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I changed the design of the tube brackets. I did not like the tapped holes in the HDPE. It was a lot of work and I did not like the results. The threads were very tight so it was difficult to know how much force you are putting on the tube.

This uses square nuts in slots. I also added a notch that can be used to pass tubes with long electrodes and other protruding items.

awesome!!!

Does the HDPE offer any resistance on the threads to counter vibration? Have not started a build yet so not sure if that is something to take into account.

The HDPE threads were very good against vibration. The threads were so tight, that it was quite hard to turn the screws. The depth of a the socket head on the nylon screw seemed less than a normal socket head screw so you had to be careful not to strip the head. I did put a little silicon lube on the threads which helped. My two concerns were the extra fabrication steps and the lack of good feedback on the pressure against the tube.

The initial photo did not show the complete design. Here is a snapshot of the drawing. There is a lock nut that is used to fight vibration. There is very little vibration that reaches the tube anyway. The soft plastic bracket itself attenuates a lot of it.



http://www.buildlog.net/cnc_laser/erp/g ... ber=B30044

Thanks, I was thinking more of the screws backing out due to vibration but you had already thought of that. Great update.

lovebugjunkie wrote:Thanks, I was thinking more of the screws backing out due to vibration but you had already thought of that. Great update.

Substituting a nylon bolt might serve two purposes: 1. Plastic against glass is probably more forgiving and 2. Anti-vibration protection (won't back out).

Bill

It is a nylon bolt, but it does free run through the steel nut.