Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Alternative Stepper Motor mountings, etc.

Rab,

I haven't studied the Tang lathe, but if you can mount a little square
plate behind the handwheel (on the lathe bed), you should be able to get
by with four spacers out to the #23 motors. Then you need a "slitted"
(sp) coupler from the handwheel shaft (.25"?) to the motor shaft
(.25"). IMO, this is easier then trying to rig timing belts, as you
don't need additional gearing. We have 20 TPI threads on the Sherline,
I'm assuming Tang has something similar. Seems the timing belts and
pulleys are required when ball screws are used, they only get 8 tpi or
so there, and a 3:1 ratio helps torque and resolution (as I understand).

Check out the way Dennis at SuperCam, Dan Mauch at CamTronics, or Otto
at MaxNC do it with Sherline mills for Ideas. I personally use the
Sherline CNC mounting kit on my Sherline/Sears mill. Flashcut and
Microkinetics also are possible sources of information.

Hope this gets you going in CNC!

Alan KM6VV

rab@... wrote:

>
> I'm looking for good cheap / low tech alternatives of mounting size
> 23 steppers, coupling them to some leadscrews and fit some bearings (
> this being on a Taig lathe retrofit ), as the off the shelf
> components seem quite pricy by the time you buy a full set.
> Also, what's the pros and cons of direct couplings versus timing belt
> connections ?
> I should mention that I'm not looking for total accuracy just now,
> but trying to put together a quick and cheap system to test some
> ideas on.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Rab