Ok. I am making a horizontal mortiser and making up the details as I go along. I want it to have X,Y and router up/down (z) degrees of freedom.
I'm using roller skate bearings for the guides and I am hoping that they stay tight against the rails over time. (time will tell). I want to use stuff that I have laying around for the parts.
Comments, suggestions? Let me have it.
----------------------------- Roller skate bearings can hardly be considered "Precision" which you will require.
Use the basic double sealed "203" ball bearing for your design.
There are more "203" (0.669" bore) bearings manufactured that all the other size ball bearings in the world, thus it will be the lowest price ball bearing available.
BTW, a basic "Water pump" bearing has possibilities for this application, might want to look at it.
Have fun.
Lew
Just so you're aware of it, Lou, if you take apart a typical modern roller skate you'll find some flavor of 608 ball bearing. Any decent skate shop will have 608-2RS in ABEC-7. While 203s may be cheaper, at
20 bucks for a set of 8 at skate-shop retail the 608s aren't going to break the bank. And you can get them _much_ cheaper online.
Probably not the kind of skates that use a leather strap around the ankle and a key to tighten the toe clamp. ;~)
I have considered doing this on occasion. You are aware that there a few plans out there for building one? IIRC Shop Notes has a plan in one of there magazines from a few years back. IIRC it uses full extension drawer slides for the moving parts.
Should be ok. I'm going to give them a try and see how well they perform. I can always swap them out for something else later. My biggest concern is having them move. They are held down with a washer on top and a wood screw through the middle. The screw is much smaller in diameter than the diameter of the opening in the bearing.
I hate using plans. I'm going to wing it and use "general" ideas from stuff I see on line.
If the bearings fail to perform I am going to consider drawer slides next. Should be an easy swap after everything is made.
those bearings, Brian? It feels to me like a problem waiting to happen.
Most folks use ball-bearing drawer glides or LMBs.
-- Some people hear voices. Some see invisible people. Others have no imagination whatsoever.
Not sure I understand your concern here. The rails are thicker than the bearings so the load from above is on the rails not the bearings. The rails will be waxed on the bottom. The bearings only contact the rails from the sides.
I would use use ball-bearing drawer guides if I had some. If the bearings I'm using fail this is where I am headed next. Should be an easy swap even after everything is assembled.
The Woodgears one is really good. I plan on using some of his ideas in mine by looking at his photos.
sets of drawer guides. So I think I am scrapping my bearing idea. (Even though I thought it was pretty cool.)
Thanks for the input everyone!
Haven't been on skates in a while, have you?
------------------------------- And it's been even longer since I worked in a roller rink.
That said, don't think I would want to subject roller skate bearings to a standard precision ball bearing high RPM test which is in the order of 10,000 RPM.
Lew
My bearings would spin that high considering how some of those sk8r chicks dress these days.
Kmart skates, no. The high end stuff (like mine), no problem.
Go down to the skate shop, get a set, and give 'em a try.
Good, tight ball-bearing glides aren't very expensive at all. I think I gave $6 a pair for some 22-inchers at the local hardwood shop a few years ago. They have no noticeable slop at all. I think you'll be back to them soon.
Oh. It looked like you had a picture of outtable roller bearings on the bottom, which didn't track. I'll have to wait to see other pics before I understand what you're doing. Are the rails UHMW poly, wood, or what? Bearings as guides?
I think he showed his entire build online somewhere. Good stuff.
-- Some people hear voices. Some see invisible people. Others have no imagination whatsoever.
Man, you skate --=FAST=--, Lew! ----
Somehow, I don't think his mortising table will move quite that fast.
-- Some people hear voices. Some see invisible people. Others have no imagination whatsoever.
Bet he knows who Melanie is, though.
But his key certainly isn't new.
Issue 68, March 2003, FWIW.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.