View Full Version : Do You Lube Rack and Piñon Gears?
mark gaylo
02-27-2023, 1:27 PM
I have an Avid CNC and was wondering if you are suppose to lube the rack and pinion tracks? I haven’t found much maintenance info for Avid except lubing the linear rail blocks and one video on lubing the Z-axis. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.
Gary Campbell
02-27-2023, 5:14 PM
Rub a block of grocery store paraffin on the rack and let the spur gear work it in and around.
mark gaylo
02-27-2023, 10:56 PM
Thanks for the advice Gary. I appreciate it.
Michael Schuch
02-28-2023, 2:26 AM
I do similar with Johnsons paste wax. Either should work well and doesn't usually attract too much dust like a petroleum based oil / grease does.
Jeff Roltgen
02-28-2023, 3:07 PM
Rub a block of grocery store paraffin on the rack and let the spur gear work it in and around.
Very interesting. I've always done what Shopbot recommends - a dollop of grease every 3 inches, let pinion gear work it in. Heck of a mess, and I cannot count how many shirts of mine and shop visitors end up with a rack imprint across the belly for leaning against the rails. I'd have a lot of cleaning to do to switch to wax, so I guess it is what it is...
jeff
Bruce Page
02-28-2023, 4:10 PM
I’ve been using paraffin for several years. I was a little skeptical at first but it seems to work great.
David Buchhauser
03-01-2023, 4:17 AM
Rub a block of grocery store paraffin on the rack and let the spur gear work it in and around.
Gary - do you think the paraffin would work well for the same sort of rack and pinion setup, but on a cnc plasma table? My Plasmacam table uses a rack and pinion setup very similar to those on my Avid Pro4848 that I use for wood routing.
Thanks,
David
Gary Campbell
03-01-2023, 7:35 AM
Gary - do you think the paraffin would work well for the same sort of rack and pinion setup, but on a cnc plasma table? My Plasmacam table uses a rack and pinion setup very similar to those on my Avid Pro4848 that I use for wood routing.
Thanks,
David
Why not? Same R & P as a router table and less loads
David Buchhauser
03-02-2023, 12:48 AM
Why not? Same R & P as a router table and less loads
Gary - That's what I was thinking also. I was just wondering about plasma dust vs. wood dust. Up until this point, I had been using a dry graphite spray. But it can make a mess when applied. I think I will try the paraffin the next time.
Thanks,
David
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