Adopted Build - my first CNC router

[mike os]

cheers guys.. I will try to take some pics soon

basic question I guess but not one I have managed to find a satisfactory answer to....

Hiwin rails and bearing block fitting (and hopefully removal)

I need to trial fit some of the carriage parts to check a couple of things work as we want.... so I need to temporary fit the rails & bearings. Reading the manual it seems the rails must be horizontal when i fit the bearings... ie bolt holes up, slide on using the plastic packing piece as a guide and I assume ball bearing keeper?

Is this the only way to do it?
can I remove the bearings using the reverse ie sliding off the rail onto the plastic packing piece?

are the balls free to fall out if I get it wrong?

thanks

[EddyCurrent]

The Hiwin bearings I used needed the plastic keeper in place otherwise the balls fell out, I found out the hard way. I found that by being careful the bearings would slide onto the rail if it was horizontal or vertical but in all cases the plastic keeper must be kept pressed up against the end of the rail leaving no gaps for the balls to escape. I can't remember if this applied to both the 15 and 20 sizes but it certainly applied to the 15's. Having them well greased helps to keep the balls in place.

[mike os]

thought that would be the case... thanks eddy

removal the same way?

[EddyCurrent]

removal the same way?

Yes it is.

[Neale]

I've slid my blocks on to the rails and removed them multiple times while setting up, using the plastic retainer pushed against the end of the rail each time. No problems so far, although I just know I'm going to have a wobble some time...

[mike os]

cut the rails to length and slipped on 2 blocks this afternoon... don't know what I was worried about
I assume these are double seals?



is it worth adding the scraper? I assume it is just a case of unbolting the existing seal & slipping it on?

[mike os]

wow cant believe it has been so long since I last posted

progress is slow but steady, various bits & pieces required to complete the x axis frame are now machined except for about a dozen holes... as usual for me... I keep forgetting to take pictures, not that a pile of aluminium plate machined & drilled is terribly interesting

progress has not been as linear or as logical as I would have done myself, as I am working on bits I have while designing stuff like the base frame and control box... normally I would do all the design then start from the ground up...

so... mocking up the bearing carriage for the x axis, the wooden block was made as a model to see how the clearances worked out and to visualise the ballnut mounting method, as I could not see the wood for the trees in cad. once assembled the mounting for the ballnut is obvious immediately. working in wood is an easy and cheap way to prototype parts, the block of 6082 this will be machined from is about £100 and will take the best part of a day to machine so cant afford many mistakes





final design..