[LeeWay]

I think the bellows you have would work best only on the Z axis and with some sort of retainer on the sides. I have similar on the Z on my Torus, but they do have retaining behind it, so it doesn't act so wild.
I had bellows on my 80/20 for several years. They were better quality and had plastic built inside for support. They eventually wore out though. Mainly due to chip packing in the folds and difficulty removing them. I recently replaced all of them with flexible rubber sheet. It is much nicer and acts very predictably. Has a natural curve over the edges to direct coolant a chips into the pan where the should be.

I really love the sliding metal way covers on the Y axis of the Torus. Now that is the way to make covers. Some designs won't allow that type of thing, but I think I can manage that on the 80/20 the next time I need something new on it.

I notice that your shower liner is a little stiff.
I initially used some plastic runner and it was pretty stiff too. The problem with stiff material and the bellows you have is that when cleaning up, chips will be able to easily migrate underneath. Right where you don't want them.

[nateman_doo]

I was thinking of implementing some metal way covers, but I wasn't sure how to. The aluminum flashing i tried to use was just too thin. I want to refund the accordion bellows.

[Bloy2004]

I really dislike the bellows. They look great, but they are so light and flimsy.

I agree with you entirely. I dislike them too. I hope to see in your build here the use of telescoping sheet metal covers. they will shed the debris much easier and cleanup would be much more efficient.

[nateman_doo]

This is the way to go:
Telaflex® - Telescopic Steel Covers | Telescopic Covers | Gortite | A&A Family

How much you think these go for?? I feel like hundreds. ugh.

[nateman_doo]

I put in a request for a quote for some sewn bellows. We shall see what the damages are.

[nateman_doo]

$220.00 each?!? man, thats the PVC/Poly type. ouuchhhh

[keebler303]

These aren't what you are looking at?

McMaster-Carr

The three sided ones look like they are quality...

[FannBlade]

$220.00 each?!? man, thats the PVC/Poly type. ouuchhhh

Look at the price for Bridgeport covers.

The linear rail cover may work for you also.

[nateman_doo]

None of the way covers in the McMaster page would work. They are all too tall.

[keebler303]

None of the way covers in the McMaster page would work. They are all too tall.

Would tin snips help?

I don't know exactly how they are constructed but it would seem like you could just cut them to fit. If you like the shower pan liner, I'd say go with that, it's obviously cheaper. Just rework the rewind spring setup and you are good to go, no?

[TaigCNCer]

I have the top way cover bellows from mcmaster and they are working well with my Taig. You would easily be able to cut them with a pair of tin snips. You could find them cheaper than Mcmaster, but I just got mine from mcmaster.

[nateman_doo]

I know its been quiet here, but another 3 weeks I will be back in action, much to the chagrin of my wife. Still considering the custom made bellows.

[Billie3edick]

None of the way covers in the McMaster page would work. They are all too tall.

[Bloy2004]

I would still consider fabricating your own telescoping sheet metal covers. Those (pleated?)bellows are going to inhibit the discharge of debris/chips. The only problem I see is having enough telescoping sections so as not to reduce the axes' travels significantly....since outsourced covers are expensive enough to inhibit purchasing.

[Dingenman]

Perhaps a new thread can be started about designing and making telescoping metal sheet covers.

When this would lead to a proper and public design everyone could change these plans to accomodate their own mill?

I would surely love to see something like this happening. :-)

[nateman_doo]

Perhaps a new thread can be started about designing and making telescoping metal sheet covers.

When this would lead to a proper and public design everyone could change these plans to accomodate their own mill?

I would surely love to see something like this happening. :-)

YES PLEASE.

I finally... finally... FINALLY am back home! I haven't had much of a change of mind about spending the (ridiculous) money for the custom bellows. I don't have many other options.

The McMaster bellows: McMaster-Carr part # 8938A45 is FOUR inches tall. way to tall! PLUS, i need 2 feet on each side and its 71.00 per foot, which would end up being maybe $60 less per side. I would be saving $120, but for the extra $120 I could have them custom made to fit perfectly. I am STILL open to suggestions, but after a month of thinking about it... I have been spending lots of money on the build... whats an extra $120? The roller idea while quite profound, but it did not prove reliable (at least mine) and it just looked like a stain on an otherwise decent (easy on the eyes) build.

The tool plate has threaded holes on the side of it, so I will fashion some sort of deflecting devices to keep the chips out of the rail/screws during the FOUR WEEKS to have the bellows made. I wish I measured accurately before I went away and I could have used my down time to have them made and just hit the ground running, but at $400...I will measure twice and cut once (read measure REPEATEDLY)

I am going away for a few days on a mini vacation with the wife & kids to PA (somewhere near Hersey...I forget where) and I will pick up where I left off the following weekend. It was a wonderful reunion with the kids. My oldest daughters eyes swelled up and she was laughing/crying, and jumped on my and wouldn't let me go for maybe 10 minutes. She was having what my wife likes to call "daddy meltdowns" whenever I go away on orders for a long time. She was wearing an old t-shirt of mine as a sort of coping mechanism and it looked like a tent on her. She is 3. Imagine you just bought your 3 year old a real pony. That was the look on her face of wide eyed joy when I finally came home. Very touching moment. I will enjoy them before they get older and they say, "oh hey dad... "and bury their heads back into whatever electronic device will be the fad then

[nateman_doo]

So after thinking about it for the morning, I added up some numbers of my machine from the surface that the rails are mounted, to the top of the tool plate. Its really not to much taller then the 4" tall McMaster bellows. The bellows will be at MAX, a quarter of an inch above the surface of my tool plate. Since most of my work is done on 12x12" pieces of plate, AND I use different fixture plates on top of the tool plate it really shouldn't be any kind of problem at all. Not to mention, it would arrive tuesday, and I still save the hundred dollars. I just have to figure out how to make it work - and if I dont I can return it to McMaster for a refund

For starters, I will draw out the exact dimensions on paper/cardboard, and cut & paste (literally) on the side of the machine and see what it looks like.

[keebler303]

Nate

Mcmaster will cut the bellows to length from a longer piece. I doubt they would be happy to accept a cut piece as a return.

Matt

[nateman_doo]

I returned those other bellows without a problem. With the thousands i have spent with them, they dont EVER give me a problem with returns. Another reason I love them.

[nateman_doo]

finally a new picture for this thread:


So I drew up the McMaster bellows to scale, cut it out on paper, and placed it on the machine. Its a GO folks. I can absolutely make it work. Its just a hair over the tool plate, but I normally use fixture plates anyway. (again, its also easily returnable). This will be sitting at the house when I get back home from vacation on Friday. Expect a picture of it that evening