Soldering a main-bearing stand.

Whilst I'm not exactly a beginner, this is something I've never actually done before, so I'd like to be sure I've got it right.

I have to temporarily solder together the main bearing stand and the main bearing cap, prior to drilling and boring the bearing-hole. Am I correct in thinking I should tin both relevant faces, and then clamp them together and reheat to join them ?

Or bolt it together with its proper fixings

Never worked for me, the soft solder is too weak. I'd agree with Bernard, use mechanical fixings. This picture shows boring bearings, but is equally applicable if the bearing stand and bearing cap hole is round:

Andrew

I'll try that, thanks.

Your picture shows a separate bearing held together by the housing, whereas mine is drilled into the housing itself (it's on a Kennions' 'Tina' ), does that make any difference ?

Edited By Bob Unitt 1 on 08/09/2022 13:45:24

Edited By Bob Unitt 1 on 08/09/2022 13:46:37

Edited By Bob Unitt 1 on 08/09/2022 13:46:53

Edited By Bob Unitt 1 on 08/09/2022 13:47:15

Hi Bob the unit you require for Tina is much smaller than the bearing block that Andrew shows.

I have soldered together all the bearing blocks for the engines I have made without any issues save one where I held it in the mill for boring/reaming with the split line across the vise, not longitudinally. The block parted with the reaming pressure.

I put a series of images in My Albums under the title 'Making Bearing Brasses - the principle is just the same for a one piece unit which the Tina has.  Maybe that's worth a look? I'm not sure how to put a link to that so just take a look at photos under the user name

Here's the last image in that album - much smaller than the Tina I would think

Hope that helps - Tug

Edited By Ramon Wilson on 08/09/2022 14:25:22

On separate bearings I tin and solder large ones or use solder paste on smaller ones and provided you take it easy with the cutting forces and any heat generated they stay together OK

However as Tina is not like the ones Ramon and Andrew show because the bearing is part of the gun metal pedestal and cap I would machine the mating faces of the pedestal and cap then drill and tap as required before screwing them together and then machine the assembly making sure to mark them before taking apart so you put the back the right way.

Sounds like a plan, I'll try it that way - thanks.

I use 3% silver 97% tin (common lead free plumbers tin) for (soft) soldering HSS toolbits on steel tool holders for making grooving, parting and threading tools.