Angle Iron for CNC

[Michael Simpson Virgina]

I am looking for some angle Iron that can be used for a large CNC V bearings. In the past I have used aluminum with great success but it wears over time.

I have purchased angle from both Home Depot and Lowes and that stuff is totally unsuitable for use with a CNC.

Any suggestions?

[Dan Hintz]

HD also sells iron angle...

[Michael Simpson Virgina]

I have purchased the angle Iron from HD and its horrible. Not only does it have the scale but I found it to be very uneven. Any CNC made from that stuff would suffer from accuracey problems if used for the rails.

FYI I have purhcased from three different HD in my area and its all the same. The stuff from Lowes is a little better but still not as good enough. I currently use alluminum (Conditioned) and its accurate and as smooth as silk.

[James Jaragosky]

I have purchased the angle Iron from HD and its horrible. Not only does it have the scale but I found it to be very uneven. Any CNC made from that stuff would suffer from accuracey problems if used for the rails.

FYI I have purhcased from three different HD in my area and its all the same. The stuff from Lowes is a little better but still not as good enough. I currently use alluminum (Conditioned) and its accurate and as smooth as silk.

Try these guys they have every kind of steel known to man. or at least the Chicago branch does.


U S Steel Corporationhttp://maps.google.com/?cid=12154816729001078133s=9923602175997145079U S Steel Corporation

Place page

1101 Pennsylvania Ave NW # 510
Washington D.C., DC 20004-2514
(202) 783-6333

[Mike Heidrick]

I bought my angle from online metals. Now with this upgrade I am mounting hardened T2 V rail from superior bearing (~$41 for 72" undrilled - $6.81 a foot) onto 1/2"X3/4" alum bar stock. just slightly shorter than teh angle iron. I ordered my alum from onlinemetals (use holiday for 20% off and if over $100 you get an additional 10% off) but everyone says order from stockcarsteel.com as they are about 40% cheeper for the alum.

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

I think that all angle is hot rolled, and will all have a similar rough finish. One option is to grind them ala Mechmate.

What about stainless angle? Probably twice the cost, but also probably much better?

[Michael Simpson Virgina]

@Mike
How did you drill the holes? IE was the hardened steel hard to drill. Currently I am mounting my aluminum rail to the 80/20 with bolts every 4" and thats a lot of holes in that hard stuff.

@Gerry
Stainless would work if its only twice the price. The Hardened V rails would be better but thats a major cost/upgrade.

Im not building a Joes CNC, so the hieght and spacing of the rail is not criticle so any rail type will work. I have come up with a bearing mount system thats self tensioning and quite ridgid.

Also it will have a lowerd bed not a raised gantry as I find this to be much more ridgid. It will have a cutting area of 56" x 60".

[Mike Heidrick]

Only the V tips of the V rail are hardened. When I drilled it for my current Z it was no problem at all. I drilled it for a 10-32 so the hole was not huge anyway. Cutting it took longer than angle but with a portable bandsaw it was no issue even doing that. Which part is hard on your alum mount? I woul dthink you would not have issues drilling the alum. You ready for some new bits? I am going to try "machine drills" for this next round as I needed a couple #7s anyway and I was placing an enco order.

[Michael Simpson Virgina]

The alumminum is very easy to drill. I had drilled some hardened stuff awhile back and It was rough. I do like the idea of using the add-on vrails as it can be done at a later time without a change to my design. Would make for a nice upgrade. My current CNC is uing 100% aluminum rails. I condition them before assembly with a special jig I made. This creates the V profile so there is no short term wear. Even after months of use I havntt gotten any noticible wear but Long term is another story.

On your joes build will you have to make any major changes by adding the hardened V rail?