Let the fun begin !!! ???

[PAULRO]

Cheers Eddy, how long was the delay from Chai ? also did you get the ballscrews machined locally or by chai and if so would you recommend it? i might get it done locally because i have access to a lathe but if it's not too costly to get it done by Chai i might go that route but then i have read that some of the screws turn up slightly bent. i have used suppliers from china in a previous life ( job) and remember some of the parts delivered with poor packaging and very little protection ( not all suppliers ). it's very helpful to have the experience of previous builders who have gone down this route, hence all the questions!!!

[EddyCurrent]

I think it took 18 days from payment to delivery. The machining was fine, exact dimensions, good fit to bearings, far cheaper than anywhere else. Holding the ball screws in a lathe is not as simple as a bit of round bar plus they are very hard on the outer skin.
The parts looked okay until I fitted them whereupon I noticed some bending. I decided to straighten them myself and it appears to have worked well enough, it's all in my build log.

[PAULRO]

These are the motors I used, they perform well.
http://www.cnc4you.co.uk/index.php?r...product_id=367

i had a look at these and will go ahead but i'm not up to speed with the rest of the gear required for the electric build . i'm hoping to get into 3d carving at some stage so i would like the m/c to be able to cope with that as well. i don't know if my design needs to be changed to accommodate this requirement. i read a reply to a post recently by jazz stating that a requirement for 3d carving is fast direction changes and high acceleration and it started me thinking that maybe i need to take other requirements into consideration and as my steel will be delivered this week i could make alterations to the frame to allow for this requirement. any input would be greatly appreciated on this.

[EddyCurrent]

Regarding metal work, I think you have it sorted with respect to 3D carving, i.e. adjustable height bed, 4th axis option.
Have you thought about how the 4th axis will physically attach to the frame ? and will material held in the chuck be parallel to the X plane or the Y plane ?
I'm thinking about a 4th axis myself but there's no room in my control panel for the gear, but thinking about it I feel it would be best as a stand alone unit with control wiring back to the main panel via plug & socket.

[PAULRO]

[QUOTE=EddyCurrent;60688
Have you thought about how the 4th axis will physically attach to the frame ? and will material held in the chuck be parallel to the X plane or the Y plane ?
I'm thinking about a 4th axis myself but there's no room in my control panel for the gear, but thinking about it I feel it would be best as a stand alone unit with control wiring back to the main panel via plug & socket.[/QUOTE]

apologies for the delay in getting back to you Eddy, i haven't decided whether to mount a plate to the inside frame to house the chuck or sit it on the blue frame dedicated for the fourth axis. I plan on clocking it true it with a clock attached to the gantry, with regard to the separate panel i hadn't really thought of that option but now that you say it ..... i haven't sourced a panel yet . i'm hoping to pick something up in the region of 800 x 600 x 200 deep if its not too expensive. i have off cuts of 1mm galvanized sheets getting in my way and if the parts that i ordered from Chai are on a slow boat then i might toy with that idea for a panel.
by the way can you recommend any supplier for linear rails ?

[EddyCurrent]

Don't be apologising to me, it's your thread.

by the way can you recommend any supplier for linear rails ?

Well sometimes I can't be bothered to piss about looking for the cheapest, so I go for the easiest. In my case I bought my rails and bearings from cnc4you.co.uk