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Re: lazy susan type bearing? thrust bearing?
The whole point of a flanged bearing is so you can drill a single hole, and insert the bearing so that it rests on its flange. If you are drilling a stepped whole with 2 diameters, then you have defeated the purpose of the flange and could have used a plain straight bearing. I would not bother with an additional pocket that fits the bearing flange OD and the washer. Just let the flange rest on the top surface of the wood, that is what the flange is for, and the washer OD can be any size. I wouldn't worry about the washer rubbing, if it does it will simply be pushed aside until it doesn't. IF you are concerned about centering it you could add some small nails on the OD to capture it.
Simply keeping the thrust bearing coated with oil or light grease will protect it somewhat. Since it is directly under the turbine it should not see much dirt or weather. Perhaps you could fashion some kind of protective cover from a plastic bottle cap. Drill a hole in the center to fit the shaft, shorten the height of the cap so it covers most of the thrust bearing without rubbing the washer.
Does the hub you made from a belt pully seem to spin square and true without any wobble? Just wondered because the amount of shaft length that it engages looks fairly short. If you find you need a taller hub to engage more shaft and spin true, the AndyMark hubs are tall and fairly precise. You could screw and additional plate onto them to provide a larger plate to attach the turbine to.
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