# Chain Sag - lighter weight chain?

**URL:** <https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/chain-sag-lighter-weight-chain/1918>\
**Category:** Hardware\
**Created:** [January 15, 2018, 4:54pm UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/chain-sag-lighter-weight-chain/1918 "2018-01-15T16:54:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 9

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MeticulousMaynard](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/meticulousmaynard/32/2744_2.png) [@MeticulousMaynard](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/MeticulousMaynard)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2018, 7:22pm UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/chain-sag-lighter-weight-chain/1918/9 "2018-01-15T19:22:24Z")

</div>

> [@commonthings](#):
>
> The effect of a shallower chain angle with extended motor spacing might more than compensate for that increase. Trial and error would tell - or is there a mechanical engineer in the forum? Has anyone tried this?

There has been talk of testing this, but as far as I know there hasn’t been anything done yet. I believe @mrfugu has plans to do this with his unistrut frame. As far as mechanical engineers, I know that quite a few people on these forums have quite extensive knowledge into the mechanical workings of the machine. See @dlang’s post above mine, he is very good with this sort of thing.

My sculpture degree doesn’t really give me much formal background in engineering, but I do have a bit of relevant work experience. Still doesn’t make me an ME though. If I could tell high school age me what to major in, I would have guided myself in that direction.

> [@pillageTHENburn](#):
>
> It might be useful to note that while extra weight can be good there is a maximum. The absolute max weight of your sled shouldn’t be (can’t be) more than about 39.5 pounds. With a 39.5 pound sled at the top center of the work piece that puts 65.68 pounds of tension on each chain. The motors stall at 66 pounds, so a 39.5 pound sled is about all it can handle (I personally would aim for something well under that to allow a margin of error).

This is a good point. My sled is somewhere around the 40 lb mark and I haven’t run into any issues with the motors stalling. I need to more accurately measure its weight at some point, my current numbers come from adding together the weights of all the components. I have been wondering if I’m putting too much stress on the motors, though.

---

_[View the full topic](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/chain-sag-lighter-weight-chain/1918)._