The New Hotness

The Y-axis leadscrew on a Sherline milling machine sits exposed to all the crap blowing off the cutter; maybe it doesn’t matter, but it seems nasty.

So I made a set of way covers from the template available here or here, except I used plain old printer paper, stuck in place with double-sided tape. The picture shows what one looks like after surviving the rigors of a trip to Cabin Fever Expo.

The key feature is that, when they get too schmutzig, you just throw them away and fold up a new set. It’s easier than dismounting and cleaning something more substantial that you can’t just discard because you’ve developed a serious, deep, long-term emotional attachment.

Everybody at Cabin Fever Expo liked them and wanted the template. If those links have rotted out, I have a copy of the file in the Useful Stuff section: here.

Update: Here’s a closeup of a new set. Start with the printed lines up, then fold the end tabs up: the printed side will be down (as in the bellows on the right) and nobody will know how poorly you followed the lines. Click to get a big pic with decent resolution if you need more detail.

Update 2: An improved version.