Re: Best source for inexpensive ballscrews?

Chris,

I'm considering doing a cnc conversion of my Harbor Freight Mini
Mill #44991-1VGA. If you have part numbers I'd be interested and I'd
really like to see your pictures.

Mike


--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, Chris Baugher
<cbaugher_yahoo@b...> wrote:

> On Fri, 1 Aug 2003, Bill Kichman wrote:
>
> > McMaster-Carr's pricing is even cheaper than Reid Tool...you can

buy "by the

> > inch" and 5/8" diameter is seriously discounted compared to the

other

> > diameters....this is looking better all the time....so now if I

buy the

> > square nut only, how is that attached to the mill? I ask,

because a

> > standard flange likely won't fit my application anyhow, so I

thought I would

> > investigate other mountings...
>
> I just got some of McMaster's cheap ballscrews and nuts for my

micro-mill

> CNC conversion. The nuts are a little crude, more so than I

expected.

> But then they're only $22 each...
>
> Anyway I made my own simple preloaded nut. Take a block of

aluminum or

> whatever and bore a 15/16" hole through it, the same size as the

outer

> diameter of the threads on the ball nut. Now make a slit through

one side

> of the block all the way through to the hole in the same plane as

the

> centerline of the hole. Then drill and tap 2 holes perpendicular

to that

> slit so that now you have a sort of clamp. One nut goes in each

side of

> the hole so that the nuts are facing each other. When the screws

are

> tightened the nuts are then clamped in and won't move. When you

assemble

> this together with the ballscrew you can loosen one nut and turn

it very

> slightly to remove the backlash, then tighten it again.
> Now you can drill other holes in the block to mount it to whatever

you

> want. Instant anti-backlash nut.
>
> I can take some pictures of it tomorrow. That should get the idea

across

> much better.
>
> C|