[LEARN]

Have any of you had to change your X ball screw yet ? if so what did it cost you and how much was involved ?

[arizonavideo]

A screw should last almost forever if used only a few hours a day. If your screw is making noise it needs to be looked at and perhaps have the ball replaced. If a ball has broken it will grind things up but you should stop using it before that happens.

[LEARN]

Yes its making grinding noise . I just got a quote for parts and it was like 700+ for screw nut washer and some other stuff. I will have to look at a manual to see what is what on this thing. Thanks

[LEARN]

Anyone have a pdf manual

[RustedOut]

How old is your machine? I just replaced the Y nut on mine, an IH mill from around 2006 or 2007 I converted 4 or 5 years ago or so. It has Rockwell screws and nuts, but Charter Oak doesn't use Rockwell any longer as I tried there first. Rockwell wouldn't sell direct to me, so the transaction had to go through a local distributor. t believe I got the new anti backlash nut and the wipers for $250.00 which included tax and shipping. The failure on mine was my own doing trying to push the travel as far as I could. I guess each time I homed it in Y, there was a small opening between the end of the race or track in the nut just before the return tube and the end of the screw that allowed a single ball to escape. Eventually, with enough homings, most of them came out in the half with the screw mount, then the other half separated and things stopped working.

Funny thing is there never was any backlash that I seen anywhere, just a very faint tick when the table was getting close to homing in Y started a week or so before the end of it. I was doing more welding than mill work at the time so I all over it like I needed to. The balls fell into the Y axis nut mount which has a pretty big cavity between the wiper and the end of the nut. Most of em were in there and a few still in the nut when I took it apart. I made an extension to push the nut further toward the operator side of the machine so this doesn't happen again. A longer screw would work as well.

The screw is harder than the inside of the nut and the short time it ran when it was completely coming apart scuffed up the inside of the nut, the tops of the track. Otherwise I most likely could have put all the balls back in it, and done my improvement and gone on. The other half is in good shape.

I've never seen a manual on the cnc machine, just the one that came with the manual machine. You're going to have to remove the table to get at the X nut. I'd take the pulley off and leave the screw in the nut and reinstall it the same way. Just unscrew the nut from the mount once you get that far.

Bob

[LEARN]

not sure to be exact I would guess 10 years

[RustedOut]

I'd guess them to be 3/4" x .200" Rockfords if it's that old. Mine were RP35A. Got the deal done through Murdock Supply in Wichita, Ks. Like I mentioned, Rockford wouldn't sell direct to me and didn't tell me who a local distributor was for 3 or 4 days. No clue why it took so long dealing with them. Then after Murdock got the notice from Rockkford, they contacted me and we placed the order that same day. Took another week to get it. Best if you can find a distributor up front.

Bob

[LEARN]

thanks

[LEARN]

After looking into this a bit more the Ball screw is not the issue . Well not totally the screws that hold the motor assembly on the table had came loose. I also noticed the oil lines were not pumping oil as they should have and it was running a tad dry. Now since I have the oil lines pumping heavy ! I have a tick from the motor side as if there are bearings that are ticking. Anyone have any input on that ?

[RustedOut]

If you're certain the tick is coming from the bearings, it may be due to a gap in between the balls or crud in them. That was a sound that lead me to discover the missing balls in my Y ball nut last summer. A gap had opened up and I could hear the balls coming together at a change of direction. But it could be from worn balls too, allowing a gap between them as well. The two bearings on the end of the ball screw should have been greased, not running in oil. Is there any backlash in that axis? If so, the sound could be from a gap between the two bearings. Or a bearing and the housing. I'd check for backlash before I'd do anything else, then look for the cause if it exists.

Bob

[LEARN]

Rusted thanks for the reply . I haven't noticed any real back lash with the work I am doing but I will have to check that out. I noticed some grease had seeped out of the end bearing that you are talking about . I will have to wait till spring to tear into it .


That tick concerns me because I hear a small tick in the bearing of the head I think its coming from the draw bar . I hate to tear into this thing asIo don't know much about repairing these things .