[grahamcowan]

I took some more pictures of the details I was describing in the previous post.

The first picture shows the difference in the old 1/2"-10 ungraded rods and the new 1/2"-8 Grade B7 rods. They are a world apart, that's for sure. Lesson learned? Don't skimp on parts if you can afford it. You'll end up paying for it in the long run.

The second picture shows what a typical motor mounting bracket, shaft couple, and needle bearing look like. This one is the X-axis drive system. Space is kind of tight, but I really didn't mind. My TIG torch will fit in just about anywhere I can squeeze it, so welding it up wasn't a problem. The bearing sleeves are also nice because you can take a can of white silicon lubricant and fill up the space between the bearing sleeve and the outer race and not have to worry about it dripping everywhere.

The third picture shows the Y1-axis drive system. That ugly metal tab on the top of the bearing sleeve plate shifts the Y-axis to the positive about 2". I found out later that if I had left it off, X0,Y0 would have put the torch right above my cross brace and eventually it would have to be replaced.

The fourth picture shows (in not very much detail I'm afraid) the drive system for the X-axis carriage with the Z-axis motor. I built the bracket you see for the drive nut but then later I realized I didn't have anywhere to anchor the cable carrier. A lot of custom work went into this table and I can safely say that I am no longer afraid of working with stainless.