > they are usually serrated or one uses chocks? Usually a vice is fastened > to a bench, so he drags the bench out into the drive way or backyard to > water it a bit?
John Doe <jdoe@usenet.love.invalid> wrote in news:Xns96463C6DCCE08wisdomfolly@207.115.63.158:
FNGuy <fixizin-NOTmoi@yahoo.com> wrote:>
...>
John Doe, once again BURNED on the altar of his own blathering.>>
Here's a tip: Don't take something that's perfectly round and>> built to tight tolerances, and squeeze it with Visegrips.>
I will assume you didn't read my message, otherwise reading> comprehension problems are indicated.
Uh, nope. You clearly denoted that you squeezed it hard enough to resist the side force of a high-pressure spray nozzle.>
Notice that I did not squeeze the round part with vice grips. I> "grab[ed] the edge of the outer ring of the bearing". That would> take tremendous force to bend it out of shape, probably more than> anyone can apply with vice grips.
Ahh, so you're saying you squeezed it AXIALLY, not RADIALLY? Safer, but still, as noted by others, baaaaahhhd idea. At the very least you risk ruining the groove which the shield fits into. You also risk gouging the edge, preventing it from re-seating properly in the wheel. Just a catastrophe all the way 'round I'm afraid.
FYI: That outer "ring" is the outer RACE, a functional, load-bearing part of the assembly. Be nice to it.
Troll.
Coming from you, this means I'm quite normal, and a right good chap too! ;')
PS: You can get a nice ultrasonic cleaner on Ebay for ~ $15, and give that garden hose a rest.
FNGuy <fixizin-NOTmoi@yahoo.com> wrote:> John Doe <jdoe@usenet.love.invalid> wrote in>> FNGuy <fixizin-NOTmoi@yahoo.com> wrote:>>
...>>
John Doe, once again BURNED on the altar of his own>>> blathering. >>> > >
Here's a tip: Don't take something that's perfectly round and>>> built to tight tolerances, and squeeze it with Visegrips.>>
I will assume you didn't read my message, otherwise reading>> comprehension problems are indicated. >
Uh, nope. You clearly denoted that you squeezed it hard enough> to resist the side force of a high-pressure spray nozzle.>
Notice that I did not squeeze the round part with vice grips. I>> "grab[ed] the edge of the outer ring of the bearing". That>> would take tremendous force to bend it out of shape, probably>> more than anyone can apply with vice grips.>
Ahh, so you're saying you squeezed it AXIALLY, not RADIALLY?
I gripped it by the edge of the outer ring. If you had visualization powers, you might have realized that would be the way to do it.
Safer,
There's no comparison.
but still, as noted by others, baaaaahhhd idea.
Are you a sheep?
No one said it was a bad idea.
At the very least you risk > ruining the groove which the shield fits into. You also risk> gouging the edge, preventing it from re-seating properly in the> wheel. Just a catastrophe all the way 'round I'm afraid.
Apparently you have little understanding of mechanics. My vice grips' jaws are smooth. They do not in any way damage the outer ring of the bearing.
FYI: That outer "ring" is the outer RACE, a functional,> load-bearing part of the assembly.
A three-year-old could understand my terminology, that's one reason I used it.
Be nice to it.
Are you Mr. Rogers?
Troll.>
Coming from you, this means I'm quite normal,
Normal is a relative thing.
PS: You can get a nice ultrasonic cleaner on Ebay for ~ $15, and> give that garden hose a rest.
< snipped the rest of Bill Fuhrman's usual trollish style of>> correction >>>
Give a it a rest John ...you have been thoroughly and rightly stoned> and have no where to hide. You are hiding behind an ever diminishing> bush , throwing back the stones that have been lobbed at you from every> direction.>
No one has joined you behind your little bush and you are becoming more> desperate and slanderous/libelous in your epithets. Either throw up a> white flag and be contrite or walk away...but continue to throw rocks> and you will end up like the woman in Shirley Jacksons "The Lottery">
Their is an obvious concensus here...only Nixon would keep fighting>
