I just purchased a Lead machine and know that in the near future I'll need to extend the X axis so I can make cuts up to 48" long. With that said what components will I need to make this change on my machine. Thanks for any and all suggestions you make, I appreciate it. Lee
You'll need a larger diameter screw to go that distance. Shawn's Workbee 1510 is a good reference for that. You'll probably also want a double rail axis system to help resolve the torsional flexure issues of axis members that long. High Z Mod for Lead CNC provides good reference ideas for such a modification.
If in the U.S., McMaster Carr has 5 start 1/2"-10 lead screws that work great. You will need larger bearings and couplers as well. 6.35mm to 12 mm couplers are cheap and easy to come by and so are 12 mm pillow block bearings, so I had a friend with a lathe turn the ends of my two 1500 mm Y axis screws down to 12 mm. It saved me a lot of money on parts since his labor was free.
Zyltech has T12x8 screws and bearings with US based shipping. The only thing missing is proper anti-backlash nuts. That you'll have to work out on your own.
Good find! As for anti-backlash nuts, they are easy (and fun) to make if anyone wants to try. Just order a screw longer than you need and make your own taps. I am tempted to try to 3D print one out of POM. That is the nice thing about McMaster-Carr, all their parts have a cad drawing so you can download and import into Fusion 360 then convert to an .stl or modify it.
Thanks for your suggestions and ideas. Will put me closer to planning to accomplish this in the future. Lee
I’m scoping out a lead1010 system, and will need a large travel in Z. The end product will be some nice looking bathtubs. 8” material is better than 2” but I’ll still need a total of 16 setups to complete the selections prior to joining. Has anyone worked an even larger Z extension?
