LIGNUM VITAE wood (Latin for "wood of life")

[smithbrother]

Lignum Vitae wood, I know this wood was used as WET BEARINGS on DAM TURBINES, SUBMARINES, AND SHIPS as the  wood remains self-lubricating in both water and out of water, but wonder if it was ever use in the automotive world early on?

 

It is extremely hard, so dense it wont' float.

 

Also used as belaying pins, British police truncheons, mortars, and pestles, even in the necks of some banjos.

 

Just wondered,

 

Dale in Indy

[Mark Shaw]

http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/hr/print/volume-32/issue-4/cover-story/bearings---seals--wood-makes-a-comeback-for-hydroelectric-turbin.html

Wood Makes a Comeback for Hydroelectric Turbine Bearing Applications

05/01/2013

 

When the turbine guide bearings installed at several hydroelectric plants in the U.S. suffered short lives and significant wear, the owners turned to lignum vitae material. Their experience has shown that this material, although more costly, can provide longer service life than composite and plastic bearing materials.

By Elizabeth Ingram

The plant manager for a small hydroelectric facility in the southeast U.S. found out via a magazine advertisement that lignum vitae materials are once again available for use in bearing applications. This hydro plant had run using lignum vitae bearings since it first began operating in 1914, but in the mid-1980s this plant manager switched the units to composite bearing materials when he thought the supply of lignum vitae was scarce.

Although the composite bearings performed satisfactorily overall, they had a lifespan only about half that of lignum vitae for this application. In addition, taking the generating units off line for bearing repair or replacement wastes valuable water flow that could be used to produce electricity, not to mention the time and effort needed to mobilize personnel to the site to perform the work, he says.

Based on this experience, one of the main guide bearings in one of the eight units at this hydro plant has been converted back to lignum vitae, using materials supplied by Lignum-Vitae North America in Powhatan, Va. And as the bearings on the other seven units need to be replaced, the plant manager intends to use lignum vitae. This is just one example of a company that is using lignum vitae materials in its bearing applications and finding success.

Understanding lignum vitae

Lignum vitae, latin for "tree of life," is a wood obtained chiefly from the Guiacum officinale and Guiacum sanctum trees. Both are small, slow-growing trees that are listed as potentially endangered species in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. In fact, it takes 350 years to grow a lignum vitae tree that can be harvested.

The wood is self-lubricating from a natural substance called guaiac gum that is bound in the homogeneous fiber of the wood and is impervious to water. It releases and coats the surface of the bearing as the shaft warms the bearing. These bearings can be adjusted to zero clearance and can be used on older plants with worn or grooved shafts because the material wears into the shape of the groove.

Thomas Edison first specified the use of lignum vitae bearings in the 2-MW Appleton hydroelectric plant, which began operating in Wisconsin in 1882. Lignum vitae was the main industrial bearing before World War I, and World War II placed a heavy demand on the supply of lignum vitae for stern tubes for nearly every ship in the U.S., German and Japanese fleets. This pressure brought the supply of lignum vitae wood to a low point, but this material remained in use in hydropower applications for another 40 to 50 years because of its longevity. Eventually, however, hydro plant owners moved to other materials.

Lignum-Vitae North America, one of the companies that supplies these types of bearing materials, is involved in a harvest plan for lignum vitae and says it has a perpetual supply of 2 million pounds per year. The company says this quantity of wood is sufficient to supply about 3,250 bearing sets per year.

Other companies that supply lignum vitae bearings include Pacific Marine & Industrial in Richmond, Calif., and Retsel Corporation in McCammon, Idaho.

[Brian_Heil]

I was told years ago by the retired Chief Engineer of Massey Ferguson - Lee Elfes, that they still used this wood as guide ways for chain/link belts in some combine type equipment as it gave the best service life over modern materials.

[Brian_Heil]

On a related topic.  Are our spokes Hickory or what?  I've heard lots of answers but does anyone know for certain?  They are tough as heck and not getting any younger either.

[Brian_Heil]

http://lignum-vitae-bearings.com/

 

This site is for the company in Virginia who make the bearings.  Worth visiting, very complete and facinating site. 

 

And since I am hosting a VMCCA Nickel Tour out of Orange, VA next year, I may have just found my missing tour venue for the open day I have.  That is if they give tours.

 

Stay tuned.

[Mark Shaw]

Brian,

     I know Model T spokes were made with Hickory, but I have been led to believe Buick wheels were made with Ash. 

 

The chart via the link below will show that Hickory may be superior to Ash to support a much lighter car, which could be why Buick spokes are so much larger in diameter than Model T spokes.

 

http://www.hardwoodinfo.com/pdfs/design_values/Species_Guide_Stength_Mech_Properties_Updated.pdf