[laserlotus]

I'm thinking of buying a g0704 and converting it to CNC. This would give me larger travels than my Taig. I would like to start with a simple conversion that retains the stock leadscrew. What I'd like to know for starters from someone who has this machine (the g0704) is:

What type are stock leadscrews? Are they ACME or trapezoidal?

Are all 3 axes the same kind, or is the Z different? If so, what is the Z?

What is the TPI and number of starts on the leadscrew?

For some reason this info is not on the Grizzly product page, how the heck do they expect people to buy it without knowing what it is anyhow?

[WOTDesigns]

Because none of that information is even remotely relevant for a manual machine?

Edit- that's in jest.

Stock lead screws will leave you strongly withing you had ball screws and cause more wear on the machine unless you run it ungodly slow. The excess backlash will make the machine jerk if you use backlash comp and without it you will have a machine incapable of much unless all moves are from the same directions.


Brian
WOT Designs

[Wiggles84]

I would just skip the lead screws all together and jump right to ball screws. They can be had for about $175 form the ebay seller most people here use (machined & shipped from china)

Or just buy a "kit" that is ready to bolt up to the machine. A member here going by Arizonavideo sells a kit that looks nice and the price look vary nice from what I remember.

Andrew

[laserlotus]

Well thanks guys. Guess I'll might just have to order it to find out :/ I will consider ballscrew conversion in the long run but for now I'm more interested in a quick fix, if someone has the answers to the original questions it will be much appreciated.

[hoss2006]

The X and Y are 10 tpi, the handles are graduated for .100 per revolution.
The Z is 6 tpi, I know from calibrating the Z axis with stock screws under cnc.
Plenty do a stock screw cnc conversion first for the cost savings and no need to remove the table or saddle.
While speeds are slow and backlash is definite it does give you a cnc machine capable of making parts like when upgrading to ballscrews sooner or later.
Hoss

[laserlotus]

While speeds are slow and backlash is definite it does give you a cnc machine capable of making parts like when upgrading to ballscrews sooner or later.

Exactly. It's highly awesome to build the machine's successor on it.