RE: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Affordable ball screws

>Any leads (no pun intended) on affordable ball screw components/
>conversion kits?

I have been looking at the EMCO/Rong Fu machines and have a totally
offbeat
idea.

The standard leadscrews aren't to bad. If you can somehow drill a couple
of small
oil feeds around the centre line of the nut and then pump high pressure
oil through
it you form a pretty good imitation of a hydrostatic bearing.

Same thing can be done with the guides etc..

One ebay I see a lot of 12V and 24V hydraulic pumps for tailgate lifts
etc. selling
for peanuts. They should work well for something like this.

If you can get enough oil pressure inside the nut you don't have a metal
to metal situation
anymore, and the wear and friction drops to virtually nothing. The oil
can also take up
most or all of the backlash if done properly.

The down side is that you are pumping oil through and out of the nut,
which is messy. If
the pressure is high enough you could potentially atomize the oil and
then it could be
explosive. Having oil run down the quill (if you do the same to the Z
axis) will be
horrible if you are trying to machine wood or other materials that
stains.

It should be possible to use a water soluble oil + water mixture which
can double up as coolant.
Then you only need one pump for coolant feed and bearings.

I'll be experimenting with this once my mill is up and running.

Regards,
Nic.