[harryn]

Been working on using surface plate technology to save money and machining costs.This relates to the Y carriage and Z plate.Typically aluminum plate is used for this purpose.One sq/ft 1" 6061 is $212.00 and the weight is 14lbs and thickness tolerance bad.
I propose to use A36 hot rolled steel channel,C12X25 which is 12" wide and 3" legs,3/8 thick weighing in at 25lbs/ft.The cost per ft is $39.00.The thickness tolerance is very bad also.
Place the channel web down and use tape as a dam.Pour table top epoxy and let cure.Now the backside is perfectly level.Next turn over and tape the ends of the channel as a dam,level and pour epoxy.Now we have two precision surfaces to mount rails and blocks and ballscrew support bearings.Repeat the process for the Z plate.Any comments?
Larry

Hi Larry - This sounds like an interesting idea. I had an interesting slightly related experience last week - a firm I consult for has a process to epoxy top coat silicon wafers (semiconductor applications). Basically, the wafers are single crystal, high purity Si approx 8 inches in dia x maybe 1 mm thick.

The part that was interesting was just how much the wafers can warp from the coating and curing process. The cure was done approx 200 C IIRC, and the difference in CTE was significant, and obvious.

I guess the point I am trying to make, is that the garage floor epoxy system I looked at used a 3 step process - probably for a reason. It MIGHT be helpful if you assume that your "leveling of epoxy on steel" concept will take more than 1 coat on each side.

Just curious - do you have a good idea on how to use this concept to level and square some angle Al maybe 3 x 3 x 1/4 in x 6 ft ?