[swilliams]

Hi All,
has anyone installed the shoptask cnc option (the one from Shoptask)

comments?

How about ball screws? worth the $$?

One more...
Servos -vs- steppers option

Thanks

Scott W.

[PoppaBear10]

Well, in my opion you can save about $1,000.00 dollars by buying the servos, and control box directly from Dan, at Camtronics. (He is the guy that makes the CNC kits for Shoptask anyway.

The Ball Screws and nuts, you can also get them ALOT cheaper from Nook industries, but, you would have to be able to drill them your self and turn the ends to fit the machine. So depending on how much time or money you have. The ball screws and nuts shoptask sells isn't to crazy around 800 or so when I bought mine, the accuracy of the Nook ind. rolled screws is about 0.004/foot.

If you are a DIY, buy the Scott Shumate 3 Axis Dro kit, you will save about 300 dollars vs the one shoptask sells.

I would futher recommend the "Industrial Supplies", optical limit/home switches.

You can further save your self, some cash buy building your own power supply, and Gecko drives and make your own control panel/box.

It is really about how much money vs. time you want to spend.

later,

[KaptainKarst]

Another note:
If you use Mach2 or Mach3 software, you can input your backlash into the software.
whenever there is a call for a motor reversal, the software automaticaly moves the motor correctly to allow for the measured backlash. You can easily measure your backlash with a dial indicator.

[Bloy2004]

I had shoptask install the ballscrews before shipping.
Actually, shoptask installs the ballscrews by cutting off the machined parts of the acme screws and welding these to the ends of the ballscrews. They seem to get them pretty well aligned in the welding process...on the Z axis they simply use a length of ballscrew secured to the quill and spin the stationary ballnut.

I got my motors, encoders, driver/power supply case, and accessories from Camtronics....servo system.

[eatanimals]

I use Mach II and a home brew controller with steppers bought from Tormach on my shoptask machine. I also skipped the ball screws and just used the supplied ACME threads. The machine now works great for its class and seems to hit within a thou on lathe and mill functions (after tightening up the split nuts). I'm just not sure the ball screw option is worth the expense. If you're not careful you can wind up with enough money in that little machine to go out and buy a used B'port series I or II mill and a decent lathe on the used market (which is what I finally did anyway). I guess my advise to you is be careful what you sink into the shoptask because you will be lucky to get half your expenditures back. If you can, go with the used big stuff - It's easier to work with and you might even make some money if you buy it right.

[bherr]

Hi All,
New to the forum and milling for that matter. Purchased a Tri-Power from shoptask and understand it's shipping today. Full CNC with DRO. didn't get the ball screws as John didn't recomemd them at this time. Looks like I could have saved myself some money, but didn't know about this forum until Alchemist turned me on to it. Anyway I can see I've got alot to learn and will spend a great deal of time just reading these posts and most likely will request help from time to time.

Ben