Quote Originally Posted by Ross77 View Post
My question is how critical is it to completly eliminate backlash or is the compensation in Mach able to overcome it?
This rather depends on the accuracy you are trying to achieve.

The software can add extra travel when you reverse direction but that means the slides have to be tight enough to resist side forces from the tool so only the nuts can move them. Once the slides are set tight you have to worry about spring in the system.

Alternatively use two nuts. If you lock them together then wear becomes your problem. Spring them together with sufficient force to resist the tool pressure and you need monster size motors to turn 'em.

If it was easy to eliminate backlash with cheap screws nobody would sell expensive screws