Bad Linear Rail - Linear Rail Maintenance - 2022 - Chris's Basement
We got a bad rail. Our SKGO was acting up and we narrowed it down to a bad linear rail. We show you how to remove and repair the rail. We also touch on a little linear rail maintenance.
00:00 Introduction
01:24 Identifying the problem
03:45 Repairing the rail
14:21 Rail Maintenance
20:49 Test Print
21:34 Conclusion
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Linear Rail on Amazon:
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Cleaning Swabs on Amazon:
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3/32 Steel Bearing Balls on Amazon:
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3 Pack Super Lube on Amazon:
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3-Piece Magnet Trays Set on Amazon:
geni.us/SRUV
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Alex Kenis Videos:
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Part 2: • Cheap linear rail part...
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So, I realize this video is a year and a half old. A beginner in the 3D hobby may be a bit confused by some of the comments here. Chris' video is spot on. There are comments here about precision of balls, every other ball should be a slightly different size, etc. This kind of stuff for home 3d printers is nonsense. For consumer grade 3D printers, the duty of the linear rail is super super light. Clean the rail, lube it (superlube or really any NLGI 1 or 2 lube. PTFE is fine also, for this level of use) and you're good to go. You can even use a light machine oil, just will have to do it more often. Nero said on his video many many times, just lube it and you will be fine. Superlube, Mobilux EP1, white lithium grease (yes, even the spray stuff) will be fine. We're not on the International Space Station trying to make a part to get us home........you're good. Really.
Thanks for this comment. I 100% agree with you. We don't work at NASA, plus live and learn right?
By far, the BEST linear rail HOW TO video I have seen on You Tube. I am upgrading my Ender 3 with a New v4.2.7 Board, and XYZ Linear Rail Kits. Now I know the ins and outs of basic Linear Rail maintenance, thanks to you. I have subscribed. Keep the simple HOW TO videos coming. Thank You Thank You!
Wow, thanks! I'm glad this was helpful
Thank you Chris for your very illustrative video. I have a Coreception 300 with these linear rails and now I'm much more likely to take them apart and correct some issues.
It's a fairly easy fix and would really improve your prints. :)
This was seriously helpful for a beginner to linear rails, I bought some cheaper ones and was wondering about the bearing replacement. Thanks a lot!
Glad I could help!
that tip on loosening the wipers did the trick, thanks!
Glad it helped!
Thanks you for your great stuff you are providing in every single video !
Thank you!
Great video very informative on faulty linear rails and how to fix them, and how to prep/maintain linear rails. I am doing a build with some rails good to know all of this before I dive in.
I'm glad it was helpful. Good luck with your projects!
Lucky I found this video! Got new rails in and 2 of them where not moving smootly. Loosening the wipers and moving around a bit solved it! Thanks a lot!
Glad it helped!
Excellent tutorial. Many thanks. Never seen a video covering this before
Thanks Kevin, I'm glad I could help?
I was looking for this exact information after my printer started making some noice in the Y carriage! And I had those Z lines in some of my prints, I’ve never thought that could be a lubricant problem! Time to disarm the 3d printer! Thanks a lot Chris, very informative as always
Good luck and watch those bearings!
This was a really super helpful video. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
Thanks for watching!
Hey Chris, thanks for another great video!
Thank you! I hope it's helpful
A note on lube: Hiwin recommend lube with "no solid particles" in it - PTFE is solid particles. Graphite, copper, MOS2, and whiteners [Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide] etc should all also be avoided. PTFE can also cause the balls to slide, rather than roll, which may actually increase wear. They also say that grease should be Lithium Soap-based and NLGI2 consistency. All of that said, the Hiwin specs are for much more heavy duty machines than printers, so the effect on wear will probably be less pronounced. It should also be noted that grease consistency also affects speed if you're doing speed benchies - thinner is faster. Grease manufacturers usually recommend NLGI 00 for 3D printer rails.
Right on, great info.
Good information. I learned the hard way about loosing the ball bearings and how hard it is to replace them. I started buying extra sliders, they are not very expensive and are handy to have if you have a failure.
Those little bearings go everywhere! It's defiantly a good idea to keep a few extra parts in your arsenal.
Thanks for a great video Chris!
Glad you liked it!
Bro u really made me solve the layer shifting mystery I've been dealing with for years now. I own a self made 3d printer with linear ball bearing. The Y axis has always been loud and noisy and shifts layers. Thinking its the glass/motor resonance even with brand new steppers. But after i watched ur video i saw that my Y rods do indeed have grooves caused by the bad bearings. Keep it up ✌
I'm really glad I could help out!
A perfect video as always!
Wow, thank you!
I really like the way you lube and work though ball bearings, good smooth back and forth motion.
There is something very satisfying about that.
great video, good tips👍 Love that you point to Alex Kenis way. Thanks for sharing your experience with all of us 👍🙂
Thank you. Alex is extremely knowledgeable, and really good at deep dives.
I definitely had the same problem. Thanks for the video
Happy to help! Watch out, those little bearings go all over!
Chris. Thank you for another informative helpful video. I’ve been “toying” around in my head about linear rails for my printer. Now I know what to look for when making a purchase
I'm glad it was helpful. Good luck with your projects
@@ChrisRiley Thank you oh wise my 3D print Guru 👊
@@ChrisRiley oh one other thing. Can you tell me where you bought yours ?
I did that kind of maintenance when I bought my first printer (delta kit). Thank you so much for sharing the links. When I slid off the rail I noticed that some balls where missing, but I didn't know which type of balls I should buy. I will definitively do some maintenance on the rails of the printers I have once I have bought the balls.
I use any excuse to tinker with my printers. Be careful, those little bearings go everywhere!
Great video. I wish I had known this (or heeded similar advice) in early 2018 when building my Railcore. I bought THIRTEEN crappy linear rails and carriages to get SIX that I needed that were "good enough." I also didn't clean off the shipping oil, but instead just lathered on some Superlube grease. Next time I get up the courage, I should replace them all... **shudder**
Don't rush into anything. ;)
That was really excellent... Thank You !!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you so much. I had watched Alex's video as well and it was very good except you had the part about adjusting the wipers. I was going crazy after I serviced my linear rails and also put new high quality balls in and it didn't slide smoothly. I always thought it was too tight or the balls were too big. I just readjusted the wipers and now it slides very smoothly.
That's great news! I'm glad I could help
As usual, great video. I made maintenance on a rail and it was really tight after. I bought a replacement block, but now after learning how to untighten it, I have a spare one, tyvm. So far fron you Ive learned how to install a tft35, how to install an esp32, something that isnt very helpful since it doesnt have much options, but came free with the tft, a lot of marlin options I didnt know, how to install an ups and a auto power off module.
I'm so glad the channel has been so helpful. Stay tuned, more to come!
Alex's videos are pretty damn good!
They're amazing, he always does a great job at deep dives.
I moded my Prusa Mk3 so many years ago to linear rails. I bought the cheap China ones and had to rebuild them to get them working smoothly. So, I did all things to you talk about but also took all the balls out and cleaned them. Those got things working quite smoothly. I have found over the years of using linear rails on my Prusa both my Delta printers that the light grade lube works best. You can buy online or in Craft stores needle tip applicator bottles cheap that you can then fill with your favorite light lube and put it right where you want it to go. Good job Chris on the video that should help many that want to use linear rails or maintain their rails.
I agree, it's amazing what a little TLC can do!
Loved the intro! Spot on! Lol!
Glad you enjoyed it! :)
Good video. Very useful. I am looking at linear rails. I had wondered about removing the block for maintenance. I like to use a spray dry PTFE lube. Easy to apply and not likely to collect dust. Dave.
Thanks, that's a great idea!
Great video on fixing linear rails! Loved the up close shots of putting the balls back in. It definitely lost a bunch! We normally use Sewing Machine oil, seems to be fine for our use cases! Definitely a grease is better though!
It definitely takes a steady hand, which I do not have, to get those little guys in there. :) Sewing machine oil would work just fine. I used to do leather work so I'm familiar with the stuff.
@@ChrisRiley Frankly the pick with a bit of magnetism may actually help, no?
@@3DMusketeers Yes, that should do the trick.
great video Chris :)
Thank you!
Quality content .. Thank you
Thanks, those little bearings go all over.
my rails look exactly as your thumbnail.... thank you for teaching me how to tame the thing
Lol! I can hear it yelling at me right now. Thanks for the visual, you made my day.
Thx for information Good Job always top!
Thank you!
These are on many things.. I have a laser that needs some replaced. Good info here. Thanks.
Thanks for watching
recent subscriber. loving the videos thanks chris
Thanks Owen, welcome!
Alex Kenis even recommended to replace the bearings checking the size to see if they can fit a slightly bigger bearings for tighter tolerance
They are all over the place as far as tolerance, so having a few different sizes on hand would be helpful for sure.
The AISI designation of 52100 is the composition/treatment of the ball bearings. After the proper heat treatment and annealing process that particular stainless steel is very hard. Not surprised it dented your pliers. Definitely right about staying away from the chrome plated; they're like chicken eggs compared to the 52100.
Thanks Kevin for coming with the numbers. I just remembered running into some that were absolutely crap. 😀
Believe it or not.... I actually look forward to your quick and to the point intros with the drums. Patapatapata pa tsss.
Thank you very much! We like it too
I build a RatRig with all linear rails and before assembling it, I changed out the steel bearings for ceramic bearings. It make a huge difference, and improves the low cost HIWIN clones quite a bit.
oooo, ceramic, nice idea.
yeah thats a nice idea, notice how the bearings on the hiwin clones arent even round ornthe same size? i've seen up to 0.022mm deviation on the clones...the carrages are fine for the pr8ce, but the bearings, yuk
Are they already broken or have they lasted for 2 years?
@@enteranon3342 they are still running like new
I’ve also used a small syringe with a narrow tip to force lube or grease into small areas. Squeeze a bit in, move the bearings, squeeze a bit more, and so on. Doing it this way can get a bit more lube in there than what you might be able to do with a toothpick or the small brush you used in the video.
Thanks Kevin, that's a great tip!
Cheers for the video. I have 3 Tenlog printers and have suspected they've cheapened out several places. They've had a noticeable and audible, when moving the hotend back and forth, amount of friction. Never took them off to clean them and relube.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks, a timely video. I just purchased a cheap second hand Twotrees Sapphire Pro on eBay. I expect I will be putting this info to good use when it arrives.
I'm glad it was helpful. Good luck with your project and enjoy fixing up your new printer. Half the fun is all the tinkering you get to do!
best thumbnail ever
Ha Ha, thanks Helge!
Super Lube 51004 is what I use on all of my printers, with MGN12H rails. It’s worked perfect for years, but it does need a single drop on each side of the rails twice a month.
That's a great tip, thank you!
If you have to take the rail bearing etc out a big magnet next to it is really helpful! Specially under a container
That's a great idea, I love magnets!
You are correct in assuming the H rails are 33. I've repopulated to many of these.
Ah, thank you! I new 33 sounded familiar.
Ball bearings for these rails are chosen per side by a technician at the factory. they actually have ball bearings of multiple sizes at the factory, all ever so slightly bigger/smaller than each other and they choose the best fit for each channel of the block based on the customers specifications. the balls on one side of a block actually may not be the same size as the balls on the other side. Replacing all of them with 3/32 balls will most likely either introduce slop or increase the preload of the block. This really isn't worth doing, and certainly won't make them better. just buy new ones, they are cheap anyways.
Interesting.
I'm going to make a wild stab in the dark here... but I reckon the cheap Chinese rails are made with no such care. But as it happens, I changed the bearings over on a linear slide just a few days ago. The slides had had been used, though not a huge amount. Here are 10 random measurements: 2.38 2.38 2.38 2.39 2.38 2.38 2.38 2.38 2.38 Reading 5 from the packet of chrome steel I am getting 2.39 from all of them All measured on a cheapo electronic digital caliper. The new slides are definitely are smoother, with the slide having less slop. But bear in mind I had lost some bearings on at least one of the slides
@@justblairthompson thanks for all the info.
@@justblairthompson I did the same for cheap carriages and I've found multiple bbs that were significantly smaller or larger than others. Im talking like 2.35-2.40. I replaced all of the bbs with quality ones and got much better results, although I've got a higher pretension now
@@Chrissi33004 for the cost of it, definately worth doing.
Love the thumbnail :D
Thanks, we like it too.
I like working with this cars on a big micro fiber cloth to ensure if any balls come out and move, it wont be going everywhere. Thanks for great video
That's a great idea!
chinesium rail sliders run on g500 or worse presission bearings so they can make lot of noise and be less smooth even if lubed well...getting g5 ceramic ones can make it way smoother and more quiet ...also ceramic ones are around 2.5-5 times harder than steel balls so they can also smooth bad rails too ..(especially Nitride composite bearings...similiar to tool heads used to cut hardened steel)
Thanks for the info!
The more ya know! Ty.
🙂Thanks!
Best video image :-)
Thank you! We worked really hard on this one. ;)
Hi Chris, thanks for sharing. At 17:15 looks like some balls are missing on the side by your thumbs (look at both the left and right ends there are gaps). Are they typically not full from the factory for a reason or was this misassembled from new?
On the lower end ones, it's very common to see them have a gap where one ball is missing. It usually doesn't cause any issues.
Thoughts on putting an orbiter extruder and a carbon fiber square tube for the extruder rail? Think the lower weight would give a noticeable difference? On the SecKIt I mean.
Not really sure, I like you am always hesitant to add weight like that to carbon fiber parts. With the way the obitor mounts, I might not do it.
One tiny tip- any time the slider is off the rail always keep a paper towel or some kind of soft surface under it so that if the bearings pop out they can't bounce away or bounce at all- they'll settle where they first drop. Also, never try to save something you drop, watch it until it settles/stops moving- too easy to miss the save and lose it even worse by slapping it across the room ;)
Those are great idea's, thank you!
Do you have particular favorite linears chris...as in the moment im building 3d printer and like to have some good quality linear in it as im targeting to print some hot temp stuff with it. thanks for great videos as always
Hiwin rails are really good but kind of pricy. LDO also makes a nice rail too.
@@ChrisRiley thanks a lot!!!
Last year I bought some linear rails for my hypercube to upgrade the X and Y axis. The carriages were sealed separately from each other and the rails where shipped in bubble wrap. I just now got to the point of wanting to install them, however, the rails now have rust on them - just sporadicly but rust nonetheless and it's just surface rust and the rails are still very solid. Are they still usable and/or is there a way to remove the rust?
Sure, they should still be useable, I would start with WD-40 and see if that will get rid of it.
lol I love that picture
Thanks, we worked really hard on that one. ;)
Thats happening to me right meow. I assumed it was racking. I have an extra backup rail though. My voron v0.1 is doin thangs badly after 1month.
I'm glad I could help. Good luck with your project!
Nice.. just noting that hiwin recommend lithuim soap grease with their rails.. ptfe actually sound logical to use cause its repal dirt..
That's definitely worth noting. Thanks!
Otimo video, obrigado
Obrigado por assistir!
11:27 I wonder if disposable mascara wands, like the ones stores like Sephora use for testers/classes/etc., would work
That might work. Let us know
I have a question. When you add a load to these type of bearings should you need to torque them?
You should not, the load on these smaller rails is lower enough, it shouldn't make much of a difference.
i upgraded to linear on XY axis. Y moved smoothly, i thought but gave me massive ghosting. like 6-9 repetitions. turned out it was not smooth enough when i printed witih 4000 accel, alot of Y skips i had not with wheelsl. ordered new balls (kugel winnie / germany). now they slide across the whole 40cm rail on their own, like on ice. your rails are still bad. for x axis maybe ok, not on Y where you have 3-4 of them.
I still need to go through the rest of them and check.
wish I would've seen this before I installed my rail kits
Thanks for watching anyway! 🙂
@@ChrisRiley very useful information, waiting for the bearings to come in so I can clean and re-adjust the bearings.
Can you make a video about picking rails for the type of printers, which size, cart type, is it worth it... Etc. Why does no one use mgn9 on cartesian type printers? Isn't this enough for the z and x axis?
Umm, sounds expensive. Depending on the carriage MGN 9 should work just fine.
@@ChrisRileyfair enough I got the answer I needed✌️. Thanks for the tip, loving ur stuff man
Hi, Im doing maintance on some linear rails on my resin printer and theres like gummy rust on it, how would you deal with that?
Like rust mixed with resin I guess? If it's not cured, rubbing alcohol should do the trick.
i use pen type w ptfe it is great the grease on the z pen on the x and y SUPER LUBE you can eat it!!
Cool, thanks!
surprised I didn't see it in the comments. It was all the rage a while back to replace your ball bearings with Si3N4 Silicon Nitride Ceramic ball bearings.
That's interesting, thanks for your comment.
Guys, when you buy those cheap linear rails: disassemble them completely, clean everything with WD-40, buy a pack of good steel balls with a decent grade, lubricate them with some oil or grease, maybe something with teflon in it.
🙂👍
What exactly is super lub?, for someone that lives outside the US.
It's just grease/thin oil that contains PTFE.
I bought some expensive ones just the carriage block coast 123 usd they have this plastic like guide the holes the balls
🙂👍
If you have bought the cheap rails, instead of buying 100 ball bearings. Buy 1000 chrome steel ones. The way the pricing works it is usually a marginal price difference. The cheap ones I bought had crappy ball bearings, don't know what they were made of, but all of them, rather than just adding more changed the bearing's smoothness substantially.
I love buying in bulk! Thanks for your insight
@@ChrisRiley I bought a thousand from Amazon in the week before Christmas. I got sent two packets in error, so I will have enough to last me the rest of my life. I would try and send them back, but Amazon makes this just about impossible. The last time it happened, I sent the extra item back only to be refunded.
@@justblairthompson Lol, you're swimming in bearings!
I have a question. At the price on Amazon for carriages, why not save the hassles of all this repair and simply purchase new carriages?
Fair point, I'm not sure how universal the rails are carts are, but might be worth a try and save some hassle.
Anyone know where to get an stl for an MGN7 railkeeper? Can't seem to find one.
I would just use one of these printed rails for the keeper. www.printables.com/en/model/115538-3d-printable-mgn-rails/files
@@ChrisRiley thanks Chris!
why am I picturing hundreds of little balls rolling around on the floor of the basement with all the nuts and bolts...... LOL
That's exactly what happened! I'm only sorry I didn't get it on camera. :)
16:15 many cheap rails have a hole there but it's just in the plastic - it doesn't actually go anywhere.
🙂👍
Have C carriages benefits compared to H carriages?
Basically, one cart is a little longer than the other. Gives you a little more area on the rail.
Next step... grading you bearing balls. Sizes on the cheaper ones are not always identical.
Thanks for the tip!
I use mtb fork oil and works great, better than superlube 😁
Ha, good to know. Now I just need a mountain bike!
@@ChrisRiley 😅
Allright, that thubnail got me to click this
🙂👍
Sounds like your linear bearings are missing some ball bearings. Or they are just really worn.
👍🙂
what if i have play on my rails?
It depends how much, you might have some missing ball bearings.
Linear rail form Banggood The ball bearing two mil in size not 5/32
Where are you getting 5/32? Because I've been getting a lot of comments. I'm pretty sure I said 3/32.
I cringed and made some noises when I saw the 3/32". I've been calling US measurements "barbarian units" ever since I saw the Cura plug-in with that name. 😂
Lol!
Cheap is the issue.. Chinese Bearings are world renowned as being various degrees of Junk. There is genuine Reason First world bearings are significantly more $$$. Old story.. Buy Cheap = Buy twice and if truly Dim.. Repeatedly
That's true, you get what you pay for. But, a little TLC goes a long way.
They are good enough for 3D printing. Just service them before you use them. If you really want to improve them, buy 1000 chrome steel bearings and replace the low quality ones in the linear slide.
For your pick I'd use a plastic phone tool
Thanks!
I see a mic on your shirt, but your voice still sounds far away, like the camera mic is the active one.
I had some trouble with this video. It's been resolved
Linear rail from banggood R 2mm not 5/32
It's really hard to tell the difference between 2mm and 3/32. Most of them are probably 2mm.
25 , 24 ?? Balls?
I can't even remember at this point.
@@ChrisRiley I answer you, there are 24 on each side, 25 does not leave enough space and they do not move smoothly
should see if super lube would super sponser you
Lol, that would be sweet!
Yea it’s the h type that has 33
Thanks!
3/32 " i swear the Mericans x#
Lol! Freedom Units!
you can actually use the balls of v-wheels bearings, they're the same size
Thanks for the tip!
This is washed with , benzin, querosene or other petroleum solvent, not alcohol.
We always wash them with alcohol, it works pretty good for us.
I lube my rails with wd40 PTFE😉
There you go!
I bet this Rails NO Original HIWIN made in Japan...
Uh, no. 😉
HIWIN from Taiwan, not Japan. Japanese made NSK, THK, IKO even more precise and expensive than Hiwin..
Not losing balls, allways sound advice!
👍🙂