Everything You Should Know About

Belt Sanders
What your belt sander does best, and what to watch out for

Next Project
Tips to use your belt sander more effectively and more safely, as well as how to buy a belt sander and what belts work best. It’s a great labor-
saving tool.

By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine

Benefits of a belt sander

Perfect for scribing

A common use for a small belt sander is scribing. You can gradually sneak up on a curved line for a perfect fit. On a laminate countertop, make
sure the direction of belt travel pushes the laminate down.

Belt sanders are the big, powerful gorillas of the sanding world. Few tools can save you as much time—or wreck your project faster. If you’re new
to belt sanders or have been frustrated by yours, read on to find out how to keep that big ape under control.

Belt sanders are multiuse tools. They are commonly used for trimming to a scribed line (photo), sanding very rough surfaces, leveling surfaces
(like a replacement board in a hardwood floor) and freehand rounding and shaping. Because they have a lot of power and can handle coarse grits,
they excel at the rapid removal of wood. Also, unlike orbital and vibrating sanders, the sanding action is linear, so even with coarse grits you can
sand with the grain and get a good-looking result. Though a belt sander isn’t an essential tool in the homeowner’s arsenal, you won’t find many
experienced DIYers or carpenters without one.

The Top Tool for Rough Flattening

Belt sanders excel at the rapid removal of wood, making them the best handheld power tool for leveling and smoothing rough boards. Start at an
angle to the grain for aggressive leveling, then finish with the grain. Eighty-grit is good for starting, then switch to 120-grit.

Video: Make a Sanding Platform for Edge-Sanding Wood

Make a Sanding Platform for Edge Sanding Wood
Buying a sander and belts

Sanding belts
Both types work well, but many prefer the more aggressive zirconia belts for 80-grit size and coarser.

The best multipurpose belt sander takes a 3-in.-wide belt. You’ll see machines designed for wider and narrower belts, but they’re for specialized
tasks. Within the 3-in. class, there are smaller tools that take 3 x 18-in. belts, midsize machines that take 3 x 21-in. belts and a couple of large
sanders that take 3 x 24-in. belts. The smaller tools are lighter and easier to use one-handed for shaping and scribing. They’re good for smaller
work and casual use. The larger tools have more surface area and weight for smoothing wide surfaces. They’re better for bigger work and shop
use. The 3 x 21-in. machines are a good compromise. You’ll find 3 x 18-in. sanders for $50 to $150 and 3 x 21-in. sanders for $100 to $250 when
looking for the best belt sander.

You’ll also find smaller belt sanders that take 2-1/2-in.-wide belts. They’re light and very handy for one-handed use. Sanders with 4-in.-wide belts
are heavy-duty machines best left to cabinetmakers.

Pick a belt, but not any belt Personally, I use 80- and 120-grit belts regularly, and rarely, 50-grit. Grits coarser than 50 leave deep scratches that
are difficult to remove. And if you’re doing finer sanding, you’re better off using a random-orbit sander. Remember one of the rules of sanding: You
can skip one grade of grit, but it wastes time and you’ll just wear out belts skipping two. For example, you can go from 80 to 120, skipping 100 grit,
but don’t go from 50 to 120.

Aluminum oxide is the traditional grit material. You’ll find it in less expensive khaki-color form, good if you need a disposable belt, and longer-
lasting, dark brown premium belts. However, for grits of 80 and coarser, many people now prefer zirconia belts (sometimes called “planer” belts).
They have sharper, tougher cutting particles that cut more aggressively, last longer and don’t clog as easily. These belts are usually bright blue or
purple. Zirconia belts cost slightly more than premium aluminum oxide belts.

Use Good Technique

Don’t push down on the sander; let its weight do the work. Go slowly, overlap passes and allow the tool to go past the end without dipping. Be
careful not to tip the sander or change speed or direction. Put the cord over your shoulder so it’s out of the way.

Gouging is the Enemy

 This painted panel shows a common problem: horseshoe-shaped gouges at the end of a board. To prevent gouges, use clean, new belts, avoid
grits finer than 120, and keep the plate under the belt (the platen) clean and free of dust buildup.

Use your sander safely

Belt sanders are relatively safe tools, but it’s still smart to take precautions.

 Wear hearing protection—these babies are LOUD!

 Don’t breathe dust. It’s not just unpleasant; it’s bad for you. Wear a dust mask while sanding, unless you rig up a shop vacuum for dust collection
(photo, below).
 Unplug the tool before changing belts or emptying the dust bag. I have a scar that attests to the importance of this seemingly grandmotherly
precaution.
 If you use the belt sander to sand metal, you’ll create sparks, which can start a fire if they mix with the sawdust in the machine and the dust bag.
Blow or vacuum the dust out of the sander before you use it on metal, and remove the dust bag.
 Make sure the trigger is off before plugging the sander in. Belt sanders have a locking button that holds the switch in the “on” position. Sounds
kinda “duh,” but trust me, it happens. You don’t want the sander to fly across the room when you plug it in, do you?
 Belt sanders exert a fair amount of force on the work. So if your work isn’t securely held, it’ll slide away from or right into you. Clamps get in the
way, but a simple stop on the appropriate side of the workpiece (photo, “Use Good Technique” above) will keep it from sliding. Choose a stop
that’s a little thinner than the workpiece so the sander will clear it at the edge.

Trim After Sanding

It’s hard to keep a belt sander from gouging or rounding over the ends of a board. So if you can, belt-sand the board before cutting it to final
length. You can then safely move on to a palm sander and finer grits.

Watch Out on Plywood

Belt sanders take off serious amounts of wood, so they can wreck plywood pretty much instantly. If you have to sand solid-wood edging flush with
plywood, draw a pencil line on the plywood to tell you when the sander starts removing veneer. If you have variable speed, dial it down.
Tuning up your sander
First, make sure the belt is oriented properly. Some belts have a preferred direction, indicated by an arrow on the inside. Nondirectional belts can
be installed either way. The only adjustment you’ll probably have to make is “tracking” to keep the belt centered on the roller. Hold the sander up,
turn it on, and see if the belt either rubs against the housing or starts working its way off the rollers. With the trigger on, adjust the tracking knob
until the belt is centered on the rollers. You may have to make a slight adjustment when the sander is on the wood. If your sander has automatic
tracking, you don’t need to mess with any of that nonsense.

Some sanders have variable speed. You can go at maximum speed most of the time, but you’ll want to throttle it back for delicate work.

Keep the Belt Clean

Dirty belts make for lousy work. A belt-cleaning stick will remove the pitch buildup that happens with all woods, especially pine or sappy woods.
Push it against the moving belt, or for larger sanders, clamp the stick in a vise and sand it.

Good for Rough Sharpening

You can use a belt sander for rough sharpening of tools like axes, shovels, knives and chisels. Remove the dust bag and remove all dust from the
sander (sparks and dust are a bad combination), then use a zirconia belt for best results.

Soup up your sander

Better dust collection

The bag on a belt sander provides decent dust collection, but with a little fiddling you can attach a long, soft hose and a shop vacuum to your belt
sander. The payoff: no bag emptying and almost no dust in the air.

Belt sanders are simple tools that don’t need many improvements. However, if you use your belt sander in the shop, consider these two upgrades.
Dust collection. Belt sanders always come with a built-in dust bag that collects most of the coarser dust and needs regular emptying. However,
plenty of fine dust still gets into the air. If you’re doing a lot of belt sanding, it’s worth getting a hose that allows you to connect your sander to a
shop vacuum. You’ll be able to sand all day with nary a speck of dust (lower photo).

You can sometimes use the hose that came with your shop vacuum, but it’s usually too large or too stiff. The alternative is a super-flexible, small-
diameter hose designed for dust collection. You can buy one at a woodworking specialty store or online (search “vacuum hose”). I use one made
by Porter-Cable that cost $25. Dust ports vary widely (some are square, which is a challenge), so you may have to fiddle around to get the hose to
fit. There are commercial adapters ($10 to $20; pick one up when you buy your hose) or you can cobble something together with—you guessed
it—duct tape. It’s worth the fuss, though: no dust in your workspace.

Shop-made stand. A handy accessory if you do much woodworking is a stand that holds your sander on its side, upside down or vertical, allowing
you to bring the work to the tool instead of vice versa. The design of the stand is completely dependent on the shape of your sander, so we won’t
give plans. However, it generally involves several layers of plywood, each with cutouts to accommodate the parts of the sander that protrude, plus
a couple of hose clamps or other clamping devices to hold the sander securely. Add another piece of plywood to act as a table, if needed.

Stands like this are particularly useful if you want to sand lots of small parts—for example, if you’re making lots of wooden toys. For inspiration,
search online for “belt sander stand photo.”

https://www.familyhandyman.com/tools/power-tools/everything-you-should-know-about-belt-sanders/view-all/

A belt sander is a sander used in shaping and finishing wood and other materials.[1] It consists of an electric motor that turns a pair of
drums on which a continuous loop of sandpaper is mounted. Belt sanders may be handheld and moved over the material, or stationary
(fixed), where the material is moved to the sanding belt. Stationary belt sanders are sometimes mounted on a work bench, in which case
they are called bench sanders. Stationary belt sanders are often combined with a disc sander.
Belt sanders can have a very aggressive action on wood and are normally used only for the beginning stages of the sanding process, or
used to rapidly remove material. Sometimes they are also used for removing paints or finishes from wood. Fitted with fine grit sand paper, a
belt sander can be used to achieve a completely smooth surface.
Stationary belt sanders are used for removing non-ferrous metals, such as aluminum. Non-ferrous metals tend to clog grinding wheels,
quickly making them useless for grinding soft metals. Because the small grooves in the sandpaper are opened up as they go around the
arc of the drive wheel, belt sanders are less prone to clogging.
Belt sanders can vary in size from the small handheld unit shown in the illustration to units wide enough to sand a full 1.2 by 2.5 m (4-by-8
foot sheet) of plywood in a manufacturing plant. Some belt sanders can be as large as 1.2 by 0.7 metres (3 ft 11 in × 2 ft 4 in). Sanding
wood produces a large amount of sawdust. Therefore, belt sanders employed in woodworking are usually equipped with some type of dust
collection system. It may be as simple as a cloth filter bag attached to a portable sander or a large vacuum system to suck dust particles
away into a central collector.
Taut-belt sanders allow for adjusting the angle of the idler drum to keep the belt centered.[2] Slack-belt sanding is commonly used in the
manufacturing process of guitars and other medium-sized wooden objects. It employs a long sanding belt which runs slackly over the
object. The machinist then exerts pressure to it to sand down specific areas.

Racing[edit]
Main article: Belt-sander racing
Belt sanders were one of the first power tools used in the growing field of power tool drag racing wherein a pair of stock or modified[3] belt
sanders are placed in parallel wooden channels and fitted with long extension cords. Each heat begins when a common switch or individual
switches triggered by the racers energizes them, causing the sanders to race towards the end of the track spitting wood dust along the way.
Stock sanders race down a 15 metres (49 ft) track, while modified sanders race on a 25 metres (82 ft) track. Sanders of all shapes and
sizes can go very fast or very slow, depending on the power of the motor. For example, some can go as fast as 8 km/h (5 mph) etc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_sander

Electric Sanders
Electric sanders make the job of sanding large areas a lot easier than using 'elbow grease' and sandpaper on a sanding
block. Various types of electric sanders are available and each suit particular jobs.

One thing to remember when using any type of electric sander is to keep it moving, leaving the sander in one place will
'over sand' that place and make it stand out from the surrounding area.

When sanding, always change the sandpaper from coarse down through the grades to fine as you achieve the finish you
require; don't expect one grade of sandpaper to do all the work.

There are three basic motions used in sanders;

 Orbital - the whole sanding plate moves in a small circle causing each grain of abrasive to move likewise.
 Belt - this gives sanding in one direction so any scratch marks will be along the direction of the belt.
 Rotary - where the whole sanding disc goes round - the outer edge moves faster than the centre so the surface is subjected
to varying degrees of sanding.
Things to look for:

 Electric - either 220/230v or 110v - can use on site where mains power or a 110v transformer is available.
 Cordless - ideal for using where mains supply is not available. Look for one with a Lithium-Ion battery as these last longer.
Having a detachable battery is also useful, you can have a spare battery fully charged ready to insert when required rather
than having to wait while a single battery is recharged.
 Dust bag - collects the dust as it is produced - generally not completely effective, you still end up with dust everywhere - just
less.

Orbital sander

The Orbital sander is probable the most common type of electric sander available. They are available
with rectangular, square or round base plates. When using an orbital sander, there is no need to worry about the direction
of wood grain.

Some rectangular and square models, clip the sandpaper to the base plate, other models need special sanding paper with
an adhesive back which sticks to the base plate. Models with round base plates require special sanding discs which
adhere to the base plate.

Rectangular and square sanders usually come in various sizes to accommodate 1/2, 1/3 or 1/4 sheet of a normal sheet of
sandpaper.

Detail sander
 Detail sanders are effectively Orbital sanders with small, usually triangular, base plates which can fit into
awkward areas such as window frames, small items or furniture etc.

Special, self adhesive sandpaper needs to be used.

The small, pointed shaped base plates make them ideal for sanding into corners where other types of sander cannot not
reach.

Belt sander

Belt sanders generally remove material quicker than Orbital sanders and can make light work of sanding
but it is generally harder to get as good a finish as can be achieved with an orbital sander.

Care needs to be taken to use a belt sander 'with the grain' and not 'against' or 'across' the grain as sanding marks can
otherwise easily result.

Belt sanders are available as either hand-held or bench mounted - the latter being easier to use where the workpiece is
small.
Bench sander

Bench sanders are usually belt sanders often incorporating a rotary sander. They are used not just for
sanding but for shaping as well, these machines are powerful and make easy work of rapid removal of material from the
work piece.

File or finger sander

File or finger sanders have a very narrow (in the order of 12.5mm) sanding belt which can get into narrow
areas.

Disc sander
Not really common other than as an accessory for a power drill or fitted as a bench mounted sander.

These round abrasive discs just spin, the outer part going fast than the centre. This makes them effectively useless for
achieving a good finish on large areas of flat surface.

Floor sander
Floor sanders would normally be hired by a diy'er when required rather than purchased.

There are basically two types of Floor sander:

 The large drum machine which is used by walking behind - like a lawn mower across a wooden floor.
 The edging sander used to sand the edges of a floor where the drum machine cannot reach.

Most good hire shops will stock both types and supply the abrasive papers.

https://www.diydata.com/tool/electric_sander/electric_sanders.php

Polishing (metalworking)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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A tarnished and unpolished silver bowl (left) and a polished silver piece (right). There is a visible difference in cleanliness and color. The piece held above
the two bowls has also been polished. (These pieces are part of an 18th-century silver epergne in the collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art).

Polishing and buffing are finishing processes for smoothing a workpiece's surface using an abrasive and a work wheel or a leather strop.
Technically polishing refers to processes that use an abrasive that is glued to the work wheel, while buffing uses a loose abrasive applied to
the work wheel. Polishing is a more aggressive process while buffing is less harsh, which leads to a smoother, brighter finish.[1] A common
misconception is that a polished surface has a mirror bright finish, however most mirror bright finishes are actually buffed.
 Polishing is often used to enhance the appearance of an item, prevent contamination of instruments, remove oxidation, create a reflective
surface, or prevent corrosion in pipes. In metallography and metallurgy, polishing is used to create a flat, defect-free surface for
examination of a metal's microstructure under a microscope. Silicon-based polishing pads or a diamond solution can be used in the
polishing process. Polishing stainless steel can also increase the sanitary benefits of it.
The removal of oxidization (tarnish) from metal objects is accomplished using a metal polish or tarnish remover; this is also called polishing.
To prevent further unwanted oxidization, polished metal surfaces may be coated with wax, oil, or lacquer. This is of particular concern for
copper alloy products such as brass and bronze.[2]

Contents

 1Process
o 1.1Equipment
 2Applications
 3Future Scope
 4See also
o 4.1Notes
o 4.2Bibliography

Process[edit]
The condition of the material at hand determines what type of abrasive will be applied. The first stage, if the material is unfinished, starts
with a rough abrasive (perhaps 60 or 80 grit) and each subsequent stage uses a finer abrasive, such as 120, 180, 220/240, 320, 400 and
higher grit abrasives, until the desired finish is achieved. The rough (i.e. large grit) passes remove imperfections within the metal surface
like pits, nicks, lines and scratches. The finer abrasives leave progressively finer lines that are not visible to the naked eye. To achieve a #8
Finish (Mirror) it requires polishing and buffing compounds, polishing wheels and high speed polishing machines or other machine tools that
can be used for polishing, like an electrical drill. Lubricants like wax and kerosene[3] may be used as lubricating and cooling media during
these operations, although some polishing materials are specifically designed to be used "dry." Buffing may be done by hand with a
stationary polisher or die grinder, or it may be automated using specialized equipment.
When buffing there are two types of buffing motions: the cut motion and the color motion. The cut motion is designed to give a uniform,
smooth, semi-bright surface finish. This is achieved by moving the workpiece against the rotation of the buffing wheel, while using medium
to hard pressure. The color motion gives a clean, bright, shiny surface finish. This is achieved by moving the workpiece with the rotation of
the buffing wheel, while using medium to light pressure.
When polishing brass (a softer metal) there are often minute marks in the metal caused by impurities. To smooth out the finer marks, the
surface is polished with a very fine (600) grit, copper plated, then buffed to a mirror finish with an airflow mop.[citation needed]
Polishing operations for items such as chisels, hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, etc., are given a fine finish but not plated. In order to
achieve this finish four operations are required: roughing, dry fining, greasing, and coloring. Note that roughing is usually done on a solid
grinding wheel and for an extra fine polish the greasing operation may be broken up into two operations: rough greasing and fine greasing.
However, for inexpensive items money is saved by only performing the first two operations.[1]
Polishing knives and cutlery is known as fine glazing or blue glazing. Sand buffing, when used on German silver, white metal, etc., is
technically a buffing operation because it uses a loose abrasive, but removes a significant amount of material, like polishing.[1]
Equipment[edit]
White & grey aluminium oxide abrasives are used on high tensile strength metals, such as carbon and alloy steel, tough iron, and
nonferrous alloys. Gray silicon carbide abrasives are used on hard and brittle substances, such as grey iron and cemented carbide, and low
tensile strength metals, such as brass, aluminium, and copper.[1] Green chromium (III) oxide is the abrasive used in green compounds that
are typically used to finish ferrous metals (steels).
Polishing wheels come in a wide variety of types to fulfil a wide range of needs. The most common materials used for polishing wheels are
wood, leather, canvas, cotton cloth, plastic, felt, paper, sheepskin, impregnated rubber, canvas composition, and wool; leather and canvas
are the most common. Wooden wheels have emery or other abrasives glued onto them and are used to polish flat surfaces and maintain
good edges. There are many types of cloth wheels. Cloth wheels that are cemented together are very hard and used for rough work,
whereas other cloth wheels that are sewn and glued together are not as aggressive. There are cloth wheels that are not glued or cemented,
instead these are sewed and have metal side plates for support. Solid felt wheels are popular for fine finishes. Hard roughing wheels can
be made by cementing together strawboard paper disks. Softer paper wheels are made from felt paper.[1] Most wheels are run at
approximately 7500 surface feet per minute (SFM), however muslin, felt and leather wheels are usually run at 4000 SFM.[4]
Buffing wheels, also known as mops, are either made from cotton or wool cloth and come bleached or unbleached.[4] Specific types include:
sisal, spiral sewn, loose cotton, canton flannel, domet flannel, denim, treated spiral sewn, cushion, treated vented, untreated vented, string
buff, finger buff, sisal rope, mushroom, facer, tampered, scrubbing mushroom, hourglass buff, rag, "B", climax, swansdown, airflow, coolair,
and bullet.
The following chart will help in deciding which wheels and compounds to use when polishing different materials. This chart is a starting
point and experienced polishers may vary the materials used to suit different applications.

Common buffing compound and wheel combinations

Copper, brass,
Silver, gold & thin Nickel & chrome
Plastics aluminium, pot Steel & iron Stainless steel
plates plating
metal & soft metals
 Fina Fina Fina Fina Fina Fina
Roug Initia Roug Initia Roug Initia Roug Initia Roug Initia Roug Initia
Buff type l l l l l l
h l buff h l buff h l buff h l buff h l buff h l buff
buff buff buff buff buff buff

Sisal X X X

Spiral
X X X X X
sewn

Loose X X X X

Canton
X X
flannel

String X X X

Compoun
d

Black X X X

Brown X X
White X X X

Blue X X X X X X

Green X X

Red X X X

BLACK = Emery Compound, a coarse abrasive material for removal of scratches, pits, paint, rust etc. Abrasive: Emery.
BROWN = Tripoli compound used for general purpose cut and color on most soft metals. Abrasive: Rotten stone.
WHITE = Blizzard compound, used for color and final finish of harder metals, has a cutting action. Abrasive: white aluminium oxide.
BLUE = A dryer, almost greaseless wheel - designed to polish without any cutting action. Safe on thin plates. Use on its own wheel.
GREEN = Used exclusively for Stainless Steel. Abrasive: green chromium (III) oxide.
RED = Jeweller’s Rouge, designed to polish without any cutting action. Safe on thin plates. Use on its own wheel. Abrasive: Iron(III) oxide.

Applications[edit]
Polishing may be used to enhance and restore the looks of certain metal parts or object on cars and other
vehicles, handrails, cookware, kitchenware, and architectural metal. In other applications such as pharmaceutical, dairy, and specialty
plumbing, pipes are buffed to help prevent corrosion and to eliminate locations where bacteria or mold may reside. Buffing is also used
to manufacture light reflectors.

Future Scope[edit]
1. Gives a natural appearance with a high gloss and sheen as compared to other finshing processes so that , this process will be
adopted for most of the finishing operations.
2. Can be applied with a standard low speed weighted floor machine.
3. Produces a relatively durable finish.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polishing_(metalworking)
Linear-motion bearing
A linear-motion bearing or linear slide is a bearing designed to provide free motion in one direction. There are many different types
of linear motion bearings.
Motorized linear slides such as machine slides, XY tables, roller tables and some dovetail slides are bearings moved by drive mechanisms.
Not all linear slides are motorized, and non-motorized dovetail slides, ball bearing slides and roller slides provide low-friction linear
movement for equipment powered by inertia or by hand. All linear slides provide linear motion based on bearings, whether they are ball
bearings, dovetail bearings, linear roller bearings, magnetic or fluid bearings. XY Tables, linear stages, machine slides and other advanced
slides use linear motion bearings to provide movement along both X and Y multiple axis.

Contents

Rolling-element bearing[edit]
A rolling-element bearing is generally composed of a sleeve-like outer ring and several rows of balls retained by cages. The cages were
originally machined from solid metal and were quickly replaced by stampings. It features smooth motion, low friction, high rigidity and long
life. They are economical, and easy to maintain and replace. Thomson (currently owned by Danaher) is generally given credit for first
producing [what is now known as] a linear ball bearing.

 Rolling-element bearings can only run on hardened steel or stainless steel shafting (raceways).
 Rolling-element bearings are more rigid than plain bearings.
 Rolling-element bearings do not handle contamination well and require seals.
 Rolling-element bearings require lubrication.
Rolling-element bearings are manufactured in two forms: ball bearing slides and roller slides.
Ball Bearing Slides[edit]
Also called "ball slides," ball bearing slides are the most common type of linear slide. Ball bearing slides offer smooth precision motion
along a single-axis linear design, aided by ball bearings housed in the linear base, with self-lubrication properties that increase reliability.
Ball bearing slide applications include delicate instrumentation, robotic assembly, cabinetry, high-end appliances and clean room
environments, which primarily serve the manufacturing industry but also the furniture, electronics and construction industries. For example,
a widely used ball bearing slide in the furniture industry is a ball bearing drawer slide.
Commonly constructed from materials such as aluminum, hardened cold rolled steel and galvanized steel, ball bearing slides consist of two
linear rows of ball bearings contained by four rods and located on differing sides of the base, which support the carriage for smooth linear
movement along the ball bearings. This low-friction linear movement can be powered by either a drive mechanism, inertia or by hand. Ball
bearing slides tend to have a lower load capacity for their size compared to other linear slides because the balls are less resistant to wear
and abrasions. In addition, ball bearing slides are limited by the need to fit into housing or drive systems.
Roller Slides[edit]
Also known as crossed roller slides, roller slides are non-motorized linear slides that provide low-friction linear movement for equipment
powered by inertia or by hand. Roller slides are based on linear roller bearings, which are frequently criss-crossed to provide heavier load
capabilities and better movement control. Serving industries such as manufacturing, photonics, medical and telecommunications, roller
slides are versatile and can be adjusted to meet numerous applications which typically include clean rooms, vacuum environments,
material handling and automation machinery.
Consisting of a stationary linear base and a moving carriage, roller slides work similarly to ball bearing slides, except that the bearings
housed within the carriage are cylinder-shaped instead of ball shaped. The rollers crisscross each other at a 90° angle and move between
the four semi-flat and parallel rods that surround the rollers. The rollers are between "V" grooved bearing races, one being on the top
carriage and the other on the base. The travel of the carriage ends when it meets the end cap, a limiting component. Typically, carriages
are constructed from aluminum and the rods and rollers are constructed from steel, while the end caps are constructed from stainless steel.
Although roller slides are not self-cleaning, they are suitable for environments with low levels of airborne contaminants such as dirt and
dust. As one of the more expensive types of linear slides, roller slides are capable of providing linear motion on more than one axis through
stackable slides and double carriages. Roller slides offers line contact versus point contact as with ball bearings, creating a broader contact
surface due to the consistency of contact between the carriage and the base and resulting in less erosion.

Plain bearing[edit]
Main article: Plain bearing

Plain bearings are very similar in design to rolling-element bearings, except they slide without the use of ball bearings. If they are cylindrical
in shape, they are often called bushings. Bushings can be metal or plastic, or even air.

 Plain bearings can run on hardened steel or stainless steel shafting (raceways), or can be run on hard-anodized aluminum or soft steel
or aluminum. For plastic bushings, the specific type of polymer/fluoro-polymer will determine what hardness is allowed.
 Plain bearings are less rigid than rolling-element bearings.
 Plain bearings handle contamination well and often do not need seals/scrapers.
 Plain bearings generally handle a wider temperature range than rolling-element bearings
 Plain bearings (plastic versions) do not require oil or lubrication (often it can be used to increase performance characteristics)
Dovetail slides[edit]
Dovetail slides, or dovetail way slides are typically constructed from cast iron, but can also be constructed from hard-coat
aluminum, acetal or stainless steel. Like any bearing, a dovetail slide is composed of a stationary linear base and a moving carriage. a
Dovetail carriage has a v-shaped, or dovetail-shaped protruding channel which locks into the linear base's correspondingly shaped groove.
Once the dovetail carriage is fitted into its base's channel, the carriage is locked into the channel's linear axis and allows free linear
movement. When a platform is attached to the carriage of a dovetail slide, a dovetail table is created, offering extended load carrying
capabilities.
Since dovetail slides have such a large surface contact area, a greater force is required to move the saddle than other linear slides, which
results in slower acceleration rates. Additionally, dovetail slides have difficulties with high-friction but are advantageous when it comes to
load capacity, affordability and durability. Capable of long travel, dovetail slides are more resistant to shock than other bearings, and they
are mostly immune to chemical, dust and dirt contamination. Dovetail slides can be motorized, mechanical or electromechanical. Electric
dovetail slides are driven by a number of different devices, such as ball screws, belts and cables, which are powered by functional motors
such as stepper motors, linear motors and handwheels. Dovetail slides are direct contact systems, making them fitting for heavy load
applications including CNC machines, shuttle devices, special machines and work holding devices. Mainly used in the manufacturing and
laboratory science industries, dovetail slides are ideal for high-precision applications.
Compound slides[edit]

2-Section and 3-Section Compound Slide

Slides can be constructed with two sections or multiple sections. A slide with two sections can only extend approximately 3/4 of the total
compressed slide length. A compound slide typically has three sections: fixed, floating intermediate member, and the section attached to
the equipment. A compound slide can extend at least as far as the compressed slide length and typically a bit more. In the case of rack
slides, this allows the equipment to extend completely out of the rack allowing access for service or connection of cables and such to the
back of the equipment.
Rack slides[edit]

Friction Bearing Rack Slide

Rack slides are specifically intended for mounting equipment into 19-inch racks or 23-inch racks. These can be friction bearing, ball
bearing, or roller bearing. They are sized to fit into racks with mounting flanges on the ends to mate to the mounting holes in racks. In some
cases, one mounting flange is formed into the rack slide with an adapter bracket attached to the other end to accommodate different depths
of the rack. The outer fixed member is attached to the rack and the inner moving member is generally screwed to the side of the mounted
equipment. Rack slides are typically compound or 3-part slides allowing full extension of the mounted equipment and generally include
provision for sliding the inner member completely free to allow removal of the equipment from the rack. They can also include stops to
prevent accidentally pulling the equipment out of the rack without releasing the stop mechanism.
There can be proprietary configurations which, for example, may clip to the equipment without the use of screws or can be clipped into an
appropriately designed rack. But the basic geometry is the same regardless of how they are mounted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear-motion_bearing