Cleaning The Carriage Shaft On Key Machines

As owners and operators of key machines know, brass shavings end up in every nook and cranny of the machine and surrounding area. These shavings have little effect on the operation of most of the key machine parts, but can cause premature wear in some areas. In general, dusting off the machine regularly keeps the brass shavings from affecting machine performance, but there are some places that are further affected that cannot be cleaned. One of these areas is the carriage shaft and brass carriage shaft bearings.

Key Machine Carriage Shaft Bearing Wear

This area is susceptible to wear through the intrusion of brass shavings between the carriage shaft surface and the brass carriage shaft bearing on each side. Key blank fragments land on the surface of the carriage shaft, and are able to work their way under the bearing by its side to side operation. These fragments can stay in between the two surfaces and damage the bearing surface. This eventually leads to rough operation and loose bearing operation.

Cleaning the Carriage Shaft Bearings With A Lock Shim

Sometimes, we offer tech tip advice that promotes a new product that is purpose built and aids locksmiths in their job. Other times, we simply find great ways to do things using the tools already available. Interestingly, lock shimsare the perfect thickness to fit between the carriage shaft and the brass bearing. The lock shim is simply inserted from one side and pushes the metal fragments out from inside the bearing. Carefully cleaning the fragments off between each pass clears out the debris, prevents rough operation, and premature bearing wear.

Key Machines, Tools, and Replacement Parts

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