On Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:15:51 -0700, lostfrom68jay wrote:

[snip]
The plan is for a 7/8" dia. x 1/4" wide brass pulley with a 1/4" brass axle and without the sealed bearing. There is a constant force of about 120 lbs. on the shaft, but almost no rotation. Maybe +/- 1-2° a few times a day for tuning, and no adjustments at all sometimes for weeks or months, and it must be usable for decades. I think that simple brass on brass should work if both parts are well machined/polished/lubricated, but there have been anecdotal failures. So, I need to do something more if only for marketing, but also I stupidly offer a ten year warranty. So, I must be very careful about how I design and produce my wares!

Anyway, what are some options?

1. A polished SS shaft instead of brass? Good, but the customer needs to cut the shaft to length and polish the ends. Not practical for most violinmakers /repairers. They can always special order the needed length, so not out of the question, but extra pain.
[snip]

Dowel pins might work. Click Dowel Pins, 1/4" diam, alloy steel,
etc at http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-dowel-pins/=m4uuzx

A package of 25 each 1/4" diam by 3/4" long alloy steel dowel pins
appears to cost $5.24; other lengths that are multiples of 1/8" also
are inexpensive, eg $3.62 for 25 ea. 1/2" long. Odd multiples of
1/16" are available but several times as expensive; eg $14 for 10 ea
11/16" long. You could include one each of the 5/8", 3/4", and 7/8"
pins in your kit for a cost to you of about 60 cents. The user can
grind off 1/16" or whatever, if the needed length is between two of
the cheap sizes.

--
jiw