Has anyone replaced the wooden bearings in an old disk ? should they be trimmed down to fit or be forced in, or a little of both

Second choice. Are they already soaked in oil? Should be.

Why use woood when today you can replace them with sealed beearings.

Mike ,,please go on

Dale I've got the wood bearings and would like to keep the disk the way it was when new or at least in good working order..

I have made several boxings using maple. It will take oil better than other wood I have tried and it also wears well. I cut mine to fit a little loose so you don't break the cast when tightening the caps. Glue two blocks of wood together with a piece of news paper between them and then bore your hole for the axle in the seam. When you break the two blocks apart you won't loose the width you would have with a saw blade and they'll fit tighter to the axle. I cut my sides with a chop saw.