[TowerTalk] Thrust bearings

[Jim Lux]

On 10/9/11 7:55 PM, Charlie Gallo wrote:
> Hey Gang,
> Reading the Nth thread on lubing thrust bearings, and just had a thought - would it be a good idea to design a thrust bearing that works based upon an 'ultra high molecularly weight filled self lubricating plastic" (aka something like a filled teflon - or rulon or even vespel) - nothing to ever rust/lubricate, and they can take decades of low to medium speed rotation/sliding - heck, in theory, if your mast was truly round, you could just have 3 or 4 pressure blocks, and it just rides on that
>
> BTW, for that matter, if you could assure it stays WET (not dry, WET), I'd bet a lignum Vitae bearing would be about perfect for a tower thrust bearing
>
>
>
>
Many people have used HDPE (aka a cutting board).  If you're looking for 
a bearing that takes radial loads (perpendicular to the shaft), then you 
saw the cutting board in half.  Put the two halves together, use a hole 
saw to cut a hole that clears the mast in the center.  Then bolt the two 
halves on either side of the mast.