General International

[Michael Lamore]

I own a general 480-1 jointer, now that their out of business, can someone tell me where I can get bearings for the cutter head, and how would I determine the correct part number for said bearings.

[Lee Schierer]

Remove the existing bearings and take them to a bearing distributor. Most manufacturers used off the shelf bearings in their products. Once they are out you may find markings on the bearings so you can just order them.

[Frederick Skelly]

Another idea: I recently found the correct bearings for a bandsaw at an auto parts store. Take the bearing with you for comparison.

[Matt Day]

Remove the bearing (you’ll need a bearing puller) and read the numbers on it. It’ll probably be something like 6903. That’s the size, and any additional letters like Z, RS, etc mean the seal type. Get rubber seals. Order new ones online or even local Fastenal or auto parts store as Fred said.

[David Kumm]

Make sure you get standard clearance as those will be small diameter bearings. Dave

[Frederick Skelly]

A quick aside......

Dave, Matt,
I know both of you rebuild a lot. Can you please teach me? Why standard clearance? Why rubber seals compared to other types?

Thank you!
Fred

[David Kumm]

Smaller bearings have higher speed limits . Rubber seals are contact seals so they reduce the rpm limit. Irrelevant with small bearings. Seals keep the oil inside the bearing and eliminate the need to replace the grease thrown from the bearing. Shielded bearings have a non contact shield so they can run faster but lose small amounts of grease so the machine needs to be designed to either allow for that or replace it. Open bearings allow for higher precision bearings or the use of oil which allows large high load bearings to run at great rpms. Clearance is the distance between the balls and the inner and outer races. Bearings that run hot or at the upper rpm limits, need additional room for the bearing to expand. Since bearings are usually held on both the outer and inner, each expand towards the balls. Bearings used in a spindle application should have as tight of clearance as possible so run out is reduced. Since most of us don't run machines 24-7, the bearings don't heat up that much and new machines run smaller cheaper bearings than old industrial equipment ( why I like the old stuff ), hence no need for higher clearance. CN or nothing in the description is normal, C3 is wider, C2 is tighter. you will find C2 on higher precision bearings with machined cages that can run tight with no harm. These bearings are sometimes called planer bearings. Dave

[Frederick Skelly]

Thank you!

[Mike Henderson]

Yes, thank you. Good information.

Mike

[Bill Dufour]

I recommend standard electric motor grade bearings with rubber seals. Shielded is old technology and a poor choice with wood dust to draw out the grease. I have had good luck with VXB bearings on ebay. Once you have the four digit number search by price. Jointer bearings are low load ,medium rpm and do not need anything special for accuracy. Shaper and router bearings are the only ones to think about, in a wood shop, before purchase due to rpm and side loading.
Bill D
PS: a Horrible Fright digital caliper is plenty accurate to measure a bearing with. All measurements will be metric if the tool was made after 1950 or so. All measurements will be whole number millimeters for any but the smallest router bit bearings.

http://www.ntnamericas.com/en/product-support-and-training/frequently-asked-questions

[David Kumm]

For a small upcharge, SKF Explorer are a little better quality. SKF electric motor grade tend to be C3. If an SKF has JEM in the name, it is C3 clearance. Dave

[Michael Lamore]

Hello

I original posted the question. I have to thank you folks for the responses. It is not only very helpful, but much appreciated.

Mike

[Alex Zeller]

When I replace a bearing I buy the best I can possibly buy. It's usually Timken. The price difference is so little while the upside could mean years of extra service. It's just personal opinion but it seams like the cheap bearings work just fine but they are more likely to fail down the road. It might cost you an extra $5 or $10.

[Tom Bender]

David's advice is great, but when replacing my bandsaw bearings I didn't have it. I took my bearings to a bearing distributer and got great service. Sound advice and everything in stock so no compromises. Only thing I should have done is take pictures of the application.

[Peter Kelly]

I own a general 480-1 jointer, now that their out of business, can someone tell me where I can get bearings for the cutter head, and how would I determine the correct part number for said bearings.General International is out of business? Thought they just shuttered the factories in Drummondville and moved to imports.

[John Jarrett]

Sorry to reply this late, but just noticed your post.
The General 480 was a made in Drummondville Quebec machine and not an Asian import General International machine. Pretty good jointer.
You can get a PDF of the original owners manual from Vintage Machinery dot org. Not sure if I can post links here or not. Just Google "General 480-1 jointer". One of the responses will take you the correct location on Vintage Machinery.
In any case the parts list in that owner's manual shows that both bearings are 6204-2RS. You should have no problem getting these on-line or from a local power transmission supplier. i.d. 20 mm, o.d. 47 mm, width 14 mm. Rubber seals.
Google some You Tube videos on how to pull the old bearings and press on the new. No point in accidentally damaging the new bearings. A bearing puller is nice to have to remove the old ones but you can get around this with some ingenuity since the bearings are to be thrown away. Just don't damage the cutter-head! Yeah, it's steel, but surprisingly deformable. Ideally you want an arbor press to install the new bearings but you can do it with some ingenuity and the judicious use of a plastic hammer. Provide pressure only to the inner race of the bearing and do it evenly. Often some pieces of pipe (check a pluming supply for black pipe nipples) or even deep sockets will slip over the cutter-head arbor end and can be used to supply pressure on the inner race only. When I did this, I chilled the cutter-head in the freezer overnight and heated the bearings to about 180 F in the oven before assembling. Not sure if it helped but, you know, couldn't hurt.