just another plasma build and then some :)

I had some Leadshine parts come out of China last week and I got them in two days, but I did pay extra for the shipping.

i was being cheap and took the free shipping. i figured by the time i sort everything else out i should get them by then. only have so much time to work on this project so it goes slow as a result. can't quit the job any time soon so that wins most of my time.

i did start to make new plastic ball screw guides from Delrin and i beefed up the width some some i have more material around the dove tails. this material is much better than HDPE in performance and machining in general. Delrin has really good mechanical properties where the HDPE has some pretty poor shear qualities. i should be good to go once i get those made and can run the screw as fast as i want. so hopefully soon i can check that off the list and move to the casting part of the frame.

Be careful when comparing plastics. Each has their place.
HDPE has very high compressive strength, will not shatter (they just turn into donuts) and unlike a lot of plastics it is impervious to moisture. Some nylons crack and shatter as they take up moisture.
I guess thats why they use HDPE for water pipes.

I got sick of searching for HDPE in .AU all the time so I bought a tonne from China and had them machine it. Saved me about $33k when I eventually work my way through it all.

got at least one working to try out seems to work good

no more screw whip they work great for that. if i get some more torque out of the axis i think i can get 500 IMP with no issues. i would be happy at that speed right now it's maxed out at 230 IPM

got some of my drag chain mounted and it seems to work well. i see why everyone supports it now thought i was going to have to wait but found some material to make the support out of.

just some better shots of how i did things

machinedude wrote:

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The first time a new machine jogs is a very memorable experience. All the long hours coming together.