[ozgurgulderen]

Hi Guys,

I have been working on my homemade CNC and looking for a solution about mounting the belts to the gantry. Could you please share your experience how you mount the timing belts? I am using open loop belts and using a wooden piece to mount the belt to gantry. The problem is the tightening phase, it is really hard to tighten in place.

Thanks for the answers in advance.

You can see how I did it in my blog: DIY Projects
also a video of my cnc in youtube

[wizard]

Generally you need a way to take up slack. Either a pulley that can be moved or an idler someplace in the system.

[plcamp]

Generally you need a way to take up slack. Either a pulley that can be moved or an idler someplace in the system.

A spring loaded idler (tensioner) would be a good option. If you have a spare bearing somewhat wider than your belt this would work fine. Check out the belt tensioner used on your car, it doesn't have to be that elaborate but it will give you a nice starting point for your design.