How to Make Large Items Spin - Kevin Caron

#bearings #makethingsspin #KevinCaronArt
From www.kevincaron.com - Artist Kevin Caron often gets questions about bearings and how to make things spin. The commission he's working on right now, which involves spinning boulders, provides a great opportunity to show how to use bearings to make large things - or nearly anything - spin.
Any time you want to make something spin you have to have a fixed shaft. Then you add a bearing.
Kevin Caron shows one of the 2 races that are part of the bearing. He shows how the ring of ball bearings that are part of this thrust bearing fits down inside the race. There's another race that goes on top of the ball bearings which traps them inside.
With this commission, Kevin Caron puts the lower race over a solid stainless steel 1" shaft. He slides the race to wherever he wants it on the shaft, gets everything flat and straight and true, and then TIG welds the race in place on the back side. The lower race is now captive on the shaft with the bearing sitting on top. That explains the boulder with the shaft coming out of it.
But what about the other boulder? Kevin Caron shows the upper race buried in the top rock. What's below the surface? A piece of 1-1/4" heavy wall 304 stainless pipe. The only problem is that the inside diameter of this pipe is a little bit bigger than the outside diameter of the rod. You can see the solid stainless steel rod wobbling around inside a little. Kevin Caron wound up making a bushing that slips down inside and fits on the shaft to take the "slop" out so the rock doesn't wobble.
To make the top of the bearing, Kevin Caron trues up the stainless steel pipe to get it nice and square and flat. Then he welds the upper race to the top of the pipe. On top of the race he puts a little collar the race will fit down inside, then he'll TIG weld it around the top side so he'll have a sealed unit - these bearings will be outside and he wants to keep out any dirt. Kevin Caron shows the whole setup with the pipe - which is about 18" long -the race and the collar down inside the rock.
Remember the brass bushing? He found something better: a linear bearing. Kevin Caron shows the linear bearing and the rows of ball bearings inside. On the outside there's a little slot running its length, which means it can compress a little bit. He's ordered a bigger version of the linear bearing he's showing that he'll press down inside the pipe for a nice snug fit. Then he'll turn down the 1" shaft so it'll fit inside this linear bearing to help keep everything nice and tight at the top end with the thrust bearing on the bottom. The bottom bearing is going to carry the weight.
Now the 2 rocks are ready to go together. Of course, if he were putting them together permanently he'd grease the rod. In a sped up section, you can watch Kevin Caron lift the upper rock using his portable gantry crane, flip it over, lift it over the other rock with its rod sticking out, and lower it.
The 2 stones are touching one another, so Kevin Caron just needs to stop the bottom rock from turning and keep rotating the top rock to get them to fit. After he gets everything put together, he'll shape the rocks, adding pockets to catch the wind. This is definitely a work in progress and a long-term project.
Kevin Caron suggests viewers click on the notification bell to see more about this sculpture in addition to other free how-to videos on his site at www.kevincaron.com .
Well, you might want to hang around and watch him face reality ....
Artist Kevin Caron has been sculpting full time since 2006. See - and hear - his amazing metal and large format 3D-printed sculptures, which are found in public and private places coast-to-coast and online at www.kevincaron.com.
"Inspired sculpture for public & private places."
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[@Weelittlefarm]

Thank you as always Kevin. Your work is inspiring and I love learning from you!

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Happy to hear that! I have a lot of fun with my job!

[@cdsparksart4440]

Love all your work

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Thank you! Don't forget to click an ad or 2 please. Helps pay for the videos.

[@CharlesStruble]

Interesting how often your mechanic background comes in handy in your art... And we, your fans, benefit!

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Was thinking about that just the other day. Looking at the 2 toolboxes and wondering where that tool went!

[@CharlesStruble]

@@KevincaronSculpture It's right there. Right where you are about to put your foot...

[@brucer81]

Wow. Very elaborate. Great work and attention to detail.

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Thank you very much! So many things to keep in mind when you are doing something for the first time.

[@vin4sin]

I use the assembly of a burned up angle grinder for my bearing hack detach the head ,some have different orientation than others, once securely mounted all you need is a 5/8 coupler nut attached to project and it will easily screw on to arbor of grinder, you have free movement in both directions and years of service for small weathervane type projects and sculptures up to 10 lbs.

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Great idea will keep this in mind for the next time. Thank you for watching and posting.

[@dineshjoshi4100]

thank you sir for the valuable information.

[@KevincaronSculpture]

You are most welcome

[@waynemctaggart6929]

Great work and knowledge again my friend..cant wait for the post.keep safe .🤠🤠🤠🤠👍🤗👍🤗

[@KevincaronSculpture]

You and me both!

[@WeldinMike27]

Thanks Kevin. I've just got a thrust bearing for a windmill that I made. My top is out of balance, so I need to even it out. But I never thought of welding the bearing on the shaft. Perfect video to watch. Keep up the good work.

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Weld the race not the bearing!! All depends on what you are trying to do. But as long as it isn't a high speed situation I haven't found anything wrong with it.

[@WeldinMike27]

@@KevincaronSculpture cools, I meant to say that. Thanks.

[@henrikhv5084]

Go for it :-) I like your idea

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Will do!

[@dmadere1]

Nice!

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@JohnDavis-yz9nq]

It makes me hurt thing about moving those heavy rocks. I’ve been doing kinetic wind sculptures for years and the one thing I do know is that weight causes friction no matter what bearing or how many bearings a person uses. Finding the balance point probably wasn’t that hard using your chain hoist. But even with that it is pretty much guessing and just getting as close as possible.Just time consuming. Balance, angles and friction are the 3 things we face building kinetics. Balance cannot be taught. Either a person can do it or they can’t. I am very lucky because I must have been born with it. A man I know that has been building kinetic wind sculptures longer than I have wasn’t as lucky. I have been trying to teach him off and on for years on how to balance and he just doesn’t have it. Kinetic pieces will work out of balance. They just will not turn in a light breeze. Nice video Kevin. Be careful with those big rocks

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Thanks John. believe me, my boots are steel toed and I have gotten quick in my old age!

[@mjbbud8157]

Where those real stones where you find light rocks like that love that sculpture I'm 62 and started 2 years ago welding yard art.

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Yes, these are real stones. A commission for a garden in NY state.

[@gared287]

Finally...... Someone who knows the difference between a fully constructed 'ball bearing' and someone who calls a single ball a 'ball bearing'.

[@KevincaronSculpture]

I pay attention sometimes !

[@nelsenstudios2853]

Great info Kevin. I’ve got a globe project coming up and I’d love to make it spin. It’s roughly 8’ high. What’s your opinion on something like that holding up in MN? 90’s here in summer, -40 in winter & lots of rain and wind.

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Should be okay, but all depends on how you engineer the whole moving part of the design. The 1 inch bearing I use here is rated to 3200 lbs.

[@robertcoyle1532]

Good info Kevin.... Where did you get the split bearing?

[@KevincaronSculpture]

VXB.com

[@wingnutbert9685]

Do you preheat the shaft when welding on the race?

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Nope, not making anything that will spin fast or heavy enough to need the proper engineering.

[@TWX1138]

Is there any concern for the concave shape of the lower race trapping debris and harming spin? I'm mostly used to automotive applications including roller bearings rather that ball bearings.

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Nope, the bearing is covered by that little shield to keep stuff out.

[@roachdoggjr45]

4:28 When you mentioned the 1 inch shaft. You said "Turn it down". For clarification, are you referring to the lathe?

[@SuperVamshi007]

Yes

[@KevincaronSculpture]

That is correct.

[@roachdoggjr45]

@@KevincaronSculpture Ah, thank you.

[@johnchisholm7350]

Thanks Kev, but welding the bearing race will destroy the hardness surely, John from Oz

[@KevincaronSculpture]

True and if this sculpture was spinning at anything over 3 revs per minute it would make a difference. But because of the weight this piece will probably have to be spun by hand.

[@caveman-zd5yv]

what is the load rating of those bearings and how much are the rocks.

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Each bearing is rated to 600lbs! The heaviest rock was only 340ish.

[@davidthurston3346]

In what manner did you core the boulders?

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Hammer drill with a masonry bit.

[@davidthurston3346]

@@KevincaronSculpture okie doke, then.

[@BiitchSlapper]

How about a magnet bearing...won't have to worry about stone dust too much.

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Have to play with this for a while!!

[@user-qe9dm1si1d]

Возьмите в ученики

[@romakayak]

Do you have Coronavirus in your state yet?

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Of course. a few deaths as well. Not as bad as some places, but damn, this is getting out of control.

[@hwwelds9050]

Spiffy

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Thanks.

[@SuperVamshi007]

I dint understand anything !!

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Sorry, how can I explain it better?

[@SuperVamshi007]

@@KevincaronSculpture sorry I really dint understand it, it would have been helpful if you showed any drawing or chalk drawing of the assembly.

[@jameskrivitsky9715]

Hey Kevin, are those lava stones....light , porous, with very abrasive surfaces ? Good idea to try a variety of bearings on that SHAFT.... " He's a sex machine with all the chicks ! " Besides that ...a bottle of tequila and a shot glass makes big things SPIN for me..... my brain, the bed, even the whole ROOM sometimes. Havin' fun while the virus is making life complex. Thanks J K

[@KevincaronSculpture]

Thanks James, more of a vodka guy myself. Yes, they are lava stones and they are very sharp. Goes through a goat skin glove in 2 days!