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Fixin' a worn motor shaft

DocsMachine

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 16, 2006
Messages
1,859
I'm in the middle of rebuilding an older Wellsaw horizontal bandsaw, and got around to checking over the motor. It's an older 3-phase unit with an odd post mount, and ran just fine other than a little worn bearing whirr and a wobbly pulley.

The bearings are an easy fix, of course, but in looking at the pulley, I found out it's okay, it's the shaft of the motor that's the problem. It looks like somebody hit it with a ******* file while it was turning, probably to try and smooth down a burr after a key sheared or something.

It's supposed to be nominally a 3/4" shaft, but spots measured as low as .732".

shaftfix01.jpg



So I made an aluminum collar to protect the bearing surface, and piled on some MIG weld to try and put some of that metal back.

shaftfix11.jpg


Then, with a steady rest in the lathe, riding on the clean bearing surface, I was able to single-point the 60-degree center in the end of the shaft to make sure it ran perfectly concentric with the rest of the rotor.

shaftfix15.jpg


After that, the rest was a simple turning exercise.

shaftfix17.jpg


Apart from the interrupted cut at the beginning, of course. :D

And, with a little care and patience, the fix came out perfect and on spec.

shaftfix18.jpg


I still need to cut the keyway, but after that, it just needs a fresh set of bearings and the motor's good for another couple decades of use. :D

Doc.
 
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LXCam

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Apr 23, 2013
Messages
19,111
Location
AZ
Nice job! Before I read your most excellent and proper repair I was going to suggest a speedy sleeve :)

But I like your solution much better.
 

Spareparts

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 12, 2010
Messages
2,042
Location
Lansing Ks.
Very nice job, now you have a vibration free piece of equiptment. I have a friend that ground crankshafts, he would submerge arc the journal's and then grind them facinating to watch, seen him grind, should say offset grind a JD 2 cyl crank then weld it up and grind again, and again several times to get a 3" additional stroke, that is an additional 6" of stroke on the motor. It is a piece of ART to see an good machinist practice his trade
 
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larry4406

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 27, 2006
Messages
19,165
Location
Northern Virginia
Thanks for sharing this repair.

I'm new to lathes but that is a very clever use of the steady rest to ensure concentricity to the journal.

Show us the keyway installation as well please.
 

bubinga

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 26, 2014
Messages
12,744
Location
Bridgeport Ohio. (Across River From Wheeling WV)
I'm in the middle of rebuilding an older Wellsaw horizontal bandsaw, and got around to checking over the motor. It's an older 3-phase unit with an odd post mount, and ran just fine other than a little worn bearing whirr and a wobbly pulley.

The bearings are an easy fix, of course, but in looking at the pulley, I found out it's okay, it's the shaft of the motor that's the problem. It looks like somebody hit it with a ******* file while it was turning, probably to try and smooth down a burr after a key sheared or something.

It's supposed to be nominally a 3/4" shaft, but spots measured as low as .732".

shaftfix01.jpg



So I made an aluminum collar to protect the bearing surface, and piled on some MIG weld to try and put some of that metal back.

shaftfix11.jpg


Then, with a steady rest in the lathe, riding on the clean bearing surface, I was able to single-point the 60-degree center in the end of the shaft to make sure it ran perfectly concentric with the rest of the rotor.

shaftfix15.jpg


After that, the rest was a simple turning exercise.

shaftfix17.jpg


Apart from the interrupted cut at the beginning, of course. :D

And, with a little care and patience, the fix came out perfect and on spec.

shaftfix18.jpg


I still need to cut the keyway, but after that, it just needs a fresh set of bearings and the motor's good for another couple decades of use. :D

Doc.
Sweet Job.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
 

OccupantRJ

Well-known member
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
11,041
Location
Eastern North Carolina
A split sleeve could have been used by turning down the shaft, but then again, that makes for a smaller shaft as far as side load, and brings things off standard. I use the method Doc did when possible for this reason.
 
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