Midspan supports? And oil for non stainless steel?

Mostly Printed CNC - MPCNC Advice
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Building a 3’ x 3’ work area Primo which ends up with 4’ length tubes. I’m using 1" steel tubing with .049" walls. What can I use to support the outside rails (hopefully without drilling?). And what options do I have as to oiling it so it won’t rust?

Thanks

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Search Thingi for something like ‘MPCNC rail support’ and you should find several choices. For rust prevention a good non-silicone paste wax like the seemingly available everywhere (at least in the US) SC Johnson’s seems to be the preferred choice.

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I used wax to coat my DOM steel. No sign of rust yet and I think that if I re-coat/polish every few months I should have no problem.

I used MinWax .

Mike B

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Do you have a link to the wax?

Thanks

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My thingiverse is bugging out, any chance you have a link to one? Adobe Premiere Pro 2020 v14.8.0.39 (x64) Multilingual (Pre-Activated) [FileCR].zip - Google Drive is this the wax?

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Here are some I found: Span Support Generator for MPCNC rails by spiffcow - Thingiverse

Mpcnc support leg by Rcmn - Thingiverse

I haven’t felt the need so didn’t study them too much.

The link for the wax won’t open for me, I only suggested that particular wax as I know it’s readily available at Lowes/Home Depot if you’re in the US. I’d just look for a paste wax containing no silicone which can be a problem if it gets somewhere that may see paint and/or glue.

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Link for SC Johnson paste wax
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Johnson-Johnson-16-oz-Floor-Polish/3384826
minwax is similar

we used this in the military for floor polishing.

Doesnt take much, very light coat, let dry and buff off with clean rag.

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I got tool wax from Lee Valley, but there are plenty of options.

I have many rust prone tools. Probably so do you already.

Anything with a machined surface, like a tablesaw, bandsaw, drill press… That’s usually bare cast iron, which will rust badly if not cared for. Cutting tools like chisels, or shears. Many hand tools like wrenches or sockets have a non chromed cast iron or steel surface.

They tend not to rust, because they tend to be kept clean and dry. If you take a cloth to your steel rails once in a while, you’ll probably be fine. If you want to be able to leave it for a long time, then the tool wax will do the trick.

A cheaper option is light mineral oil. You can get it in the pharmacy. A light application of that will work for a very long time. Just put a little on a paper towel or clean rag and lightly wipe the surface. This also makes a nice woodworking finish, so it’s doubly useful.

I’d have chosen 0.065" wall tube myself… Oh wait. I did. Anyway, I had intended to run mid-span supports for the long rails (37" addressable) but so far I haven’t installed them. I’m not having any sag issues, so it hasn’t become a problem yet. I have printed a set that use some threaded rod for adjustability, but haven’t screwed down the base for the support yet. I’ll get to that… At some point…

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