bearings

i think i need to replace one of my bearings... one has some black stringy bits starting to come out the end

what should i look for?

are there any good online places anyone knows of??

RepRapPro web shop: [reprappro.com]

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RS-Online Ormerod #263, Kossel mini with Minitronics, Prusa i3 MK2

If you're not in a hurry to get them, you can find MR93ZZ or 623 bearings for cheap on ebay from China / Hong Kong (a couple euros/pounds/dollars for a pack of 10).

Is the black stringy stuff possibly a rubber seal from the bearing, or just some hair that might have gotten dragged in, greased up, and spit out? As long as the bearing turns smoothly it should run fine for now, but if a rubber seal is gone it is more susceptible to dirt and stuff getting in and seizing it up eventually.

I'm fairly certain it's the rubber seal. (its on the linear bearings)
I should have ordered from china a while ago, planned on a whole weekend of printing so ordered from Reprap, just hope it arrives in time now.

thanks for the input.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2014 05:46AM by 88Zombies.

Yeah, linear bearings are also plentiful on ebay, it just takes a couple weeks to get the cheap ones. At least the LM12UU (for Y and Z) are cheap, the LM12LUU (for X) is a bit more expensive.

The linear bearings are probably more likely to pick up dust and crap, since they "eat up" whatever is on the rods. If the rubber seal is gone (which pushes most of the junk out of the way), I would guess the bearing will gradually get more and more friction in it. It could last longer if you try to keep the rods clean, and use a "light" lubricant that doesn't pick up more dust in itself.
Also, if it is just one bearing that is at risk (and it's not the long one for the X carriage), I'd put that on the Z axis with the end with the missing seal facing downwards. It moves less so it should pick up less dirt, and the motor is a lot stronger.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2014 06:44AM by jstck.