I don't know many basic machine shops with the capability to bore the shaft for the adusting mechansim. I bet its cheaper to buy a pair of struts than to repair that one with a custom machined shaft.
I find it interesting that there is a first/fourth shop on your list. Somehow the same person that is paying someone to disassemble a strut is capable of being the general contractor on something with the tolerance requirement of a strut shaft.
Here we – go – One reason I usually don’t respond on forums except when I am board and have time or in deep SHT / have no clue and need advise.
I didn’t say basic I said competent.
The first shop is the shop specializing in struts. I should have been more specific but I though that was self-explanatory.
Forth shop specializes in grinding.
I’m sending a 15’-1” shaft 8” OD. 1040 steel shaft with an approximately 10” offset eccentric out to one in the next few weeks. We welded / repaired it in house – sent it out for OD machined including cutting 3 keyways. I’m having it finish ground / polished to spec +.000" / -.002” @ 70 degrees F. It’s for an old Hillies & Jones Dishing machine – Basically a 300 ton press for hand forming large odd shaped pieces of steel.
Time invested doing research before machining - Because I didn’t have a clue 4 – 5 Hours
3 Hours researching bearing material & grease grooves for rotational speed & load.
2.5 hour finding a company who could make the bearing and cut the grease grooves. (Making a mold, poring the material and machining)
The above hours are a guestamate mostly done at home because I have a full schedule at work and have a difficult time researching cool shit like this.
All the above just so I could talk to an engineer, who specialize in this field so I would be able to ask somewhat intelligent questions to be able to make a decision about want needed to be done.
The small shaft is no different – Time, money and a or many phone calls.
