Saw a website selling ballscrews for the TAIG

[Smertrios]

For nearly $2000 you can have a TAIG with ballscrews... Kinda pricey for what you get IMO but I am sure you would get what you pay for.
Taig

Home Shop CNC sells ballscrews with "zero backlash ballscrew nuts". I like my TAIG how it is *but* if I were to put $2000 into a mill I think I would rather get something like a G0704 converted to ballscrew operation but maybe $2000 is far too low of a price to get something like that.

In anycase I am thinking about converting my 7x14 mini lathe to CNC operation using ballscrews from homeshopcnc.com and my now unused xylotex stepper control system (I hate it but since I own it...).

Kind of off topic for a TAIG thread... Anyone using homeshopcnc.com ballscrews on their TAIG?

[Smertrios]

That said the ballscrews and "zero backlash nuts" from homeshopcnc.com can be had for quite a bit under $400.00 or even $1000.00

Need 47 inches of ballscrew (21"x,13"y,13"z) and 3 nuts.

Cost with 3 nuts either $356 or $386 depending on which nut type is used.
Cost with 2 nuts and screw for X and Y is $243 or $263

I realize the ends have to be turned but if you own a lathe that may be doable (I own a 7x14). And of course the saddle may need to be machined.

One solution to only owning 1 mill and wanting to modify the saddle would be to buy a second one. Y axis saddle is $115.00 from Taig Tools - Desktop Milling Machines and Lathes.. Buying one gives me the ability to machine my saddle and then hopefully resell the other saddle.

However I bet someone out there could do the machining of the pockets and drilling+tapping the holes needed to mount the ballscrew nuts for a price that would be less than buying a second saddle and then having to deal with selling the extra.

Best case scenario would be not having to modify the saddle. I am just thinking about this as backlash is enemy #1 right now even tho it "doesn't matter" for anything I am going to be making in the foreseeable future.

My .002 says a way of machining the saddle that does not destroy the existing features that allow the use of the TAIGs stock nuts is a win win.

[Jeff-Birt]

In anycase I am thinking about converting my 7x14 mini lathe to CNC operation using ballscrews from homeshopcnc.com and my now unused xylotex stepper control system (I hate it but since I own it...).

Really? You would spend a boat load of money on ball-screws and then slap on a moderate performance stepper drive?

from homeshopCNC:

are polished for smooth operation comparable to ground ballscrews.

In other words they are NOT ground ball screws.

IMHO, for a small machine that is not running 24/7 it is hard to justify the expense of ball screws when a good quality leadscrew will work as well/better and a cheap ball screw and will save you some money to boot.

[acidcustom]

what about anti backlash nuts from Dumpster CNC
dumpsterCNC - anti-backlash solutions for home and industrial linear motion

[cameraguy]

rolled ballscrews like that won't give you any extra accuracy over a good screw. it gives you longer life and less friction and higher top speeds, which is fine in production use, but it doesn't give better accuracy.
also, if you are trying to use a xylotex and are worrying about ballscrews, you are wasting your time and money in a major way. a reasonable driver and power supply will cost far less and give you far more. make/put a/b nuts on, or use weights to preload the x and x tables if you really feel the need to kill all backlash.