welding steel base or just getting aluminium extrusion

Rather than asking here for tapping size drills for each size, just google for "tapping size for metric threads" - there are plenty of tables of sizes around that will give you everything you need. The only thing to watch is that there are various pitches for each nominal diameter - hence metric coarse, metric fine, etc. Generally you find metric coarse (if you just ask for M4, M6, etc, that's what you will generally get), but you should be able to read the pitch off the tap to double-check.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't ask questions - just that there are easier ways to find some information for when you want the answer NOW and not when someone gets round to answering!

where do you guy's get your linear rails from? looking through the threads on here and people recommend aliexpress but the postage is more then the rail. Its 187 dollars for 3000mm 25mm hiwin rail and 206 dollars to post to uk 393 dollars total

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Originally Posted by reefy86

where do you guy's get your linear rails from? looking through the threads on here and people recommend aliexpress but the postage is more then the rail. Its 187 dollars for 3000mm 25mm hiwin rail and 206 dollars to post to uk 393 dollars total

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Got mine from BST Automation on AliExpress and they come recommended. One carriage was dodgy so they sent a new one without any hassle. But the postage will be a lot I'm afraid. If you look at the cost of buying in the U.K. though, you will see why most buy direct from china!

When I looked around aliexpress was best value.. sometimes you can find a deal on ebay aswell! Have you checked the prices on uk sites? If you compare its much cheaper to pay £200 for shipping.
I think I added about 30 to get everything shipped in a wood box to eliminate freight damages

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zappautomation was my first choice but they are £300 each, i have found cnc4you at £160 each so not too bad and with aliexpress it would be nice if could or multiple and save on postage but postage seems to double

Hi Reefy,

I think that some traders on Aliexpress keep the price low and the postage high for two reasons 1 it keeps the customs declared value down, so you pay less import charges and VAT and 2 it keeps the refundable amount low if you return goods that are not faulty.

If you order screws, spindle, VFD etc. at the same time it will mean you only pay delivery once.


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HI, thats how to rectify something, if you mess things up :hysterical: and weld too fast

Attachment 23387


I am joking, just tack all in place, rectify with a mallet and then weld. But things like that happen, when i am in a hurry.

you can evaluate the option of buying chinese Hiwin type rails. last time i had great success, But the key is to buy from somewhere you know its not crap, hence directly from the manufacturer. Problem is , i said it somewhere, in China they sale linear rails at every corner shop.

I bought 10m of MGN12 from this guys and they were TOP quality, hardened rails and the carriages were good and sliding well https://es.aliexpress.com/store/grou...66f4a665DnQrsc

All you risk is eventually changing the balls of a bearing block that does not slide well. But usually it will be because is just dirty.

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Originally Posted by Boyan Silyavski

HI, thats how to rectify something, if you mess things up :hysterical: and weld too fast

Attachment 23387


I am joking, just tack all in place, rectify with a mallet and then weld. But things like that happen, when i am in a hurry.

you can evaluate the option of buying chinese Hiwin type rails. last time i had great success, But the key is to buy from somewhere you know its not crap, hence directly from the manufacturer. Problem is , i said it somewhere, in China they sale linear rails at every corner shop.

I bought 10m of MGN12 from this guys and they were TOP quality, hardened rails and the carriages were good and sliding well https://es.aliexpress.com/store/grou...66f4a665DnQrsc

All you risk is eventually changing the balls of a bearing block that does not slide well. But usually it will be because is just dirty.

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Haha hope it don't come to that lol. i'm pretty confident now after watching tons of video's but i am a sucker for getting inpatient and tend to automatically move a little faster now and again so i really need to keep that in check lol.

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Originally Posted by cropwell

Hi Reefy,

I think that some traders on Aliexpress keep the price low and the postage high for two reasons 1 it keeps the customs declared value down, so you pay less import charges and VAT and 2 it keeps the refundable amount low if you return goods that are not faulty.

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cheers makes sense

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Originally Posted by JoeHarris

If you order screws, spindle, VFD etc. at the same time it will mean you only pay delivery once.


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looking into this now, cheers

Will i notice anything from a c5 ballscrew to a c7? also will i be losing any benefits if i go with 2525 screws and use a belt ratio to bring it down to 2510 spec? reason i ask is because the 2525 are on offer but they are c7's and its only £140 for 3000mm lengths where as a 2510 only do c5's but they are £400 each

C5 has better tolerance that C7.

IIRC C7 is usually just rolled, whereas C5 is generally ground. I'm sure a google search will turn up a chart with the various tolerances.

i can get the all the required specs from google as you say but then i have no idea if the tolerance from a c5 is over the top for wood and 5-10mm acrylic.

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Originally Posted by reefy86

i can get the all the required specs from google as you say but then i have no idea if the tolerance from a c5 is over the top for wood and 5-10mm acrylic.

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I would say that the majority of people on here use C7

Thanks clive, i Don't mind shedding out for c5's if i have to but would prefer the c7's if they will do the job because for every ball screw i save money on gets me a hiwin rail

Where do you guys get your aluminium plates from and what grade is recommended? been looking through and aluminium warehouse seems to have a bad rep so they are out, also do you drill your self or get someone to do them for you because i have just ordered a second hand drill press but with this being my first time i thought i would ask.

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Originally Posted by reefy86

Where do you guys get your aluminium plates from and what grade is recommended? been looking through and aluminium warehouse seems to have a bad rep so they are out, also do you drill your self or get someone to do them for you because i have just ordered a second hand drill press but with this being my first time i thought i would ask.

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https://www.forwardmetals.co.uk

I have only used them 3 times, but they seem good for ali plate. They may not do the ecocast though.

Thank you

I've used aluminium warehouse several times for my current build and they have been great. Good finish and accurate.
They did send one large block incorrectly (a big piece about 100x100x250 is what I ordered but I received a round block 100 dia x 250)

Phoned up to ask what to do and they said just keep it. ~2 days later the square block arrived FOC. I was pleased with that as it was ~£40

Might be a prototype spindle cartridge housing for the drawbar/ATC project in the distant future

They do regular and ecocast and prices not too bad

I know others have been unlucky in the past but I've not had a bad experience so far and would use again

So get all the experiences together and make a choice . . .

cheers ill keep looking out.

I've used aluminium warehouse a few times for various things always been spot on for me.

Well tried 3 different places including aluminium warehouse and asked for a quote for just the side gantry plates and all 3 have said they don't do a cutting service for that shape. how are you guys getting your plates cut and do you just drill your self?

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Originally Posted by reefy86

Well tried 3 different places including aluminium warehouse and asked for a quote for just the side gantry plates and all 3 have said they don't do a cutting service for that shape. how are you guys getting your plates cut and do you just drill your self?

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This is how I did it?! Proceed with caution!!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...-dWEjqhAPJw0Bz

Thanks joe, i don't have half those tools to make it look neat lol, i look into it though

I got the router 2nd hand off eBay and started by making mdf templates and jigs. It's not very hard or expensive just takes a bit of time as you can only take 0.5mm passes.


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Similar here, I used a sabre saw to rough cut the parts out of a large piece, then used a pin router with templates and finally a belt sander to smooth the edges.
Slow but achievable.

I know i must be doing your lots head in asking all the time and i apologise for this, are the aluminium extrusions straight enough for the gantry beam rails? I am using resin for the steal beams along the x asis and if i was also using steel for the y axis gantry then i would use resin there too but what about the aluminium extrusions?

Easiest solution for your plates is to get a fellow member to make them for you on their router (This is what I did). In which case it's probably cheaper to find someone to make your plates and have them sent directly to them than send them to you and then on again.

If you design your plates so they only need to be milled on one side you will make the job a lot easier.

If you do make them yourself then make them from ply/mdf/wood first before you attempt to make them from aluminium, it's a good idea to prototype in wood first anyway I didn't and in the end I had to do some post processing work because of it. My Z axis plate was catching the BK fittings limiting my travel a simple mistake due to using wrong carriage model for my Hiwin's and making last minute changes before cutting without noticing the Z.

Don't want to be insulting to anyone regarding price but personally i think this is disgusting but then i am no expert on whats worth what when it comes to stuff like this. i have been quoted just under £2k just for 4 pieces and 2 of those pieces are only small plates for the rails

Attachment 23427

Honestly mate those pieces do not need CNC?! Just a drill press and a saw. I would spend you money on a bandsaw and a drill press which you will need later anyway and tell those guys where to go! If you by ecocast it is flat enough and if you take your time you can be plenty accurate enough without a CNC machine??


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cheers mate, this was a quote i asked for before you guy's advised on doing the methods you suggested, it just came through this morning and i almost spat my coffee out lol.

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Originally Posted by reefy86

Don't want to be insulting to anyone regarding price but personally i think this is disgusting but then i am no expert on whats worth what when it comes to stuff like this. i have been quoted just under £2k just for 4 pieces and 2 of those pieces are only small plates for the rails

Attachment 23427

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I think 1 or 2 guys on here might be able to beat that quote lol.

You're not the only person on here to get crazy quotes for simple jobs Alex was quoted crazy prices to.

It might be an area thing because I got much more reasonable quotes in Leicester ranging from £200 (If I supplied material) to £400.

i'm going to order the plates and practice on a spare piece and see how i go first. would defiantly need the z axis plates being machined though as that has grooves cut out for the ballscrew mounts.

[QUOTE=JoeHarris;98003]Honestly mate those pieces do not need CNC?! Just a drill press and a saw. I would spend you money on a bandsaw and a drill press which you will need later anyway and tell those guys where to go! If you by ecocast it is flat enough and if you take your time you can be plenty accurate enough without a CNC machine??


+1

Omg! Crazy prices!
I recomend desertboys advice and ask forum members for help.
For reference I got all my plates milled, pocketed, tapped and ground for about £200. Material included. 15 and 20mm thick steel.
The guy was super nice so I basically paid for material cost in weight and a tap that broke during the job.
I was lucky to find a member on a forum locally in sweden :)

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I had recesses on most of my plates which is why I had to have them cnc'd out I know Joe did it in his amazing thread with a router but that's beyond me lol.

I put recesses in my gantry plates so the extrusion sits 5mm into the plates (20mm thick plates) and I will do this on every router I ever build again, never seen anyone do it but I've took a lot of commercial magazine printers apart (my router is made from one) and their gantries are always recessed.

wouldn't that make it awkward for adjusting though?

ordered all my steel and paid for my new workshop unit ready to move in on the 5th of january so i am looking forward to sharing with you guys the progression especially from someone who knows naff all lol

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Originally Posted by reefy86

wouldn't that make it awkward for adjusting though?

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I can't adjust anything on my router lol, I'm relying on the quality of KJN aluminium (Extrusion) cutting and drilling and the quality of the plates my machine is made with. Also the straightness of aluminium extrusion.

Anything you can adjust is a potential failure point it's fine for you guys with better build quality than myself but for me if I can adjust it I can break it lol.

It's not quite true because I can home my Y axis independently to square the gantry.