Re: Z-axis CNC conversion on a mill-drill: a challenge (long)

Hello,

If you're having one made to order; why not just have the same folks
modify the one you have already instead?

Another thing to consider is that the liekly "wrong" thing that
would happen is to make the shaft reduction too small or too big. So
if this happens you'd simply cocrrect that with a matching bore to
the right hand side eccentric.

Point is, this is not that hard a retrofit. There's "room" for
making (and fixing) mistakes.

AIRC, the only "hard point Dan mentioned in the article (I haven't
read it for MANY years now) is that the pinion shaft itself was a
bit hard to turn.

This won't affect you if you're having that part done professionally.

Hope this helps,

Ballendo

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "WT" <pharmapack@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Dan,
>
> Thanks for the Z-axis article and the XY axis pictures. The
article is a
> very good disassemble, measure, machine, and reassemble 101
lesson. It will
> no doubt give me a great pleasure in accomplishing or duplicating
what you
> did to the Z axis.
>
> As you stated in your article, the ball screw driven quill Z axis
indeed
> gave innumerable measures of problems. Foremost of which is to
properly
> align the ball screw to be parallel to the quill. Next is the
small amount
> of flex/vibration when the Z starts accelerating to make a -Z move
that
> contributes to the end mill (or, whatever tool bit is there)
digging into
> the work piece.
>
> Considering that if I will go your route of having another pinion
shaft and
> not being able to order a spare like you can do there, I may have
a pinion
> shaft made to order. Will it be easier if I just have it made to
order with
> a larger diameter pinion? Also, the pinion shaft may not be chrome
plated,
> and thus, I may go for a bronze bushing end caps. Will this be a
problem?
>
> Again, my thanks for the information you provided. It will no
doubt minimize
> my chances of commiting unnecessary errors without your info.
>
> Best regards,
> WT