I fabricated the new Z lift parts. I don't have the correct pulleys yet, so I only put together the motor corner as a test. The parts all laser cut very well. It is a lot easier than routing, because you don't have to babysit the machine as much. With routing there is always concern of a piece of scrap getting itself in trouble. There will also be a piece that rides on the lead screw that attaches to the bed. I will work on that next. I want that to be much more simple than it is now.
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- Motor Plate
I doubled up on the bearings. This might not be needed, but they are a little narrow compared to the belt. There is a washer between each bearing to make sure there is no stress between the inner and outer races.
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- Motor Plate close up
I added one more feature at the last minute that may not even be necessary. Each piece with a lead screw has a tapped hole. This can be used to support the piece against the bottom if it starts to sag. A screw can be lowered to contact the floor as an additional support point. The Acrylic is quite stiff. With eight support brackets, it probably is not necessary.
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- Extra support point.