2025-01-16

Last modified: 2025-01-16 14:49:43

• Clock
• Tumble dryer

Clock

3mm micro bearings and 3mm shafts have arrived, so the plan is to fit them to the clock on the escape wheel shaft and remontoire shafts.

First I'll print some bearing blocks, then try spinning the escape wheel in them and verify that it works better than the existing micro bearings before proceeding.

Will need some way to mount wheels on 3mm shafts, maybe just sleeve the existing mounts for now?

First impression is that these bearings are significantly poorer quality than the larger ones. They have a massive amount of play and make quite a noise when spinning around. But I'm printing a sleeve and will see how it goes.

The old ones are better! By quite a lot.

One confounder is that the shaft has larger moment of inertia, but I think not enough to explain it. I think these new bearings are just no good.

I'll try a different brand. These ones are from "Saipor", I'm trying "Sourcing map". Obviously they're all just "unbranded" Chinese ones, but we'll see.

If the "Sourcing map" ones are also no good then I guess we stick with the 5mm shafts and move on to reducing friction in the balance. Or alternatively remove some balance weights and weaken the balance spring, that would reduce the amount of drive weight required.

Tumble dryer

The tumble dryer has stopped working, it makes all the right noises, gets hot, etc., but it isn't drying the clothes and it looks like the drum isn't spinning.

I took it apart and found that the belt was wedged down one side of the tensioner pulley, and the bearing has completely collapsed. I've ordered a replacement pulley, with bearing and bracket, should come tomorrow.

It's an Indesit but this appears to be the same:

tps://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B094YFKMT6