Originally Posted by
wizard
Tight fit!
I'm not sure less suitable is the way to phrase this, the long axis as a gantry introduces a number of issues.
For one the additional length impacts rigidity of the unsupported gantry. Of course you can always implement a larger stronger beam so the beam itself isn't an issue.
Second the design pretty much demands dual leadscrews for the gantry drive. While many designs would assume that already the problem here is that the motors add depth to the machine which creates issues on bench tops. There are ways around this but you don't want your motors in a place you can't access.
Third the bearings for the vertical uprights supporting the gantry need to be a distance apart determined but the height of the gantry and how much torque on those bearings you will be building for. In other words the bearings need to be some distance apart, for stiffness, which keeps the gantry from rocking back and forth. This is unusable space that must be made up for in some way or another. If you determine that the bearings must be 12 inches apart and you want a 24 inch wide working area then you end up with a machine 36 inches deep. Area wise that is a lot of wasted space for a given machine capacity.
Fourth access isn't improved all that much,8><----