My 2 cents on making the printer smoother/quieter
Just a little thing I did that helped my printer go a little smoother and quieter. It was quiet running the first few days of use but it got a bit louder after that, I think the factory oil/grease doesn't go too far, so I put a few drops of silicone oil along all the rails and the Z axis screws, and it seems to have made it much smoother and quieter. I don't know if silicone oil is recommended or not, but it seems to form a nice even coat along the moving surfaces and just by moving the axis by hand I could feel a bit less resistance.
IDK. Might be worth trying if your printer is noisier than you would like.
Re: My 2 cents on making the printer smoother/quieter
I learned the hard way the factory bearings have no grease. At least in kit form. After replacing the bearings and using a good synthetic, Operation is much smoother and quieter. But having rods and screws that actually have grease on them - well - it transfers.
Re: My 2 cents on making the printer smoother/quieter
Dry Teflon spray or lubricant should work well on the rails. I have used these on telescoping steel driveshafts in my RC's for years.
Re: My 2 cents on making the printer smoother/quieter
you do not know the meaning of the word smooth until you experience a matched set of misumi rods and bearings on your x axis.
quality bearings/rods and lubrication are important, no doubt. but also remember that belt tension and bearing alignment play a role too.
Re: My 2 cents on making the printer smoother/quieter
if the factory kit does not include any kind of lubrificant, could i just add this? Super Lube 21010 Synthetic Multi-Purpose Grease with PTFE
Re: My 2 cents on making the printer smoother/quieter
My Misumi LM8UU's arrived today. They are definitely a class beyond the stock bushings. No more notchiness during travel. About 1/4 of my factory bearings have some notchiness. The Misumi bearings are also remarkable when placed under axial deviation. They keep running smooth, whereas the stock bearings begin to bind. Yes, these were worth getting.
Once all my rods and bearings arrive, I'm going back and blue-printing the axes. High on my list is lapping the Y-axis plate so its bearing mounts no longer push the left side bearings out of coaxial alignment when the bearings are tightened. It's not just a deformation of the bearing that happens. Something about the machining/power coat forces the bearings out of coaxial alignment and the left/right slightly out of parallel (about 1 mm end of rod vs end of rod) when seated tightly.
I'll use the old bearings and rods as a lapping tool with some compound. It will be like lapping rifle scope rings for ultimate alignment. Once done, the tightened down bearings should seat coaxial. Then I'll lap the right side to keep the rods parallel when tightened.