c/imadethis · by Thorny_Insight@lemm.ee · 2y

I fixed my dad's angle grinder with a ball bearing I salvaged from my gerbil's old excercise wheel a few years back.

It was even the same brand. I love when hoarding materials pays off.

212 points · 25 comments · view on lemmy.world

25 Comments

emptiestplace@lemmy.ml · 59 pts · 2y (5 replies)

6201RS

6 - type code: single-row, deep groove ball bearing
2 - series / robustness: (2 corresponds with 'light', which is more durable than 0, but less durable than 3 or 4)
01 - size code: 12mm bore (inner diameter)
RS - grease seal: rubber seal one side (no seal would be '6201', both sides sealed would be '6201-2RS'. Z and ZZ are used similarly to indicate presence of steel shield(s))

The 6201 is a good fit for this application, and providing the gerbil wasn't too hard on it, should last a long time.

AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works · 17 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Comments like these are why I periodically still love the internet.

emptiestplace@lemmy.ml · 12 pts · 2y (1 reply)

I kinda needed this today, thank you. <3

GBU_28@lemm.ee · 3 pts · 2y

I know you have equally developed knowledge and opinion on a variety of things, like sliced bread or boot rubber compound

Annoyed_Crabby@monyet.cc · 8 pts · 2y

This guy bearing.

CosmicTurtle@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y

I recently took apart my weed whacker and it used the same ball bearing. I actually learned that these ball bearing casings (?) are super common. I replaced mine with a skate board bearing and it's as good as new.

captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works · 25 pts · 2y (3 replies)

So what do we think folks? Underbuilt angle grinder or overbuilt gerbil wheel?

zarcher@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Its a mass produced bearing type. Most likely the cheapest option for both devices. Optimizing a bearing for a gerbil wheel seems like the real overengineering in my opinion.

DogWater@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y

This is one of the counter intuitive things about production at scale. I remember I added factory cruise control to a Mazda 3 by buying the steering wheel with the buttons and having a technician flip a switch in the ECU. Everything else was already there.

They never made any additional changes to non equipped cara because it's cheaper to just produce 1 part or 1 configuration and digitally lock it out. 2500$ option with a 200$ fix.

captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y

Thing is, when I had gerbils, their exercise wheel turned on a cylinder of plastic inside another cylinder of plastic. I also had one that was a wire wheel with sheet metal spokes and a wire base, the "bearings" were the wires of the base poked into holes in the spokes. A gerbil wheel having a ball bearing at all seems a little bit extra to me.

AnyOldName3@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 2y

Not all bearings are created equal. This might last for years. This also might explode into fast-moving metal shards in a day. It shouldn't be a big problem if it does, as an angle grinder should be built to contain exploding bearings, but it might be worth ordering a higher-spec bearing to have on hand before you need it in a hurry.

Zer0_F0x@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Those look like skateboard bearings to me, they are quite common. A relatively high quality set of 8 bearings is like 15 bucks if you have a skateshop nearby

ouRKaoS@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 2y

Reds. Look for Bones Reds.

usualsuspect191@lemmy.ca · 11 pts · 2y (2 replies)

That's either a very over-engineered hamster wheel, or that grinder was under spec'd.

Thorny_Insight@lemm.ee · 5 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Yeah, it's a Ryobi grinder and the excercise wheel was quite high quality one.

mihnt@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 2y

Yep, pretty sure there's some overlap in that, lol.

user1234@lemmynsfw.com · 7 pts · 2y

That's a balls-y move.

wiLD0@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y

They don’t make gerbil exercise wheels like they used to.