Einleitung
A 400mm Hiwin Linear Guides can cost around $60 USD. For a full set for the cube it’d cost $300 for Hiwin Linear Guides($360 for triple Z).
Where as you can get a cheap unknown brands off Amazon for $23. A full set would cost $115( $138 for triple Z).
Some possible causes of a linear guide not working properly are:
- Bearing balls that are the wrong size (slightly oversized or undersized).
- An inconsistent diameter of a few balls in the carriage.
- Thick grease that prevents the balls from rolling freely.
- Burrs (leftover pieces of metal from machining) on the linear guide or in the carriage channels.
- A mismatch in size between the carriage and the rail. The carriage is slightly too big for the rail, or vice versa.
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Inspect your linear rails. Make sure there is a red stopper in the screw holes on each end of the linear rail. I would recommend you leave these in until you're ready to mount them to the frame
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The carriage should slide along the rail with little force required. I don't have the preload information on these but it's not uncommon to have to apply slight downward force on the carriage for it to slide smoothly
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There should be a small gap on the along the bearing channel
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Teardown
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The MGN carriage comes with manufacture lube on them. The carriage should slide along the rail with little force required. If you feel resistance along the rail or hear what sounds like grinding you should clean the rail guides and the MGN carriage
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There's been many discussion about what type of lube to use. First off DO NOT use WD40, JB80 or similar. These are penetrating solvents. These are not to be used as a lubricant.
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The MGN carriage comes with manufacture lube on them. The carriage should slide along the rail with little force required. I don't have the preload information on these but it's not uncommon to have to apply slight downward force on the carriage for it to slide smoothly
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Remove the 2 screws and the rubber seal on both sides of the carriage block.
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Using a small flat head screwdriver to nudge the retaining wire out if it's groove.
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At this point the ball bearings are free to fall out so when you remove the retaining wire have a container to put the bearings in ready.
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There should be 66 ball bearings.
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With the ball bearings in a container pour in a little degreaser.
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Kerosene, Mineral Spirits, or WD-40 Degreasers(not regular WD-40) are all great products you can use. Do not use it on non metal parts. Petroleum-based degreaser can eat away plastic and rubber components.
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Cleaning the oil off is simple. Put a lid on the container and shake it. When finished remove the balls from the container and set them on a microfiber cloth to try.
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Degreasers can be harmful to skin. I recommend wearing rubber/latex gloves.
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Wipe the inside of the metal block and end caps with a microfiber cloth. I use a pipe cleaner to clean the channel.
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On one side reattach the plastic block to the MGN block. Slide in both retaining wires and screw in the rubber end cap.
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Add a drop of Super Lube into the holes where the ball bearings drop in(this will help prevent them from falling out. Start inserting ball bearings into the hole channel. When they fill up place the second plastic block into the MGN block and attach the retaining clip.
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Insert the remaining ball bearings into the inner channel. There should be a small gap in between the ball bearings.
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High viscos(thick) lubrication will prevent the ball bearings from circulating freely. If it's too thin you'll need to re-apply often.
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I recommend Super Lube 51010. It's an excellent PTFE-based lubricant. 51014, 51004, 51008, 51025 can be used as a substitute. They're the same product but in a different packaging.
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Shake the bottle well. Apply 1-2 drops into the ball bearings on both sides of the carriage block.
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If you notice dust and hair collected onto the rubber seal give it a quick wipe with a microfiber cloth. Don't forget to do the opposite side of the block.
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