Step 5: Assemble X carriage



The X carriage holds the Z carriage and travles left or right along the rods between the gantries. Like the Z carriage, it is made of wood and acrylic pieces that fit together with tabs and slots, and is secured with nuts and M3 bolts.

The masking paper can be peeled from the acrylic pieces prior to assembly.





Step 1: Fit the acrylic side pieces to the wood back plate. If the tabs are too large to fit in the acrylic slots, sand them slightly.

Step 2: Fit the acrylic top/bottom pieces onto the already assembled middle section. Note that the sides flare out towards one end. That is the top.

Step 3: Add the M3 bolts and nuts. As in the Z carriage, the wood to wood connections use the longer (16mm) M3 bolts while the plastic to wood connections use the 14mm bolts. Secure the bolts using the hex wrench.

Step 4: Set the rubber grommets (the black ring pieces, NOT the hard plastic bearings) into the outer two holes in the top and bottom plastic pieces. These will later hold the two rods that the Z carriage will ride along.

Step 5: Place the plastic bearings in the two outer holes (not middle holes) in the acrylic side pieces. These are the bearing on which the precision rods that run between the gantries will ride. The middle holes on the sides is where the threaded rod will go.

Step 6: Set the plastic flange in the middle hole of the bottom piece, between the two grommets. The flange will eventually encircle the end of the Z axis threaded rod.