MDF NEMA 23 Motor mounts

[Tom]

For sale on ebay. A new improved design over what my router is currently running. Helpful for new builds (I found the motor mounts on my build very fiddly with few tools to help me).

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=140435943357



Comments / feedback welcome. Also, if you've got any ideas for similar components you need to help you out, let me know.

Cheers,
Tom

[Scott]

might just be me but it looks like you loosing steps or calibration need looking at or it could just be the picture
like the design those spacers are a good idea makes adjustmet easy

[Tom]

Yeah, you're not wrong - there are a couple of things I'm planning to improve on this machine. All fixed this week, and none affect the function of this part.

Backlash in X (causes poor text resolution)
Gantry flexibility parallel to Y (causes the wavy edge on X direction cuts)
Z not quite normal to the table (causes the "stepped" appearance to the cuts, where each pass is visible separately)

Cheers for the feedback! :)

[GeorgeD]

Did you know that MDF expands and contracts in different climatic conditions,Tom.


Thats why I never even considered MDF in my build(When I get round to it) :whistling:

[irving2008]

Did you know that MDF expands and contracts in different climatic conditions,Tom.


Thats why I never even considered MDF in my build(When I get round to it) :whistling:

yes it does when it absorbs moisture... which is why you need to seal it with paint or other sealant. But for a wood and plastics-cutting router/mill MDF is a perfectly good material for a starter machine as many have demonstrated.

[GeorgeD]

yes it does when it absorbs moisture

So it won't expand from the heat generated from the stepper motor?

[GeorgeD]

A test just done on a piece of 25mm MDF measured with my digi caliper,applied heat from a paint stripper gun for 1 minute and measured 25.18mm.

[John S]

If you steppers are getting as hot as a paint stripping gun you are doing something wrong - take up knitting.

.

[GeorgeD]

Are you saying they don'tget hot after 2 or3 hours constant use? all motors get hot in constant use.

[John S]

George,
Lets look at this logically. Anyone building a stepper driven MDF machine isn't looking to hold 0.001" on it.
By virtue of using MDF and threaded rod for lead screws the build will limit then to far more than this.

Your 0.18mm with a heat gun is far more than a stepper will get and if you are using decent drivers the motors drop back to half current when parked so working hard they will only get reasonably warm.

Where MDF scores is it's cheap and easily worked which means a beginner can quickly cut their teeth on the MKI router which often leads to the MKII and so on.

.