Lost my ball!

[qndrgnsdd]

I have an old Victor ball that I have been using for more than 25 years. A few days ago it wouldn't turn correctly, so I started looking at it and there is supposed to be a steel ball at the base of the stem that fits into the lower half of the ball. It is missing! I'm the one who sweeps and vacuums, I haven't seen it. Does anyone know what size it is and where I can get a new one? Thank You!

 

[JJ Roberts]

Owen,I think it's a bearing you need for your Victor vise,for it to turn. J.J.

 

[Marrinan]

Could be raccoon, pack rat or the shop gremlin. I suggest you trap it/them before you replace or they will do it again. Fred

 

[JJ Roberts]

I have two Victors vises and the bearing that Owen is looking for looks like a washer one inch in diameter with ten bearings attached to it, maybe some one can HELP Owen with his problem that has a scource for these's bearings. J.J.

 

[DKanger]

JJ,
If you can get a part number off the bearing, Owen can almost certainly get it from Berry Bearing Co. located in Illinois. Is it a caged ball bearing or a caged roller bearing (aka Torrington bearing). The latter are often used in transmissions.

 

[JJ Roberts]

Dave,The vice that Owen has is really old,I thought he needed a thust bearing but it's a ball bearing.Owen getting some help on the Lindsays fourm,theres some patents drawings under old engraving tools. J.J.

 

[DKanger]

I thought he needed a thust bearing but it's a ball bearing.Owen getting some help on the Lindsays fourm

Berry Bearing has them in all sizes as well. One of the links given on Steve's forum is the parent company of Berry. I was once able to get a set of ball bearings for an original Paxton supercharger from a 57 Ford. Luckily I already had the races they went in.

 

[Tim Wells]

The vise version he's talking about doesn't have ball bearings, it has a tapered cone bushing and at the bottom of the male cone that is part of the top half, there is a round indentation in the end. In the bottom of the bottom half there is a screw with a single ball mounted in a cup like recess in it and that is what adjusts the height or gap between the two halves.

The one I had, the ball was soldered to the screw as I recall. It too was an old Victor and unfortunately I don't know the size.

 

[tundratrekers@mtaonline.n]

Check with Ray Letourneau, his vises have a ball in the bottom adjustment screw.
I think he would know.
His contact is on Steves site,under vises by others.

I don't think the size has to be perfect.As long as it is tall enough above the "cup" in the screw to allow the top to hit it without touching the the rim of the "cup".
And of course it can probably be bigger.
The ball doesn't move in use,it just reduces the point of contact,hence the friction.
I would be careful to back out the screw till you get the ball,so as to not chew up the bottom of the shaft.
mike

 

[qndrgnsdd]

Thank you all! I think we have the problem solved!