New Machine Build- 90% done 90% to go

[ssutton]

Thanks for all the help in the past few weeks. During the home stretch I have ran into a lot of questions that you guys have helped me through.

Scott

[tjskcnc]

very nice machine. Do you have a build log?

[louieatienza]

Very cool! Like the bearing assemblies, cool design...

[ssutton]

I do not have a build log. I designed the machine in TurboCad about 3 years ago. I designed the linear bearing because I could not make myself purchase commercial ones at the cost that I was looking at. Also, the company where I worked at just scrapped a machine that had over 100 cam followers that had less than 10 hours of use. I used the cam followers to make the linear bearing. The rails are made from 3/4 inch fully keyed motor shafting. I used the key way as a guide in my mill to drill and tap the standoffs. All in all, the bearing are smooth as glass and they are preloaded so that they have no play in them at all. Having said that, i would not recommend them to anyone because of the labor involved to make them and the fact that the cam followers would be very expensive if you had to buy them. The frame relies on geometry for stiffness, if I were to build it again I would build it with MASS, lots of MASS and use less geometry. The Z was machined out of aluminum along with the dust shoe. I have a really good level of appreciation for everyone who has stuck with there machines all the way to the end. I did not realize just how much work this was going to be when I started, I hope to get many years of use out of my machine, it will take that just to recoup my investment in building it.