Float LM8UU bearing mount for Anet a8

thingiverse

Experimental floating linear bearing mount using printed leafspring for stabilization, designed to replace stock Anet A8 linear bearings plagued by grinding problems. The stock linear bearings leave behind a residue of "pixie dust" on the rods after just a few hours of printing, which is then compounded by a slip-stick problem that affects print quality. Even with a perfectly aligned Y-axis bearing, the pressure from the bed level spring causes the carriage to bend and lock up the bearing. To address this issue, I designed an experimental LM8UU float mount that relieves rotational forces on the linear bearings while maintaining stiffness in lateral Z and Y axis forces. According to igus's guidelines for drylin linear bearings, a floating bearing mount should only be required on one rail of the Y carriage. If your Anet A8 features a black plastic bearing mount like the one shown, you'll need to print just two float mounts for the Y carriage and one for the X carriage. I've included a fixbearing.stl file for cases where your stock mount is taller than usual. After running my printer on this setup for over 100 hours, I'm pleased to report that no further "pixie dust" has been detected. Testing was conducted with PLA on an LM8UU bearing. You may need to install a 4x M4 screw and nut to get the mount up and running smoothly.