--- title: Machining Bronze: Bearings and Wear Parts | Wolf Machine Reno url: https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/bronze/ business: Wolf Machine & Fabrication, Inc. address: 4812 Longley Ln, Reno, NV 89502 phone: (775) 359-5570 hours: Shop Monday-Friday 7:00 am-3:30 pm; closed Saturday and Sunday type: Metal and plastic fabrication and machining (custom and CNC machining, welding, metal and plastic fabrication, gearbox and part repair, align boring, metal spray) --- [Photo: Stock photo: measuring a turned brass shaft with a vernier caliper] - [Home](https://wolfmachinenv.com/) - [Materials we machine](https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/) - Bronze # Machining bronze for bearings and wear parts We machine bronze at our Reno shop, and its main job in a shop like ours is bushings, bearings, wear plates and pump parts. It runs smoothly against steel shafts, so when a bronze bushing wears out we can make a new one from the old one or a drawing. Stock photo: measuring a turned brass shaft with a vernier caliper Bronze is copper alloyed mostly with tin, and some bronzes use aluminum, silicon or lead. It is the metal chosen where a rotating steel shaft meets a stationary part, because the bronze wears in preference to the shaft. ## At a glance - We machine bronze at our Reno shop - Bushings, bearings, wear plates and pump parts - Runs against steel shafts and saves the shaft - Bearing bronze and aluminum bronze as general grades - Worn bushings copied from a sample I have used Wolf Machine several times over the past few years for fabricating and repair of parts on my ultralight aircraft. [...] These guys are great to deal with. I wouldn't take my projects anywhere else. James B. ยท Google review, September 2023 [Leave us a Google review](https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=ChIJVWVOfCI_mYARibcFMPsDEKc) ## Why bronze goes against steel Where a steel shaft turns inside a part, one of the two surfaces will wear. Designers choose bronze for the replaceable part so the shaft, which is costly to repair, stays in good shape. Bronze also holds a film of oil well and tolerates some dirt, which is why you find it in pumps, gearboxes and machine pivots. That also means a worn bushing is a sign the system did its job. Replacing the bushing and checking the shaft for wear is the normal repair. ## Common bronzes, as general education The grades below are general knowledge from the Copper Development Association system and not a stock list. Give us the grade on your drawing, or the application, and we will work from there. | Alloy | Known for | Typical use | |---|---|---| | SAE 660 (C93200) | Bearing bronze, easy to machine, good with steel shafts | Bushings, bearings | | Aluminum bronze (C95400) | High strength, good wear and corrosion resistance | Heavy-duty bushings, wear plates | | Phosphor bronze | Springy, wear resistant | Gears, thrust washers | ## How it machines and what to send Leaded bearing bronzes cut well with short chips. Aluminum bronze is tougher and wears the tool faster, so it is cut more slowly. Bushings are usually turned and bored with the bore left slightly small or large depending on the fit, with oil grooves cut where the drawing shows them. See the glossary entry on [interference fit](https://wolfmachinenv.com/glossary/interference-fit/) if the bushing presses into a housing. To replace a worn bushing, send the old one, the shaft size and housing bore if you have them, and a note on the service. Use the quote request, or call [(775) 359-5570](tel:(775)%20359-5570). For hardness callouts see the entry on [Rockwell hardness](https://wolfmachinenv.com/glossary/rockwell-hardness/). ### Sources - [Copper Development Association: copper and copper alloys](https://www.copper.org/resources/properties/) (2026-10-18) ### Bronze parts - Sleeve bushings and flanged bearings - Wear plates and thrust washers - Pump bushings and impeller rings - Gear and worm-gear blanks - Slide and guide parts ### How to send us the job Have a print? Attach it to the quote request. No print? Photos of every face, the sizes you know and the machine the part came from are a good start, and you can bring the part in. [Request a quote](#quote) [What to put on a drawing](https://wolfmachinenv.com/guides/what-to-put-on-a-drawing/) ### Talk to the shop [(775) 359-5570](tel:(775)%20359-5570) | Monday to Friday | 7:00 am - 3:30 pm | |---|---| | Saturday and Sunday | Closed | [Request a quote](#quote) ### Related - [Brass](https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/brass/) - [Copper](https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/copper/) - [Part design and parts made from samples](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/part-design-from-samples/) - [Pump, shaft and turbine repair](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/pump-and-turbine-repair/) - [Interference fit](https://wolfmachinenv.com/glossary/interference-fit/) ### Terms on this page [Interference fit](https://wolfmachinenv.com/glossary/interference-fit/) [Rockwell hardness](https://wolfmachinenv.com/glossary/rockwell-hardness/) [The full glossary](https://wolfmachinenv.com/glossary/) ## Other materials [Aluminum](https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/aluminum/) [Brass](https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/brass/) [Copper](https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/copper/) [Plastics](https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/plastics/) [Stainless steel](https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/stainless-steel/) [Steels and steel alloys](https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/steel-and-steel-alloys/) [Titanium](https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/titanium/) [Tool steels](https://wolfmachinenv.com/materials/tool-steels/) ## Questions people ask Still have a question? Call [(775) 359-5570](tel:(775)%20359-5570), Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. ### Can you make a bushing from a worn one? Yes. We measure the worn bushing and the shaft or housing it fits and make a new one. If you only have the shaft size, we can work from that. ### What is the difference between bronze and brass? Brass is copper and zinc, bronze is copper and mostly tin. Bronze is the usual choice for bearing duty. [Photo: Stock photo: a lathe turning a bar, hot chips flying] ## Request a quote Tell us what you need, attach a drawing or photos of the part, and we will get back to you during shop hours. Free consultations; prompt estimates. [Call (775) 359-5570](tel:(775)%20359-5570) - From your specifications, drawings or samples. We can also assist you in designing your product or part. - Free consultations and prompt estimates - Stands behind the work: Our rates are very competitive and our quality is second-to-none. Wolf Machine stands behind the work we perform. - Company accounts: all major credit cards, or we can open an account for your company Shop hours Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. Send your request any time and we will get back to you during shop hours. Stock photo: a lathe turning a bar, hot chips flying