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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    86

    SurplusCenter Ball Screws?

    Hi all,

    I'm such an addict... . Yesterday I came across theseball screws on Surplus Center and of course was unable to resist ordering a couple pairs, with the idea of probably doubling up the nuts on one screw to reduce backlash, and if necessary then using ball screw mapping in Mach3 to compensate for lead errors. But all that does require a certain level of quality from the units to start with...

    Anybody check these out yet? Of course, the ends will have to be machined and Yadda Yadda Yadda ... But who can resist $15 for a pair of ball screws?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    2712
    ACME screws with ball travelling blocks?

    Dick Z
    DZASTR

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    86
    Quote Originally Posted by RICHARD ZASTROW View Post
    ACME screws with ball travelling blocks?


    I think the person writing the catalog copy just isn't that familiar with the terminology... the close-up picture here looks like a rolled ball screw to me...

    At any rate, I'll report back once I receive them.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    2141
    I know that several members here have bought those ball screws (and in fact I have been contemplating buying two or perhaps four of them, too), but I don't think that I've seen any "after action reports" from anyone who has actually used them in a project.

    So, please keep us posted on your findings...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    5516
    They sell a bunch of these on eBay... can't say for their quality however...

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    78
    I would guess that these ballscrews are designed for farm machinery tongue jacks. The square flange probably welds to part of the jack assembly. The jacks use telescoping square tubing.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    2985
    Ballscrews aren't used for tongue jacks as they would have a tendency to back drive. They may well be much less precise than "cnc quality" though.

    Matt

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    78
    ATWOOD Manual Ball Screw Camper Jacks (4-Pack) #84371
    I wondered about the backdriving also. Apparently some sort of locking device and/or worm drive is used?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    2985
    Yeah, those look like they are worm drive. So maybe they do use ballscrews in tongue jacks.

    Matt

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    86
    Well I got those ballscrews... They aren't complete junk but they do have a bit of slop. Maybe they are part of a jack or something; seems to me that they are designed for power transmission more than positioning. It might be worth a try to double up the nuts to get rid of backlash, but the nuts are 3" long each so that would only leave about 8" of travel, and I suspect they won't run very smoothly in that configuration. They just don't have the "feel" of a precision device... More work than it's worth, most likely.

    And they are covered in smelly red grease.

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