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Author Topic: Easy question: Gib key sizing - standard or "weird"?  (Read 2711 times)

jtodd

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Easy question: Gib key sizing - standard or "weird"?
« on: February 12, 2008, 04:21:29 AM »

I have an original Lister 16/2, and I've pulled both gib keys to do some work.  Looking at them, they seem a little worse for wear - some "arching" on the bottom of one of the keys in between the head and where the key goes into the flywheel.  I'd like to get replacements, since I'm already disassembled.

Are these just standard 5/8 gib keys, like  can be found on the McMaster (http://www.mcmaster.com/) website on page 3277?  (well, it's 3277 right now - maybe in the future that will change - just search for "gib keys".)   The reason I ask is that my measurements all seem to be a bit "off" of what I'd expect for a 5/8 key, and I'm wondering if there is some wacky Whitworth sizing of keyways that Lister used.  The numbers are close enough to make me think that it's 5/8, but bending/twisting of the older keys may be throwing my numbers off by a few thousandths.

FWIW: I'm putting 2" clamp-on shaft collars (McMaster item 6435K27 or equivalent) on the outside of the keys, just in case.  For ~$36, it's VERY cheap insurance to keep those keys from flying out of the keyway.  Resolved: Hearing the sharp metallic bonking of a key on concrete is a sound that gets one very agitated in very short order.  As a corrolary: wearing gloves at all times is a very good idea, as it lets you slow a flywheel in a controlled manner.

JT

Stan

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Re: Easy question: Gib key sizing - standard or "weird"?
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2008, 04:49:33 AM »
Don't know about the size, especially of the 16/2 but I too have the clamp-on shaft collars on Penelope.  Waaaaay too much energy in those puppies (electric flywheels).
Stan