attached is a WIP picture of my unknown model Techno/ISEL CNC router table, for reference.
i have come to the point where i need a spoilboard on my machine. my previous test cuts were held down with 3M Command Strips to hold the wood to the table, but i never trusted the hold...
the T-slot extrusions that make up the table have very thin material for the slots, so i have been reluctant to use them for holding material. but to mount a spoilboard, i need some way to hold it down.
i would rather not use screws, directly into the extrusions, as i fear it would weaken the table.
my primary use will be to route wood, and possibly try some aluminum.
my thinking is this, please correct me if it wont work at all. i could mount a piece of 3/4" plywood (birch plywood) to the table with T hardware at the 4 corners, and one in the center. this will be my mounting surface, and i will try to sink the hardware deep enough so i can surface the plywood to ensure my foundation is flat.
I have a bunch of old, but never installed, oak flooring. i was thinking i could screw this down to the plywood, with deeply inset screws (to allow re-surfacing), and in between each board i will screw down some standard T-track, with thicker material. the T-track will be below the surface of the oak flooring, so it will stay out of the way of re-surfacing.
my biggest issue is that the machine is located, currently, in very tight quarters, as can be seen in the attached pic. i have access to just one side of the machine, until i can build the proper shed for it.
second issue, is i don't want many fasteners within the working area of the machine, if i can help it. that is the reason for the plywood under the spoilboard, so i can cover up the metal fasteners. i am rather partial to my router bits.
one idea i thought of, is to use the table T-track slots. i would rip the oak flooring to a width where i could expose the T-slots between the boards.
another idea, that i just now thought of, is to mount the oak flooring with no gaps, and use my T-slot router bit to make wooden T-slots for hold-down hardware. but i still have the issue of hardware in the middle of the working area. could i get away with only mounting the oak flooring boards on the two ends, and using double-sided tape to hold down the middle? seems sketchy...
or could i use plywood for the first layer, and oak flooring with T-slots cut in it for the spoilboard layer, and use gravity to hold the center down to the table?
if the table wasn't structural, IOW if the gantry slides didn't mount to the underside of the table, i wouldn't have such an issue with bolts or screws through the table.
maybe i am just over-thinking this...