Recently repairing a DeWalt RA saw (My thanks to Bob Minchin and all others for assistance) I found the carriage bearings a little bit knobbly. Not unduly so but worth attention. Sealed bearings but dropped them in a bath of light oil nevertheless.
Found an online supplier of parts I needed. All parts available except these bearings. Bearings listed @ ?11 odd per but no stock. Told that they did not know when they might get new stock.
Got on to a local bearing supplier that I have used in the past. Bearing only made by SKF. Now out of production. RRP ?47.76. Price to me December 2014 ?6.92. Price to me Feb 2015 ?23.90. Apparently it is standard practice to double or quadruple the price of out of production bearings. I was surprised but then I am of another age.
Received new parts and rebuilt saw with old bearings which are now considerably less knobbly. Saw bought new in 1981, it'll see me out. All the above guff for info only but may be of interest to anyone that might be looking for old bearing sizes in the near future. Nick.