Frustrating lack of information about MakerSlide specifics

[reflectivist]

I pre-ordered (4) 6ft lengths of MakerSlide from Inventables.

But unfortunately there is a conspicuous avoidance by the people involved
with inventing/distributing MakerSlide to discuss how much it can handle.
Questions have been asked/ducked on the Inventables forums, and I see
the same thing happening on this forum, when people ask questions about
how much force the wheels will take, how long the slides can go for.

So I don't know what applications if I can reasonably expect to MakerSlide with.
For example can I use it to support a spindle like a V90? What about a ShopBot?
What are the practical limits? Can I use it with 282 oz/in NEMA 23 steppers or
400 oz/in NEMA 23 steppers to build a solid, reliably larger gantry router
(I'd even be willing to double-up on the sliders per rail as long as I didn't
spend all the money on sliders and wind up regretting it because it wasn't
really practical).

I'd like to know how much weight the slides can take, how long the delrin
wheels can hold up, etc... However, because I can't get any data like that, I just
assume one can use it for very lightweight and light duty purposes.

I boughtt these slides because I thought I could save some money with them,
but it looks like now, lacking any verification that the maker
slide system can scale up to be used in a substantial system, I'm going to
be stuck spending money on serious industrial rails anyway, and I'll be stuck
with MakerSlide unless I need some light duty slider system some day.

Help us out here, folks. Give us an idea about what we can expect with these
slides... what reasonable applications are and what unreasonable expectations
are (and please don't tell me expecting a decent answer to questions like
this is unreasonable).

[bdring]

The basic Makerslide system is made for small to medium sized applications. The cross section is only 20mm x 40mm. I do not think it is suitable for a large scale router. Even 4' x 4' would be pushing it if you plan to use a heavy spindle or try to cut at high feed rates. I do not like to load the wheels at more than about 6lbs per wheel.

On lightly loaded systems like laser cutters, 3D printers and plasma cutters, you can go a lot longer.

The wheels are weakest in twisting load. You want to avoid heavy or leveraged loads in that mode.

[naPS]

Not to be a d-bag or anything, but your second post is complaining about the lack of information while your first post is a youtube video of the extrusion process.

Before coming here and slamming someone, maybe just ask the question you need answered first? It sounds like in this case it could have saved you a few bucks.

[reflectivist]

Not to be a d-bag or anything, but your second post is complaining about the lack of information while your first post is a youtube video of the extrusion process.

Before coming here and slamming someone, maybe just ask the question you need answered first? It sounds like in this case it could have saved you a few bucks.

False dichotomy between me posting a picture of the extrusion process and then asking questions about the application limits of the MakerSlide. They're unrelated. I still think the extrusion process is interesting, whether or not MakerSlide will support a heavier duty gantry router. Plus I've had dialog on the Inventable's forum as well, which I believe Bart has also responded to me and others about. So I don't feel that this line of delineation between one forum and another is one that I need to religiously honor.

There's a legitimate basis for me to complain about not having some clear information about the range of uses of MakerSlide, because I've seen no responses to any of the most relevant questions to my own on two forums now. I'm sure I'll find a use for the MakerSlide at some point, but at least now I know, what I was starting to conclude anyway, that if I want to go something somewhat heavy duty, MakerSlide isn't necessarily the product for it. I can take responsibility that my own goals have morphed slightly too. Initially I didn't want the MakerSlide for anything as heavy duty as I eventually I decided I want to build. I can handle that newbie tax. I didn't like being in the grey area.

The reason I finally posted like this today is that this is the last day that Inventables will offer free shipping on the MakerSlide related hardware, for people who pre-ordered MakerSlide. So I needed to figure out if I should lay out another $150 - $200 today or not. My budget has been hammered between buying so much CNC hardware and software and electronics lately that I just don't want to do that right *now* if it's not going to help me with the projects at hand. Anyway, frustration about what to do about the Inventables order and the urgency of the deadline and having a bad cold today at best may have shaved a layer or two off my diplomacy.

Anyway, I'm still glad I have the MakerSlide. I have a couple of applications in mind it will be perfect for. I'm impressed with the people, products and goals in general. I think it takes a lot of hutzpah, brilliance, creativity, good will and entrepreneurialism to do all of that. I'll just have to hope that I can get the delrin wheels, idler assemblies, belt, etc... down the road when I am ready to move forward with the other projects. Otherwise I have to spring for the extra stuff in the next few hours.

[lovebugjunkie]

After spending a number of years playing with my desktop router (Romaxx HS1) with a porter cable 892 as a spindle I would suggest you not even think of using the makerslide to build a cnc router and mount a large spindle on it. 20mm extruded aluminum IMO is not strong enough for such use. I think makerslide would be great for a engraving machine or a router that held not much more than a dremel tool, and of course a cnc laser. Some of the operator errors I have done on my cnc router would have bent the V part that the v-wheels ride on if not the makerslide itself. Stepper size is an open question, if you make a machine that never makes a move other than what it is told to and you have an operator that never inputs the wrong parameters and you never ran your machine faster than the spindle can cut then everything will be fine. But if you had me as your operator I can foresee me transposing a parameter that could cause a strong stepper to bend/twist the V-rail of the makerslide sooner or later.

[naPS]

False dichotomy between me posting a picture of the extrusion process and then asking questions about the application limits of the MakerSlide. They're unrelated.

There's a legitimate basis for me to complain about not having some clear information about the range of uses of MakerSlide, because I've seen no responses to any of the most relevant questions to my own on two forums now.

That's exactly my point. You didn't ask any questions here, you just came in guns blazing and saying that you are frustrated. My point was, if you had asked here, you would receive answers. I can't speak for what happens on the Inventables forum, but if you were unable to receive help there, then I agree, that truly sucks.

You didn't post your questions on two forums, you posted them on one, and then complaints on the other. But that's neither here nor there at this point.

To answer your concerns though, as two others have now in a matter of hours since you posted the query here, no, Makerslide is not going to work for heavy duty applications. I am currently using it for a camera slider with a 7lb load on it, and with a 5' span, I get a couple of mm of deflection when the load is in the middle of the beam.

[bill.french]

I personally enjoy the "buy something totally new first and ask questions about my specific application later" adventure. Am I alone?

[Enraged]

nope. I bought two 2m sections of Makerslide, along with all of the carraige and bearing bits, with not set goal as to their use. It will most likely be for a laser cutter, but I wanted to get this first batch of parts and have them on hand for whenever I got around to designing the machine.

[bdring]

I did not mind the original questions or how they were presented. @relflectivist sounds like he was legitimately frustrated and I tried to help him out. He sounds like he is trying to build some cool stuff, so let's help him out.

We are all builders. We are building machines and friendships.

[lx007]

We are all builders. We are building machines and friendships.

Awesome quote! Bart is an amazing asset to this community, and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!