smooth rod surface treatment for drylin

I found this [miller-stephenson.com]

I am wondering if I want to get the cheapest or most expensive smooth rods 8mm. I think the teflon film applied to the smooth rods would give me an added benefit vs simply using the smooth rods with drylin bearings. the product rep for the bearings says that these are not dry systems like graphite. drylin actually is a film that migrates out. it is dry compared to oils but still not dry like graphite. the graphite system has a lot of negatives compared to the original self lubricating PTFE drylin system.

I also looked at moly spray but concluded that it would have properties in between graphite and PTFE. the moly is for huge loads. the PTFE is better for light load like in a reprap.

should I buy cheap steel rods then polish them with jeweler's rouge 6 micron?
should I buy chrome plated rods?
should I buy stainless rods?
should I spend the money for hardened rods?
is the PTFE spray a waste of time considering that there is a free migrating PTFE deposited by the drylin or should I invest in the non-migrating dry film PTFE applied to the smooth rods?

You don't need this for our usage !

I made all my bearings with Igus filament and even the leadscrew nuts and use regular smooth-rods. You don't even need them to be tempered, rectified (drill rod). BTW, they are NOT chrome plated although often described as "chrome rods" in the chinese vendor parlance !
Even the cheap 8mm undersized stainless steel most chinese makers use with LM... bearings are OK too. Check if they are straight. If they have been used with LM...., most probably they are scratched and need some polishing.

Gee, wish their virus be of the same poor quality as these LM ....!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/27/2020 12:54PM by MKSA.

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"A comical prototype doesn't mean a dumb idea is possible" (Thunderf00t)

I found when trying to use ABS printed slide bearings on 8mm stainless rod, that what you are trying to fight is a property called 'stick-tion'.

That is to say that once the abs slider was in motion its friction is low, but the 'grip' it has starting from a stop is very large.

after trying many, many dry and liquid lubricants I found simple Lemon-Pledge furniture polish worked best.

Due to the very high cost of stainless rods now (and lack of supply in the USA) I would try drill rod, that seems to still be fairly plentiful. Tho getting this in metric may be tough.
I am trying to find some kind of US sae alternate. either sae sized print bearings, or some kind of printed rail with a simple plain threaded rod insert.