PEEK as a bearing in flame eater/stirling engine?

[machineshed]

I'm making a couple of engines and can't fine enough ball bearings, But i have got a load of peek!

Has anyone tried PEEK as bearing on a striling engine or a poppin???

Thanks Jim

[b.lindsey]

Jim, I have never tried it but most stirlings and flame eaters require ball bearings or else the friction becomes too much for the power of the engine to overcome.

Bill

[Stuart]

Not used it as a bearing but I have made piston valves from it for live steam locomotive , only the valve bit like a polo mint on each end

But it's very expensive about £60 for 25mm dia by 300 mm
So I envy a sock of lots

Stuart

Sorry Stan I meant stock , dyslexia problems

[gldavison]

What is PEEK?

[b.lindsey]

Maybe this will help.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEEK

Bill

[fumopuc]

May by some additional information are shown here.
http://www.ensinger-inc.com/products.cfm?page=product&product=tecapeek

[sshire]

What is a ""sock of lots?" I was sure that the time spent on this forum, along with my "English to English Translation Dictionary" had gotten me to the point where I knew what was being said. I'm still shaky on the "Oz to English" however but that's another story.

[Arbalest]

Peek wouldn't be my first choice for bearings. Not cheap but I bought some Ertalyte TX rod to make the track and bolt retainer inserts on my target crossbow. Excellent stuff, machines like Acetal but very slippy!


http://www.quadrantplastics.com/fileadmin/quadrant/documents/QEPP/EU/Product_Data_Sheets_PDF/GEP/Ertalyte_TX_PDS_E_25012011.pdf

[machineshed]

Thank you for the replies.

I'm going to go ahead and try the PEEK, if it doesn't work, I'll have to get some bearings!

Cheers Jim

[b.lindsey]

Jim, if it works then we will all have learned something. Please keep us posted on if and how it works. As the saying goes..."nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Bill

[Arbalest]

For what it's worth I even washed out the oil on the bearings for my flame eater to reduce friction to a minimum. The addition of some graphite powder may help if you're going to go solid with some Peek.

[kellswaterri]

Hi folks,....re.   Peek.  I sent just on Thursday last,for some info, on Peek rod  to make some bearings, hopefully I might be able to obtain a small sample  Gratis.

[kellswaterri]

Hi folks...those Very Nice people at  V......  must not have wanted me to have a Peek at their PEEK...as there was no reply to my email
for information + a sixty metre sample   Sorry ,finger slipped... 6 MM  ...I hope to hear from then ...soon.

[Ian S C]

I use carbon impregnated Teflon for the gland bush of the displacer on some of my Stirling Engines,  It's good, but try not too get oil on it.  You could make some cast iron bushes, with a polished shaft the friction is not too much greater than ball bearings.
                                                Ian S C

[Stuart]

its not worth trying to scrouge a bit of peek although I do not think its the best stuf for your job
http://www.directplasticsonline.co.uk/PeekRod/6mm/

just over £3

Stuart

[kellswaterri]

Stuart, I am shocked...Scrounging !!!  that is one of our pastimes here and how to do it well is a closely guarded secret...Not the best stuff for job  ?   reasons......
                        John.

[Jo]

Scrounging !!!  that is one of our pastimes here and how to do it well is a closely guarded secret.

 

[Ian S C]

Not sure what sort of plastic he has, but one of the lads on the Model Engineer site has plastic to give away (he is in England).
    A place to find very small bearing races: the guide rollers in old VHS video machines, some are about 3 mm bore.
                                                Ian S C

[Stuart]

John

I based my experience with it in making piston valves for loco,s it turn up nicely but did not strike me as a good material for a Stirling engine , but it looks like I am wrong the sales data says otherwise

My main reason to use it was the dimension stability with temp to seal the valve
Anyway here is the data for my red face

http://www.quadrantplastics.com/eu-en/products/machinable-plastics/advanced-160-220-c/ketron-R-peek.html

 
Stuart

[kellswaterri]

thank you for that link ...Stuart. I'll Creeep up on them when they are not lookíng......
                                                                                           John.

[kellswaterri]

the guide rollers in old VHS video machines, some are about 3 mm bore.

Just what I am on the hunt for now Ian...all old electrical gear goes to our local council dump and they are proving rather tecthy at the moment for some reason...I will keep working on them.   
                                                                    John.

[Arbalest]

Also consider old printers and Hard discs for small bearings.

[kellswaterri]

Hi folks, I managed to retrieve a large photocopier from a friend of a friend...I am only part way through dismantling it and have a large tin of useful bits.( built like a tank these...)   have not got to any actual bearings yet but looking pretty good, lots of steel rollers,little gears and metal parts...considering the use these machines are put through there was practically no wear on the shafts nor on the Black (Plastic)Bearing they ran in...(some form of Peek)  perhaps?
                                                                                        John.

[Ian S C]

Old printers, or any similar machinery, ideal  Christmas present for the children, there's nothing to beat pulling things apart, it's an advance over giving them a big cardboard box that can be a house, a ship, or anything they want it to be, meanwhile the toys get ignored, there by lasting about a week longer.
Now that a lot of old VHS tape machines are getting chucked, you got to get them before they get to the dump.  Most dumps here are off limits,  but garage sales are the place to find this stuff.
                                                Ian S C

[kellswaterri]

Hi Ian, I would be very wary of letting the kids near a Printer using Toner power...I did a Google on the toner main opinion dodgy stuff,,,so out with the mask, and water spray...but ,as you say a proper treasure of very useful bits...I believe some people can make a good living from this.
                            John.

[Arbalest]

There are indeed lots of useful bits in photocopiers. But yes, they are a bit messy to take apart. If you spill any toner do not attempt to suck it up with a conventional vacuum cleaner, the filters aren't fine enough. They tried this at work and ended up putting a fine coating of toner on every flat surface in the area.