Metal Maslow 2021 kit

Received my Metal Maslow 2021 kit. Assembling today.

I had been scouring these forums for days on assembly instructions - if they are out there I have not come across them - figured I would just jump in a give it the college try.

Hit my first snags -

  1. The 4 screw holes on the clamp do not align with the carriage/gantry - can I just make them larger to fit - worried this will affect the z axis alignment/accuracy - maybe just leave out the misaligned screw?

  2. One of the three pin wire sets has the yellow wire severed - is that intentional or should I reconnect?

  3. Am I supposed to counter sink all the through-sled screws on the underside of the sled or do they stay proud - in which case am I missing the UDPE tube around the edge?

  4. The (2) 3 x 3 1/2" bent plate with a hole in each - what are they for - where do they go - I cannot seem to find a matching bolt pattern or find a picture of it online?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

I responded to your email.
Basically the 20201 kits use the ring mechanism instead of the linkage arms.
basically all 3 kits offered by the 3 companies selling these kits are now the same mechanically.

I am a bit lost with mine too
I cannot find any instruction to wire things
Didnt find any relay

Got a bunch of harware lie around which i dont know where …

Why not even a basical instruction or part list ?

If you can post pictures of the components, the community can probably help you piece it together.

I made a video for assembly. Maybe that will help? The audio isn’t great, but there might be some useful parts for you.

I countersunk the screws that mount the ring brackets to the main plate, but you wouldn’t have to. There should be a piece of solid plastic rod with some holes drilled in it that you have to form into the ring that the sled rides on. That ring gives the bolt heads enough clearance if they’re not countersunk.

Every aspect of this kit was a pain. Unknown hardware, parts that don’t fit, power supply that is grossly over sized and in my case didn’t work etc… Spent about an extra $100 on stuff to make it work. But hey, I got a metal ruler so that’s cool I guess… It was super frustrating getting it operational, especially with no good instructions.

I’ll post some pictures tonight, and some of the steps I had to do to get everything together. Hopefully that can save you some of the frustrations that I had.

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There’s some better pictures of the way I put it together. No idea if it’s the “correct” way. I have a lot of left over hardware, and some of it seems specific. :person_shrugging:

Had to cut one of the tabs on the motor bracket off so it was out of the way of the chain for mounting the motors the way I did.

One of the holes in the set of four on the main plate for mounting the ring brackets was to small and had to be drilled out on every set of the four. I don’t remember the hole, but it was the same one in each set of 4. As if the cad file used for cutting the plate had the wrong dimension.

The plate for the z axis belt has all this slotting so it’s adjustable, but then the belt is so short I couldn’t put it on after the plate was mounted. I had to mount the motor on the plate. Install both belt sprockets, put the belt over both of them and then mount the plate to the main z axis strut.

I had to find my own knobs for locking the router into the holder, as none came in the kit. They’re 1/4-20 threads so they’re easy to find.

Use the washers as spacers when mounting the wheels on the brackets, otherwise the bracket pinches the rollers and they won’t turn. This will make the bolts too short to engage the nylon in the lock nuts, but it’s the only option unless you use different hardware.

Good luck. If you have any specific questions, I’ll be glad to take some more photos.

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Here is the hardware I had left over. The 2 large slotted screws are the only two in the kit, and they don’t fit anything. :person_shrugging:

No idea what the little flanged nut things are used for so I used them as bushing for the cotter pin attachment of the chain onto the ring.

The shorter black socket head cap screws (SHCS) were removed from the. Axis strut to be replaced with the longer SHCS

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Looks like you did a pretty good job figuring out the puzzle. Did you get the additional weights for the sled?

Flanged nut thingies go in the sled from the bottom to hold the bolt for the ring mounts.

I only had 7 of them. I would need 12. They’re also really small with no bolts that way thread into them in the kit :person_shrugging:

Actually you only need 6 to hold the bracket down. Since the screw and backing has more purchase than a wood screw, only two per mount are needed.

With the metal base that doesn’t make any sense. If the small flathead machine screws, that are the right length, quantity and I only used them for attaching the brackets to the ring, aren’t for that, what are they for? :thinking: Why would Metalmaslow include hardware for a wood sled, when they sell a metal one? The hardware is a mystery anyway you look at it :person_shrugging::joy:

I just took on the metal Maslow as an advanced technical puzzle. I’m not an instructions guy anyway most of the time. I asked a similar question 2 years ago about the same pieces when I got the same pile of parts and that was the answer. This is what it looks like:

All the kit makers at one point got the same parts in a pooled order… Or so the story goes. They each do their own thing now.

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“Advanced technical puzzle” :joy: I like it. Whatever works I guess.

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