Drive shaft for Lite 300x200 X-Y Stage

[MicroBill]

Can anyone share the trick on getting that 625 bearing to slide along the 5mm shaft? I bought another length of 5mm shafting thinking that the ground stainless shaft would work better than piece of 5mm plain steel rod that came with the kit. The 5mm rod from the kit had a little bit of a bend in it as well and I knew it wouldn't get any better after trying to get that bearing into position.

That bearing has to slide on from the opposite end from the toothed pulley and needs to slide down about 290mm. That's a long way to beat that bearing along the shaft to get it into the right spot.

Any ideas are welcome.

Bill

[Techgraphix]

Take a metal (gas) pipe with an internal diameter just a bit larger than your rod.. And use that to , or better, press the bearing to the right spot.

When you have a lathe available, you can use that to press the bearing to place.. Do not apply force to the outer ring..

Kees

[MicroBill]

Thanks Kees.

Got the lathe, just hoping I have a collet for that shaft . Then to find the tubing. Yep, know better than to beat on the outer race in this instance.

Bill

[Techgraphix]

You don't need a collet actually.. You open the jaws just so that the rod can slide through them. You place the bearing against the jaws (a washer with the internal diameter slightly bigger than the rod, to prevent the outer part of the bearing is forced, can be handy) and place the rod in the Tailstock (with a drillhead for instance). Fix the tailstock to the bed and turn the wheel to push the rod through the bearing.. until the bearing is where it should be.
To prevent your rod is bending, you could place a "steady rest" halfway.. but I don't think that is necessary..

Kees

[MicroBill]

I ended up using a nut - slightly larger than the shaft - to support the inner race and tapped the shaft with a light [hammer] to get it through the bearing.

With the bearing and pulley in position on the shaft, you cant get the assembly through the plastic bearing support located on the side rail. However, if you flip the plastic support around, you can slide the assembly in from the other side and it's all down hill from there.

Now to clear off some bench space and start swapping out the innards.

Bill