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:

1. 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.
2. Brookfield produce quick-connect accessories that avoid the need for repeatedly screwing and unscrewing spindles. They’re cheap and very handy.
3. 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.