Ar last!!! Started my Gantry 3-Axis CNC Build

[MikeyC38]

Some more pictures of the build. I've been ill since September 2015 and thus made no progress until March 2016. But the Z axis is in place and moves nicely in the Y axis!

BTW does anybody know if SBRUU linear bearings have to be lubricated? and if so, with what type of lubricant and how frequently?

Thanks Everyone for the help and inspiration so far!

Mike

[Clive S]

Some more pictures of the build. I've been ill since September 2015 and thus made no progress until March 2016. But the Z axis is in place and moves nicely in the Y axis!

Glad to hear you are getting back to good health and able to start back on the machine again.

Its looking good and seems to be nearly there have you started on the electronic etc?

[komatias]

BTW does anybody know if SBRUU linear bearings have to be lubricated? and if so, with what type of lubricant and how frequently?

Thanks Everyone for the help and inspiration so far!

Mike

Mike, Yes they do. Should have some grease nipples...(hehe) on the side. I like to use moly bearing grease for high load applications, this is commonly known as CVjoint grease too. Do not go crazy though so you can at least make an attempt to keep the rails clean of dust/grease gunk. Frequency depends on use, gut feel indication would be 1/month for occasional use, 1/week for heavy use.

R's

[routercnc]

Mike, Yes they do. Should have some grease nipples...(hehe) on the side. I like to use moly bearing grease for high load applications, this is commonly known as CVjoint grease too. Do not go crazy though so you can at least make an attempt to keep the rails clean of dust/grease gunk. Frequency depends on use, gut feel indication would be 1/month for occasional use, 1/week for heavy use.

R's

I'm not sure about SBR16UU type blocks having grease nipples. External features on the sides of these always look like grub screws to hold the bearing in place. I've not re-greased mine and they've been running fine for years. Where possible I think you would have to slide the relevant axis off the rails to smear some grease onto the balls and that involves quite a strip down. It wouldn't hurt to give them a very light smear of moly grease before assembly:


But Hiwin style blocks do have them and you can grease them if you can get to them, but you are not using that type:

[MikeyC38]

Some more pictures of the build. I've been ill since September 2015 and thus made no progress until March 2016. But the Z axis is in place and moves nicely in the Y axis!

BTW does anybody know if SBRUU linear bearings have to be lubricated? and if so, with what type of lubricant and how frequently?

Thanks Everyone for the help and inspiration so far!

Mike

I have done the initial stages of the electronics build and the stepper motors have be attached to the machine. I have a video of it working (albeit at a modest 1m/min) until I've done the following:

1) Limit Switches
2) E-Stop connected to relay to cut power and signal Mach 3 (rather than signal Mach3 first)
3) Proximity home switches

Again thanks to Dean for posting a great schematic of how to do a 24V dc e-stop system. What would we newbies do without your help (and ). And to Lee for the steer on grease for the ballscrews.
Expect to have above done by mid october so I can start doing the tramming etc.

In the interim I posted another picture with the spindle mounted (just to show that I am making progress!)


Wish me luck boys!

[Clive S]

Wish me luck boys!

It's coming along nicely Mike keep up the good work looks like you will have a nice machine

[MikeyC38]

Also I managed to get my garage cleared ( well sort of!) To continue the build. The mc will weigh around 100kg when completed so I needed a hefty table. Thanks to my neighbour Martin who custom welded a table for me!

[kingcreaky]

looking good.. keep the pictures coming... both of the machine.. and the tidy workshop :D

[Lee Roberts]

See my edit above ^^

[MikeyC38]

Hi Lee.

I'll contact you via PM

Thanks
Mike