Hello everyone,
I recently had to replace the bearings inside of my centrifugal casting machine because they were going bad and one was a little too wobbly. I made a video of me doing it in case anyone ever needed to do this same repair. If you have some pretty basic tools like screw drivers and locking pliers you should be able to do it in one afternoon and the bearings cost about $25. At the very least save the video for the day you need it, it’s a whole lot better than scrapping the machine and buying a new one.
This is also a modification that I did on the same casting machine so that it will hold a smaller crucible for better performance, just for casting like one custom piece or two at a time
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Hello Thomas,
it’s amazing to watch your efforts in order to modify your breaking arm setup to make one of our crucibles fit.
I understand that you focus on the fun factor in your work - but why not using one of our safe machines with one of our crucibles without modification and no risk of breaking arms?
Its safe operation is shown here:
Casting of small series of jewelry
straightforward from one of a kind up to 450g gold.
Sandor
Yeah I started out doing it as a hobby and just for fun I inherited all of my jewelers tools from my grandpa who is also a goldsmith. I landed a job at the local jewelry store and I’m now making custom jewelry for people in the area I love what I do but just don’t have a lot of money for new equipment so I have to work but I have ha ha
Hello ‘Thwheless’, I couldn’t help but notice the way you changed out the two bearings. It was the MOST unsafe way that I have ever seen in my life, especially the way you wound up the spring with the arm and holding the arm with a pin. One wrong move could have let that arm release by itself and caused severe injury. If anyone else is reading this, and seen the video, don’t follow his way. # 1, you could have sent the base back to Grobet File Co. who took over Vigor or you could have sent it to LUCAS Dental Co. who used to manufacture the casting machines for Vigor/Jadow. LUCAS DENTAL (since 1930) is the largest manufacturer of Centrifugal Casting Machines in the USA. Lucas sells brand new complete Bases for only $127.00. You can see the complete line of Casting Machines that are manufactured by Lucas. Go to there website www.LucasDentalCompany.com You can always contact Lucas at there Email Address: Lucadent@verizon.net or call them 1-(800)-332-5573 Monday - Friday 9:00am - 3:00pm Thank you for your time, PS: we are also the manufactures of the #9 Lowboy Rheostat and the #9XR Lowboy which can operate the Foredom TX dc motors Sincerely, Richard Lucas
Thanks for the OP and videos. It’s fun to watch others problem solve and work. Please continue to post, we all appreciate it. I’d take the comments of people trying to sell you something with a grain of salt. I would suggest a wall of some sort around your centrifugal caster. A cut steel drum is often used. I set my shirt on fire when I had a flask blow out years ago. Better to keep the flying molten metal contained. Thanks again. Mark
thanks mark, the method I used was 100% safe and and I knew exactly what I was doing. I understand comepletely how dangerous it could have been if I made the wrong move or something, but if you actually watch the video, one of those locking pliers was keeping the spring together, let alone having four. I am the kind of person who does things myself. I repair tools I have I don’t send them in and this keeps my mechanical skills and problem solving skills sharp.
That’s good. Experience is the best teacher. I’m quite a bit older than you are, late 50’s, and I started working full time as a goldsmith when I was 18. I was apprentice to a great smith early on but owned my own shop most of my working life. What I’m getting at was I had good training I think but I was also on my own for the last 30 years or so and usually had to figure things out myself. So it’s lots of fun to watch you and others work through problems we all face.
I’d add that having mentors is great, it sort of gives you a map to one destination. But figuring things out on your own and learning from your mistakes is really where you build that inventory of skills that will get you through your life successfully. My greatest strengths were built by being the goldsmith of last resort and having no choice but to figure things out on my own. Looks like it’ll be the same for you.