1/4-20 lead screw=Painfully Slow?

[CNC Darren]

One more place to find Acme threaded rod is www.use-enco.com. I have gotten some threaded rod and some aluminum bar from them and have had great service and fast shipping everytime. Also if you order is over $50 and use promo code FCNUFS in the checkout you will get free shipping. My last order had 3 72" pieces of 3/4-6 acme threaded rod and some other stuff and shipping was free. The box with the threaded rod was well over 20 pounds. They sent me the promo code awhile ago in an email so i dont know how long its good for but it worked last week


Darren

[Ursine]

Thanks Guys,

I'll probably start with the 1/4-20 just to get started...no sense spending more at this early stage. Plan on a trip to Home Depot this weekend.

Thanks,

Dave

[solarchimesam]

GER21,
I went to www1.mscdirect.com signed up and ordered a lead screw.

Acme Roll Threaded Bars Thread Size: 1/2-8 Rotation:
Right Hand Length: 6 Material: Low Carbon Steel - C1018
Total $22.05

Sure beats trying to compete on Ebay.
I have tried that and always got outbid.

Your info has been most helpful!
Thanks again very much!

[kd6oji]

I have had fair luck with 5/16 18TPI threaded rod myself.
The rod is a bit stiffer due to increased diameter than 1/4" rod. I turned one end down to 1/4" using light pressure and a bench grinder. Turn until about 1/2 linear inch from the end is bare of threads, fits the 1/4" u-joint rod couplers I have mounted on my motors, direct drive.

A couple of pointers from what I have done so far:
1) Get rod as straight as you can find first. Some of the rods I have found at HomeDepot or Lowes were very dog legged.
2) run the rod trough a good quality Die to make sure the threads are straight. They get banged up in the bins and can bind if the threads are spoiled. I chucked mine in the drill, lubed with some oil, and made a few passes with the die to even things out.
Be careful, all of the rods I have turned this way make a lot of chaff!! some runners are suprisingly stiff, and they can poke ya in the finger if you arent watching.

They work fine for now, using 5/16 X 18 T-Nuts and wood blocks mounted on the moving axis.
Cheap, simple, and not a bad tradoff if you are on a bidget.

As of now, my motors turn about 200 RPM which gives me about 11iPM rapids. This is OK for me as I am using a Dremel for a spindle, and don't want to overload it.