Don't Lose Your Bearings
Don't Lose Your Bearings
I have it on good authority from my friends at Brookfield that scratched jewel-bearings are one of the commonest causes of poor results from a viscometer. Here’s three ways to extend the life of this delicate part of your instrument:
- First and foremost, when loading a spindle ensure that you lift the shaft upwards against its backstop (about 2mm) before screwing on the spindle. This disengages the pivot point from the cup-shaped jewel thus preventing the hard point getting dragged across the surface of the bearing.
- Brookfield produce quick-connect accessories that avoid the need for repeatedly screwing and unscrewing spindles. They’re cheap and very handy.
- If your instrument judders as it is racked down the stand this can cause the pivot point to hammer away at the jewel. A touch of light oil on the stand shaft should help.