Tuning Up Cheap Chinese Linear Bearing

[@TeamDoc312]

You have a choice...Either "Cosmoline" to protect it from corrosion and rust...Or it starts rusting as it takes three or so weeks to cross the pond and the salt air permeates the shipping container. It's an easy choice. And truthfully, you should always clean your parts and do a good TI before assembly anyway.

[@BertHoltappels]

Thanks for taking the time to share your findings. This is archive-grade work which will serve many people for years to come. I am collecting information on how to make a better router - the 8x12” I built a year ago was to get my feet wet, and this is the kind of information I need to achieve the results I’m after.

[@alexlefevre8226]

Lots of good information here. Thanks for the thorough explanation and procedures. It really is night and day when you take the time to thoroughly clean these. One thing that I have noticed works very well with these inexpensive rails is to purchase higher quality ball bearings and swap them out. It's a $5-8 fix that can dramatically tightens up tolerances and spherical geometry.

[@BleughBleugh]

Thanks for this video. In all my googling for improving Chinese linear rail performance, I've not come accross such a complete video. I'd figured some parts for myself, but tightning the screws on the sweeper AFTER putting the block back on the rail never crossed my mind!

[@motionareswin4192]

Only original linear rail can make good performance, We assemble well before deliver to our customers. For our customer never mind of the performance of linear rail.

[@zandorrdasilva7011]

Hiwin rails will have the same kind of drag when you receive them, but they'll wear in and slide easily after running for a bit of time

[@aqib2000]

That wear IN, IS THE FACT THEY ARE ERODING AWAY.

[@jxmai7687]

@@aqib2000 keep all part oiled and cover them up may help when not in use may help.

[@PatrykAndrzejewski0]

Remember to not mix carriages between rails and dont take all balls from all cariages at once. It's often happen in cheap guides that balls have diferent sizes depending on tolerance dimention that rail and cariage were made.

[@hechuan5075]

i did exactly this and the guide hardly moves. what should i do

[@Foomanlol]

Just a heads up, even high quality THK Japanese bearings, greased blocks will not fall under there own weight like that. They are typically preloaded and feel like there is a decent amount of resistance and will ease up when they are under load.

[@th33xitus]

But here you can see that those linear slides are not preloaded because they easily slide when cleaned. Afaik the preloading of those slides is achieved by the ball bearings. If you choose preloaded slides, the balls are slightly bigger than those of un-preloaded slides which usually then slide freely without any load at all like shown in the video, so basically you put slightly oversized balls into the slide to preload them. I am pretty sure the guy in the video didn't bought preloaded linear slides.

[@MrDabrudda]

There is zero play in these rail bearings. Paying extra for pre-loaded bears would be a waste of money for something like a 3D printer.

[@Foomanlol]

@@MrDabrudda , even zero pre-load bearings will have resistance due to slightly rubbery scraper and grease and wont necessarily fall under their weight. I cant speak for your exact bearing or the exact grease that those were shipped in but, they are commonly packed with grease for actual use, as well as oil. Not trying to say you are doing anything wrong if you prefer to use oil, but just saying they wont necessarily feel super slick like many might expect them to be. Anyways, cheers.

[@whatthehell6340]

People like you make videos that are very useful and educational. Not like the one who wants cheap stuff but complains of quality problems and makes the content drop the manufacturer. If it has been given lubricant then the liener will not be easily shifted by gravity, it is different because of the inherent lubricant properties.

[@user-lx9jm1wo3h]

Another thing to be careful of is the end of the rail where it was cut in the factory. The cheap ones may have sharp edges at the very end where it was cut, so there might be a slight lip right where the bearings slot into. I put one bearing on my rail before removing any sharp edges or burrs at the end of the rail, and that seems to have put a small nick in one of the bearings so it has a small flat causing a lot of noise. I used a wire brush to smooth the edge of the cut, and the 2nd bearing was just fine.

[@miles11we]

I try to avoid using magnets with ball bearings and stuff like that, nothing worse than fuzzy balls after you accidentally magnetize em. Probably not a big deal if you don't produce a lot of steel dust but for me at least, its such a pain

[@keithwins]

well this is a great point

[@TheCuriousOrbs]

HiWin must be thrilled to see these guys using their company colours.

[@DanielTorres-bs8dx]

I dont have any linear rails yet, but when I get them, I'm definitely following your guide. Much appreciated!

[@MrDabrudda]

Glad you like them!

[@pfschuyler]

Great info. I just bought some (supposedly) ultra-high quality HIWIN rails (very expensive), and they were binding exactly like you show here right from the factory. Also covered in grease, just like shown. I'm going to rebuild them today.

[@lijgame]

As I'm learning linear rails recently, it's common that manufactures put transport oil to protect it. It seems a must for users to clean and apply lubricant before using them. No matter it's super high end or cheap ones.

[@MrPatdeeee]

Wow! I just bought a Felder Jointer/Planer machine that uses 2 Hiwin Linear rails and blocks; and a number of the balls fell on the floor when I was putting the blocks on the rails. I have spent 2 days trying to find something on this malady. Thank Jesus I found you; and you did a great job of explaining of how to make these work right. So I must purchase some balls and replace them; and of course follow your tips. Thank you so very much kind Sir.

[@Jono6671]

pat dee did you find your balls?

[@xanatos451]

@@Jono6671 His wife had them.

[@gooshpoo2]

This is great , i got some super cheap rails on ebay for fun. and they to had nasty shipping grease all over them. but may i suggest instead of using a magnetic tray ( bearing balls can interfere with one another if there magnetized ) lay a towel out on your work bench, this will catch everything without the chance of it rolling away.

[@De13333]

I used brake cleaner to degrease my hiwin bearing. Also works great.

[@jubjuber1]

i used rubbing alch and a sonic cleaner to get all the metal grit out of a set of these! it worked pretty well

[@dreamkiss4u]

always good to clean them no matter where they come from not just from china ones, the reason is they add lubrication is because they dont know when it will be sold or where its going to be stored in and for how long period till it gets sold....so it coats it so that in any condition they have them at who ever bought them to sell well if they have them stored with to much humidity then things wont corrode and rust ....but for sure you need to clean any of those you buy from anywhere and add your own lubrication after the cleaning.

[@EngineeringTechnikcom]

interesting

[@lijgame]

You are absolutely right. Manufactures will put transport oil to them. Even you spend 10x more money on higher end rails, the cleaning and lubrication still need be done by the user themselves.

[@gordmills1983]

Cleans components, proceeds to file directly over them.

[@MrDabrudda]

Isn't that how it's done?

[@SalettaRocks]

I noticed that too! All that work cleaning everything and then using plastic to push old metal filings off the file on to the newly magnetized ball bearings. Brilliant!

[@Mcvanilla83]

And if you then want some accuracy in this rails you can change the steelballs into some 2.381 g10 quality balls. they are cheap and absolutly accurate like the hiwin ones! I build myself an mini-mill and my accuracy is about 0.03 mm at aluminium

[@originaltrilogy1]

This kind of thing? www.amazon.com/dp/B015RKOZ7G/

[@DDD-vz6mr]

@@originaltrilogy1 yeah for same price, you can get 150 more here: www.ebay.com/i/390642094900?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=390642094900&targetid=543500072822&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9004387&poi=&campaignid=6451719066&mkgroupid=75295811217&rlsatarget=pla-543500072822&abcId=1141086&merchantid=101492061&gclid=CjwKCAjw1_PqBRBIEiwA71rmtcI4vKt9ypeGE6tXRteQxApxm96Er5_H3Lt5En2CxQFFWg_RbjrqjRoCtAEQAvD_BwE

[@dekutree64]

Impressive! What did you build the frame out of?

[@heavyweather]

Which ball size goes into the 20mm bearings?

[@overlycranked8674]

Great detailed instructions. I couldn't figure out how to remove the guides so I put the damn thing back together and blasted it with half can of DW40, blasted it with warm air and then applied a bit of 3in1 Silicon lubricant. So far so good. BTW my rails didn't have that extra plastic problem

[@kilroy79763]

So the silicone spray is acceptable? To use - I have using just regular 3 in 1 oil

[@helmut666kohl]

"What do you mean, those can move by their own weight alone?" *mind -> blown*

[@ericscholem6629]

Do this without disassembly: Soak entire assembly in iso solution, then place in sealed container with silica desiccant beads. Basically my go to process for any Chinese oil coated junk.

[@canorkay4803]

My newly purchased rail is hard to move. I guess I should clean it up. Can you give more detailed information? Moreover its brand is HIWIN :(

[@testboga5991]

Even better: use mineral spirit / lighter fluid to dissolve the grease. IPA does not dissolve grease as well and can damage the plastic parts (unlikely though).

[@travismiller5548]

Hey that's good tech- i dig it.

[@diegovd7215]

I knew nothing about this subject (linear rails - cleaning linear bearings) before the video, now I know ;) Very helpful, Thanks ;) (3D Printer related interest)

[@ioannizt]

really nice...now i am not afraid to buy cheap bearings from aliexpress

[@misc1095]

Nicely Done. I Enjoyed the Level of Detail & the Explaination of all the "failure modes" / Things that can be wrong with MGN type bearings. Subscribed.

[@KnurdMonkey]

Very very very well done video. Now I know how a linear bearing is supposed to work and how it is made and how to fix it in case.

[@darkshadowsx5949]

10/10 best way to clean your balls. and rail blocks.

[@agentvx8320]

Thanks! I feel a lot better about going for the cheaper rails now that I know they can work well with a little TLC.

[@hamrx8]

Thanks this video was really useful, fixed my problem with a set I recently purchased on AliExpress that were a bit crunchy. After cleaning I looked at the bottom of the cleaning solution to find some fine metal particles plus other particles I couldn't identify. I found white spirits did a better cleaning job than alcohol and water.

[@MrDabrudda]

The factory probably does not clean the MGN12's before they ship them out. They just dunk everything in cosmoline protectant and box them up.

[@michaelsemenchuk3056]

I bought a used 3D printer with these linear bearings. They worked like garbage so I followed your video. Upon pulling the blocks off I realize that the previous owner must have removed those wire guides. I made new ones out of guitar string (wire). I was able to resurrect 2 of the 3 blocks but the 3rd is probably a lost cause. There may be bearings out of round or something. It works better with less bearings and gets too tight to slide well when the full complement of bearings is on board.

[@strykervalkyrion]

you can also buy new blocks

[@dekutree64]

I just bought some of these rails and had one like that too. It seems that each rail and block is a tiny bit different. There was also one that moved a little too easily, so I swapped their blocks and both are good now. At least each rail is consistent within itself (no loose and tight spots) so they should work well once matched up with blocks they agree with.

[@DocDawning]

Lovely video. Thank you. I just received what may be precisely the same rails. Thing is, I’m not sure the resistance will matter very much. I’d love to see a before and after cleaning print.

[@scottwillis5434]

The effects of drag will depend on the rest of the machine. If the drive system has any flex or springiness to it, drag and stickiness will cause distortion and jumping of the axes, as the axis sticks (lagging behind the commanded position) then pulls free (perhaps overshooting). If the drive system has any lash, the drag will tend to put it against the trailing edge of the lash. For bi-directional motion (e.g. a circle), this may give a combination of worst-case distortion and increased repeatability. Now consider what happens over time to the bearings and the gummy stuff in the bearings. Is it a good lubricant? Probably not --> more rail wear. It will get pushed out of the way in heavily-used regions and stay in the less-used regions, causing variation in motion across the machine bed.

[@joeltavares247]

Be careful when using the water and isopropyl alcohol mixture, it can rust the balls (crappy steel). Happened to me and I had to order new ones to replace the original.

[@MrDabrudda]

The bearing won't rust they are chromium steel or stainless steel. And the bears are only in the solution for a few minutes at most.

[@joeltavares247]

Before doing the cleaning I was not worried about the possibility of rusting because if they were actually chrome or stainless steel it would not happen. It's most likely that the bearings were normal steel with a poor chrome plating. Just a head's up.

[@nobrick321]

@@joeltavares247 wow that really shines some light on what these guys sell to us as 'cheap'

[@spartafly3014]

Nice video, thank you! Just a caveat about WD-40. Don't use it to "lubricate". It is not a "penetrating type lubricant" but actually a degreaser and water displacer.

[@MrDabrudda]

I didn't use WD-40. I used a Slick 50 lubrication spray which is nothing like WD-40

[@gmeast]

... that's what the "WD" in WD-40 stands for ... Water Dispersant formula #40. It is not a lubricant as you state.

[@noanyobiseniss7462]

Just found seven on the floor, thought I was only missing SIX !!!!

[@suzuiming9459]

Wkekekwkekek

[@suzuiming9459]

You need buy a new blocks

[@chrissorensen2618]

You can also purchase new loose ball bearings with a better grade, G25 or better and make these rails run better.

[@MrDabrudda]

I'm not sure about the grade of the ball bear but I bought 100 additional ball bears because some were missing from the MGN12H bearings when they arrived. 100 3/32" Inch Chrome Steel Bearing Balls G25 goo.gl/FTEvtH

[@motionareswin4192]

@@MrDabrudda Mr Dabrudda, if they assemble everything before the delivery there will nothing to missing. Maybe you can contact us for your need.Our company can supply all kinds of Ball Screw,Linear guider and Bearings, HIWIN,STAF,GTEN or other brands.Pls check the website:www.aresmotion.com/ or contact us by:[e-mail] We provide good quality with reasonable price products.You can it 4-5 days by express after make the order.If you need let us know, Thank you!

[@sfcoawol6273]

wtf is with everyone complaining about using wd40? he used slick50.. slick50 is really good stuff!. people need to start paying attention.. Thanks for this video!

[@lpjunction]

WD40 is some kind of liquid moth ball. It lubricates well. Like moth ball, it evaporates. So you can trust it, but not for long.

[@Crazybarracuda]

Thanks for sharing. My linear rails slide like a dream now

[@zosterinski]

MENTION: the green plastic parts can also be further separated in two parts each and properly cleaned.

[@hellerbarde]

+1, absolutely.

[@ronnyverminck2741]

I have bought 2 extra MGN12H blocks because there comes only 1 with the rail. When i place them on the rail, they don't even slide a bit. I need some force to move them over the rail. So, i hope i can fix them, else, i have to trash them.

[@girrrrrrr2]

I know its probably too late, but its the wipes that bind your stuff up.

[@ronnyverminck2741]

@@girrrrrrr2 Is there a way to alter the wipes for better movement?

[@niklashogblom1880]

@@ronnyverminck2741 Loose up the screw and then tighten it when its on the rail.

[@forrestaddy9644]

Everything was fine until you filed flash off plastic parts DIRECTLY OVER A TRAY OF CLEANED PARTS. Falling swarf results in particle contamination, a Bad Thing even if the particles are non-abrasive in nature. As for retained magnetism from the parts tray, the principal hazard is from steel particles that may be attracted to places where they may cause mischief. A series of slow passes of the assembled bearing block through a strong AC magnetic field will weaken retained magnetism to nearly zero. A handy workshop de-magnitizer may be improvised from a re-purposed 1 KVA transformer winding from which the iron core has been removed. If the transformer has dual 120 V primary windings, these may be connected in series (observing polarity) for operation on 120VAC outlet power in lieu of connecting to reduced voltage. The solonoid may rapidly overheat: monitor winding temperature until you determine the allowable on-time.

[@ChristopherJones16]

wait are you saying the ball bearings and/or carriage on these things have obtained of bit of magnetism from being in the magnetic parts tray? Do they really charge that easily?

[@LazerLord10]

Is disassembling them necessary for cleaning them? I have a similar set on my printer and I got mine oiled with a basic (non-silicone) oil directly on the rails and I've never had any issues.

[@MrDabrudda]

You could soak the bearing block assembly in IPA to break up the protectant and then lube.

[@MrCinpro]

What could cause it to still be binding after you've cleaned and put it back together. I had no gaps of any kind between bearings, almost as if there were too many. Mine tried to pop out more than once while putting it back on the bar. Tip of my exact got magnetized sitting in the little tray and that helped put them back in. It's a fiddly thing for sure.

[@MrDabrudda]

Make sure you don't have too many bearings in each side. Mine had 33 bearings each side. Also make sure the sweep seals are loose when installing the bearing block onto the rail and then tighten the sweep seals down. And check the bearing path for any damage. It may require some breaking-in to loosen up.

[@LMF5000]

Thanks for posting this. I was always afraid to look at the linear bearings that came on my 3D printer but after seeing you reassemble yours I'm confident I'd be able to line up and reinsert the balls if I ever need to :). One observation - the tube of bearing grease that came with my printer is a lot thicker than the oil you're using. It's about the same consistency and stiffness as vaseline. My rails run smooth and are a quieter than the ones you show in the video - could it be that they'd benefit from a thicker lubricant than you're using? I think I hear metal-to-metal contact in your vid (both on the stock and the re-lubed rails). Perhaps the pressure of the balls is breaking through the oil film and making that noise - maybe a thick grease specifically for ball-bearings is a better choice? Sure they run with less resistance with a light oil like you're using - but I believe they'll be noisier and wear out faster. Also, viscous oil adds damping, which helps cancel out vibrations and ringing in the surface of your prints so a thicker oil might improve print quality at high speeds.

[@Jono6671]

LMF5000 superlube?

[@pedroikkan]

My problem was the size of the balls. I had to measure one by one and take out the big and smaller ones

[@oliverer3]

Depending on what you mean by that, having two different sized balls in a bearing is often intentional as it prevents the bearing from binding up.

[@DmitryKiktenko]

​@@oliverer3just pure balls tolerance, about +-0.1mm. i had such a carriage

[@johnhodgson4216]

Jeeze, what is wrong with people? I like the video, and the rails he fixed are proven to work. So why the naysayers claim those rails do not work. Talk about Reality Dysfunction that people have.

[@Madvillian]

to justify why the paid for expensive rails

[@Hathorr1067]

They work, but when you move the carriage block slowly on the rail you can feel some of the bearings will be rough when contacting the rail. I ended up replacing the balls with ones made by Timken.

[@roundoval9991]

Thank you good sir for the wonderful video! Got mine running like a champ now!

[@anoirbentanfous]

Thank you for the tip... now I am going to buy linear bearing for my next project :)

[@juliengraf3755]

in my HIWIN MGN12 linear rails were total 62 steelballs.

[@alexandero.4496]

It does look like a Hiwin knock off. Linear bearings are typically pre-loaded for smooth action. However with the smaller gothic arch, you cannot preload loaded them (not enough anyway), thus they will stick if there is no normal force on the carriage. The only reason you were able to get the free motion out of your guide is that there is way too much space for the bearings. This is also evident since you said they were falling out. In the end, I bet this rocks back and forth a bit, and would not be reliable for alignment applications.

[@MrDabrudda]

The only reason they bearing did not move smoothly is because they are coated in factory protectant (cosmoline) which gums up the movement. Did you watch the video? The bearings fell out because the retaining clip was bent out of shape by the left over plastic from the molding process and that was only when the block was not on the rail. And I have zero slop in the bearings and print at 100 mm/s.

[@michaelkelly3158]

@@MrDabrudda I think Alexander is right actually. I have genuine HG15 blocks/rails and they definitely grab quite a bit. In this case it might well be because of the particular grease they use at the factory, but good linear bearings should not roll far beyond where you push them.

[@JamesZJi]

This is a low-cost low-profile linear rail with only one row of balls on each side, they are usually not preloaded for entry-level DIY. Verry limited constrain in Y direction and tilting. The standard profile liner rail usually has two rows of ball bearing on each side and preloaded, so 5 out of the total 6 degrees of freedom are fixed. When they are in new condition, pretty hard to move by hand. But when they get old, can also move freely.

[@whatthehell6340]

@@JamesZJi Depending on how you install it and determine the right position

[@jothain]

@@MrDabrudda there's no such thing as zero slop on mechanical devices ;)

[@leofortey7561]

Type of lubrication is dependent on a few factors. Speed is the main one. The faster you want something moving, the lighter the lube must be. (Less resistance) Type of surface is secondary. Two flat plains as in a lathe bedway and anything with ball bearings have different needs. The lathe will use a much thicker lube to keep everything in place. Load plays a slight factor, too. As mentioned, sewing machine oil is great for these tiny, light load linear rails. SAE10 to SAE20 is what I would recommend. Something with no detergents, a.k.a. compressor oil. qurl.org/PnV Engine oils are not recommended. They will suffice for a short while but you will notice a film grow on your components(the soaps being oxidized) and eventually the ball bearings get choppy again.

[@erikev]

This. There are detailed oil/grease specifications from linear bearing manufacturers. Usually lithium grease for slower speed, and oil with right viscosity and no detergents for high speed use. Service cycle etc. Never use engine oil additives like Slick 50.

[@MrDabrudda]

The Slick 50 I use is a synthetic lubricating oil. Not an oil additive for your engine. www.amazon.com/Slick-50-43712012-Supercharged-Protectant/dp/B0016GXOXW#productDetails

[@reasonsvoice8554]

Think you will find it is an engine/oil addative That's what slick 50 is they make engine protective addatives all their products are automotive based

[@alannahkearney4799]

Paul Reason pretty sure “Slick 50” is the brand name and that product isn’t an engine oil additive. I read the label...metal on metal lubrication. Just sayin’. Have a great day!

[@RGplayer101]

wd40 is not a lubricant though. its a dissolvant which will dry up and leave your bearing without any lube. the oil you used is good but comparing it to wd40 is comparing apples to potatoes. i did like your video however and it saved my cheap bearings from the garbage bin. love it!

[@GrundleGoblin]

@DaToNyOyO you dont know anything about oil if you think wd40 is for lubricating anything other than a sqeaky doordoor hinge. reading their website doesn't mean anything. wd40 is a solvent and a penetrating oil.

[@WernerBeroux]

If you put these bearing too close to a magnet they may get magnetic as well.

[@MrDabrudda]

The magnet in the tool tray is not strong enough to leave any lasting residual magnetism in the bearings.

[@cSSprOo]

great video, straight to the point and very informative!

[@EgonSorensen]

Very descriptive and useful - thanks! @3.55 - you're filing plastics parts down in your cleaned parts cup. I was wondering why you didn't use the magnetic pan/cup with the water/alcohol solution - any specific reason?, the parts ought to stay down there and not easily fall out and dissapear on the floor, and no need to move them around too much - getting (more) finger grease on them when clean, etc.

[@MrDabrudda]

No specific reason. It was the container I had on hand and was deep enough to submerge the parts.

[@PS-nf3xw]

EgonSorensen 77

[@newfization]

Excellent video but I was wondering, couldn't you submerge the bearing without disassembly into the alcohol and have it dissolve the gunk? Move it back and forth while submerged for a bit? And could I use acetone in lieu of alcohol? Thanks!

[@MrDabrudda]

You could use alcohol to clean up the factory protectant. Aceteone might be too aggressive and eat the plastic. Not sure what type of plastic are on the blocks

[@newfization]

@@MrDabrudda Thanks, I just got four guides so I'm going to have to prep them soon, looking forward to the upgrade!

[@pch_mechanika]

Really good video, im just about to try this on a china Special linear rail - thank you

[@robinmorritt7493]

Nice video and interesting comments. Thanks all round.

[@d.shortwave4280]

:starts filing the plastic exactly above the parts he just cleaned for debris ;) anyway thank you for sharing. now i know what to do with my rails and bearings ;)

[@MrDabrudda]

That's how I roll!

[@TwoDogsFighting]

This is exactly what I was looking for. Nice concise video.

[@postiemania]

Very cool video except I use eucalyptus oil to remove the factory residue.

[@bcaponigro]

Do you think you could just soak the bearings in your solution without disassembling them and still get similar results?

[@scottwillis5434]

Possibly, if soaked. Hard to get the solution down in all the holes, crevices and between the bearings, and enough circulation to get the goop and any debris out. Note the long tubes full of ball bearings. Start having to check out the effects of long-term exposure to the solvent on the materials used. Swelling, softening, degradation, cracking / crazing.

[@55bess]

Many thanks, useful video and most important for me at the time :)

[@AndrewAHayes]

Wicked video. my friend shelled out on Hiwin rails because of all the bad reviews on the cheap Chinese rails

[@stanley6602]

Just for your information. Hiwin is not a Chinese company and produce high precision motion components in Taiwan. Their price just a little cheaper than Japanese made linear components. But I found most of the Chinese made linear motion parts has same looking as Hiwin parts but only 1/2 to 1/3 price of original Hiwin product. I myself bought several linear parts from online store which all name Hiwin, but the differences are very noticeable when I compare them side by side. The one purchase from Hiwin works very smooth and no backlash. And the one with cheaper price runs not smooth at all and you can feel the balls sometimes stuck inside the rack. Also dust found inside the linear racks and grease. I strongly suggest purchase these parts from Hiwin distributors. So you projects will not ruin by these parts.

[@az113]

Many thanx, will do the same procedure, and i hope it will works.

[@TommyAventador]

But are the rails nice and true? Is there any play on the bearing housing block? Cause thats the problem with cheap rail bearings, they aren’t true no matter how smoothly they move. I would like to see how far off the rails and the block is when it’s moves along the rails.

[@anoirbentanfous]

it's hard to measure unless he has a super flat surface to but them on... I am wondering how DIY guys do check them without having to invest in super expensive gears

[@metalmolisher666]

@@anoirbentanfous You can feel when there is play. I brought one good set of rails and blocks and then a few chinese blocks, you can feel the difference, no need for anything special to measure it.

[@paulwyleciol3459]

@@metalmolisher666 you have special fingers, men! ;-)

[@archer9338]

A plate of glass can be used to check the straightness of the rails.

[@deedeeko9]

@@archer9338 glass isn't very flat use a surface plate if you can afford one, or make a flat surface with the 3 plate method (I believe oxtool has a video about it)

[@andrewmyland2019]

Brilliant just what I was looking for I’ve ordered 3 heavy duty sets to make a good CNC may I just say another video a guy measured the bearings and they were all very slightly smaller and as quality bearing are minimal cost he recommender replacing them which I’ll do also

[@DSK349]

Not sure if you're still responding to comments on this, but does it make sense to replace the balls in these with ceramic balls? Obviously that puts you with not cheap rails anymore, but theoretically, you should never have to perform any maintenance again right? No lubrication would be the least amount of drag too if that makes any difference.

[@MrDabrudda]

For the application I would not replace the ball bears. I clean the rails once a year and reapply lubricant.

[@travismiller5548]

Replacing with Teflon balls is also a thing, but it has been suggested by Adam Savage on his Tested channel to consider polishing the raceways. And of course this depends on your application. Teflon would be a low rpm type solution, i.e. an R2-D2 neck bearing, that doesn't need to move much. Thanks OP for sharing this material. I've acquired a cheaply built gemstone faceting machine I'm considering cleaning up and extending the mast bearing on. Might go crazy and run stuff through the ultrasonic cleaner in a bath of carb cleaner 🤪 ...but will probably stick with steel balls, and lube. I really appreciate the tips, and took notes. I was dreading doing this; thanks to your video, I'm now looking forward to it. Subbed.

[@Techpriest1010]

No absolutely not. these are hand fitted at the factory with slightly different sized balls, that's why you see numbers like +2 hand scribed on the side, even mixing the balls in the same block could result in binding or stickiness due to mismatched ball sizes.

[@MattOGormanSmith]

There's no way to adjust the preload, so ball size is more critical than material. If these get sloppy with wear you can buy oversized balls.

[@TheDiscipleofTheLord]

I was an FC 2010 to 2016 just got into 3d printing this year..

[@stavrosg1113]

Just cleaned up a few after watching this. Cleaning it is key too!

[@MrDabrudda]

Mine came with some Cosmoline type protectant which gummed up the bearings from moving freely.

[@Stoneforth]

meh, i didn't see any reason to clean the bearings that came with my cnc router; they came with a grease nipple and with the sort of grease they suggest to use, it's not supposed to slide that freely anyway. I did loosen and tighten the seals for installation though.

[@MrDabrudda]

These smaller bearings don't come with a grease zerk fitting.

[@Killerjack007]

@@MrDabrudda these "Chinese clones" u mean.

[@steelwitness]

@@Killerjack007 nah i have expensive linear rails but they dont have a grease fitting. theyre for a 180x180 printer so theyre way too small for one

[@techdegenerate286]

Often times the grease port on Chinese linear rails are just for show they don't lead anywhere

[@Stoneforth]

@@techdegenerate286 Mine do thankfully but I know some that require a hole to be drilled into the plastic before fitting the nipple.

[@iforce2d]

hmm.... I don't think the goal is to have them sliding really freely

[@MrDabrudda]

Clean the factory cosmoline off, clean the factory grime off, apply synthetic lube...it slides like that.

[@slowsloth2519]

Look up preload

[@jonjonsson6323]

I would use a graphite pen for locks to avoid ball clinging but people are always too cautious with oils for dirt collection and in general almost any oil or vaseline works as long as it doesent affect the plastic mounts as the speed for home use is somewhat slow anyway and if you just use such on lets say z azis, it wont move much at all and that we wish to have a rigid mount instead. I would say that dont use them on x axis on printers or cnc, and never on y on cnc unless it is covered from dust pr the bearings will clog. A combination of bars and these is best

[@WHJeffB]

Use WD-40 or Mineral Spirits for cleaning/degreasing linear bearings. Clean/dry, then immediately lube/oil them with a lubricating oil (not WD-40) after they are dry. Good tutorial... Great catch on the extra plastic bowing the retaining rails. These cheap Chinese linear guides/rails are prefect for small project machines and upgrading cheap 3D printers and laser cutting machines.

[@omaroskeno3314]

What's a good lube I can buy locally??

[@AnasSuhaimi]

@@omaroskeno3314 Use ky jelly. Your neighbour might have them

[@_JustBeingCasual]

You can also use break cleaner; probably the better way to do this.

[@karlschuneman7960]

I like the file use over the clean parts too.

[@Hathorr1067]

@Zo Fryer For these, I would probably use 56504 instead

[@timhofstetter5654]

Why don't you use mineral spirits or naphtha? That works VERY VERY well. Relube with a lubricant appropriate for your application.

[@TotoGuy-Original]

Great job and great guide you are right wd40 should only be used for loosening off stuff and nothing else. you did a very good job on these :)

[@shahriarjalilian]

awesome tips, Thank you for sharing

[@nickoutram6939]

Lovely and smooth, makes you wonder why the chinese fill them with so much junk... I watched a similar video using 'skateboard' (radial) bearings.

[@m.t-thoughts8919]

I didn't thought it wouldn't be that of a difference! Espacially just after cleaning them up. How "good" is the tolerance? 🤔

[@DavidSmith-ex6bg]

Excellent video well explained thanks ….

[@Jono6671]

this is a very useful video, thanks for sharing. I wish this has been around before I put everything together haha

[@haydenc2742]

I do that with my LM8UU linear bearings as well..usually they come with grit/garbage in the small bear bearings and cause issues and alot of noise.. I would bet a drop of non-detergent air compressor oil would go a LONG way in the smoothness of that rail and bearings

[@MrDabrudda]

Use some pneumatic tool oil would work too. 3 in 1 oil, even mineral oil would be better than nothing.

[@bradquinn4161]

Have you tried sewing machine oil? It is the closest thing commonly available for use on machine tools (micrometers). Lubes well without attracting a lot of dirt and grime.

[@JasperJanssen]

Brad Quinn sewing machines are, after all, the most precision machine tool that the average household owns - and that has been true for about a century. Getting less so with modern cheap-ass plastic sewing machines mind you, as those displace good old machines.

[@stefan90kauw]

Amazing description! Very curious about the one i ordered!

[@cliono2]

Hi that's great, you know how to revise the end cap for getting smooth movement and saving money on upgrade your 3D printer. 👍

[@hellerbarde]

EDIT: THANKS a lot for this video :) I just tried to do this on the rails I got. They look exactly the same, but even after two cycles of cleaning, bending the guide wires so they don't press the balls too tightly against the race and de- and regreasing, two of my rails are still quite hard to move. did you have success with every pair of rails you ordered? I feel one of mine has just a little bittoo tight tolerances...

[@MrDabrudda]

All of the rails I purchased cleaned up and moved without binding. With use the rails should loosen up. Just keep them clean and lubed and watch for any signs of deterioration.

[@itonylee1]

The reason why these bearing with viscous grease is to compensate these tiny tolerance between slider, ball and rail. Without these high viscous grease, the slider will wobble......It is not because they don't want to make it good, it is because people want to buy it cheap....

[@ChristopherJones16]

the carriage wobbles on the cheap ones? Didn't know that.. That'll cause sloppier 3D prints. GTK.

[@alexlefevre8226]

It depends, but you are absolutely correct in some cases. Avoid this by being choosy where you purchase, put the time into preparing them, swap out the ball bearings for higher quality ones if you so choose, utilize the proper lubrication type and application method, and you can really end up with a solid piece of equipment at a great price. I've seen $25 rails with swapped out bearings outperform $50 rails. It depends on a lot of factors.

[@Jules_73]

Couldn’t you soak the whole thing and then lube it without taking it off the rails? You wouldn’t have to worry about losing bearings then. I thought about this as I was putting one of the slides back together and lost a bearing.

[@MrDabrudda]

I guess you could soak the block in alcohol but it may still have cosmoline protectant in the slots. The factory protectant would be diluted with the cleaning and re-lubricating.

[@creamofbotulismsoup9900]

Thanks for sharing, looking into getting some 800mm linear guides for my Delta printer. Kind of curious since its been nearly two years. How well are these holding up for you?

[@MrDabrudda]

The linear rails have held up perfectly. Every few months I'll clean the rails with a terry cloth and reapply the synthetic lubrication.

[@Ch4grin]

"Cosmoline". The term for the waxy/oily rust preventative is cosmoline.

[@MrDabrudda]

Thanks, I just searched that term to find out what the factory coating was called and then seen your comment.

[@REDACT3D]

interesting bud thanks for sharing - although I must admit I think I would feel more comfortable spending the extra money on the quality part if buying them individually.

[@Nikos_Katakis]

Are you still satisfied from those rails on working? Are they performing well on your machine?

[@MrDabrudda]

Very satisfied with the rails. Far better than the Igus bearings I was using.

[@Nikos_Katakis]

@@MrDabrudda thank you very much

[@bekindalways7629]

Excellent helped alot other day at work

[@LordOfNihil]

i saw these on ebay when i was looking for parts for my diy pcb mill. was curious if they were any good. i think many of the mechanical thingstuffs i get from china all come with packing grease that needs to be stripped off and replaced with something more usable as a lubricant.

[@muratcanbarut64]

I was so upset , now I know what should I do thank you

[@123jerro]

Excellent tutorial . Thanks!

[@mulidran.design]

I also ordered some cheap rails and I have one question. Are little scratches on top of rail an issue? Sides where guides/balls should roll look good.

[@MrDabrudda]

Scratches on top of the rail should not be a problem. Any damage in the recess where the ball bearings roll will cause a problem.

[@mulidran.design]

@@MrDabrudda I just checked the rails thoroughly and I found this :( drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SBTT6jCYTt11tN3yIoNx-ILRhfORExnv What do you think? I can feel it with my nail going over it... Should I request replacement? Just for reference on the right you see 9mm hole. It's 20mm rail.

[@IulianAntohe]

Great video! Why using a solution of 25% IPA and 75% water and not full IPA solution for cleaning ?

[@DTWMTX]

Full strength IPA may damage rubber or plastics. Just enough to dissolve High Quality Anti-Corrosion Inhibiter from Peoples Republic of China... LOL

[@JarnoKai]

And more importantly I think simply because it's cheaper that way. No idea how cheap it is elsewhere (seems to be practically free in the USA) but it's actually very expensive here in Finland at 16 euros per liter. Therefore if the full concentration isn't necessary you might as well treat your wallet and dilute it with water

[@rparker069]

I wouldn't advise running any kind of bearing without some form of lubricant, maybe some thin gear oil or something but no lube is a bad idea

[@TheHitman5c]

Did you even watch the video? he used Slick 50

[@johnlepkowski3831]

rparker069 you can ren dry and in some applications it’s advisable. Good bearings will last a min of 10,000 linear miles of travel. Real Hiwin is the low cost bearings and rails, Iko thk, Bosch, and Thompson are high end.

[@fishimust4766]

A good quality fishing reel oil would work also.

[@Andrewatnanz]

I lost some balls, so i took some from an extra block and WOW they are not the right size and so it works like poop. Its the same size block but slightly different balls. Guess ill need to remove all of them and pick out the wrong ones.

[@GDIALPHA]

you can buy those small balls on ebay cost a few dollar for 100 search 1mm to 9.525mm G10 Grade 10 Chrome Steel Ball Bearings