Line shaft Mice

**DSEL74** · 28th August 2015, 11:33 AM

If you have ever seen those thin rings dancing along a line shaft and wonder what they are or called?

They are line shaft wipers or commonly called mice as the scamper along the shaft.

The purpose as I understand it is to remove the chance of a catastrophic failure. Should a belt fall off a pulley and wrap around the line shaft one of two thing will happen the line shaft will get pulled down or the thing on the other end pulled up. The mice keep the shaft clean and polished, there for "fricton-less" or slippery and much less likely to grip the belt. As the oldtimer says "never put a shaft up unless it is polished".

I guess I have some work to do on mine! Rusty bugger.

Does anyone know what the wipers are made of? I have heard steel and copper. Copper sounds better to me. Also how big the hole is in relation to the shaft size, obviously bigger than the shaft and smaller than any fittings. How thick are they?

My line shaft is 1" Dia.

**Cueball** · 28th August 2015, 12:05 PM

G'day Dale,

I was wondering if they would be made from leather which has been oiled.

When I was a kid and bikes had chromed steel hubs on the wheels, that is what we fitted to both back and front wheels to maintain the chrome - no rust, and nice and shiny. Added advantages were the noise factor - none, and the lack of wear that a steel/ copper or other metallic wiper could produce over the long term.

I have never used line shafted machines so cannot speak from experience. Neither have I spotted such items in old photographs of line shafting - though to be honest I have never been looking for such items. No doubt in every photo from now on they will leap out at me in accusation!

Regards

Quentin

**DSEL74** · 28th August 2015, 12:22 PM

Can't say I ever noticed them in the past but since I saw them I pick them out all the time. If the line shaft is down then they probably are sitting up against the pulleys and being thin not noticeable.

These ones appear to be copper, last seconds of video show them clearly.

**Peter Fou** · 28th August 2015, 01:49 PM

Coming from a farming background and very familiar with line-shaft shearing machines, old piston rings were commonly used simply to remove the accumulated patina of rust deposited on the shafting in the off season and to keep the wool fluff from building up at the plumber blocks during shearing. Tramp oil from the bearings on the blocks was also effectively distribute along the shafting thus preventing pools on the floor below the bearings which were fed from cups and wicks.

Peter

**Steamwhisperer** · 28th August 2015, 01:54 PM

Hi Dale
You name it and you can use it.
Old piston rings, brass, copper Bakelite, ebonite...
We use 1/4" rod in roughly 4" circles and in another area we use leather.

Phil

**DSEL74** · 29th August 2015, 09:20 AM

Thanks guys. When I'm out & about I'll stop by a few mechanics and see if I can score some piston rings

**Peter Fou** · 29th August 2015, 10:08 AM

Probably the easiest piston rings to get over the shaft are the old style Cord rings which were made from steel and are very flexible. Pretty hard to find these days. Rings from old stationary engines with big fat rings are ideal but depending on the size of the shaft and ring they can be difficult to install without breakage.

Peter

**BobL** · 29th August 2015, 10:38 AM

Nice vids but Blimey - the noise would drive me nuts in a shop like that.
I'm surprised the engine is not located in a suitably acoustically isolated chamber.

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