Hit 0.0005 inch on a bearing bore and the debate about whether that's too tight started a war in my shop

Kai Bailey · 2026-10-11T18:40:03.856219+00:00

Running a batch of 50 aluminum housings on the Haas last week, I held a 2.5000 inch bore to within half a thou on every single part, which felt great until the lead guy on days said that tolerance was way too tight for a press fit and I was just asking for a scrapped assembly. I figured tighter is always better since it means better grip and no slop, but he swears a little clearance actually saves the bearing from galling when the housing heats up. So who's right here, are you guys running press fits on the tight side of the print or the loose side, and has it ever bitten you on the floor?

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Hit 0.0005 inch on a bearing bore and the debate about whether that's too tight started a war in my shop | CNC Operators - The Design Community Hub