My x-axis movement is good in the middle of the travel but tightens up at each end in the last 3 to 4 inches. I bought it new in Feb and most of the work I have done has been in the middle of the table until recently so I hadn't noticed the difference. Does this mean the gibs need to be adjusted? Could it just be a breakin issue?
The y-axis is smooth for the full travel but that's only 8 in compared to 22 in.
Dan
I don't think adjusting the gib will do it. If you tighten the gib in the middle you won't move the table at the ends. If you loosen the gib so as to be smooth at the ends it'll be real sloppy in the middle.
I'd guess it's time to scrape the ends.
My guess is that the X nut is probably sitting too low and bows the leadscrew enough to feel OK when the travel is in the middle but tightens up as you reach the ends.
Ed
Ed,
Can I shim this up without removing the table?
Dan
Dan,
Unfortunately not. You'll need to remove the table, which is not that hard to do. Just be sure to have another strong body to help because the table is fairly heavy for one person to handle. The hard part is figuring out how much to shim up the nut to get it so it's inline with the table ends. You might be able to get fairly close by sighting from one end of the table through the nut to the other end after removing the leadscrew.
Ed