Introduction
Please note: This guide is based upon building a 1000x1000 StrongHold PRO.
Measurements for the 1000x1500 and 1500x1500 machine sizes are provided in the relevant steps.
It is strongly recommended to assemble the base frame on a known flat surface (such as a solid table, work surface or similar). Assembling the frame on a carpeted floor, or other non-flat surface, can cause the finished frame to not be square. This can cause issues with quality and performance.
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2x 1216mm 40120 Extrusion
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1716mm for the StrongHold PRO 1000x1500 or 1500x1500
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3x 1050mm 4080 Extrusion
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1550mm for the StrongHold PRO 1500x1500
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2x 488mm 4080 Extrusion
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738mm for the StrongHold PRO 1000x1500 or 1500x1500
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16x 4040 cast corner assemblies
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4x 4040 extruded corners assemblies for the spoilboard
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1050mm 4080 Extrusion
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1550mm for the StrongHold PRO 1500x1500
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4040 Cast Corner Assembly
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Install one corner assembly onto each end of the 4080 extrusion as shown. Tighten the M8x16 screw to secure them.
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Ensure the corner assemblies are flush and square with the ends of the extrusions after tightening the screws
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Repeat these instructions for the second 4080 extrusion
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1050mm 4080 Extrusion
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1550mm for the StrongHold PRO 1500x1500
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4040 Cast Corner Assembly
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Install corner assemblies onto both sides of each end of the 4080 extrusion as shown. Tighten the M8x16 screw to secure them.
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Ensure the corner assemblies are flush and square with the ends of the extrusions after tightening the screws
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488mm 4080 Extrusion
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738mm for the StrongHold PRO 1000x1500 or 1500x1500
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4040 Cast Corner Assembly
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Install corner assemblies onto both sides of each end of the 4080 extrusion as shown. Tighten the M8x16 screw to secure them.
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Ensure the corner assemblies are flush and square with the ends of the extrusions after tightening the screws
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Front / Back Assembly from Step 2
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Central Frame Support Assembly from Step 4
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Position the central frame support in the middle of the front or back assembly as shown
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Tighten the marked M8 cap head screws to secure the extrusions together
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Repeat these instructions for the second base frame end
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Middle Assembly from Step 3
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2x Assemblies from the previous step
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Position the three assemblies as shown
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Ensure that the ends of all three 4080 extrusions are aligned
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Tighten the marked M8 cap head screws to secure the extrusions together
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1216mm 40120 Extrusion
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1716mm for the StrongHold PRO 1000x1500 or 1500x1500
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Align the each of the 40120 extrusions as shown
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Ensure that the ends of both 40120 extrusions are aligned with the ends of the frame
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Tighten the marked M8 cap head screws to secure the base together
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2x Rat Rig StrongHold PRO CNC - Motor Plate
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2x Rat Rig StrongHold PRO CNC - Idler Plate
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12x M12 Washer
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12x M12x45 Cap Head Screw
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8x M8x25 Cap Head Screw
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8x M8 Washer
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8x 4040 Drop-in T-Nut - M8
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Rat Rig StrongHold PRO CNC - Idler Plate
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M8 Washer
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M8x25 Cap Head Screw
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4040 Drop-in T-Nut - M8
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Loosely thread a 4040 T-Nut onto each of the M8x25 screws. Do not tighten them at this point.
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Repeat these instructions for the second idler plate as shown
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Set these assemblies aside until Steps 11 & 12
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Rat Rig StrongHold PRO CNC - Motor Plate
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The motor plates have additional holes compared to the idler plates
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M8 Washer
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M8x25 Cap Head Screw
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4040 Drop-in T-Nut - M8
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Loosely thread a 4040 T-Nut onto each of the M8x25 screws. Do not tighten them at this point.
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Repeat these instructions for the second motor plate as shown
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Set these assemblies aside until Steps 16 & 17
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Left idler plate Assembly from Step 9
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Align the idler plate assembly with the base frame as shown
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M12 Washer
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M12x45 Cap Head Screw
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Place an M12 washer on to each M12x45 cap head screw and loosely screw them through the plate and in to the extrusion
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Do not fully tighten any of the M12 or M8 cap head screws at this point
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Right idler plate assembly from Step 9
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Align the idler plate assembly with the base frame as shown
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M12 Washer
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M12x45 Cap Head Screw
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Place an M12 washer on to each M12x45 cap head screw and loosely screw them through the plate and in to the extrusion
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Do not fully tighten any of the M12 or M8 cap head screws at this point
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4x 4040 Extruded Corner Assembly (For the spoilboard)
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4x sh_pro_hg25r_end_spacer Printed Part
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2x sh_pro_y_motor_nut_holder Printed Part
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2x M5 Nylon Locking Hex Nut
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Base frame assembly
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Front right idler plate assembly
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sh_pro_hg25r_end_spacer Printed Part
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Insert the sh_pro_hg25r_end_spacer printed part in to the 40120 extrusion slot as shown. Slide it along the extrusion until it rests against the idler plate.
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Insert a second sh_pro_hg25r_end_spacer printed part in to the 40120 extrusion slot as shown, but leave this one at the open end.
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sh_pro_y_motor_nut_holder Printed Part
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M5 Nylon Locking Hex Nut
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Insert the M5 nylon locking hex nut in to the printed part
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The blue nylon ring in the nut should face away, as shown
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Insert the nut holder assembly in to the 40120 extrusion as shown
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Right motor plate assembly from Step 10
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Align the motor plate assembly with the base frame as shown
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M12 Washer
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M12x45 Cap Head Screw
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Place an M12 washer on to each M12x45 cap head screw and loosely screw them through the plate and in to the extrusion
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Do not fully tighten any of the M12 or M8 cap head screws at this point
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Repeat the instructions in steps 14, 15 & 16 to assemble the other side of the base frame
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4040 extruded corner assembly (For the spoilboard)
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Position the 4040 extruded corner assembly in the middle of the extrusion gap as shown
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The displayed measurement should be:
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244mm for StrongHold PRO 1000x1000
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369mm for StrongHold PRO 1000x1500 or 1500x1500
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Ensure that the top of the extruded corner assembly is flush with the top of the 4080 extrusions
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Fully tighten the M8 cap head screw to secure the extruded corner assembly to the frame
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Repeat the above instructions for the remaining 3 extruded corner assemblies
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Before continuing with the assembly, the frame must be squared and all screws full tightened
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Using an engineers square, check that the side 40120 extrusions are square to the extrusions forming the base
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On each side, tighten all of the following screws whilst continuing to check that the side extrusion remain square with the base:
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4x M8x16 within the cast corners connected to the base
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6x M12x45 on the motor and idler plates
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4x M8x25 on the motor and idler plates
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Once one side is fully secured and squared, proceed to repeat the process on the other side
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After tightening all screws, check the entire frame once more for squareness. Correcting any issues now is easier than once the assembly is complete!
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2x 1190mm HG25 Linear Rail with 2x Carriages
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2x 1690mm for a 1000x1500 or 1500x1500 machine
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40x M6x25 Cap Head Screw
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56x for a 1000x1500 or 1500x1500 machine
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40x 4040 Drop-in T-Nut - M6
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56x for a 1000x1500 or 1500x1500 machine
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2x align_40120_hg25 Printed Part
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The linear rails are supplied with a protective oil coating on them. It is strongly recommended to prepare your work surface with paper towels and to wear disposable gloves.
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Paper Towels
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Linear Rail
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Carefully open one end of the linear rail packaging and remove the rail. Place the rail upon the paper towels and dispose of the packaging
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The oil on the rails protects them from rusting. Make sure not to remove all of the original oil during preparation.
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The linear rail carriages are not interchangeable. Do not try to use a carriage on a different linear rail than the one it was supplied with.
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With the rail still on the absorbent paper towels, carefully and slowly move the carriage from one end of the rail to the other
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Both carriages should move smoothly over the entire length of the rail
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Small changes in resistance are normal, but the carriage becoming very hard to push, or binding completely are not
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Repeat the previous test whilst applying a small amount of force downwards on the carriage
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The carriage will likely travel more smoothly when applying a downwards force, this is normal
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Repeat the process to check the second carriage on the rail
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If the carriage does not move smoothly, or binds completely, refer to the Linear Rail Troubleshooting Guide
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Do not allow the linear rail carriages to leave the end of the rail at any point
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HG25 Linear Rail
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Insert an M6x25 cap head screw in to each of the holes on the linear rail
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Loosely thread a 4040 T-Nut on to each of the M6x25 screws
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Repeat these instructions for the second linear rail
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StrongHold PRO base assembly from Step 19
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HG25 Linear Rail assembly from Step 23
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Insert the linear rail in to the top slot of the 40120 extrusion, between the 3D printed spacers
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Install the two HG25 40120 alignment tools as shown, this will make sure the linear rail is positioned correctly
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Tighten every other M6x25 screw, starting from one end
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Tighten the remaining M6x25 screws, starting from the same end as before
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Remove the HG25 40120 alignment tools
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Repeat the instructions in the previous step to install the second HG25 linear rail to the base assembly
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2x 1280mm 1610 Ball Screw (1780mm for a 1000x1500 or 1500x1500 machine)
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2x FK12 Ball Screw Mount & Ball Screw lock nut (Packaged with the FK12 mount)
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2x FF12 Ball Screw Mount & Circlip (Packaged with the FF12 mount)
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2x 16mm Ball Screw Block
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12x M5x20 Cap Head Screw
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8x M4x20 Cap Head Screw
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8x M4x25 Cap Head Screw
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16x M4 Nylon Locking Hex Nut
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1280mm 1610 Ball Screw (1780mm for a 1000x1500 or 1500x1500 machine)
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Unpack and remove all protective packaging from the ball screw
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Ball screw nut
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Do not allow the ball screw nut to reach either end of the ball screw
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16mm Ball Screw Block
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Install the ball screw block onto the ball screw nut as shown
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6x M5x20 Cap Head Screw
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Install an M5x20 screw through each hole in the ball screw nut and into the ball screw block. Fully tighten each screw
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Base frame assembly - rear right corner
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FK12 Ball Screw Mount
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Insert the FK12 ball screw mount in to the motor plate as shown
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M4x25 Cap Head Screw
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Insert an M4x25 screw through each of the four holes in the FK12 mount and through the motor plate
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M4 Nylon Locking Hex Nut
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Install an M4 locking hex nut on to each M4x25 screw and tighten fully
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16mm Ball Screw Assembly from Step 27
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Position the ball screw assembly so that:
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The end with the thread faces towards the FK12 mount
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The side of the ball screw block with the screw holes faces away from the frame assembly
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Carefully feed the non-threaded end of the ball screw through the open hole in the idler plate
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Align the threaded end of the ball screw with the hole in the FK12 mount
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Whilst supporting the full length of the ball screw, insert the threaded end through the hole in the FK12 mount
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The ball screw is a precision fit into the FK12 mount. Do not force the ball screw in to the mount. When correctly aligned, it should slide in with little effort
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Check that the ball screw is fully inserted in to the FK12 mount before proceeding
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There should be no gap between the end of the ball screw thread and the back of the FK12 mount
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The screw threads on the end of the ball screw should be visible as shown
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FF12 Ball Screw Mount
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Install the FF12 ball screw mount on to the free end of the ball screw and into the opening on the idler plate
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The ball screw is a precision fit into the bearing inside the FF12 mount. Do not force the ball screw into the bearing. When correctly aligned, it should slide in with little effort
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Fully insert the FF12 ball screw mount into the opening in the idler plate
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There should be no gap between the FF12 ball screw mount and the idler plate
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FF12 Ball Screw Mount
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M4x20 Cap Head Screw
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Insert an M4x20 screw through each of the four holes in the FF12 mount and through the idler plate
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M4 Nylon Locking Hex Nut
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Install an M4 locking hex nut onto each M4x20 screw and tighten fully
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FK12 Ball Screw Mount
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Ball Screw Lock Nut
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Fasten the ball screw lock nut on to the exposed end of the ball screw as shown
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When the ball screw lock nut is fully tightened, use a 2mm hex key to tighten the grub screw within the lock nut. This will prevent the lock nut from loosening
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Repeat steps 28 & 29 to install the left FK12 mount and ball screw
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Remember to fully support the length of the ball screw until both ends are secured
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Repeat steps 30 & 31 to install the left FF12 mount to the idler plate, securing the left ball screw
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FK12 Ball Screw Mount
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Ball Screw lock nut
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Fasten the ball screw lock nut on to the exposed end of the ball screw as shown
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When the ball screw lock nut is fully tightened, use a 2mm hex key to tighten the grub screw within the lock nut. This will prevent the lock nut from loosening
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StrongHold PRO Front Left Corner
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FF12 Circlip
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Using a pair of circlip pliers, install the circlip on to the end of the ball screw
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Make sure the circlip seats fully in the groove on the ball screw
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Repeat the instructions to install the circlip on the right side ball screw
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Test each of the ball screws by rotating them and checking that they rotate smoothly
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Double check that all fasteners used on the ball screws and mounts are fully tightened
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Check each ball screw for smooth movement once again, before proceeding to the next step
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