# Best way to polish bronze bushing?



## kquiggle (Mar 27, 2015)

Looking for suggestions and advice:

I'm building the Webster IC, and I'm using bronze bushings, which raises the question, what is the best way to polish a bronze bushing? And while we are at it, what is the _wrong_ way to polish a bronze bushing.

Is this wrong: Wrap some 1200 grit paper around a shaft to make a "flapper" and just rotate it in the bushing. Or will this cause uneven polishing?

How about this: Make a lap and use lapping compound (or is this overkill?)

Something in between?

And what about the shaft that goes in the bushing? Seems like it ought to be OK to use fine grit abrasive here . . .

What is your preferred method and why?


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## aka9950202 (Mar 28, 2015)

The bronze bushes I made were reamed and left in a reamed state. The crankshaft was polished with 1200 grit. Be careful not to go undersize when polishing. Rather a few scratches left in the shaft, which will aid lubrication, than undersize and have to restart.

Remember the engine is not designed for long runs. Things can be less than perfect and it will still work.


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## kquiggle (Mar 28, 2015)

aka9950202 - thanks for the comment. I wondered about the need to polish an already reamed bushing. I may try a few experiments anyway on some test pieces.

I've done some searching on this site, and the Internet in general, for information on this topic but so far have not found anything on "polishing" (as opposed to lapping) specifically - not sure if there is even a difference.


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## Mechanicboy (Mar 28, 2015)

Use reamer instead polishing the bronze bearing. Running in the engine will improve the fit between shaft and hole who is impossible to make the perfect fit with the tools. It is oil who make the crankshaft run easier in the bearing. I has Webster engine with wick lubricator.

aka9950202 wrote this:  "Remember the engine is not designed for long runs." It is only an assertion. I has still engine and, the engine is not worned out since the engine was made in may 2008. 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdlAESytmVs[/ame]


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