what grade of grit to loosen my shaft?

[jkn]

Hi all Simple form of question: what grade of grit would the team suggest to try to loosen a steel shaft which is supposed to rotate 'reasonably' freely within a housing arm?

The shaft is around 1-inch diameter and about 5 inches long.

This is for a cycle workstand which I think may have been left in the rain. The shaft is supposed to rotate freely and then be clamped up, but it is somewhat stiff in the hole, ooh-er. I've cleaned the shaft pretty well but suspect there is rust or other crud inside the bored hole.

My plan is to add a bit of carborundom grit to loosen things up a bit and then clean everything up afterwards, but I'm unsure what grit to use. Last time I did anything like that I was grinding telescope mirrors...

Other suggested approaches welcome ;-)

Cheers jon N

[Tough Guy no. 1265]

KY grade 4.

[F Murtz]

Wrap a bit of wet or dry 240 or a bit coarser round some dowel stick of appropriate size and rotate it in the hole.

[Thomas Prufer]

Or steel wool. Big wad around a dowel, more than 1". Put dowel in electric drill, and work into housing while spinning.

Thomas Prufer

[The Natural Philosopher]

T-cut (and friends), only.

[Roger Mills]

How about the sort of grinding paste used for re-seating car engine valves (if anyone still does that!)?[1] Start with fine and use something a bit coarser if that isn't enough.

[1] I think I've still got some, even though I haven't used it for decades.

[fred]

Whatever grade of emery cloth you would imagine using for the job. Then tha t grade of grit. I got a selection off Axminster some time ago.

ISTR as a child loosening up ball bearings which were rusted up by leaving them to soak in paraffin oil. We used them for home made gliders. If the sh aft was to a close tolerance originally could it have got that rusted up ? Perhaps a good dose of oil and left to marinade over night might do it.

[meow2222]

I'd pick something hard enough to remove rust, but not hard enough to remove steel. Aluminium foil fits that requirement.

NT

[newshound]

+1 for steel wool. Also, if you oil it with 3 in 1 the additives will help remove the rust, and you will slightly improve the rust-resistance of the bush for next time.

[jkn]

Thanks for the ideas. I think I'll go with the steel wool on dowel suggestion, I at least have some of that in.

Cheers Jon N