SolarFreak
Junior Member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2011
- Messages
- 8
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In the process of doing a CNC conversion on an antique Clausing lathe... I have the cross slide + compound slide tore apart, cleaned and in bags... While I'm tore into it, I'm evaluating the backlash in the cross slide. Compensating for it in software (Mach3) is certainly an option, but I'm wondering if maybe I should take care of it in the "hardware" layer. There's currently about .022" of backlash. There's no visual wear, it just seems to have been made that way. What you see in the pictures that may LOOK like wear is not, that's the way it was made - it's very well preserved.
I'm seriously considering sooting the lead screw and casting a zinc (or zinc based alloy) directly on it. It should give me a replacement with practically ZERO backlash.
Thoughts?
Should anything go wrong, removing the casting will be easy. More than anything, I'm concerned with a fit that is too tight. I'm doing a CNC conversion on the lathe, and as long as I have it apart, I think shoring up the slop would be smart.
Here's some pictures of the parts currently:
I'm seriously considering sooting the lead screw and casting a zinc (or zinc based alloy) directly on it. It should give me a replacement with practically ZERO backlash.
Thoughts?
Should anything go wrong, removing the casting will be easy. More than anything, I'm concerned with a fit that is too tight. I'm doing a CNC conversion on the lathe, and as long as I have it apart, I think shoring up the slop would be smart.
Here's some pictures of the parts currently: