RE: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Sherline Z-axis ballscrew feed.

Dan,

Well. that depends on whether you tackle the problem or go for a committee
design which will eventually end up in an over engineered BP clone bolted to
a Sherline base. I have actually given this a good deal of thought and I
think it can be done with THK linear slides, 2x4 1/4" wall tubing for the
column and some aluminum plate bolted to the THK carriages. A long slot
would be cut in one wall of the tubing to allow the ball nut to and screw to
be inside the tubing with a connector fastened to the plate. The plate
could have the Sherline mounting stud and key slot in it so that the mill
head would mount in the same manor as the stock Sherline setup. This could
easily be made into a bolt on replacement for the Sherline column.

John Guenther
'Ye Olde Pen Maker'
Sterling, Virginia

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Statman Designs, LLC [mailto:titanium@...]
> Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2003 21:00
> To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Sherline Z-axis ballscrew feed.
>
>
> I have a question for the group of experts here.
>
> How difficult would it be to create a Z-axis for the Sherline milling
> machines that used a zero-backlash ballscrew drive mechanism? I am not
> suggesting that you retro-fit a ball-screw to an existing Z-axis. The
> Z-axis simply bolts to the X-Y table and the spindle and motor assembly
> simply bolt to the Z-axis.
>
> How difficult would it be to completely replace the Z-axis with a
> ballscrew
> assembly and then re-mount the Sherline motor and spindle to the
> new Z-axis?
>
> It seems that this would be quite a worth while upgrade for the
> Sherline CNC
> system. The Z-axis is the weakest link in the ability to do
> repeatable work
> on the Sherline. There is no backlash adjustment mechanism and
> the spindle
> and motor do not weigh enough to always stay at the bottom of the
> leadscrew
> pitch. This can, and has, resulted in large jumps of the Z-axis
> downward as
> it settles to the bottom of the screw pitch.
>
> Daniel J. Statman, Statman Designs
> www.statmandesigns.com
> dan.statman@...
>
>
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