Club 80-90 Forums

Swivel chair question
Removed to add my insulation and found this swivel mechanism - not sure if standard.



It does not have to operate that well but would be nice for a slightly smoother operation.
I could drill out and line the holes with metal tube. Make up a replacement plate in metal but in the interim am just going to clean off the rust and try and smooth the balls. Is it worth adding a smear of grease on the groove or leave dry?
Many thanks

It's not a genuine one but will work a lot better with grease added on the track where the ball bearings run (FYI genuine ones have a greased channel).

If your balls are shagged make a new plate out of metal and use the bearings out of CV joint (they look about the same size) and grease up.

I would have thought nylon insert would be better. Quieter and no rattles.

Many thanks for all the helpful comments
Tidied up, lightly sanded the balls to remove rust but will replace - 16mm. put a smear of bike bearing grease in the groove and now spins a lot more quietly. Will investigate nylon inserts, but not top of my list of jobs.

Well finished and greased holes in a decent plywood should be quite adequate. Slightly larger balls could enable the finish in the existing piece to be improved.
Or you might think about replacing the wooden part with one made from (almost any) plastic which would remove the need for bushes. Some people hoard this kind of stuff. The most important feature of the design is the ability of the bearing guide (cage) to be friction free from both upper and lower surfaces so that it can follow the balls (at half speed). This can be facilitated by a central washer under the disk to lift it clear of the lower surface. But then as you say you probably have more important faffing to do
Cheers
CS.