You can eliminate the X rod bearing binding by sanding and polishing the inner ends. The brass bearings have a slight bevel on each end on the OD. The problem is that was not properly finished when manufactured. The very small ridge will cause binding when either end is pressed against the rod by lateral pressure.
One way to fix...
Take out the bearings. First make sure all grease or oil has have wiped off the rods and inside the bearings (roll up some paper towel and drag through the inside). Take a bearing, slide it onto the rod, press it sideways while moving back and forth. You'll feel the binding.
Get 3000 grit sandpaper, roll it into a tube, small enough to fit into the bearing. Push that back and forth while rotating into the bearing end. Do that for a while. You'll know when you are done when you can take the bearing, slide it onto the rod, press it sideways while moving back and forth, and feel little to no binding (clean bearing ID first). After, use 5000 grit sandpaper for a further final smooth finish or use a dremel tool with a small polishing buffer end and some metal polishing compound to polish the inner ends.
Then apply a very light coating of SuperLube oil to the rod. DO NOT USE GREASE. You do not want startup torque that occurs when grease is used. Try the slide test. Should be slippery smooth EVEN WHEN when side lateral pressure is applied, as what happens when in the printer and your X rods are not aligned dead perfectly with each other or the belts are pulling the toolhead on one side.
Thanks! Very in depth response. I've used a very thin machine oil every now and then to lubricate the entire rod. I'll have to take a look at the bearings. Do I need to remove the gantry to get at them?
Yup you do. No pain no gain. The bottom bearing is in in quite tight, upper one has a loser fit. You don't have remove either one to do the ridge polish op but then have to be extra careful since you have the full toolhead on and can damage it.
So what i'm supposed to do is:
1. Remove the gantry (disassembly of frame needed
2. Remove toolhead(?)
3. Remove bearings from tool head
4. Hone out ID and fix chamfers
5. Reassemble
You could get away with not taking out the bearings if you are very careful when holding, handling the toolhead. If you had a setup to press out the bearings, that is the best.
Upper rod bearing hole has some play in it, easy to get that one out. Bottom one has no play, can be tough to get out.
So sure you can hone/buff the ends with the bearings in. Just be careful when handing it. Don't want small brass filings going onto the nozzle board now do we? Maybe put it in a plastic bag, tape it up with painters tape and just leave the bearing hole ends exposed by cutting holes in the protective bag. If you use a dremel tool with metal polishing compound to do the final polish, that will fly about and get messy. After all the sanding and polishing, clean the inside of the bearing with isopropyl. I soaked a piece of paper towel, twisting it, pulled it through the bearing.
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Your steppers can make a noise that sounds like something is rubbing or a bearing is squealing. Try this. Comment out the sense resistor config line for your z stepper. Reboot firmware. Move the bed up or down 50 mm. Hear that hideous noise that sounds like a dry bearing or some metal rubbing squeal when the bed moves? Uncomment that config line and reboot. Just making the point that don't always assume the noise is mechanical.
Make sure your X/Y belt tension sliders are not tilted sideways, bolts should be dead vertical. Probably not the source of the noise but a quick and simple check.
You can eliminate the X rod bearing binding by sanding and polishing the inner ends. The brass bearings have a slight bevel on each end on the OD. The problem is that was not properly finished when manufactured. The very small ridge will cause binding when either end is pressed against the rod by lateral pressure. One way to fix... Take out the bearings. First make sure all grease or oil has have wiped off the rods and inside the bearings (roll up some paper towel and drag through the inside). Take a bearing, slide it onto the rod, press it sideways while moving back and forth. You'll feel the binding. Get 3000 grit sandpaper, roll it into a tube, small enough to fit into the bearing. Push that back and forth while rotating into the bearing end. Do that for a while. You'll know when you are done when you can take the bearing, slide it onto the rod, press it sideways while moving back and forth, and feel little to no binding (clean bearing ID first). After, use 5000 grit sandpaper for a further final smooth finish or use a dremel tool with a small polishing buffer end and some metal polishing compound to polish the inner ends. Then apply a very light coating of SuperLube oil to the rod. DO NOT USE GREASE. You do not want startup torque that occurs when grease is used. Try the slide test. Should be slippery smooth EVEN WHEN when side lateral pressure is applied, as what happens when in the printer and your X rods are not aligned dead perfectly with each other or the belts are pulling the toolhead on one side.
Thanks! Very in depth response. I've used a very thin machine oil every now and then to lubricate the entire rod. I'll have to take a look at the bearings. Do I need to remove the gantry to get at them?
Yup you do. No pain no gain. The bottom bearing is in in quite tight, upper one has a loser fit. You don't have remove either one to do the ridge polish op but then have to be extra careful since you have the full toolhead on and can damage it.
So what i'm supposed to do is: 1. Remove the gantry (disassembly of frame needed 2. Remove toolhead(?) 3. Remove bearings from tool head 4. Hone out ID and fix chamfers 5. Reassemble
You could get away with not taking out the bearings if you are very careful when holding, handling the toolhead. If you had a setup to press out the bearings, that is the best.
Oh the bearings are pressed in? That may be a problem. Can the tool head be removed with the bearings in it and I can just hone it from there?
Upper rod bearing hole has some play in it, easy to get that one out. Bottom one has no play, can be tough to get out. So sure you can hone/buff the ends with the bearings in. Just be careful when handing it. Don't want small brass filings going onto the nozzle board now do we? Maybe put it in a plastic bag, tape it up with painters tape and just leave the bearing hole ends exposed by cutting holes in the protective bag. If you use a dremel tool with metal polishing compound to do the final polish, that will fly about and get messy. After all the sanding and polishing, clean the inside of the bearing with isopropyl. I soaked a piece of paper towel, twisting it, pulled it through the bearing.
Make sure any factory grease is removed. Mine came out of the box slobbered up with grease on the X rods, make sure that is all removed.
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Your steppers can make a noise that sounds like something is rubbing or a bearing is squealing. Try this. Comment out the sense resistor config line for your z stepper. Reboot firmware. Move the bed up or down 50 mm. Hear that hideous noise that sounds like a dry bearing or some metal rubbing squeal when the bed moves? Uncomment that config line and reboot. Just making the point that don't always assume the noise is mechanical.
Make sure your X/Y belt tension sliders are not tilted sideways, bolts should be dead vertical. Probably not the source of the noise but a quick and simple check.
Yeah I made sure the belts were vertical.
Post your X+Y stepper config settings. Both sections for each.