The Joys of Hockey Pucks

[BobWarfield]

A long time ago I bought a crate of 40 or 50 used hockey pucks thinking they'd come in handy at some point. Today I used 4 of them to make a set of vibration dampening leveling feet for my mill. The hard rubber used in these pucks is a real joy to machine. I performed all operations at 300-400 rpm:

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[BobWarfield]

The finished article:

They machined so nicely I'll be digging out more of these babies as I think of new uses for them.

Cheers,

BW

 

[Brass_Machine]

Nice job Bob.

How well do you think they will hold up to the job?


Eric

 

[BobWarfield]

Solid rubber. I think they'll do great. There's plenty of beef there. Although the mill will be maybe 1200-1500 lbs, we're only looking at 300-500 lbs per corner depending on how the weight distributes.

Best,

BW

 

[Loose nut]

I did the same thing last year, I'm still trying to clean up all the rubber dust, I put 8 of these homemade dampeners under my lathe, 4 on each end, 1800 lbs. (lathe and stands combined) and there has been no movement, shifting, or collapsing of the mounts since then, and they are a bargain.

 

[DickDastardly40]

There's gotta be a use somewhere for the rubber 'swarf'.

Al

 

[GrahamC]

Up here in the Frozen North (at least during the winter) where hockey is played on every residential street you can often buy new Hockey pucks by the bucket. And I have done so and still working on a bucket I bought a number of years ago!

I used them or the feet on a home made disc sander - 3 feet so that it always sits flat. Also used for much what you intend to use them for.

However, I don't bother putting them in the lathe. I just use my drill press and drill through where needed with common twist drills and where I need a large recessed spot for bolt heads, nuts or the like I use a Forstner bit in the drill press. In a pinch I have even done it off hand using a hand drill.

I have often eyed up a hockey puck thinking it might make a good start to machine out a tire for a tether car. Haven't tried it yet as I have always thought the rubber would be a bit hard. However, for street hockey they sell pucks which are not the hard rubber kind but rather a "hard" sponge rubber (and usually orange in colour). They work as well for rubber feet where you don't need as solid foot but being softer they don't drill or machine as nicely.

cheers, Graham near Ottawa Canada

 

[old-biker-uk]

Must try that - don't have any pucks but my wife's Yorkshire Puddings will make a good second best. (Please don't tell her I said that, she's a Scot & it takes ages to get my blood out of the carpet)
Mark

 

[Hexbasher]

oh, they;ll hold up


when i was a kid, i lifted my k car with a **** load of drilled hockey pucks i bought from canadian tire

 

[gilessim]

Mark, yorkshire puddings made by a Scotswoman?, no offense to either of you, BTW I'm from near Shepton Mallet , maybe next time I'm over I'll call in and help you get the blood off the carpet!

Giles

 

[kvom]

I have seen pucks used as vibration dampener feet for vertical compressors. Same good idea.

 

[itowbig]

they also make good flywheels

 

[bigsteve]

There's gotta be a use somewhere for the rubber 'swarf'.

Al

Use it as mulch. They already do it with recycled tires. I don't know if hockey pucks use carbon black or just some sort of black dye, but bleach may lighten them up, also.