On a retrofit using a quality fullsized machine or if there was a specific manufacturing task in mind - by all means I would say the ballscrews are the way to go. I agree with you philosophically, but the practical aspects are a limiting factor in my environment . the trick on a limited hobbyist budget is - how to get enough quality to reach the goal without paying so much that you cant afford to do anything else. if we all had $25K to spend on a new machine there would be no need to ask how to save money!
a number of the 3 -in-ones manufacturers are now advertising "quality leadscrew equipment" that minimizes lash - exactly for the purpose of adapting later ( by the owner) to CNC, or so that they can sell their own CNC retrofit gear. I dont like their patterns for the machines so im not in the market for one of them, but I still like the ideas they come up with sometimes. im not planning on using a development machine to facet gems here - more as a learning and experimentation tool on a hobbyist scale . If plans and budget came along for projects needing better control and if the screws cant provide it, then I would certainly go that route. right now I cant see spending 2-3x as much on the screws as on the machine - kinda defeats the purpose. The other side is that by learning to use the machine for it's inherent capabilities one learns a little more about the limitations of the technology and how to approach the problem in such a way as to avoid them.
Last edited by gmac; 03-24-2003 at 11:13 AM.
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