Help please I am so lost just need pointing in the right direction

[boroko]

If your hacking an old printer you will likely find the driver already on the build in electronics. I have used parts of existing PCB and installed electronics by cutting the needed traces to the driver ( usually a multi-pin IC mounted to a heatsink) and feeding them with my added circuit. Find the largest ones on the heatsinks and look up the data sheets, and you might just get lucky. should find a 5v source there too.

As for weight, consider some strong line attached to your carriage over a pulley with a counter weight to balance your load. If the movement isn't too fast, a pretty small stepper will move it when balanced.

Bo

[Rover999]

Sorry I have not answered before but been not to good. Thank you for all your help but the unit has to be able to be used in the studio and in the field. So must be self contained and portable like the link I posted above any other ideas time is running out and I am not well enough to do it myself now