I am planning on building KYO's "Sphinx" CNC mill; with some modifications. C-beam Sphinx I downloaded the B.O.M. to order the parts. As I perused the list, I noticed that the "Z" motor mount was offset; and used pulley's and a belt. Thus it required that the motor be offset. But in my viewing of countless Sphinx "Builds", I noticed a number of times where they used direct motor drives; where the motor connected directly to the lead screw. If you would be so kind; would you care to state candidly; the" pros and cons" of both methods; before I order the parts. Thanks in advance for your doing this. Note: I apologize if someone has already posted this question. If so I hope "OpenBuilds" will delete this thread; for I have no intention of "upstaging" any one; especially since I am new to this great forum. pat
Oh man... 4 year later I hope that you were able to find the answer of your question. If not, I had the same thought and I was able to find in another post an answer that made sense from minimill (MiniMill Z Axis Upgrade with Offset Motor). Pros: - Lower overall machine height (In my case, this was my main driving factor: Wanted to fit the mill in existing shelf space) - Lower center of gravity - less vibrations - Easier to reach Z axis to manually turn (versus reaching inbetween motor and CBeam in the conventional setup) for manually adjusting Z Zero - Future: Reduction Drive (Pulley ratios) for even more torque Cons: - More parts (; - no biggie I will probably stick with direct config. For me, the only Pro I see is lower center of gravity/balance center with the spindle in one side and the motor in the other side. I don't think I am that good in machining yet.
