Roller bearing problems

[jkbogi]

After about 100 hours use, the two lower roller bearings on the Y axis froze up, apparently filled with saw dust. After replacement and another 100 hours use, one is frozen again. All 4 Z axis roller bearings are rough rolling. I am replacing them, too. Have others had this problem? Is there a cure?

[DocWheeler]

jkbogi,

Other than keeping the machine as clean as reasonably possible and cleaning the rods the bearings roll on, I don't know of anything. I replaced all eight of mine at about 140 hours on my first machine. Perhaps you need a good DC system to keep the dust away from them.

[mtylerfl]

After about 100 hours use, the two lower roller bearings on the Y axis froze up, apparently filled with saw dust. After replacement and another 100 hours use, one is frozen again. All 4 Z axis roller bearings are rough rolling. I am replacing them, too. Have others had this problem? Is there a cure?

Hello,

I had a bearing freeze, just once...yes, super-fine sawdust was the cause. I posted about this some time ago. Here is the link to the original post:http://forum.carvewright.com/showpost.php?p=108660&postcount=5

...and here is a pull-quote from the same post..

"I had a frozen bearing the other day on the Y-truck on one of my machines (lower-left stationary bearing) which caused a Y-axis error. The truck had very jerky movement and hard to move by hand (with power off, of course). I loosened the adjustable bearings so I could spin all the bearings to check for free spinning. Only the one bearing was the culprit. It would only turn about 1/8" both clockwise and counter-clockwise. Figured it just had fine sawdust built-up, although it looked clean from the outside.

Sure enough, I squirted the heck out of it with WD-40 to "wash" it out, and it works like new again! Not bad - in almost three years, it was the first time I have ever had a bearing issue - the added bonus was how easily it was corrected. Didn't even have to take the machine top off - fixed the bearing "in place".

Hopefully, 'washing it' will do the trick for you, too. I know that folks who run MDF through their machines seem to experience bearing 'freezing' more often than most (MDF dust gets into everything and anything!).

[eromran]

After you clean it with WD40 do you use any other oil or grease on them or just leave it?

[mtylerfl]

After you clean it with WD40 do you use any other oil or grease on them or just leave it?

Hi Ed,

I just left it alone - no oil.

[Digitalwoodshop]

The Machine I got from IKE worked great when I got it but a day later with my humidity and the fine redwood dust froze 2 Y bearings. So MDF Board is the same in the fine dust gets blown into the bearing plus humidity and you get Wood Cement....

AL