David Pascoe
07-24-2016, 7:37 AM
I noticed in recent years many people saying that they were replacing their Carter ball bearing guides with solid guides. Most did not give a reason why but I assume it was because, like myself, I was annoyed with the ball bearings seizing up with dust. We can pop the covers off and clean them out but this gets old with ten bearings to remove, clean and put back on.
I slice 1/16" veneers every day so very precise set-up is very important. Solid guides require clearance to the blade which causes the blade to wander just enough to ruin such then veneers. Ball bearings require no blade clearance, so there is no set up hassle, so setup is much faster.
I've been told by several bearing sellers that there was no difference between"shielded" and "sealed" bearings, that the sealed would do no better at keeping dust out than shielded. I have tested this assertion and can tell you it is patently untrue. The prices of ball bearings has come way down from the $12 each just a few years ago, now to only $4-$5 (I forgot the exact amount I paid) each. When I first looked into it, it was going to cost me $120 to replace all ten bearings, so six months ago I bought ten SEALED bearings and have had no problem with dust since.
The difference between sealed and shielded is this: The shielded bearing has rubber coated steel side covers that you can pop out with a pointed tool. The sealed bearing covers are bright steel and cannot be removed. It was also said that sealed bearings have higher resistance to turning and that they might drag. This has not happened either. After six months in use, all ten bearings still rotate freely, even when barely touching the blade.
I slice 1/16" veneers every day so very precise set-up is very important. Solid guides require clearance to the blade which causes the blade to wander just enough to ruin such then veneers. Ball bearings require no blade clearance, so there is no set up hassle, so setup is much faster.
I've been told by several bearing sellers that there was no difference between"shielded" and "sealed" bearings, that the sealed would do no better at keeping dust out than shielded. I have tested this assertion and can tell you it is patently untrue. The prices of ball bearings has come way down from the $12 each just a few years ago, now to only $4-$5 (I forgot the exact amount I paid) each. When I first looked into it, it was going to cost me $120 to replace all ten bearings, so six months ago I bought ten SEALED bearings and have had no problem with dust since.
The difference between sealed and shielded is this: The shielded bearing has rubber coated steel side covers that you can pop out with a pointed tool. The sealed bearing covers are bright steel and cannot be removed. It was also said that sealed bearings have higher resistance to turning and that they might drag. This has not happened either. After six months in use, all ten bearings still rotate freely, even when barely touching the blade.