Hi,
I have this project in which I'm going to have a CNC XY linear movement system to move an electromagnet to move chess pieces on a board so I can play "Wizard's Chess" from Harry Potter. So the linear movement needs to be precise, so I was thinking a stepper linear actuator, I was looking on amazon and the ones that are 500mm like I need are all around 100 dollars, each. And if I'm buying 2, well I'm not about to spend 200 dollars for this project not including the chess brain and whatnot. And if I'm going to make my own, I found a linear motion kit that has the rod, the screw and support rods, but they all have pretty questionable reviews. So, I was wondering is Amazon the right place to be shopping for this? Or are these just really expensive, if so, is there something else i can use to make the 2 axis motion that's precise? Thank you so much.
Take a look at these steppers with precision threaded shafts and traveling nuts. You can buy the traveling nuts alone and threaded rods elsewhere.
These are not standard screw threads. Keep in mind that any precision threaded rod and matching nut will be expensive, so you might look on the surplus market for used items.
Edit: I just looked on Amazon for Tr8×8(P2) leadscrews and these could be a good deal, if you can believe the reviews. Maybe the 3D printer market led to mass production with reasonable quality.
if I were to make this an XY table wouldnt I need some sort of carriage to attach the second screw actuator?
That is the fun part of building things!
I doubt you would need a high precision screw drive for moving chess pieces, regular threaded rod would likely be sufficient.
Have you considered using a belt drive? With a 500mm chess board, it will take a considerable amount of time to move the electromagnet from one side of the board to the other using a screw drive.
That would be much quieter than using a lead screw mechanism. If you are thinking of using stepper motors, you need to prototype your mechanism and test the noise that is generated.