Usually, when I want information about something I try to consult someone who
has actual experience on the subject. In this case, machinists and millwrights
come to mind. Possibly some auto restoration people haver also scraped bearings.

When I was serving my apprenticeship (1956 through 1959), the journeymen made a
special effort to show me things. The reason for this was that my father had
some influence in the union. It was a good idea to be on his good side.
Construction unions were strong back then.

So when things like bearing scraping came up, they would send for me so I could
learn. At the time I kinda thought I was being picked on because the other
apprentices were just doing normal work, and I was often being taken from what I
was doing and reassigned to a different task, which meant packing up my tools
and carrying them to a new location. I was too young then to realize what was
being done for me. I thought it was a burden.

So anyway, I got to do a lot of different things, and learned a lot in the
process.

Back to bearing scrapers. There were more than 250 journeyman millwrights
working on constructing the steel mill where I served most of my apprenticeship.
In my 4 years there I got to know most of them. I showed them my tools, and I
looked at theirs. Millwrights are always proud of their tools. I never saw a
bearing scraper that looked much different that the one I posted the pictures of
recently. Long handle, curved end. 250 sets of professional tools, and not one
bearing scraper that looked any different.

I truly believe that if there were other types in use for the purpose of
scraping large babbitt bearings that I would have at least been told about it,
or read about it in my books. So until someone tells me that they have actually
scraped a babbitt bearing with the other kind of tool, I remain skeptical.

A horse is a horse, is a horse, is a horse of course, but there is only one
Mister Ed.


> On Oct 27, 2014, at 8:39 AM, John Ruth  wrote:
> 
> Tony called our attention to a type  _machinist scraper_ 
> 
>> But see
>> 
>> http://store.apextoolgroup.com/nicholson-
21667n-3-1-4-machinist-s-scraper.html">http://store.apextoolgroup.com/nicholson-
21667n-3-1-4-machinist-s-scraper.html
>> 
>> for a Nicholson bearing scraper of the same form as  your Hirsch tool. 
> 
> Now, note that ad says "MACHINIST SCRAPER". No where does it say a word about
bearings !!!
> 
> If the bearing was wide, that scraper would not be of much use. On a wide
bearing, you'd only be able to scrape with the curved part right near the tip.
It could readily scrape narrow bearings such as the poured babbit in early auto
engines, but only up a width corresponding to the straight part of the edge.
> 
>> The answer may come down to whether your find has a convex, flat or  
>> hollow grind on the faces.
> 
> This, I think is "the rub".  The convex creates a "relief" on the back of the
blade which I think is vital to scrape Babbitt to a smooth surface. The flat-
sided, sharp-arrised scrapers may in indeed be scrapers, but they are not
_bearing_ scrapers. They will do general scraping such as deburring, but aren't
going to make a fine surface on Babbitt. That's my uninformed opinion and I'm
sticking to it! (But, see below, because open-minded John just found a
counterexample.)
> 
> Now, just to muddy the very waters I indended to clarify, I present this for
the Porch's perusal:
> 
> http://www.csosborne.com/brs
crape_1.htm
> 
> and, the "killer" reference:
> 
> http://www.csosborne.com/no29B.htm">http://www.csosborne.com/no29B.htm
> 
> Because, here, BOTH hollow-ground ( concave ) and flat-sided triangular
scrapers are referred to as "bearing scrapers".  !!!
> 
> So, now I think we are all, all of us, correct. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>
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