[LeeWay]

With pictures, we might be able to make suggestions.

I know there are several different positions possible with the old style Z axis.
I imagine there must be similar for the new one.

[workinwoods]

With pictures, we might be able to make suggestions.

I know there are several different positions possible with the old style Z axis.
I imagine there must be similar for the new one.

I know lol I have been super busy with this all day

[mussersail]

I know with older design I had a similar router issue with z axis but I don't think it was 4" - more like an inch or less. I was able to readjust the position of the router mount. I would just relook at everything and see if there is a way to remount everything lower. Before you start unbolting things, also check if it could be a Mach 3 issue. See if your "soft limits" box in upper right hand side of screen is on. This might affect your ability to jog the z-axis. Also check if you are in machine coordinate and see what you are zero'd at - get out of machine and try to jog router lower then.

Spoil board - 1.5"? Why so thick and what are you using? I guess they probably make MDF that thick but I would also think it would be pricey as opposed to 3/4", even compared to two sheets of 3/4" maybe. I used 3/4" MDF and purchased a 49x121 piece and cut a little off. You could do fine with a 4x8 so long as your layout of crosspieces was thought through beforehand - I didn't so going end to end with my spoil boards. I'm not sure if there is a drawback for spoil boards but I get the lightweight MDF, not the backbreaking stuff at the local Home Depot.

[aarggh]

Thicker spoilboards are not only good for stability and rigidity overall, they also help to dampen vibrations and machining noise.

I use a 1.5" HMR sheet on mine as I find it far more robust and longer lasting than MDF. MDF tends to suck moisture in from dry air once you start exposing parts of it from machining.

cheers, Ian

[LeeWay]

I would think 1.5" would be typical. Two 3/4" pieces. The first would be the machine table and the second would actually be the sacrificial spoil board. You would only level the top layer.

I have a 3/4" phenolic table on mine and started out with an MDF spoil board. We were having to resurface that every week. Now we use a pine glued up board instead. We only resurface it every couple months. It is what they sell at the big box stores already glued up. Ours is a small machine though.
That would not work as well on a larger machine. If we had a larger machine, we would be using plywood. Humidity of any kind just kills MDF unless you take the time to seal it after each leveling session.

[workinwoods]

I know with older design I had a similar router issue with z axis but I don't think it was 4" - more like an inch or less. I was able to readjust the position of the router mount. I would just relook at everything and see if there is a way to remount everything lower. Before you start unbolting things, also check if it could be a Mach 3 issue. See if your "soft limits" box in upper right hand side of screen is on. This might affect your ability to jog the z-axis. Also check if you are in machine coordinate and see what you are zero'd at - get out of machine and try to jog router lower then.

Spoil board - 1.5"? Why so thick and what are you using? I guess they probably make MDF that thick but I would also think it would be pricey as opposed to 3/4", even compared to two sheets of 3/4" maybe. I used 3/4" MDF and purchased a 49x121 piece and cut a little off. You could do fine with a 4x8 so long as your layout of crosspieces was thought through beforehand - I didn't so going end to end with my spoil boards. I'm not sure if there is a drawback for spoil boards but I get the lightweight MDF, not the backbreaking stuff at the local Home Depot.

Well I was going to have it 1.5" thick because it will be 2 sheets of 3/4" mdf bolted together so when I have to replace it all I have to do is unbolt the top piece? I wish I could get those bigger sheets of mdf but I haven't found a place in my city yet so I have to go with those back breaking ones from Home Depot lol




AARGGH= What is HMR Sheet?

[LeeWay]

I think the MDF at the big box store is 49" x 97". You might want to check on it.

[asuratman]

Workin:

I know lol I have been super busy with this all day

Your machine works perfectly?

[workinwoods]

I know with older design I had a similar router issue with z axis but I don't think it was 4" - more like an inch or less. I was able to readjust the position of the router mount. I would just relook at everything and see if there is a way to remount everything lower. Before you start unbolting things, also check if it could be a Mach 3 issue. See if your "soft limits" box in upper right hand side of screen is on. This might affect your ability to jog the z-axis. Also check if you are in machine coordinate and see what you are zero'd at - get out of machine and try to jog router lower then.

Spoil board - 1.5"? Why so thick and what are you using? I guess they probably make MDF that thick but I would also think it would be pricey as opposed to 3/4", even compared to two sheets of 3/4" maybe. I used 3/4" MDF and purchased a 49x121 piece and cut a little off. You could do fine with a 4x8 so long as your layout of crosspieces was thought through beforehand - I didn't so going end to end with my spoil boards. I'm not sure if there is a drawback for spoil boards but I get the lightweight MDF, not the backbreaking stuff at the local Home Depot.

Workin:


Your machine works perfectly?

oh no the attachment in that post was cut on my other cnc machine there is still a few small issues with my big cnc

[mussersail]

yes, it is 49x97. My post might not have been clear, but what I meant was you are not going to find 49x121 at Home Depot, nor the lightweight material. Workinwoods - you should be able to find the large sheets where you are. I doubt there are many places in US that wouldn't be served by some sort of sheet goods wholesaler that caters to cabinet shops. We have at least 2 close by, but I'm in New Jersey and we have at least two of everything close by, however, I would suspect if you did some looking you could find someone. The two that I deal with - one will only deal with people that have commercial shops (no home shops, regardless if its operating as a business). The other with deal with anyone - they are Wurth Baer and might have locations nationwide if you look them up. The snooty guys also use to REQUIRE that you spend a minimum of $10,000 a year with them to keep your account open, but that was pre-recession, and their tone is much different now. (And remembering that affects who I give my business to now) Regardless if there is one of these suppliers, you must have a local lumberyard? Lumberyards usually have accounts with these places and get deliveries from them one or two days a week. You should be able to order odd sheet materials through them.

The two layers sounds like a good idea in hindsight. I only have the spoil board directly on the cross member of the machine frame - if I screwed up with something, and I've been doing a lot of that, I could potentially cut into frame, so an extra 3/4" sounds good. I'm almost ready for a new board so I'll probably add then.

Whats are you using the xbox controller for? To jog the machine remotely? I've seen some other handheld devices but wondered how much affect they would have on the computer - one more thing to use up memory and processor speed? I've found the arrow keys and page up and down are easy to use to jog the machine, but I positioned my control station along the x axis in a manner so the keys move the machine in corresponding directions. You look to be a little tight on space so might have controls at a non-intuitive position to machine so a remote might be a good thing.

I've never heard of HMR either - looks like maybe an Australian product. They do sell a waterproof MDF if moisture is a real concern. I have had my MDF on about a month and haven't really noticed anything. I'm more worried about temperature variations, especially in summer - has anyone experienced any issues with machine when the weather gets extremely hot?

[aarggh]

HMR is just High Moisture Resistant chipboard used for kitchen benchtops mainly.

You wouldn't think it but it's an incredibly stable material that doesn't swell or go fluffy quickly like MDF does. Not at all like the normal grade of cheap chipboard you get. Note: this is not to be confused with wafer-weld sheets which is an even worse material than chipboard I reckon.

I put it on my machine years back expecting to get maybe a year out of it if I was lucky but it's just great. And I'm really lazy with work holding, I just screw straight into it all over the place to hold materials (plastic, alu, wood, etc) down so it's got many hundreds of screw holes but holds up just fine.

cheers, Ian

[workinwoods]

yes, it is 49x97. My post might not have been clear, but what I meant was you are not going to find 49x121 at Home Depot, nor the lightweight material. Workinwoods - you should be able to find the large sheets where you are. I doubt there are many places in US that wouldn't be served by some sort of sheet goods wholesaler that caters to cabinet shops. We have at least 2 close by, but I'm in New Jersey and we have at least two of everything close by, however, I would suspect if you did some looking you could find someone. The two that I deal with - one will only deal with people that have commercial shops (no home shops, regardless if its operating as a business). The other with deal with anyone - they are Wurth Baer and might have locations nationwide if you look them up. The snooty guys also use to REQUIRE that you spend a minimum of $10,000 a year with them to keep your account open, but that was pre-recession, and their tone is much different now. (And remembering that affects who I give my business to now) Regardless if there is one of these suppliers, you must have a local lumberyard? Lumberyards usually have accounts with these places and get deliveries from them one or two days a week. You should be able to order odd sheet materials through them.

The two layers sounds like a good idea in hindsight. I only have the spoil board directly on the cross member of the machine frame - if I screwed up with something, and I've been doing a lot of that, I could potentially cut into frame, so an extra 3/4" sounds good. I'm almost ready for a new board so I'll probably add then.

Whats are you using the xbox controller for? To jog the machine remotely? I've seen some other handheld devices but wondered how much affect they would have on the computer - one more thing to use up memory and processor speed? I've found the arrow keys and page up and down are easy to use to jog the machine, but I positioned my control station along the x axis in a manner so the keys move the machine in corresponding directions. You look to be a little tight on space so might have controls at a non-intuitive position to machine so a remote might be a good thing.

I've never heard of HMR either - looks like maybe an Australian product. They do sell a waterproof MDF if moisture is a real concern. I have had my MDF on about a month and haven't really noticed anything. I'm more worried about temperature variations, especially in summer - has anyone experienced any issues with machine when the weather gets extremely hot?

yeah i will look into the different wood suppliers again I know there are a bunch of lumber yards around here but everyone that I have talked to so far say either they cant get it or you have to do a minimum buy and all I really need right now is 2 sheets but hopefully when i start getting more business with the machine I will be buying alot of material right now its a 1 sheet purchase type of deal unfortunately

and yeah on the xbox controller I just want to use it as a pendanet because I believe that it will be easier than the keyboard. I am not sure yet really I hope to just use my touch plate and be done with it

[workinwoods]

I would think 1.5" would be typical. Two 3/4" pieces. The first would be the machine table and the second would actually be the sacrificial spoil board. You would only level the top layer.

I have a 3/4" phenolic table on mine and started out with an MDF spoil board. We were having to resurface that every week. Now we use a pine glued up board instead. We only resurface it every couple months. It is what they sell at the big box stores already glued up. Ours is a small machine though.
That would not work as well on a larger machine. If we had a larger machine, we would be using plywood. Humidity of any kind just kills MDF unless you take the time to seal it after each leveling session.

3/4" phenolic table do you have a link to this material arent you looking at 600-800 bucks for a sheet of this stuff?

[RCaffin]

HMR is just High Moisture Resistant chipboard used for kitchen benchtops mainly.

Actually, I think that may be what I know of as 'industrial chipboard', which is also used for flooring. The main differences are that the adhesive used is waterproof, which common chipboard is NOT, and it can be had with a yellow plastic tongue in a groove down one side, to stop squeaky movements in floors. I have heard it called 'yellow tongue' for obvious reasons.

Common chipboard is better than MDF (anything would be), but it still decomposes in any humid atmosphere. Sydney, where I live, is VERY humid. Roll on REAL timber.

Cheers
Roger

[workinwoods]

Here are some pics of the almost completed machine

[workinwoods]

Video of the new machine surfacing the spoilboard

Yes I know lol I have a tiny bit and it did take forever!!

https://youtu.be/OLJ1MCew5Ak

[RCaffin]

Hi WiW

Most of us are using browsers which no longer accept Flash, due to the security hazards in Flash. The world has moved on to HTML5.
I would love to watch the video, because the machine looks rather neat, but only in HTML5. (YouTube is now HTML5 too.)

Cheers
Roger

[workinwoods]

Hi WiW

Most of us are using browsers which no longer accept Flash, due to the security hazards in Flash. The world has moved on to HTML5.
I would love to watch the video, because the machine looks rather neat, but only in HTML5. (YouTube is now HTML5 too.)

Cheers
Roger

Here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLJ1MCew5Ak
does that help?

[RCaffin]

Sorry, but no.
IF I understand things correctly, YouTube has been steadily converting older Flash videos, but it may take some time before they convert yours. I THINK, but I may be wrong.

Cheers
Roger

[gallenat0r]

Works fine on the iPhone which definately doesn't do flash ;-)


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