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also, EDM might not be a good idea for gun parts.
There was a discussion about this a little while ago, and I believe the conclusion was that EDM (esp. older machines) hardens and/or micro-cracks...

I'm no expert but I'll make a stab and someone who knows more can tell me where I'm wrong.

1 What is Dynamic and Static load ratings?
As far as I know, static = constant force. dynamic = force...

It seems that when you get as far as linear encoders, manufacturers use zero backlash gearing, ground ballscrews and/or linear motors. All jolly expensive.

Given that glass encoders are...

This is getting a bit like "I want a brand new car... where can I get one for $100?". Some things just cost. If you have ingenuity and time on your side you can save a lot of money, but you'll have...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GS300-370-Standard-Linear-Scale-370mm-14-1-2-reading_W0QQitemZ7615046260QQihZ017QQcategoryZ64814QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem
(Europe only, but you might ask them...

tybrenis: good work on having gotten this far. I've seen the idea of using angle-iron and skate bearings before, sorry to say you didn't invent it :)
A lot depends on what you intend to do... for...

I doubt heat would slow things down unless the expansion causes binding, but it might affect the lubricant. Main disadvantage of screws vs acme seems to be the lack of reverse braking, ie you can...

backlash?

Are you using the right kind of wire? Hardened brass is more springy and curly than unhardened, and not as suitable for auto threading machines.

At a basic level, you don't get anything for nothing, especially in energy terms.

In this case, if the pulleys are free to rotate then there are no tangential forces from the mass on the pulleys. ...

If you can make your gear move in the same way as it will in its final emplacement, you should be able to cut it normally?
Failing that, cut it with EDM :)

I know it's a bit late, but in future it's best not to use magnets to pick up the balls... they become magnetised and swarf sticks to them.

Have you considered using CO2 to control the flaming? It's pretty cheap and should be easy to direct at the laser spot... might reduce the burns and/or flames quite a bit: even MDF needs oxygen to...

the tricky thing about hex stock is keeping the alignment... any twist as you move along it is very bad, because the diameter effectively changes.

#2: The 'HRW21 is a wider track than usual. The idea is that twist (moment) loads are handled by a single rail rather than a pair. To help with this, the track is wider than usual (better handling...

Sorry, that's 4 carriages per axis, now I understand.
Damping... just in case you haven't seen it, here it is again:...

No direct experience... but a few suggestions:

2 carriages per rail seems odd, don't you need 4 to get any kind of stiffness at all?

Will the CRS tube be stiff enough? (Depends on your design...

PS... a three lens solution will be easier as you can do most of the focusing with two initial fixed lenses, then a less critical one for fine tuning of the beam parallelism.
I used these lenses and...

Here's a real treat for you... just found this:
http://webphysics.davidson.edu/Course_Material/Py230L/optics/lenses.htm

Usage is a little unclear, here is what I have found:
Create a lens by...

This should help... ie you want something like the diag on the right, so you get a parallel kerf.
Can someone who has actually tried this explain if it is right or wrong?

I figured alignment would be a sod :\
Lenses: The problem with expanding and then focusing is that the beam is then converging at a steep angle, and you get a larger angle on the sides of whatever...

If you have an original product that needs a special machine, it makes sense to go ahead. Otherwise can you make it, either slowly or expensively, on existing machines? Cheaper to subsidise and...

Ok... do you want one manufacturer, or will one supplier do?
Really hard to know where to start without knowing what the machine does.

I doubt matching rails to ballscrews matters overly, they...

Nice....
Don't quite understand about the pumps though, is this for water cooling?

Don't know what pressure you want, but easy enough to regulate it I would think? You can buy off the shelf...

I would guess the foam is to prevent water ingress, and in your case to suppress movement of any small particles of rust, debris or whatever.
I can't see it adding much in the way of damping or...

I'd like to know where it came from too, as it is working so well :)

As I understand it, my continued guesses are:
Pin5 to mach3 PWM: yes, but I don't know about the spindle stuff.
Pin3 to pin4 yes.
If you are using Pin5 to switch on and off, then yes you would...

Wow, they explain all that stuff badly... or translate it badly.
My guess (sadly that is all it is) from all the diagrams:

"lift from ground" means "disconnect".
So you can use either...

Great work William!
Glad to see it starting to work... is it a CO2 laser? So it is infrared? How do you measure the size of the dot, or are you going by how big a hole it burns? :)

Great, thanks for the pics :)
How are you going to align the laser and the mirrors accurately enough?
Are all the axes stiff enough that the end of the laser won't wander after being reflected...