Please Help Me Understand - Belt Drive vs. Geared Stepper
 

Please Help Me Understand - Belt Drive vs. Geared Steppers

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Please forgive my ignorance but I have a question or two concerning the concept of Belt Drives and Geared Steppers.

[also sorry I posted this in the Introduce/Planning section....just started up here and didn't realize there was this more appropriate section for my post:( I will do a better job going forward with the posts.]

I understand the general concept that creating a geared reduction via a pully/belt or geared drive will provide more torque to the system and let the motor run faster and I guess therefore more efficiently (less heat & noise?).

Do the geared drives create to much play or backlash for very high quality 3D work? My main concern is generating very nice finishes on carved mantles and furniture panels. Would a belt drive be a better way to control the smoothness of texture?

I just ordered the parts kit from Mike and his belt drive plates to cover my options.

This subject has been discussed to death on this forum and others. See Backlash in the gearhead of the Oriental Motor PK296A2A-SG7.2 as an example. Bottom line is that there is no clear "winner" of the debate . . . . . excellent 3D work is being done with either option.

Thank You for the Link
 

Sorry, I have been reading and learning as fast as possible. I am completely new to this and only yesterday learned there were even was such things as geared steppers. I do try to search for appropriate posts before wasting anyone's time. I don't mean to offend and respect the fact that you took the time to respond.

Maybe I am just lucky. When I started my machine I read one should use 20 tooth pinions. I went an bought 20 tooth METRIC pinions....had to make a sleeve to give me more meat to put in grub screw...but it worked...and is still working well for me. I don't have gearboxes, belt reduction, just straight Motinking steppers on the racks and I cannot complain about cut quality.
Maybe setup has some part to play in how well the machine will cut.

This is from the inlay that I did on the weekend.
Attachment 11402