Section 1: V-Wheel sub-assemblies

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V-Wheels are what allow the Gantry of the CNC to move in the X and Y directions along the extrusions. This first section will describe how the wheel’s are assembled.

Option 1: Derek’s Hammer Method

YouTube Bookmark: https://youtu.be/ZkZot-WJXo8?t=24

In the video, Derek give’s us all a fine demonstration of the time honored American tradition of “Redneck Engineering” leveraging a block of wood and a hammer as the most minimal set of tools required to get bearings into a v-wheel.

Section 1a: Supplies needed

  1. Parts Needed:
    1. V-Wheel (12)
    2. Bearings (24)
    3. M8 flat washer (12)
  2. Tools Needed:
    1. A small square of wood (3”x3” or larger should be fine and 1/2” thick just to be safe)
    2. 1 hammer or an arbor press or a drill press
    3. A sturdy surface that can survive a beating (The author don’t suggest the dining room table unless you don’t fear your spouse killing you)

Section 1b: Install the first bearing per V-Wheel

YouTube Bookmark: https://youtu.be/ZkZot-WJXo8?t=82

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These steps will need to be repeated for all 12 V-Wheels

  1. Lay the V-Wheel flat on the surface
  2. Place a bearing on the opening of the V-Wheel being careful to center it
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  1. Place the block of wood on the bearing
  2. Strike the wood firmly trying to hit above where the center of the bearing is
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Important

You are not trying to pound the bearing to the center of the earth. This isn’t hammering a spike into concrete, think tapping in a finishing nail. If you hammer it like you are swinging a sledge hammer you can destroy both the bearing and the V-wheel.

  1. Repeat this step for the remaining 11 wheels

Section 1c: Finish the V-Wheel sub-assembly

YouTube Bookmark: https://youtu.be/ZkZot-WJXo8?t=105

Now that the first bearing is seated in the V-Wheel and you have a good sense of how hard to hit the bearings with the hammer its time to finish out the V-Wheel sub-assembly.

  1. Flip over the V-Wheel so the side without a bearing is facing up.
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  1. Place an M8 flat washer inside the V-Wheel.

Important

You must have this washer in between the 2 bearings to ensure the V-Wheels can roll correctly. Don’t forget it!

  1. Repeat this step for the remaining 11 wheels

Option 2: Use a Drill Press or arbor press

This was a suggestion from the MillRight CNC Facebook group. In industry, bearings are press fit into their sub-assembles via a tool called an Arbor press. If your home workshop is well supplied you may already have one as a basic one comes in handy for automotive repairs. While not as good as a dedicated Arbor press a Drill Press can be lowered with enough torque to serve the same purpose. If you don’t have either the author recommends you update your birthday/holiday wish list or make friends with people who have better tools!

Section 1d: Supplies needed

  1. Parts Needed:
    1. V-Wheel (12)
    2. Bearings (24)
    3. M8 flat washer (12)
  2. Tools Needed:
    1. 2 small square of wood (3”x3” or larger should be fine and 1/2” thick just to be safe)
    2. 1 Arbor press or a drill press

Note

Harbor Freight sells a basic 1 ton press https://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-arbor-press-3552.html

Section 1e: Install the first bearing per V-Wheel

  1. Clamp down a piece of wood to the base of the press to give a flat surface
  2. Lay the V-Wheel flat on the bed of the arbor or drill press.
  3. Place a V-Wheel on the bed
  4. Place a bearing on the opening of the V-Wheel being careful to center it
  5. Gently lower the chuck and align the bearing center under the chuck. Use a pencil or tape to mark where the V-Wheel is. This makes it much easier to repeat 24 times
  6. Back off the chuck an inch or 2
  7. Place the block of wood on the bearing
  8. Lower the arbor/drill press chuck onto the wood
  9. Pull down and either kind of press should slide the bearing into the V-Wheel like buttah!
  10. Repeat this step for the remaining 11 wheels

Section 1f: Finish the V-Wheel sub-assembly

Now that the first bearing is seated in the V-Wheel its time to finish out the V-Wheel sub-assembly.

  1. Flip over the V-Wheel so the side without a bearing is facing up.
  2. Drop in an M8 flat washer inside the V-Wheel. It’s ok if the washer isn’t perfectly aligned with the hole in the bearing. You can fix it later with the Allen key/screwdriver from the tools list

Note

You must have the M8 washer in between the 2 bearings to ensure the V-Wheels can roll correctly. Don’t forget it!

  1. Put the V-Wheel on your mark on the press

  2. Place a bearing on the opening of the V-Wheel being careful to center it

  3. Place the block of wood on the bearing

  4. Lower the arbor/drill press chuck

  5. Pull down and either kind of press should slide the bearing into the V-Wheel like buttah again

    • Optionally cringe at the fact that a Yankee is authoring the manual for a Southerner’s CNC machine

  6. Repeat this step for the remaining 11 wheels

Option 3: Use a Pipe Clamp

This was another suggestion from the MillRight CNC Facebook group. A pipe clamp is a low cost and effective way to apply the needed pressure to seat the bearings in the v-wheel.

Section 1g: Install the first bearing per V-Wheel

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  1. Separate the jaws of the clamp to be just slightly larger than the v-wheel and bearing
  2. Place a bearing on the opening of the V-Wheel being careful to center it
  3. Tighten the clamp so that it holds the v-wheel and bearing via friction
  4. Ensure the bearing is centered on the opening of the v-wheel
  5. Tighten the clamp until the bearing is fully seated in the v-wheel
  6. Back off the clamp and remove the assembly
  7. Repeat this step for the remaining 11 wheels

Section 1h: Finish the V-Wheel Sub-Assembly

  1. Drop in an M8 flat washer inside the V-Wheel. It’s ok if the washer isn’t perfectly aligned with the hole in the bearing. You can fix it later with the Allen key/screwdriver from the tools list

Note

You must have the M8 washer in between the 2 bearings to ensure the V-Wheels can roll correctly. Don’t forget it!

  1. Align a bearing with the opening in the v-wheel
  2. Place the v-wheel and bearing back between the clamp jaws and tight till friction just holds them.
  3. Verify the alignment of the bearing and v-wheel opening
  4. Tighten the clamp until the second bearing is fully seated
  5. Repeat this step for the remaining 11 wheels