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Question regarding huge linear slide assembly - possibly for sale?

I have a huge linear slide assembly that I recovered several years ago from some industrial equipment. Here's a link to a picture:

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I had plans to make a wood lathe using this as the bed and fabricate my own headstock. I was going to use the travelling platform as a toolrest that I could position precisely... possibly for spiral turnings and similar. Unfortunately, a new job and the time required means that I simply do not get much time to spend out in my shop anymore. I am under a threat from the missus to clean some stuff out, and this seems like a good place to start.

In any case, this is a huge assembly for a linear slide. Here are some specs:

Rail length, 41" Rail diameter, 1.5" hard chromed Lead screw, 1" x 4 turns Platform, 9" wide by 7" deep Rail distance, 5.5" center-to-center Base, 8" inverted channel iron Overall base length, 56" Coating, industrial green enamel, no rust

In fact, I placed a drill in the picture linked above simply to give a sense of scale on just how large this assembly is.

The question I have is this - is it worth selling on EBay? The strange part is, it is so heavy and large that I can see no other way to ship it other than on a pallet or in a crate. It certainly won't go via UPS unless I dissasemble it, and I am hesitant to do so unless absolutely necessary.

The rec.crafts.metalworking community has been good to me in the past with advice and helpful suggestions. Will this sell at a price that would be worthwhile? Will the shipping hassle be too much trouble? If so, what are some alternative sugegestions for using this beast?

I appreciate any response and suggestions that you guys might be able to give.

Dave snipped-for-privacy@easypckits.com

Reply to
insulglass
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Just a thought; you might give us an idea of your location and how much you are looking to sell it for. That way someone here might have a shot at it. Lane

Reply to
lane

Most people on ebay would want to know if the screw is ball or lead, the actual travel of the truck(34?), whether you have a motor mount or handle for the end and finally an estimate of the weight. I do see these selling all of the time under "CNC" (don't forget to put that in the title). Where are you and can you estimate the weight?

Reply to
Kevin Doney

I am located in Athens, Alabama (5 minutes from I-65 and US Hwy 72 if that makes a difference). I can probably find a shipper in Huntsville or Decatur, but I have never shipped anything that couldn't go UPS - I am ignorant of the hassle factor.

Value is a hard thing. I just KNOW that some company paid several thousand for this thing, it's simply to massive and linear slides too hard to make. However, I honestly got it very cheaply several years ago, so I wouldn't expect more than pennies on the dollar.

Firstly, I need it to be gone. I need the space it is taking up. I actually had some 8" square tube steel (1/4" wall) cut to use as the tailstock and headstock. They are still stacked where I left them five years ago - right beside the 1" flanged pillow block bearings I was going to use for the drive shaft.

Secondly, I have no way of determining true value. Maybe my researching skills need help, but I have not been able to find ANYTHING of similar configuration in any industrial catalog or online. I can't find any manufacturer's mark or identification anywhere on the ball-bearing return housing, nor have I seen a similar unit. Maybe someone could give me a suggestion on what this might have cost or be worth.

Thirdly, I'd rather give it away for a song than have it set in my shop unused for several more years. I hate wasted resources. If someone could legitimately use this item, I'd be very inclined to be very generous. I trade under the name "insulglass" on eBay, I will ALWAYS give more value than auction winners expect, and I see no reason to treat this any differently.

Fourthly, if anyone has any interest, either post back or drop me an email. I can take some more detailed pictures if anyone wants any. Oh what the heck, I took some and uploaded them quickly... a few closeups and different views. The last picture kinda shows where I was headed with the tube steel.

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Lane, thanks very much for your response.I'm taking baby steps on this item, I appreciate you pointing me in a logical direction.

Dave snipped-for-privacy@easypckits.com

Reply to
insulglass

A closeup pic has been posted in a previous reply. Rounded grooves, not an Acme type thread at all. So, it's a ball screw type I think. The positioning is a little stiff...it works fine but I never really lubed it due to sawdust in my shop, etc. The wipers on the lead screw and rails still appear to be in excellent shape.

Yes, 34" give or take a quarter inch or so.

I suspect that it had a handle at one time. I see no reason that a positioning motor couldn't be easily mounted somehow. The shaft extends about 10" from the end of the lead screw, and is about 3/8" in diameter at the very end.

Location in previous reply. I would estimate that the total assembly weighs in the 150-175 range. I'm not a small guy at all, and it's all I can do to pick it up and handle it, and I'm straining at that.

Once again, great questions - thanks for the reply.

Dave snipped-for-privacy@easypckits.com

Reply to
insulglass

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