Step 14: Y-Axis Rails and Transmission Nut

To cut the correct length, simply place an aluminum angle next to the gantry sides with one on the inside dimension of one side. Mark the other side a smidgen smaller than the length. We don't want the angle to bow and the y/z axis assembly will squeeze it together enough to press the angle into those beautiful chamfers we made earlier. Do two of these, one for the top and one for the bottom of the y-axis rail support piece. Ok, now onto the transmission nut. We will have the challenge to doing some precise drilling here. Like with the z-axis lead screw, the y-axis screw is pretty much the same. All of the holes must align somewhat perfectly. If you screw up... pun... too bad, don't worry, MDF only costs about nine bucks a pop. I know, it's hard to go back and do it all over again. Well, this will give you motivation to do it right the first time. If you are as good at drilling as I am at grammar and spelling, well, get your pocketbook ready! Oh yeah, you might get some splitting as you can see in the image. It might be a good idea to use some glue for reinforcement.