Greetings everyone, and happy new year!
I have a new-to-me Taz 6 with low hours. After a few days of putting it through its paces, I noticed the z axis binding, and a google search revealed that it was a common occurrence. Lubing the z axis screw shafts helps, but it still seems like there is excess friction with the screw nut, especially on the left side. I believe it is caused by off-axis loading from x axis belt tension, as the x axis belt is not in line with the 10mm z shaft, and the x axis shafts are not held especially securely by the set screws. I thought an easy fix would be to add two additional 10mm shafts on the front side of the printer, to unload the off-axis force on the screw shafts. Pictures are below.
The top plates already had holes for 10mm rods in front that mirror the back. The only other modifications necessary were to extend the right hand x axis endstop by about 2mm to prevent the extruder motor from hitting the bearing, and to move the spool holder to the back rail also for clearance. I also cleaned up Lulzbot’s CAD files a fair amount while I was at it, and I’d be happy to share them.
Please provide any comments and feedback!