Cable drive - cable choice...

[ecnerwal]

I have an early shopbot (5/97 - don't know what
serial number, as it doesn't have one) with
cable drive and a parallelization cable. Since
I'm not really making money with it at present
I'm not going for the R&P option, but I am going
to retrofit to the no parallelization cable drive.

I've finally found a source for drive cable (MSC
Industrial Supply, 17 cents a foot), but they
offer both nylon and vinyl coatings, and I wonder
which would be the better choice. The catalog
blurb implies that the nylon is better so long
as it's out of the sun, but it's possible the
vinyl would give more traction on the drive
sheaves than the nylon.

Any experience or thoughts on this?

[birdsofplay]

I tried MSC cable and didnt fare well.
I believe they sold me vinyl coated and
although it felt stickyer and slipped less
it was less durable and wore out faster.

SB is really the best source and they migh even
let you have a set fer nuthin.

We really ought to talk to them more IMHO !

[john.forney@acc-net.com]

I just finished an upgrade to the R&P for my cable shopbot. I am wondering why it took me so long. The rack and pinion and the new bearings have cleared up all my problems with my shopbot.
I drilled over 1600 holes for shelf pins in a series of bookcases. Before the upgrade I could never get the 1st row of holes to line up with the 2nd row. At times the holes would be up to 3/16 off, getting worse with the last holes. Today all 1600 holes were bang on. Not close, exact.

The help I got from shopbot was fantastic. I am a cabinet maker not an electronics kinda guy and they held my hand and were nice everytime I called. I have purchased many machines in the last 25 years but never and I mean never, have I received such support. I am easily frustrated setting up machines and realize that I am a "high maintenance" customer. Shopbot really goes the extra mile.

Anyone thinking of an upgrade should, in my opinion, do it. Anyone thinking of buying a shopbot will be impressed with the level of support.

My 2 cents.


John Forney