Page 224 - Making things move_ DIY mechanisms for inventors, hobbyists, and artists

202 Making Things Move

There are many ways to mount bearings FIGURE 7-14 Common bearing mount
and bushings. The important considerations configurations
with ball bearings are to mount them so
the shaft fits snugly to the inner race and
the outer race fits snugly to some sort
of housing. Figure 7-14 shows common
configurations used to mount a long shaft.
Variations on this scheme include using
bearings with flanges built into their outer
races, using washers or nuts in place of
the shoulders on the housing, or using
retaining rings or shaft collars to keep the
shaft from shifting inside the bearing.

Another way to work with bearings and avoid using fancy tools and bits is to use
mounted bearings, or pillow blocks. Pillow blocks are just bearings mounted in their
own case. The case provides mounting holes or slots so you can adjust the alignment
before tightening down the mounting screws (see Figure 7-15). You pay for the
convenience, but with a starting price of around $3, you might be willing to spend
the extra dollar or two and save yourself a lot of time.

FIGURE 7-15 Pillow blocks allow you to easily mount bearings to support rotating shafts
(credit: McMaster-Carr).