Hi All,

I am building my first machine. It will have a single screw on an under-slung gantry. The machine dimensions will be 1200 x 900 mm

I am now just waiting for my supported rails and ball screws to be delivered. There will be two pillow blocks on each rail, these will be mounted on the top of the machines side walls.

I will be using a single ball screw centered on the machine.



Here are my questions.

1. Will I have any issues with more movement on one rail than the other causing the gantry to be out of square.

2. What is the best way to get the gantry square when fitting to the pillow blocks.

3. I am planning to build the machine from ply wood. The under slung gantry needs to be screwed to the pillow blocks. How do I drill the holes in the correct place to ensure alignment with the pillow block holes (I cant see through the wood!)

I expect these questions seem a bit dumb to most of you, but having not done anything like this before, it is ALL new territory for me.

Thanks
Simon