Anyone have tips for pressing and aligning the self aligning bearings? I’m having trouble getting them to slide nicely. Getting lots of drag.
@Joe_Spanier . I just re-shared some vids that @Tim_Rastall made a while back that should help you out.
I have seen the smooth bar turned on a hand drill while moving the carriage up and down to help bearings to get properly aligned.
Yup, put the 10mm rod in a drill and spin it while sliding the rider with the bearings up and down. Also, use liberal amounts of oil.
If it binds you have misalignment. It slides like butter once aligned. Align on the rod from one side, then flip, align, flip, etc. Then put on a rod and spin with a drill while torquing the carriage to help it settle in. Once aligned right you will know.
best luck i had with this was push the bushings in and then slide on smooth rod then place the rod perpendicular to a flat surface and knock the ends of the carriage into the table while riding the rail this will knock the bushings into alignment. you can then use a completed carriage and knock it into the ends of a binding carriage to knock the bushing into alignment. works really well.