Delrin Cross Slide Nut

[ddickey]

Anyone make a nut with Delrin? Thinking about trying this. I can't keep my cross slide lead screw and nut tight. Thinking it might be quite worn.

 

[tincture500]

Sounds like a idea that may work. Maybe the graphite filled stuff. Let us know how it turns out

 

[tweinke]

Google eva nut and I'm sure you will suffer from information overload! Thinking of trying that for my 3in1 on the leadscrew.

 

[Jimsehr]

Don't leave a space in evanut. I think it comes from a post by Evan Williams from Canada.
Jimsehr

 

[didtas]

I made a couple out of mazak years ago , worked good .

Daniel.

 

[12bolts]

Not sure an evanut is ideal on a lathe cross slide unless you relieve the threads considerably. What do you mean by keeping the lead screw and nut tight?

Cheers Phil

 

[ddickey]

I make an adjustment to take out most of the backlash, after a few trips back and forth the cap screws that hold the cross slide nut have loosened up. It is annoying. I read an article about making a nut out of Delrin, this guy also made a new screw as well.

 

[12bolts]

Lathes are not generally "adjustable" for backlash. You can allow/account for backlash by winding your feed past "a" point and then going back the other way. A good machinist would always wind back on the cross slide then go back in to "zero"
My" badly" worn hercus needs a new leadscrew, however I can deal with + 0.050" backlash just by winding the dial further.

Cheers Phil

 

[ddickey]

Depending on how you're turning yes, that is what I do.

 

[coherent]

In the very first small home built CNC router I made I used acme threaded rod and blocks of delrin (which I threaded) for the nuts and bearing mounts they worked surprisingly well. They were easy to machine with basic tools and held up pretty well considering. If nothing else they would be cheap and easy to replace when they wear and the backlash becomes excessive. I've seen some very simple "double nuts" which were made with two blocks with a spring compressed between them on the screw. The tension of the spring pushing the nuts apart reduce play/backlash even more.