New build with recycled parts on a ridiculous budget 120cm*60cm work area

[Desertboy]

Since I want to do aluminium would this be suitable
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-2-Inch-A...0AAOSwzqFZAIzb

paired with a compressed air solenoid to clear the chips?

Was having issues getting my motor shaft to align with my ballscrew I'm around 0.5mm out. My friend checked my couplings out and they're flexible couplings but still going to try and get the motor shaft aligned. but they do seem to work fine.

[Zeeflyboy]

Bit confused about what you are asking, what you linked to is literally just an inert container designed to hold oil and add it to a compressed air system to lubricate air tools.


You need a compressor, regulator (most compressors will have the regulator), an on/off switch (whether electronic solenoid or manual), and a nozzle. If you want mist, then really the best way to do it you will need two lines, one supplying coolant and one supplying air, ideally at different pressures (the coolant line only needs a very low pressure in my experience) and a mist coolant unit on the machine.

What you linked to wouldn't really be much use imo, the tank capacity is tiny - I use a 1 litre swimming pool filter container.

[Desertboy]

Bit confused about what you are asking, what you linked to is literally just an inert container designed to hold oil and add it to a compressed air system to lubricate air tools.


You need a compressor, regulator (most compressors will have the regulator), an on/off switch (whether electronic solenoid or manual), and a nozzle. If you want mist, then really the best way to do it you will need two lines, one supplying coolant and one supplying air, ideally at different pressures (the coolant line only needs a very low pressure in my experience) and a mist coolant unit on the machine.

What you linked to wouldn't really be much use imo, the tank capacity is tiny - I use a 1 litre swimming pool filter container.

Yes I want mist! I will want to mill aluminium to the best quality I can do given the limitations of my machine. I will have the machine in an industrial unit which has a compressor airline point next to the machine which for my purposes can be considered always on with more capacity than I could ever need.

Do you have a pic of how you linked yours up?

I'm stalled until my mate at the scrap yard moves a printer (It's on top of a heap) for me so I can get the aluminium extrusion out AND 20-25mm twin hiwin style rail with carriages only short travel but I'm thinking for my Z axis.

The extrusion is T slot (Compatible with what I have now) It's 18cm*9cm (4 slots*2 slots) 6ft lengths which I'm going to use for mounting the supported rail and ballscrews on.

I'm going to cad it out in a minute but will make it a lot easier for me to build.

[Zeeflyboy]

Actually as luck would have it I did recently post some pics here:

http://www.mycncuk.com/threads/10658...1180#post91180

[Desertboy]

Actually as luck would have it I did recently post some pics here:

http://www.mycncuk.com/threads/10658...1180#post91180

Lovely setup ;)

How thick are you mounting plates

Once I get the extrusion together and mount the SBR and ballscrews I need to make mine which I'm so not looking forward to lol.

[Zeeflyboy]

A fairly skinny 15mm if i remember correctly.... the new machine I'm building has 25mm.

I would go with 20mm as a minimum personally.

[Desertboy]

20mm I will heed that advice ;)


I will use 2 of these for my z axis slides and a 20mm ground ballscrew. I have another 2 of these coming as well not sure what I will do with them but maybe make a spare z axis as one of my first projects ;)

just playing with the gantry at moment but I do wonder if I can fit the gantry like this?

I would worry that the ballscrew is balanced properly I would think the ballscrew needs to go dead centre of the slides? I have come up with 3 choices for the gantry

1. Mount it like pictured with ballscrew at top, hiwin sideways on
2. Double up the extrusion so I use 2 pieces one on top of the other then the ballscrew can go in the middle with hiwin either side.
3. Put the Hiwin on the top and bottom of the gantry and have the ballscrew sideways on. This is my favorite choice but added complexity in the z axis mount. I would think this would also keep the slides cleaner orientated this way.

Or I do have this


But would rather not cut it if I can as it's 3.5m length and I have 2 5 ft lenghts so I only need 1 more and I can build a frame with working area just over 8*4.

Was worried as the bearing was not sitting straight on the supported rail but tried a different bearing and all is good then realised someone has been playing with my bearing (Joys of sharing workshop space with my dad's monkeys as I call them) and tightened the grubscrew.


Something I considered was filling the cavities inside the gantry aluminium extrusion with epoxy resin something that's stronger than steel but lighter have a friend who knows a lot more about epoxy's and has access to stuff I couldn't get easily so will have to have a chat with him.