Build Difficulty Rating: ★★★★★
The current lead time on the QueenBee Upgrade is 1-2 weeks!
(If purchased with SharpCNC Kit follow the kit lead time)
Read our info section at the bottom of this listing for more details regarding this build and required parts.
This SharpCNC / Workbee Profile rail upgrade kit was designed in-house at CNC3D by our engineering team to improve the accuracy even further over the standard design increasing the rigidity on all axes and almost completely eliminate any chatter while milling smooth materials such as acrylic, aluminium and other metals such as brass.
This upgrade is recommended for users who want a smoother finish and to increase the feeds and speeds on their machine for shorter cut times.
Included with this kit:
- Plate set for a full XYZ upgrade with 50mm Z height work increase.
- Optional profile rails and bearing blocks to suit your upgrade.
- Additional Z axis style delrin nut block for X axis screw drive setups.
- New set of limit switch mounts for X & Z.
- Precision mini shims for spacing your delrin nuts
Key Features
- The Z axis has it's V-wheels replaced with precision MGN15 profile rails
- The X axis has it's V-wheels replaced with precision HGR15 Profile rails across the gantry.
- This kit does not decrease the overall travel on each axis over the standard with the X&Z upgrade.
- Superior rigidity on the X & Z axis especially over longer gantry lengths.
- The ability to safely increase feeds, speeds and depths of cut.
- The upgrade kit supports both screw driven SharpCNC / Workbee CNC's on the X & Z axis.
**This kit makes your WorkBee / SharpCNC rigid enough to easily accept a 2.2kw air cooled or water cooled spindle.
IMPORTANT BUILD NOTES:
Our full XYZ kit does NOT support a belt driven Y axis, it must be converted to screw drive to work. Also, with the Y axis upgrade it decreases your overall X axis travel by approximately 50mm. Please be aware you WILL lose travel with the extra Y axis.
The Full XYZ QueenBee kit also does not directly support having your spoilboard supports mounted vertically, this however can be made to work by manually cutting the 2040 extrusions that slot between the side C beams.
You will be required to reuse existing parts from your original kit and we NOW (as of 14/08/2020) supply all of the bolts and T nuts required for your upgrade. We have tried our best to ensure that we've covered all bolts and T nuts required but you may need very few nuts or bolts separately.
We supply 1 set (pair) of HGR15 rails for the Y axis.
Maintenance
For optimal perfomance, we recommend cleaning the existing factory machine oil off thoroughly and applying fresh machine oil or grease. To extend the life of these rails we recommend ensuring there is adequate oil/grease on the rails.
Please Note: Due to their size, HGH15 CA & CW bearing blocks do not have a grease nipple for easy lubrication so please ensure that you periodically apply fresh machine oil or grease to the rails to keep these rails performing as expected year after year.
*Lead times are approximate and can change without notice, based on build volume & stock availability. Lead times do NOT include shipping time*
WE NOW SUPPLY ALL REQUIRED NUTS, BOLTS AND T-NUTS!!!
(as of 14/08/2020)
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QueenBee™ XYZ Full 3 axis Upgrade Kit (suits SharpCNC / Workbee)
Changes to original build instructions (PLEASE Read!)
Details of the upgrade update to the QueenBee design can be found HERE
What the kit includes
- QueenBee Plate set
- HGR15 rails for X & Y (5mm shorter than your ordered size i.e: 1500x1500 machine will have 1495mm profile rails for the X&Y axis)
- MGN15 profile rails for Z (they will be 245mm)
- Profile rail bearing blocks to suit your kit
- Limit switch mount kit to suit upgrade
- Mini shims (for spacing your Delrin nut blocks if recessed)
- Delrin nut block (Same as the Z axis for the X axis.)
- ALL Nuts, bolts and Tnuts are now supplied to the best of our ability depending on kit variations as of 14/08/2020
Things to know
Although this kit does not have a detailed instruction manual and requires intermediate to advanced knowledge to assemble this kit, we do have a full walk-through video of the QueenBee upgrade.
It also requires decent knowledge of your machine and is not recommended for people who are new to their CNC machine. Although, for the mechanically minded this may be a simple upgrade.
Check out the upgrade instructional video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZPMHXs6MS4
An instructional video on how to disassemble your machine for the QueenBee upgrade:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbu0JfSdwzIHere is another Another great video for your QueenBee build - Cleaning your ball bearings on your linear guide:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0iO7W-qYe0We also have a basic set of photo's here that you can refer to for installation. They can be downloaded in .ZIP format HERE
So what exactly will I need?
The data here is indicative and some extras bolts may be required but likely you will have some spare!
Full QueenBee XYZ upgrade Bolt requirements
MGN bearing blocks: 16 x Button head bolts M3 8mm
HGR bearing blocks: 32 x Button head bolts M4 12mm
HGR rails to Extrusion: [See table below] Socket head M4 14mm
MGN rails to extrusion: 20 x Socket head M3 12mm + 20 x M3 drop in T-NutsY Delrins: 8 x M5 55mm bolt
X Delrin: 2 x M5 50mm bolt
Z Delrin: 2 x M5 35mm boltLimit mount to extrusion: 3 x M5 10mm
X-Z plate marriage: 4 x M5 15mm
Spacing requirementsPlease note: Due to variations in suppliers, OpenBuilds, Ooznest, Bulkman, Rexel, YuYong etc.. The Delrin nut blocks can vary in dimensions and some blocks may or may not have a recess for the bolt holes. The below Data is a general guideline for setting up your spacing but some checks may need to be performed before operating the machine, to ensure that the lead screw is in correct alignment.
Z delrin: 9mm + 6mm + 2 mini shims ( 2 extra min shims may be required if your Delrin has recess holes )X delrin: 3 x 9mm spacers + 2 x mini shims ( 2 extra min shims may be required if your Delrin has recess holes )
Y delrin: 3 x 9mm spacers + 2 x mini shims ( 2 extra min shims may be required if your Delrin has recess holes )
Machine size VS bolt requirements & M4 Drop in T-nuts for HGR rails (approx maximum number)Machine size M4 14mm socket head bolts + M4 drop in T nuts 500x750 44 750x750 52 750x1000 60 1000x1000 68 1000x1500 84 1500x1500 100 You will be reusing a lot of spacers and bolts from your original kit and for a full XYZ QueenBee upgrade you should have enough spacers to complete the kit with some to spare.
In the meantime, please reach out to us via Facebook, email or via phone for any assistance in assembling your kit.
Reviews
The QueenBee™ XYZ Full 3-axis Upgrade Kit from CNC3D is fantastic! The quality and precision are unmatched, significantly improving my CNC machine’s performance. David and his team provided outstanding support, guiding me through the setup and ensuring a smooth experience. Their expertise and dedication to customer satisfaction are second to none. If you’re looking for top-quality products and excellent service, CNC3D is the place to go! Highly recommend!