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In article ,
says...
I need about 30 feet of rack gear (2x12' + 1x6', or 5x6' which seems to
be what's actually available) and 3 spur gears for a project (upgrading
my old cable-drive CNC (woodoworking) router to gear drive). More
expensive, fancier options are relegated to fantasy, I think. I did
consider things like Acme screw drives, but the increased rotating mass
seems like a problem, as is the flopping length of the 12 foot longer
axis. Ballscrews are a post-lottery-winning option only, I think.

Of MSC and McMaster, McMaster is a bit cheaper for this item.

I suspect that for the limited purchase size they may be the only
sensible option, but thought I'd throw it out here to ask if there are
any other suppliers friendly to HSM/small orders that might have better
prices.

Check with Motion Industries or other power transmission distributors in
your area. They're usually a bit cheaper than McMaster, though often not
enough to bother on small orders.

I suppose I might as well also get some input/commentary on design
parameters and/or stupid design choices I might be making.

Have you considered replacing the cables with a timing belt drive?
That's generally the most cost effective choice where high speeds and
accelerations, and moderate accuracy and stiffness are required. Breco
has pretty good engineering info, it looks like it's available online.

http://www.brecoflex.com/?CATID=1

Ned Simmons