[greybeard]

Hi Milke,
As a newbie with no machinist knowledge but plenty of electronics and lab experience, I've been forced to use the local hardware as a major source of raw material.

For me small means a small workpiece, so it makes sense to move the work not the spindle. I'm heading for a 2.5D axis setup with the z axis movement of the workpiece coming from a separately controlled arm. But I would put the z axis movement on the fixed gantry if I needed to use the spindle in 3D.

As the only source of steppers at the moment is old printers or ebay(limited funds) the timing belts will give me my transmission.
I do have a supply of old display framing - aluminium extrusion - so I plan to use 19mm chrome steel tube ( wardrobe fitting dept) epoxyed into the channel. This will be bolted down onto an offcut slab of formica clad 38mm kitchen worktop.
I'm using miniature bearing from the scrap box augmented from ebay, but would try skate bearing otherwise.
Any thoughts?

[mikeschn]

Buying your hardware from ebay is definitely a good option.

As for using the components that you've gotten out of old printers, you'd have to include some photos and descriptions so that we could better understand what you have.

Mike...

Hi Milke,
I've been forced to use the local hardware as a major source of raw material.

As the only source of steppers at the moment is old printers or ebay(limited funds) the timing belts will give me my transmission.
Any thoughts?

[shedkid]

Mr Greybeard
How are you makeing out with the cnc ,what do you have in mind for controlling the said beast,myself i would like to convert this warco mill ,i've got the motors ,pc,psu all the gears and belts but not the interface or program disk (Compucut system) still when it gets a bit warmer and the workshop wont seem so far to go . ttfn BAZ