Quote Originally Posted by m.marino View Post
Rick,

With that ballnut a good bit of the issue with lubrication is mute BUT still make sure you have access. I also see why you want to keep in near completely enclosed as that nut does not have protective flanges for the ball races. Therefore the less chance for swarf to get in the better.

Speaking from experience of a a design done with Jazz and he built for me and I have worked on a good bit and have had to lube and put shims back and all the fun that goes with it, listen to Jazz. Now hear is where I get to make a point a bit clearer. Lubrication is not just the ball nut. Those linear rail carriages are going to want a greasing once a quarter if you are using that machine with a daily use level (that is even with the protective scrapers).

Personally for myself I am setting up a bit of over kill as I am designing a lube system for my current machine that will be a lube block for X, one for Y and most of Z and a single lube point out the front of the Z plate with a cap for the ball nut.

Registers made setting up my machine take two days instead of a week ( even though it came up here in two heavy large sections it still needed squaring, truing and tramming. A side note to folks, tramming is something you should check once a fortnight to once a month (depending on how heavy your use is and what your cutting). My source for this information is a few friends back in the states that are having fun laughing at me stumbling along and learning (They are both 20 yr plus machinists and High School "friends" ).

You have a really nice design and with just a bit of adjustment it will not only do you proud as a finished build (ha, a machine is never finished), but the quality you put in and care to detail in the build has a direct result on the out come you get. I mean heck with the power supply I finally built and installed for my machine I am running acceleration level in scary land with rather nice rapids. When I get the feeds and speeds right (which is getting more often) I am getting wonderful finishes. Keep it up, doing good.

Michael
Cheers Michael, that ballnut as you say has no flanges, but that too is being worked on he (wink), worst case is I have to open up the channel by 6mm each side and fit a conventional or threaded ballnut, and I may go that way in the end purely for simplicity of duplication and security of the balls!!. I too am toying with the lube question, My Boxford has a lube system that looks after things and I'm thinking of fitting tubing directly to the bearing blocks, although for the moment I will be drilling lube ports in the plate and have left enough room to access the nipples that are fitted to the bearing blocks, the orientation of the blocks when fitted will allow them to be lubed without too much fuss, the bottom ones from underneath when the z is fully up and top when the Z is fully down. The Y axis will be accessible by lining up with holes that will be in the gantry itself, they will be covered when not in use. From Friday I will be tinkering with the design to take account of the Registers. Out comes the Vernier again!! LOL but its so worth getting it right.. Rick