Hi all, I have a 3d printer that uses 8mm Acme Screws as leadscrews on the Z axis. Unfortunately the brass nuts I have are excessively loose, causing poor printing quality. To fix this I was considering the use of Anti-Backlash Nut Blocks to fix this, but I'm somewhat concerned that in this application the delrin nuts might wear rapidly or require frequent adjustments. Has anybody tried them on a 3d printer? I see them a lot on routers, but not on printers, is there a reason? Thanks Larry
Can't speak from direct experience (yet, as I'm building my own 3D printer using lead screws on all axes), but delrin has self lubricating properties. Couple that with a properly ground screw, and the wear should be minimal. I think the main reason that no one really uses anti-backlash nuts on the Z is because the axis rarely moves in both directions during the course of the print (save for features like Z lift and the like). That's not to say they aren't advantageous in the right circumstances. I think just a decent quality nut will fix Z issues on most printers. I know the one on my current printer is pretty sloppy as well, but as long as you keep loading the screw in the same direction, there are very few issues with it in terms of print quality.
I went ahead and bought two of these 8mm T8x8 Lead Screw Trapezoidal ACME Brass Anti-Backlash Nut Adjustable Preload They arrived in 3 days and a hour later I was back printing with ALL play removed from the z axis. I also ordered a couple of the Open Builds anti backlash nuts, but they showed up a couple days later. If the brass ones fail I'll give the OB set a shot. Right now I'm very impressed with brass set - they are a awesome improvement over the standard 8mm brass nuts. If anybody decides to try these as well, make sure you are certain of your thread pitch of your lead screw. The ones I linked to are the correct ones To replace nuts that move 8mm with each rotation of the screw. There are two other fairly common thread pitches available. These nuts are also the correct ones for the Acme Screws you can find in the OB parts store.
