Customisable alignment tool for MPCNC build

This is some tool I made to help me adjust the height and positions of the corners in my MPCNC build. You will need four of those tools, one for each corner.

BOM:

  • four parts of the tool, times 4 for each corner
  • M8 screw with hex head and of required length according to height of your build
  • 2 M8 nuts
  • 1 M8 washer
    (change scad file if you prefer different screw types)

To assemble the tool:

  • print all four parts of the tool
  • push the screw down into the top_foot part, so the screw head sits completely in the recess
  • push fit the top_head into the top_foot part, should fit nicely while holding well
  • screw nut and washer onto screw (those are for securing the knob into position)
  • put knob part onto screw so that its opening faces away of the head
  • screw remaining nut onto screw and use the securing nut to pull the outer nut firmly into the recess within the knob part
  • put all this assembly onto the foot
  • adjust height by releasing the securing nut, and by rotating knob to move head up or down

To adjust heights :

  • look for the corner that is the highest up,
  • adjust the first tool to fit snug under the pipe at that corner,
  • adjust and secure the rest of the tools to the same height,
  • put them under the other pipes at the corners,
  • and adjust and secure the corner heights accordingly.

To adjust for squareness:

  • using the holes in the tools, fix some fishing line connecting pairs of diagonally positioned tools
  • make sure that the fishing line joins at the edge of the tool touching the corner
  • measure distances from center where the two diagonal fishing lines cross to the tool edges
  • adjust positions of feet so that all measured distances are equal