Here’s a cover I made that goes over the Z drive. It uses female standoffs and button head cap screws to attach to the mounting holes of the flanged bearing. I’ve had good results printing it at 10% infill and low resolution with a raft and no support. We’re going to offer a powder coated die cast aluminum version soon, but feel free to print it and try it out first.
X-Carve Z Cover.stl (55.6 KB)
What are the dimensions of this? Could you mill it on the machine? Maybe in layers?
It’s 106.5mm x 60mm x 29mm. you could certainly mill it in layers or out of a solid block.
I want to mill one of these out of solid aluminum as an example project.
Looks cool. I don’t have a 3D printer. Are you going to sell them pre-made?
Hey Joe, we’re thinking about selling an aluminum version. So yes, would you be interested?
Hey, that looks really spiffy! Only thing I can think of that would make that even cooler would be to leave an opening in the top (possibly with a commercial snap-in plastic plug) for a hand-wheel to adjust Z-height when you’re setting your zero.
Yes, I’d be interested but Dan brought up the point about a hand-wheel. Until I get a probe set up I’ll be setting Z-0 by hand, so there needs to be some way to get in there. A snap-in plug would work, or a flip-up cover of some type would too.
Well, I was thinking more a plug to cover the hole if you weren’t using it… if you are setting Z-zero by hand, maybe have the hole sized to fit neatly around the lower OD of one of these: ?
I agree. A cover with a manual Z adjust handle would be ideal.
I was going to design and make something just like that figured since I was carving I’d flip it over and engrave the entire top too just for fun maybe put my logo on it or something I don’t plan on doing it till I have my machine in so look for it in a few weeks for sure it will have a gear driven z axis adjustment knob though
can this be simply milled out? or is the thickness to great? for those of us who dont have 3D printers 
It could be milled, but, it will take a long time. 
I really miss my manual hand wheel, although I must admit I have got much better at setting Z0 with the Easel jog controls. If I have the increment set to .1 I can click the inches button and jog to get it close then just click the MM button to set it exactly.
I saw a post somewhere on here where someone had flipped the belt gear upside down on the motor shaft and then installed the manual hand wheel on the exposed motor shaft. Has anyone had success with doing that?
thats fare but i’d only have to do it once LOL and i kinda like the idea of covering it… or i’ll just order one already made >_> link please if they even sell them.
I installed my handwheel on the threaded rod as there was “extra” length to just move it up.
Damn, inventables beat me to it!
i swear i was going to do it yesterday, unfortunately 3D printers can make it seem like dinosaurs were living recently. ( 6 hours to print a dust shoe 
)
Dust shoe: https://sketchfab.com/models/cc05a5c6876b430fb290efbf28dff81f
31mm Dust Shoe for X-Carve Z Carriage by ajbiski on Sketchfab
