Ball Bearing w/Steel Balls 5" to 1/2" ID in 1/4" Increments

thingiverse

I think 3D printed bearings are cool, but let's be honest, they just don't run smoothly enough to be really useful anywhere. So I designed a 3D printed ball bearing that uses actual steel balls instead. This bearing prints all its parts in one go, doesn't need any support material and runs very smooth. You can get the parts from my uploaded STL files. Instructions for building are below. Instructions First, order a big bag of 0.25" steel ball bearings from McMaster-Carr's Product #96455K52, or some other online retailer that sells them. Once you've printed your bearing components and cleaned up the excess material, place the outer ring on a smooth surface and put the inner ring inside it. Move the inner ring to one side until it touches the opposite edge of the outer ring. This creates enough space between the two rings to insert the ball bearings from my part design. Arrange these evenly using a set of needle-nose pliers. When this is complete, the bearings will stay in place and won't fall out again when the retaining clip (from part C7) is inserted over them. To finish it off simply press on part B1 (cap) from your STL file or use it with my existing 3D model. Note: Make sure to use a drop of oil or spray on a bit WD-40 if your ball bearing seems sticky!