I am re-working the Z axis on my CNC Plasma Table (will update that thread when anything to say!) and part of this is to incorporate a 'Floating Z' touch sensor that requires a sub-slide on Z that only needs about 15 mm of travel (just to operate a limit switch). Current set up uses a single rail that is quite chunky, and as it only has a single sliding shoe there is a tendency for it all to wobble a bit in use.
I'm going to use a pair of parallel THK 10RM rails that are nice and low (only 13 mm overall height over slider) but I want to cut a rail in two to get the short length that I need. I have two rails, each equipped with a slider, and had intended to wrap the slider in sticky tape then carefully cut the rail with a 1 mm disk on an angle grinder.
OK enough waffle - now the question
![:clap:](https://madmodder.net/Smileys/default/happy0065.gif)
..If I butt my two rails end to end, can I temporarily slide a slider off one rail to park it on the other while I perform surgery, thus totally avoiding getting grinding grit in the bearing
![:scratch:](https://madmodder.net/Smileys/default/icon_scratch.gif)
If so not only is there less chance of grit getting in the bearing, but I preserve one entire rail uncut as a spare
![:ddb:](https://madmodder.net/Smileys/default/dancenana.gif)