Floating tables

[laserLips]

When using floating tables to mount the lasers on, apart form nutts and bolts, how do you stop the bolt form slipping/turning and comming down?

[drlava]

a lock washer and/ or loctite?

[laserLips]

Cool, thanks, often seen them washers, never knew what they did

[buffo]

Another alternative is to use Nylock nuts. These are stainless steel nuts that have a nylon insert at the top that grips the bolt (or threaded rod) and prevents the nut from vibrating loose. They work really well. (I used them on my latest projector table.)

I do not recommend them for use in holding the rod to the baseplate, however. It's easier to just use a regular nut and a lock washer there.

But for adjusting the height of the floating table, these nylock nuts work great. I have one on the bottom and another one on top of the floating table for each of the 4 support rods.

Even after transporting my projector several times, the alignment is still exactly where I set it when I built the projector.

Adam

[laserLips]

Even better, that will take the worrying out of them working loose

[buffo]

A little more about my floating-table design...

The only problem I had with the nylock nuts is when I tried to use them to secure the threaded rods to the baseplate. I used a nut on the bottom of the plate and another on top of it. (The holes in my baseplate are not threaded.) This turns out to be quite difficult, because you need to hold the threaded rod still while you tighten the nuts. And since the nylock nuts have significant resistance (because of that nylon insert), you have to have a really good grip on the rod. I ended up having to use a deep-well socket wrench on the nut and a pair of large needle-nose pliers to hold the rod. It took a lot longer than I thought it would, which is why I'd suggest using a regular nut and lock washer for that area in the future.

In my mind, the problem with using a lock washer for the floating table adjustment is that you have to snug everything down *really* tight each and every time you want to check the alignment. Because if you don't, the lock washers won't be fully compressed and the table height will be off. Since I spent at least a good hour or so tweaking the nuts below the floating tables before I got my alignment correct, I'd hate to think of how much longer it would have taken if I would have been forced to snug everything down after eachg adjustment. (For the first 30 min or so I didn't even have the top nuts installed on the threaded rods. It was only after I got really close that I installed them, because at the very end I found that having the top nuts tightened down helped to level everything.)

I really need to take some pictures of my projector and post them in the gallery. The pics I have in there now are of the old design from the spring. Sigh - maybe when I get my blue laser back from Lasever I'll update the gallery.

Adam

[CDBEAM]

LL,

I have the following arrangment on my floating table which positions my Maxyz Duals...1/4-20 SS Allen Hex head bolt goes thru the 1/4" Alum. floating table....and sandwiched in between this and the main optical platform / level....I have one (1) 1/4-20 SS washer...superglued to rubber grommet. The grommet is 3/8" in thickness. The Allen Head bolt passes thru the washer+grommet assembly...and on into a threaded hole in my
optical platform. I realize this design only floats your table about 7/16"

I remember reading somewhere on PL that it was advisable to minimize the height of your floating tables. I assume this is because in doing so....you
minimize the possibillity of lateral shift....and consequent Laser head misalignment. So...therefore...this is why I have a minimal space.

This design is unproven....as I am still in the assembly process....BUT....the grommet does compress...with a healthy amount of resistance....and should provide both adjustabillity....and stabillity....my2C's

Bob/CDBEAM

[laserLips]

CDBEAM, thanks for your input, got any pics?

[CDBEAM]

LL,

No pics....but I'll take some....and post soon !! I was thinking...you could float your table....at whatever height....by using one ..or more nylon spacer sleeves.....as in....
Threaded hole in optics table/level--> all thread SS rod to xx length-->Two nuts to secure the threaded rod in place so it cannot rotate -->
one (1) or a series of nylon sleeves stacked with SS rod going thru-->
washer+rubber grommet+washer assembly-->Floating table-->...and finally...nylon insert lock nut. The rubber grommet is just one way to provide vertical movement / adjustment....could use a stiff spring....or belvel washers...ect...
There are many ways to do things !!
Later !!

Bob / CDBEAM