Official Luthiers Forum!

I have an older Stew Mac 4 bearing set with a .875" cutter. The new set has 7 bearings and .925" cutter. I am ready to spend the money (reluctantly) for a large set from LMI.

Does anyone have a set they want to sell? At the moment I really just need to cut a channel for a .150" purfling/binding combo, so I need about .155", but I'd like to get the whole set.

I considered making my own set, but the local bearing places didn't carry them. Hey at this point I'm half tempted to have a machinist make the wheels to press fit over standard 1/4" by 1/2" bearing. Probably need to sell quite  few of to make any money on them though. Just thinking out loud....

Terry,

I have the tools to make up a wheel for you if you want a one-off to get the job done. I made up an extra wheel for my LMI set to cut an .060 channel not so long ago.

Anyway, if there is an interest in making up a run of these I would be into making some sets.

Louis

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- Louis Freilicher

Oh No! Not another learning experience!

Hi Louis,

What an offer! I'd need 1/4" bore, .575" O.D. iirc, &  1/4" tall. Are you thinking of press fitting onto a custom sized wheel?  I can PM with final details. Trying to get my brother's gte done, a fundraiser, and then a bluegrass guitar for the son of my banjo building buddy. You may know the father, if you visit the banjo hangout. Phenonmenal engraver/builder.

I recon you could do a poll , and find yourself busy making up 15-30 sets, my guess.

How soon

oops..

How soon could you do it? Let me tell you, I'm SURE you could sell sets, ask Tracy Levesque.

The big difference between Stew Mac, I think is they had different sized bearings. LMI has one sized bearings with different sized wheels press fit onto them. (making a set would be easy to do if one has the metal lather & material)

Anyhow, I am going to want/need a larger set, eventually. PM me with your thoughts about doing a full set/several runs. Sounds like a great idea.

Terry,

The bearing on the right is what I made up.




I made mine from aluminum because it's all I had at the time. The LMI wheels look like free cutting steel, I have both on hand now.

Anyway, I have some bearings that fit my LMI cutter left over from modifications I was trying to make to a P.C. edge guide.

Let me know the OD that you need and I'll make up a wheel and press fit a bearing into, just like the one above.

I could have it out to you tomorrow.

Louis

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- Louis Freilicher

Oh No! Not another learning experience!

Hi Louis,

THANK YOU! I appreciate it. The cutter is in fact .875". My binding/prfling combo is about .150". I'd need .575" O.D. plus a little room for swelling from the glue. Stew Mac says they compensate .012" iirc. I'm happy with .010. SOOOO> O.D.= .565" right?

Hi Louis and Terry,

I would be interested in a complete set of bearings if we can find enough people to make it profitable for you and economical for us. How many sets would you need to sell? Let's say something similar to LMI's set - 10 wheels/bearings, 1/4" shaft, 1/2" bearings.

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GregH
Fot Wuth