Change spoilboard?
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- Vectric Craftsman
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Re: Change spoilboard?
New at this so excuse the stupid question but why are people putting plywood then MDF as a spoil board. Can you just not fasten MDF to the CNC bed? Also if you put a vacuum table under the spoil board how would you get a good seal? The vacuum tables I have seen have gaskets to make a good seal to the projects.
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- Vectric Wizard
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Re: Change spoilboard?
There are many different types of CNC machines, with in some cases very different designs. Some don't have"beds" at all.
And there are many different types of vacuum tables as well. In some cases, a gasket is all that's required. Some glue their spoilboard down. It all depends on the particular system you are using.
And there are many different types of vacuum tables as well. In some cases, a gasket is all that's required. Some glue their spoilboard down. It all depends on the particular system you are using.
Gerry - http://www.thecncwoodworker.com
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- Vectric Craftsman
- Posts: 140
- Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2018 4:11 pm
- Model of CNC Machine: CWI Professor 2.2
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Re: Change spoilboard?
I see. In the research I did all of the machines I looked at seem to have "T" slot beds, as does the one I finally settled on.
Re: Change spoilboard?
Here's how I did mine. I'm not finished yet but you get the idea.
- TReischl
- Vectric Wizard
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Re: Change spoilboard?
I set up mine a bit different than most.
Instead of gluing/screwing a large sheet on the machine table I cut strips that fit in between t-track. The t track is screwed to the machine table. Doing it this way keeps me from having to remove over 100 screws from the t track every time I need to change the spoilboard.
This works out really well because the cheap plywood I use is 3/4 thick and the t track is 1/2 thick. I am pretty careful when I program so I rarely cut deeper than about 1/32 into the spoilboard.
I drill and c'bore the strips with a fixed pattern so that I can reuse the screw holes in the machine table. Like a bunch of other folks have said, I have the holes c'bored about halfway thru the plywood.
I don't use MDF for a couple of reasons. The dust is downright nasty. MDF does not hold screws as good as plywood. Yes, I do screw stuff to the spoilboard even though I have all sorts of t-track. Sometimes it is just the best way to do it.
BTW, the item on the table is my old vac table. It worked well but I do not need such a large one anymore.
The little wooden things that are bolted into the t track along the front edge of the vac table are what I use for stops. Just chuck up a .5 dowel, lower it to within about a 1/4 of the table, bump a stop against the dowel, lock it down and then jog over to where I want the next one and repeat. Y Zero is then set by typing in .25 on the DRO. Does not get much easier than this.
Instead of gluing/screwing a large sheet on the machine table I cut strips that fit in between t-track. The t track is screwed to the machine table. Doing it this way keeps me from having to remove over 100 screws from the t track every time I need to change the spoilboard.
This works out really well because the cheap plywood I use is 3/4 thick and the t track is 1/2 thick. I am pretty careful when I program so I rarely cut deeper than about 1/32 into the spoilboard.
I drill and c'bore the strips with a fixed pattern so that I can reuse the screw holes in the machine table. Like a bunch of other folks have said, I have the holes c'bored about halfway thru the plywood.
I don't use MDF for a couple of reasons. The dust is downright nasty. MDF does not hold screws as good as plywood. Yes, I do screw stuff to the spoilboard even though I have all sorts of t-track. Sometimes it is just the best way to do it.
BTW, the item on the table is my old vac table. It worked well but I do not need such a large one anymore.
The little wooden things that are bolted into the t track along the front edge of the vac table are what I use for stops. Just chuck up a .5 dowel, lower it to within about a 1/4 of the table, bump a stop against the dowel, lock it down and then jog over to where I want the next one and repeat. Y Zero is then set by typing in .25 on the DRO. Does not get much easier than this.
"If you see a good fight, get in it." Dr. Vernon Johns