Cleaning and reassembling a HGW20 Linear Carriage Bearing

I couldn't find a video describing how to reassemble this type of linear bearing, so I figured I'd make one!
Sorry about the shots that are out of frame / out of focus, it was my first time shooting with an overhead jig. Next video will be better!

[@MasterG753]

Thanks for taking the time to share this video, 2 years later its still useful.. Hard to realise that this is the best and maybe the only video to really share this process. A1.

[@daviddevonport6240]

Thanks for sharing this. It gave me the confidence to take mine apart to clean, and it's made a massive difference

[@Nordic_Goon]

This is excellent material. Thank you. Linear guides are all cleaned up and my build is almost done. Thanks for the tutorial.

[@markushamm8762]

thanks for this great video. You saved my life and the life of my cnc machine. Keep going! Best Regards from Germany

[@BigBenAdv]

What I find useful when dealing with lots of small parts like this is to use an oven baking tray (these can be had for relatively cheap) as a work surface so they contain the parts that roll around. Additional advantage if dealing with stuff like the balls would be that you could just tilt the tray and have them all roll into a corner for easy consolidation.
Also, if you need to clean the ways and cotton buds don't fit, you can use pipe cleaners (also called chenille stems). They are used for arts and crafts these days but originally used for cleaning tobacco pipes. Also used in servicing firearms to clean out the gas tubes.

[@cszrwi]

Thanks for this. There is no way I would have tried this so thanks for this info. I had a nagging doubt I might have lost a bearing but knowing what I know now, I am probably ok. Thanks again.

[@opennrgdotcom]

Good Video. It's easier if you add grease to the raceways before re-assembly. The grease holds the bearings in place. thanks

[@johanwarholm2873]

What kind of grease do you recommend on this bearings?

[@opennrgdotcom]

@@johanwarholm2873 Any good bearing grease will do. They aren't high speed.

[@rizwandilbar3230]

Nice video

[@richardingram3517]

I have a cheap version of this and it is made somewhat different. The part with the hook is apparently made different. One of the retainers has to be installed into the end pieces before installing the balls. I can't, so far, figure it out. Thanks for the video.

[@johanwarholm2873]

Thanks for this guide! What kind of grease do you recommend on this bearings?

[@RobotDiggME]

Nice

[@rizwandilbar3230]

Are you great man

[@rizwandilbar3230]

I love you brother

[@user-tf1oo9rj6u]

Biggest tip: don't do this over a hard surface (bounce everywhere if dropped). put a towel or 2 down.

[@ralphietito]

Great video. Do you know where one can find the grease fittings? I’ve looked in many places, including Grainger and McMaster Carr, but none seems to sale them.

[@GarageTimeWithDavid]

Mine came with the bearing blocks, but you should be able to find something that works at McMaster: www.mcmaster.com/zerk-grease-fittings/

[@pedrobalduci7754]

isnt it possible to just soak the linear bearing in the alcohol without disassembling it?

[@dmcwoodworx2968]

that worked for me

[@evgenitantikov5865]

Years ago I did the same - disassembling, because you never can actually clean inside properly. Then I found another solution that worked really well for me. After soaking for few hours, you can remove the bolt (or the grease nipple), take a big plastic syringe (50ml for example) and inject by force isopropyl alcohol inside. It works wonders, you see how jets of dirt, bad grease and small metal particals get forced out of every gap in the bearing.

[@pedrobalduci7754]

@@evgenitantikov5865 that's nice to know, thanks

[@xyzspec82]

​​@@evgenitantikov5865that is the way to go 😅

[@pixelomaniacVidz]

what's the size of this steel ball?

[@GarageTimeWithDavid]

Not sure, approximately 1mm diameter. I never measured them.

[@rampaltrar6992]

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[@RadioGhost]

How many balls are in this block?