Sorry, no I don't have the truth, but I AM still looking. :rainfro: The "Truth" I seek (sounds vaguely Zen like) is this: Are those oh-so-cheap "ABEC-7" skateboard bearings that you can find in nearly any sporting-goods store REALLY ABEC-7? I get this weird vibe that it is all B.S. and is simply technobabble designed to get some teenager to part company with his $$.
A pack of 10 ABEC-7 metric bearings goes for $29 at our local Oshman's sporting goods store. The same ABEC-7 bearing from Boca Bearing online goes for $16 apiece. If truly ABEC-7, they'd be a great source for ways and lightly loaded ballscrews.
I know this is nothing new, and guys have been using skate bearings for years for CNC projects, but does anyone know if they are genuinely ABEC-7? Any way to actually test them? If one has a set of pin guages, and a good mike, one could check them dimensionally, but the dynamic aspects of the radial bearing is tougher to check.