Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? I've done it before on aluminum extrusions and rolled aluminum plates which is a less than ideal solution, and it works. In the beginning there's a bit of resistance, but over time this resistance goes away as the balls wear down the rails. Now, how about other materials, like plywood and acrylic? Would I need something in between the linear rails and the sheet (e.g: a sheet of EPDM rubber) to account for the imperfections or can it be done with nothing in between? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838267#msg-838267 Sun, 06 Sep 2026 20:27:23 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838640#msg-838640 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838640#msg-838640 warbunniex Mechanics Thu, 15 Nov 2018 16:27:12 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838631#msg-838631 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838631#msg-838631
A new product of Portuguese origin, the VALCHROMAT, could be of interest to the 3D printing community. This product is moisture resistant, harder, denser, more stable, and more resistant to bending than MDF. As the product is coloured in the mass, architects and decorators are increasingly using it as a replacement for MDF, to make worktops and doors, even in wet environments.

It is in a way an intermediary between MDF and HPL. It's somewhat expensive, but not as expensive than HPL.

It is available in 8, 12, 16, 19 and 30mm thickness.]]> M_Xeno Mechanics Thu, 15 Nov 2018 14:02:53 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838563#msg-838563 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838563#msg-838563 dc42 Mechanics Wed, 14 Nov 2018 16:10:02 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838508#msg-838508 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838508#msg-838508
Anyways, I'd recommend MDF over acrylic and plywood. It's usually cheaper than both, and more isotropic than plywood, plus I think it's actually more temperature and humitity stable. Downsides? Makes a ton of dust. Give it a clear coat and it'll have no problems with Moisture. If you're worries about stiffness, just make the part thicker. Geometry has a much greater role in overal stiffness than the specific stiffness of the material. The dimensions (radius, width, thickness, etc.) are raised to various powers but the young's modulus is not. For a rectangular cross section (which most of your MDF/Plywood/Acrylic parts will have), the bending moment of interia is determined by (bh^3)/12. So double the thickness in the direction you expect it to bend, and the stiffness effectively goes up by a factor of 8, very easily outweighing a difference in young modulus considering most of the aluminium and steel parts people use are relatively thin.]]> Trakyan Mechanics Wed, 14 Nov 2018 02:43:46 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838457#msg-838457 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838457#msg-838457 MKSA Mechanics Tue, 13 Nov 2018 15:03:14 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838423#msg-838423 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838423#msg-838423
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MKSA
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ruyvieira

I've seen some printers with linear rails mounted on MDF, which is quite possibly the worst material someone could use. As long as it doesn't change shape over time, it's good enough I guess, and that's why I asked about plywood. If it's marine grade it won't suffer with humidity or temperature changes. Maybe adding a facing operation to make it flatter would make it flat enough to mount linear guides without binding.

How about learning about linear guides ? How they are used, installed etc ???? No excuse with Internet !
OK, at least with plywood, the linear guides will probably not have to "adapt" like you stated in your original post ! "over time this resistance goes away as the balls wear down the rails" !!!!

Well yeah I can read the specs sheet, I know there's a maximum amount of misalignment they'll take and the proper mounting surface is something like flat milled steel. What I want to know is how does it work in practice when you mount them to alternative materials.

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the_digital_dentist
All the surfaces mentioned are more likely to conform to the much stiffer linear guide more than the guide flexing to conform to the surface. If you really want to make something using one of those materials, why not use round rails instead of linear guides? Then all you have to worry about is supporting the ends of the rails. That and cheapness is why round rails were/are used in all the cheesy printers made of acrylic, laser cut plywood, and mdf.

If what you're after is the "look" of linear guides without the performance, buy the crappiest hiwin knockoffs you can find. They're all over ebay and they're cheap as dirt (I think they use pebbles instead of steel balls).

That's pretty much the idea behind mounting them over cork or rubber. They'll be a bit misaligned and they'll jiggle a bit as the carriage travels, but the stress should be well within their specs, which means they wouldn't wear down too much. I have tried several hiwin knock offs and the real hiwin things , I know they're not absolutely straight, but they're straigh enough for domestic 3d printing

[attachment 107992 34135112_1869707913091247_7315593365502820352_o.jpg]]]> ruyvieira Mechanics Tue, 13 Nov 2018 07:22:42 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838420#msg-838420 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838420#msg-838420
If what you're after is the "look" of linear guides without the performance, buy the crappiest hiwin knockoffs you can find. They're all over ebay and they're cheap as dirt (I think they use pebbles instead of steel balls).]]> the_digital_dentist Mechanics Tue, 13 Nov 2018 07:03:06 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838398#msg-838398 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838398#msg-838398
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ruyvieira

I've seen some printers with linear rails mounted on MDF, which is quite possibly the worst material someone could use. As long as it doesn't change shape over time, it's good enough I guess, and that's why I asked about plywood. If it's marine grade it won't suffer with humidity or temperature changes. Maybe adding a facing operation to make it flatter would make it flat enough to mount linear guides without binding.

How about learning about linear guides ? How they are used, installed etc ???? No excuse with Internet !
OK, at least with plywood, the linear guides will probably not have to "adapt" like you stated in your original post ! "over time this resistance goes away as the balls wear down the rails" !!!!]]> MKSA Mechanics Tue, 13 Nov 2018 02:18:58 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838371#msg-838371 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838371#msg-838371
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MKSA
Eager to see a Delrin frame plus linear guides 3D printer. Will be a first. How comes nobody thought about it ?

I've seen some printers with linear rails mounted on MDF, which is quite possibly the worst material someone could use. As long as it doesn't change shape over time, it's good enough I guess, and that's why I asked about plywood. If it's marine grade it won't suffer with humidity or temperature changes. Maybe adding a facing operation to make it flatter would make it flat enough to mount linear guides without binding.]]> ruyvieira Mechanics Mon, 12 Nov 2018 16:46:54 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838359#msg-838359 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838359#msg-838359
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VDX
... I've milled the frame of my first delta 2007 from Nylon, the colums from extruded aluminium and the gliders from PTFE -- but seems, it was something against the "RepRap-philosophy" then 8-)

I have no doubt you did it because you are a professional who knows what to use, how and where, design real parts etc...]]> MKSA Mechanics Mon, 12 Nov 2018 15:38:46 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838340#msg-838340 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838340#msg-838340 VDX Mechanics Mon, 12 Nov 2018 13:07:47 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838337#msg-838337 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838337#msg-838337 MKSA Mechanics Mon, 12 Nov 2018 12:54:42 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838331#msg-838331 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838331#msg-838331
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the_digital_dentist
Duct tape all the way. Or zip-ties.

Why on earth would anyone make something out of wood or acrylic and then try to put linear guides on it?
Cheaper than flat milled metal plates and not as bad as MDF

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VDX
... I've made some of my micro-assembly stages from POM/Delrin and used mini linear guides with PZT motors ... was precise/accurate enough for accuracies below 1 micron (couldn't measure finer than 100 Nanometers ;) )
Good call, it costs almost the same as acrylic and I can mill it in my router]]> ruyvieira Mechanics Mon, 12 Nov 2018 12:13:32 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838322#msg-838322 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838322#msg-838322 VDX Mechanics Mon, 12 Nov 2018 10:56:30 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838315#msg-838315 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838315#msg-838315
Why on earth would anyone make something out of wood or acrylic and then try to put linear guides on it?]]> the_digital_dentist Mechanics Mon, 12 Nov 2018 09:00:52 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838294#msg-838294 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838294#msg-838294
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MKSA
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ruyvieira
I've done it before on aluminum extrusions and rolled aluminum plates which is a less than ideal solution, and it works. In the beginning there's a bit of resistance, but over time this resistance goes away as the balls wear down the rails. Now, how about other materials, like plywood and acrylic? Would I need something in between the linear rails and the sheet (e.g: a sheet of EPDM rubber) to account for the imperfections or can it be done with nothing in between?

That is the great advantage of these cheap chinese rails made out of high strength heat treated chinesium (a mix of recycled lychees cans and crushed chicken bones).
To mount them on plywood, acrylic, I would suggest bubble gum. Cheap, readily available, elastic, has all the qualities required in this case.

Actually taiwanesium, but it's OK]]> ruyvieira Mechanics Mon, 12 Nov 2018 05:15:05 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838273#msg-838273 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838273#msg-838273
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ruyvieira
I've done it before on aluminum extrusions and rolled aluminum plates which is a less than ideal solution, and it works. In the beginning there's a bit of resistance, but over time this resistance goes away as the balls wear down the rails. Now, how about other materials, like plywood and acrylic? Would I need something in between the linear rails and the sheet (e.g: a sheet of EPDM rubber) to account for the imperfections or can it be done with nothing in between?

That is the great advantage of these cheap chinese rails made out of high strength heat treated chinesium (a mix of recycled lychees cans and crushed chicken bones).
To mount them on plywood, acrylic, I would suggest bubble gum. Cheap, readily available, elastic, has all the qualities required in this case.]]> MKSA Mechanics Mon, 12 Nov 2018 01:32:03 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838271#msg-838271 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838271#msg-838271 linear_rail_only on their CoreXY gantry and it works with a light load like a remote- or Bowden extruder.
Placing rails in the corners of a solid woodframe might work too. But it can deform over time.]]> o_lampe Mechanics Sun, 11 Nov 2018 23:30:43 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838269#msg-838269 Re: Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838269#msg-838269
I wouldn't want to even consider putting it directly on plywood or acrylic.]]> Dust Mechanics Sun, 11 Nov 2018 21:11:36 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838267#msg-838267 Mounting linear rails on plywood/acrylic/whatever? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,838267,838267#msg-838267 ruyvieira Mechanics Sun, 11 Nov 2018 20:52:48 -0500