I don't know what to expect

[irving2008]

Mike,

Welcome to the forum.

No way is that expected. It should be dead straight with no perceptable wobble. What diameter is the screw?

The first test is to disconnect the driving nut from the carriage and check that the carriage runs on the slides cleanly end to end. If it does then either the leadscrew is bent or its not parallel to the slides. Alignment of the latter is a case of loosening the bearing blocks and tapping into alignment while running the screw back and forth.

I'm guessing MDL is Marchant Dice Ltd?

[ptjw7uk]

You are not alone, most of us when we start do not know what to expect oe even what questions to ask.
I have had no problems with Marchant except that the ball screws I won on frightbay were unmachined and that meant more bits for my lathe, a collet chuck for one and then carbide cutters so as to machine them.
In hind sight I should have paid for them to machine them but its easy after the fact plus I have now got a collet chuck.
In fact I should have waited and bought a mill already converted but if we all waited until.... nothing would be learnt all.
I for one dont think any of us doing cnc conversions relaise the baptism of fire that awaited us!!!
You could look into trying to straighten the screws but you will need some more tools but leave the manchester spanner (hammer) alone!
Aftre all you have nothing to loose as its bent and wont work well.

Peter

[irving2008]

It is possible to straighten a bent leadscrew with a rubber mallett, a curved surface and some judicious and careful thumping and constant checking. Its a lot easier if the curvature is across the whole length, but Mike's looks like its at the end.

WHile I agree, Peter, there is little to lose, 12mm leadscrews being readily available, the issue is Mike has no machining capability (although there was a thread where someone successfully 'machined' a leadscrew end using some 12mmID bearing blocks, and electric drill and a file...). In an ideal world Mike would return these parts as 'not fit for purpose' and get relacement/refund as appropriate, but as he has said this is a problem...

Like you, Peter, I have bought stuff from MD without major problems, but I am increasingly hearing of people having more and more issues with them. It would seem that MD is overwhelmed by his success and is unable to provide an effective level of customer service.

[Robin Hewitt]

It is possible to straighten a bent leadscrew with a rubber mallett, a curved surface and some judicious and careful thumping and constant checking.

I have heard American's talking about straightening gun barrels by whacking them on a pillow block, might work, not something I'd try :rofl: