I looked around at the various offerings for bearings in both the HO scale and 4mm markets and found they were universally too large for my purposes. Maybe a more modern engine would have such a large axle box, but my little teakettle needed daintier fittings.
So, I decided to make my own. I believe the pattern is from Alan Gibson: certainly I can’t lay claim to the design, as whatever I used for #10 was a commercial product. The difference was that I had to start with hexagonal bar because I don’t have a four jaw chuck.
No matter. With the provision of etched front plates and an enjoyable hour or so with the lathe, I produced the necessary bits. Then after examining them critically, I spent another enjoyable hour or so with the lathe to make them again!
The holes in the front plates needed their cusps removed, and this turned out to be painful and a little bit bloody once the plate was removed from the fret. I also thought that it might be better to provide rounded corners or even a circular or oval-shaped part in the future as I wonder if the corners will want to catch on the wheel backs.
Pembroke:87 