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Stepping out: power slide

A project log for A Cheap Compact Linear Slide

<$10. <10μm repeatable. >10kg capacity. Laser-cut 1/8" hardboard. For 100mm x 6mm rod, but semi-parametric. Handwheel or stepper drive. CAD.

paul-mcclayPaul McClay 03/19/2021 at 03:300 Comments

(update:   ̶̶G̶o̶o̶g̶l̶e̶ ̶d̶o̶c̶ ̶ -> less ponderous 'ible)

The ur-example:


Handwheel drive was a recent-ish simplification of a generalization of the slide mechanism used in #Minamil: a minimal CNC mill. After talking about but not posting sufficient info to make that reproducible for [some number of] months, I started this project when I had enough [i.e. too much] written about building a slide with handwheel drive, leaving stepper drive as a to-do.


The point: now the ̶d̶i̶y̶ ̶d̶o̶c̶ ̶ includes stepper drive. [Update: but the 'ible is the Better Way. (...and I've thought of a futher simplification, I think...)]  


motor needs tweaks

paperclip needs tweaks

backlash adjuster (#Minamil demonstrates usefully small backlash)

You could probably figure out much of that yourself, but expecting anyone to pull the spring out of thin air seemed unreasonable.


Yay (for me -- I struggle with the writing-up part of any project -- on the rare occasion that I  actually undertake to do so) for a milestone.

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