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Where to buy babbitt?

NIMROD

Aluminum
Joined
Oct 12, 2004
Location
canon city CO
Does anyone have any idea where I can buy Babbitt bar stock? I am wanting to buy some "super tough" and "heavy pressure" babbitt, but all I can find on the internet is chunks that you have to melt into bars? Any info will be greatly appreciated Thanks
 
You won't find babbit barstock. It's available only in ingot form. You have to cast your shape and machine it from there. That's OK Babbitt melts at a low temp (470F or so). Cast it in a suitable can and peel off the can after it cools. I used aluminum tumblers back in the day. The casting just fell out thank to the taper. You do have to keep the head of the casting molton until the body solidifies so it doesn't pipe.

If you have a bunch of items like bushing etc, make up a permanent mold Be sure to incorporate draft in any cores.

There's been many a babbitt bushing cast in a permanent metal mold and sized by forcing it through a soft steel polished die with an arbor press. All that remains is machining the bore. You might think you could swage this too but the OD will inevitably expand and the swages metal's increase in hardness defeats the primatry function of babbitt.
 
Hy,
Ebay is a relatively cheap source of Babbitt in one or two pound ingots, people who don´t know use them as paperweights.
Some of them are marked with pround and beautiful writings or pictures from the smelter who made them. Its a shame to cast them... :bawling:

Silicon forms will withstand the melting temperature and the parts are easy to take out afterwards. In case you use old stock, be careful to collect the shavings. They may contain arsenic and cadmium. Those two metals were used to reduce shrinkage and ascertain a more rigid alloy with greater wear resistance. In case you need a crude how too, look there:

http://members.optusnet.com.au/terrybrown/MainsRepairPg1.html

He´s not a pro but he does some mighty fine work...

And here´s an old book, maybe interesting:

http://www.metalwebnews.org/ftp/bearing-book.pdf

Greetings,
Johann
 
When it matters to have the best quality , I order from McMaster Carr .
They sell high speed & low speed Babbitt in ingots .
I re did the babbits on my 24" wood planer in 1984 . This machine has a cutterhead that runs at 6000 rpm . I use drip oilers and am glad I did not cheap out on the quality .
Even though I put wear shims on the split lines ,I have not had to adjust anything .
Something to consider : every time you re melt Babbitt , some of the antimony gasses off , and degrades the alloy . So when someone sells me some old bearing boxes , I cast it into bars and stamp " LS BABB " . I sometime use this when I cast the shop lead hammers , to make them a bit harder .
Pretty hard to tell the grade just by looking at them , but good Bab will break cleanly when bent in a press. Lead can be almost bent in half without breaking .
The best quality Bab has no lead at all in it .
FBBob
 
I re did the babbits on my 24" wood planer in 1984 . This machine has a cutterhead that runs at 6000 rpm . I use drip oilers and am glad I did not cheap out on the quality .

Interesting. I also have an old 24" wood planer that I'm going to re-babbitt. Mine has "The Porter 24" cast into the front of the frame but there doesn't seem to be much available info on the company. I don't think it's related at all to the more well known Porter-Cable company. It'll be my first babbitting project.
 
Some of them are marked with pround and beautiful writings or pictures from the smelter who made them. Its a shame to cast them...

Johann,

Here's a neat little ingot I've had for ever. Just thought you and others would like to see it.

Ray


bab.jpg
 








 
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