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Message |
    
Hovaness
Tinkerer
Username: Hovaness
Post Number: 37
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 30, 2007 - 05:48 am: | 
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Recently I lost the tiny ball bearing that provides the aperture click-stop detents in a Topcor lens. After racking my brains for a replacement source, I discovered that the ball of an inexpensive stick pen is a perfect substitute. By carefully sawing off the nose of the pen, freeing the ball, and cleaning off the ink residue, you can replace most tiny ball bearings used in classic cameras. |
Charlie
Tinkerer
Username: Charlie
Post Number: 62
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 30, 2007 - 05:53 am: |
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Photographic art 1, literature 0 |
Hovaness
Tinkerer
Username: Hovaness
Post Number: 40
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 30, 2007 - 07:26 pm: |
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The pen is mightier than the sword, but the mouse is mightier than the pen. |
Arnoldharris
Tinkerer
Username: Arnoldharris
Post Number: 8
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 01, 2007 - 06:07 pm: |
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But Micro-Tool is mightier than either.
(They carry every conceivable metric size of ball bearings suitable for use with cameras.)
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI |
Jan
Tinkerer
Username: Jan
Post Number: 29
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 01, 2007 - 06:36 pm: |
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..."They carry every conceivable metric size of ball bearings suitable for use with cameras"...
Very true, but my pen tray is a lot closer when a ball goes missing. Great idea, Haig!
Jan |
Petercat
Tinkerer
Username: Petercat
Post Number: 8
Registered: 01-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 05, 2007 - 06:04 pm: |
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Just remember that the balls in a pen aren't polished, they have a microtexture to help them carry the ink around to the paper. Of course, they might also carry lube as well... |
Arnoldharris
Tinkerer
Username: Arnoldharris
Post Number: 11
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 12, 2007 - 05:07 am: |
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That it does for sure.
So back to good old Micro-Tool and their polished ball bearings.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI |
Epatsellis
Tinkerer
Username: Epatsellis
Post Number: 5
Registered: 01-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 10:59 am: |
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I know McMaster carries 1 to 3.5 mm stainless balls, dirt cheap, around $10 or so for 250. (lifetime supply, even for a klutz) if you need one of the sizes they carry, or there is a decimal size close enough, they're ideal.
erie |
Steve_s
Tinkerer
Username: Steve_s
Post Number: 45
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 02:11 pm: |
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Computer hard-drives are a good source. I stripped a couple of Quantum drives recently and they had 3/64" balls in the bearings for the head assembly, and 1/16" bearings in the main motor (that's right, they use inch sizes!)
Unfortunately I was looking for 5/64", so I am still looking! |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 322
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 02:21 pm: |
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Most of the balls I have encountered in camera applications have been 1.0mm diameter (3/64 probably close enough in most cases), with some 1.5mm (very close to 1/16). I've looked at ink pen balls once or twice, but the ones that I have looked at have been much smaller.
I went ahead and bought a supply from micro-tools - their prices I'm sure were higher than 4 cents apiece, but I'm also pretty sure that 250 of these would amount to MANY lifetimes' supply. The dozen or two that I got will last me forever I'm sure. |
