Small Mill very early design stage

[Ross77]

Looking good and glad you haven't been put off by the other miserable B*****ds:heehee:

I'd go with the first option but if it was mine I would put the y-axis lead screw between the blocks, like you have done on the x-axis. The gantry could also do with a bit of stiffening to prevent racking, either another plate on the other side or a length of 8020 bolted to the ends and the y-axis plate would really improve it.

the lower gantry fixing may also be a weak spot and again I would use some 8020 (or angle plate) to strengthen the base plate and prove a larger fixing surface to the gantry.

How did you get on with thk rails?

[Robin Hewitt]

Looking good and glad you haven't been put off by the other miserable B*****ds :heehee:

Mea culpa, you go that way after a few years in this game :whistling:

It looks perfectly serviceable now that Mike has cut his tolerances to 'whatever is achievable'.

Mike, I have bags of Belleville washers and springs left over from preloading my 16mm ball screw nuts and bearings if you want some (assuming no one has pinched them). True zero backlash is a delight after you have experienced the alternatives, I often find myself idly rocking the X axis handle a thou either way and feeling it move the table

regards

Miserable git