hi all,
i have been lurking here for a while now as i wish to build a couple of cnc's, one hot wire one 3 axis router.
firstly let me introduce myself. i am an aircraft engineer by trade and have been flying r/c model aircraft for 22yrs. i want to build the cnc's because as the old saying goes 'if you want it done right, do it your self'. i have had many foam wings over the years that have been less than good. that made me start to manually cut my own wings with great success. the only down side i have found is the time consuming process of making templates for each design.
i feel that a cnc foam cutter would really increase the quality of the cut as well as the repeatabilty and changability of the wing core. this is where my problems start.......
i have spent a lot of time looking for designs and ideas for the mechanics of the foam cutter (the router will come later after the foam cutter is up and running) and i have these all designed. the electronics will come from hobby cnc but the other vital componant that i need is the one causing me the headache.
the leadscrews/ballscrews/threaded rods and nuts. what do i go for?? i would like a simple method of conecting the leadscrews to the motors. i want them to be relatively cheap, as in i am happy to pay a premium for a higher quality product, but not extortionate. i also want to be able to buy them in the UK or be able to have them shipped easily to the UK.
also, how do i support the leadscrew at the non-motor end?? i know i will probably need to have some sort of misalignment adjust as well.
lots of questions, and thats enough for just now
thanks in advance
nick