Cheap linear rail part 2: superlube and proper bearings

[@waldvogelreview7755]

Those are the ball bearings i used for this project on my quick and cheap bearing replacement. I tried White Lithium grease that was VERY thick. It worked great but added additional drag for sure up front.

[@billclark5943]

I know this is an old video but I will say high quality LM rails like THK or NSK use a relatively thick grease if a automatic oil feed system is not incorporated. The grease isn't supposed to be removed and substituted with oils. Think of a ball bearing. Grease is used 99% of the time. Theres science behind using grease instead of oil and can extend maintanence intervals 10's of times over hand applied oils. A well known CNC machine manufacturer uses Mobile SHC 460 grease on all non oil fed THK, NSK, Rexroth, Steinmeyer, etc. ball screws and LM guides. Also if your carriage doesn't slide via gravity on your rail consider this a good thing. It's called preload and adds rigidity to the system. Of course too much can be a bad thing especially on a belt driven 3d printer. You can buy a micrometer and actually have some control over the preload by matching bearing balls. 1 or 2 ten thousands of an inch can make a difference. I have purchased balls from VXB and others via ebay and amazon with a range of .001" from batch to batch and supplier to supplier. You can put together a decent set of rails with an inexpensive mic, some time and a hand full of balls.

[@neilgower2558]

They should a ruff bearing that I would throw in the bin but you get what you paye for..Cheers for the Videos keep the good work up

[@SyFyBry]

My Hiwin bearings fit very tight but after cleaning definitely don’t fall with gravity like yours do lol. They catch every so often but are smoother and less gummy than what they were from the factory. I may replace the bearings later just to see if there are a few odd bearings.

[@thebeststooge]

Superlube is 6 bucks for a much larger tube at Harbour Freight and I have used it for decades but Lowe's cease to carry it because it was too good.

[@arturasnx7575]

Nice series - keep on :) The take away - buy cheapest ones (even chinese), but with laser engraved tolerance bin and a spec sheet to decode ones. Manufacturers that undertake the qa hassle to bin, shoot for upper bins (there the money is). For our purposes even the lowest bins quality difference will be substantial while price increase if you shop around - minimal. Also, higher bin graded rails usually have matched carts to the rail - don't mix and match / will screw the tolerances.

[@nicolaspillot5789]

@arturas nx7 would you mind elaborate about the bins ? I guess i understand but i on not see what to look for, explicitely

[@richard3365]

It's almost 2 years since this video came out... do you have the follow-up video yet? I just got some linear rails for my printer and I want to make sure I'm doing this right. Thank you.

[@AlexKenis]

I have what I need to do a follow up, so it’s high on the list. The plan was to do it in spring of last year (when the newest iteration of cheap rails became available domestically). I’ll touch on some things in the king room video referencing the rails that came on that printer, but a follow up will be coming using generic ‘MGN12H’ and another slightly less generic brand that is yet to be delivered

[@richard3365]

@@AlexKenis Wow. Thanks for the fast response.

[@xxoTUBBSoxx]

​@AlexKenis did you ever end up doing a follow up? I couldn't find anything in your vids. Thanks

[@normandragot9927]

Very informative, but there's an oil that I notice you haven't tried...automotive engine oil. I'm thinking 10W30 or even 5W30 which are readily available. I don't know if you excluded them deliberately or just overlooked them. Your thoughts?

[@walterluikey4582]

Can you publish a link to a video that demonstrates how to load replacement balls into a linear rail bearing?? Thanks

[@AlexKenis]

Here is a clip of ... some video i did sometime. Anyhow, it's the easiest the easiest way I could think to do it for someone who has never tried before: using grease to keep the bearings from rolling off while loading them in by hand. If you are using a thinner grease or oil, you could put the bearing retainer clip on before the bearings and pop them in between the clip and the outer bearing race (that way they don't get away from you). Jusat try not to mangle the retaining clip or the bearings might not circulate properly. kzbin.info/www/bejne/momQlGOeqZKegtU

[@ianide2480]

I use straight plain ole Permatex Lithium, been using it for a couple of years on my linear rails with zero issues. I know you mention how "thick" it is and it might bind the bearings. You forget 1 small thing, bearings... well they bear weight. The smallest amount of weight will force the balls to roll pretty well. As a constant, more weight will increase the effect of forcing the bearings to roll, for the purposes of overcoming "stickiness" of the grease; with the proper circumstances (given no horrible flat spots on the balls and no divets on race surfaces). With hardly no load at all, I certainly wouldn't recommend sticky axle grease, but I honestly think even a grease that thick would work with no problems; provided that you didn't just goober the shit all over and heavier than it really needs to be. Slap a bracket and stepper motor onto the bearing truck and that's way more than enough weight to provide smooth action and circulate the balls. The bed on my printer is a 0.125x12x12" aluminum heat spreader with glass on top of that, also way more than enough weight to give recirculating action. I do enjoy the thought process though, the idea to clean them first is the best tip that you've given (imo), followed by using a "normal" lube with no particulates. With the actual amount of action and wear that the linear rail will receive, I kinda doubt that the last point even matters. A couple of pounds of weight (at most) on any steal bearing surface should give decades of service, even with poorly machined surfaces, with the worse being that you might replace the balls with a +0.002 size after the break-in period. Quick note on the break-in of surfaces, synthetic products make for a longer (or even a detrimental) break-in on auto engines. I have to wonder if the same holds up to bearing and race surfaces.... I have always been told and other mechanics agree that you use a cheap ass oil, nothing special, for engine break-in. I don't mean the cheapest shit you can find, just plain old no-nothing "oil." Sorry was thinking out loud... A couple of drops of clock oil every other week is probably all the lubrication that is required on linear rails for this usage. I honestly don't plan on testing any of it though; give it a good clean, slap a light weight grease in there, a super thin coat (so you can't even see it) on the rails, and it'll be fine, of this I am 100% certain. At least that's what the last 2 years have told me, 6 linear rails, all cleaned and plain lithium grease applied, no appreciable wear that I can detect and zero corrosion.

[@mikem8145]

Hi, I'm a bit confused. White lithium grease for the ball bearings I get that. But what do you recommend to put on the rails, clock oil? Clock oil and lithium grease won't kind of mix?!?

[@trex283]

Could you mention something about using ball bearings vs cylindrical type bearings. I am building a larger machine for a wood shop, so distances are longer and the weight is higher but they are not running all of the time. I also am trying to find out more info on the different bearing block types for these linear flat rails. Thanks for the videos!

[@AsiAzzy]

Interesting. Any opinion about automotive fluids used for bearings? I have XHP 222 grease (marine bearing grease blue NLGI2), 75W90 and other gear oil (for rear difs, for manual transmisions), ATF (red really slippery and sticky used in powersteering and automatic gearboxes), engine oil (contrary to numbers, 5W40 is not thinner than 75W90. engine oil viscosity is at 100degC in contrast to gear oil that is at 50degC. so in reality SAE60 engine oil is way thicker than 75W90 gear oil. and SAE30engine is about SAE85gear oil )

[@robson668]

What would be the best approach to polish the ball channels with simple tools?

[@dennisyoung4631]

Have ordered two of these kind of rails - for a sharpening jig. Am wondering if they will be trouble, and how to clean + lube them.

[@flypic1098]

Thank You. Jim

[@vishu996]

Should we put grease cap on the block?

[@estear9688]

What about a dry film graphite aerosol spray applied to the raild only for woodworking applications where the environment is excessively dusty/dirty?

[@jasonb9629]

NO GRAPHITE!! It actually wears the rails down from what I was told.

[@jdcamc]

I have Lucas White Lithium Grease, NLGI #2, would this work? Also, do you recommend packing the bearings of any new purchased linear rails prior to installation? Thanks!

[@MrVaddle]

hello Alex, you didn't mention silicone oil (the thing used in RC car for shocks and diffs). they come in a very large viscosity range. it maybe something to consider or very bad choice, pls let me know what you think.

[@rbtoj]

I've seen a video of some cheap rails that were made of stainless steel (I can't find it now). Are you sure the rails you have are not stainless? I know it's kind of a long shot...

[@AlexKenis]

I can't tell for sure since there is not a spec sheet specific to these rails, but typically they are available in either alloy steel or stainless, so it cold be either. The rails I have are highly magnetic, so they are either alloy/carbon steel or a ferritic stainless grade, and either one will corrode eventually. They COULD be a austenitic grade stainless that is magnetically reactive because of work-hardening, but regular steel is cheaper, so I tend to suspect they MAY be non-stainless. Either way, i'll err on the side of caution and keep them coated

[@julienboucaron9780]

May be it was stainless steel rails made by RobotDigg: www.robotdigg.com/product/971/440C-SUS-Linear-Rail-MGN12-680-or-750-n-Carriage.

[@fluxx_channel5276]

Thank you so much for being thorough (in all your videos that is). I bought rails to mod my CR-10s (X and Y) and will follow your instructions. Did you do any before/after test prints to test the improvement?

[@AlexKenis]

These vids were just an evaluation of the cheap rails themselves, and the printer I put them on was one that I designed around rails, so I can't do a before and after, BUT I'll probably try them out on an Ender and see what differences there may be. One thing I did notice was that Y-axis resonance was worse with linear rail if they were not tight/pre-loaded and had slightly thicker grease like superlube, but only with rougher driver chopper settings, like lower-microstepping modes, etc. Also, paralleled rails are very picky about binding up since they don't have much float (some have more than others), so I designed that printer to work with either one or two Z rails, in case there was alignment and binding issues. ALso, there was definitely less compliance, so more stress was transfered to the belts from the carriages, which didn't increase or decrease ringing/ripple, but changed it a bit, so I'll have to do testing with and without stiffer belts, etc to see what effect that has. I imagine you'd have to slightly change slicer profiles with rails to adjust for that... but it really depends on the machine and which "links in the chain" are most compliant

[@infamousdtownm9385]

I'm fixing to do this for some cheap Amazon MGN12 rails and install some Si3N4 ceramic bearings.... probably going to record myself to provide all the people that know what they're doing some comical noob disaster, as I am a lost noob and have no clue what I am doing.

[@millpreetk1406]

I have a linear rail from hiwin. one part makes weird noise anyone know what it could be? Do I need to disassemble. printer is working fine for now. I wiped down the rails at one point should I put some lubricant on the rails? I have finish line bike dry lube(pretty liquidy). I could buy other lube too if needed I prefer not to have to disassemble cartridge.

[@bruceyoung1343]

I’m considering linear rails for my ender3 pro on steroids. I print a large flat surface and it’s anything but flat

[@CXensation]

Great video series, thanks !

[@josercflyer]

Is PTFE Silicone Grease the same as White Lithium Grease? I get free access to white lithium grease and I’m installing my first set of linear rails on a 3d printer this weekend so I just want to make sure I get some good oil to grease them up… Thanks!

[@Nuttavoot]

The Bangood link is not working.

[@CXensation]

Its working no probs for me.

[@94Discovery]

I will be pipe polishing the interior and will polish the rail ,i bought a polishing wheel and installed it on my bench grinder ,and i bought super lube and permatex synthetic grease and permatex white lithium grease,and i will compare them the only thing is that super lube can go to 450 F the permatex synthetic goes to 400F and the lithium 300F

[@AlexKenis]

That's dedication! I'll be interested in the results. I have burnishing tools, but none near small enough for the blocks, but I may grab some if you have good results

[@TerryPullen]

What is pipe polishing?

[@94Discovery]

Terry Pullen polishing the inside of a hole ,you take a cotton cord and pass it in the hole you put polishing compound .

[@hamiltongazim7094]

@@94Discovery Did you test the polish?

[@94Discovery]

Hamilton Gazim yes i did and tried 3 different lubes,and changed the balls and from 11 bearing block and 6 rails only 4 worked perfect and the rest nothing garbage ,spent like 12 hours trying to figure them out but there was too many variables ,could not pinpoint what helps what not ,if i have to redo it again i will buy MisumI even it is 4 times the price ,if you are looking for repeatable prints and precision work ,then a good investment in the right place is the key .

[@FRobot-rx4kz]

Any opinions on Aluminium grease? ...I don't care about the added water resistance...but it feels a bit lower viscosity than the EP2 lithium grease I have around and I wonder if it would be a decent option.

[@thomasvilhar7529]

Nice bike!

[@L98fiero]

Checking the bearing balls with a caliper is a joke, if the truck and rail are reasonably accurate the balls will have accuracies that are far better than what you will measure with those calipers.

[@mrmarkom]

You have a missing letter in title.

[@AlexKenis]

THanks, fixed

[@avejst]

Nice, thanks for sharing :-) Interesting :-)

[@MitchellGuyon]

Do yourself a favor, don’t use lithium grease. It’s for heavier objects like door hinges in a car or house. It will create drag very quickly and it’s damned near impossible to clear after awhile

[@float32]

Anyone else notice super lube is food safe? 😋

[@davidwillmore]

👍

[@alinioanmoroi1370]

✌✌✌

[@chinaminiyumako1415]

Someone told me that diamond powder is the best lub! No seriously Im kidding damm it. Noooooo God dont believe this! Im kidding Im kidding!