Today I received an email from Onefinity that my order is on its way (Batch 4 - Elite Foreman Gen2 without HMI). So excited to get my CNC journey started.
That’s so exciting! I’m also in batch 4. Been using the table I built as catch all til it’s time to make it home for the cnc.
@fatheadowl I have yet to build my table. I have to get started. Been contemplating the overall size… to small and motors/wires will be overhanging the edges… to big and precious shop space will be wasted. Was considering a flip top table like the Fisher design however thinking the foreman may be too large to consider flipping it and stowing it in a corner. One way or another I will be getting a table built and if it is not the ideal size… Well heck, I’ll build another one.
Good luck to you when your machine arrives!
Looks awesome. Thanks for the picture. Now I am able to see how the machine looks on a work table. I’ve a question for you in preparation for my own work table. What is the amount of space required (or used) in front of the Y rails for the wires to exit the motor and bend 90 degree to be channeled across the table. How about for the X rail?
I want to ensure my table is dimensioned correctly to ensure the wires from the X and Y rails are within the overall footprint of the table. That will add a bit of protection from accidental bumps into the connectors/wires/motors.
Thanks!
well my table is rather unique in that the section you see with red t tracks is removable because i have my rotary unit on a lifting table that rises up at the push of a button. but to answer your main question keep the machine at about four inches from the front that will give enough room to gently bend the wires. and to be able to coverthem with any number of 3d printed gizmos for sale on etsy and other places. as to how wide well herre is another area i kind of have a special thing going on with. as seen here in this picture.
I put my HMI on an arm so that I can keep it out of the way and be adjustable for easier viewing whether sitting or standing. and here is a picture of the rotary addition.
If you look on the forum you can find my lift shown working just click on my name here in the forum and it should pop up the picture shows the lifting mechanism here total width was the width of the machine plus the cutout area on the left side for a small 10 drawer cabinet for all the thing you want to keep in a drawer and out of the dust and debris of the carving. the cabinet dimensions are 11 inches wide and 15 inches deep. then of course the 3.5 inches of the 4x4 frame. My overall length is 73.5inches and 48" front to back but that is for a journeyman size. The foreman will require more. and I should have made mine wider front to back as my motors stick out at the back so I had to simply make some back bumpers lol to protect them as I do move my table around quite a bit. especially when I am working on the table itself. Ok, so way too much info. lol have fun. you will make mistakes just work around them.
robert
Thanks for the info. Yes, I remember seeing your build pictures and the lift mechanism you were working on at the time. Didn’t recognize it now that you have it all together and side-by-side with the masso machine.
Yes, mistakes will be made… but heck, that is how I learn!
Not too big to flip 
I did modify it so the axle is off-center front to back. So there’s 2ft of table in front of the axle and 42" behind the axle. It only rotates through 270 degrees now (instead of 360 with Drew’s original design) but that’s fine. I can still use the “blank” side. I also added a HF electric winch to help rotate the table - mostly to control the swing when it’s rotating so it doesn’t get out of control. It sits 22" away from the wall when folded vs 5ft so it helps with my space when I’m not in the middle of CNC projects.
Jim, appreciate the input. And glad to hear that a flip will work. Now I need to go back to the drawing board and decide what I want to do. I was considering the flat worktop for ease of construction as I can build that with no problem and only a few dimensions to consider. However the flip would be the ideal solution so I can save valuable floor space when it is not in use. The flip was my preferred choice! For the sides on your flip cart base did you use 3/4 ply like the original Fisher design? Is it sturdy enough to handle the weight and motion of the moving spindle without racking? When in the table is flat, working position for the CNC how high is your machine from ground to work surface? Would you mind sharing any photo’s of your flip cart? Thanks again for the input!
I did use 3/4" ply. The end is doubled up so you get 1 1/2" on one end and on the other I have the cabinet attached. (Mine faces the left, not forward as I recall Drew did on his.)
I don’t see any issues with movement and I do precision inlays all the time where instability, deflection and other movement issues will screw up the mating between the pocket & plug.
The tabletop is 38 1/2". That’s about 3" taller than my other workbenches but it’s a comfortable height for working on CNC projects. I’m 5’9" tall BTW.
I did a fairly extensive post with pictures when I built it with explanations of the mods I made. The only difference is that I added an 18" extension for the Foreman. If I were building it from scratch I’d build it the full size out of the gate (but keep the axle in the same position Drew shows it in his plans - about 2’ from the front of the table). I extended mine by removing the top of the torsion box (I only glued one surface when I built it so I could get back in if I had wiring issues in the future - I ran all the wires inside the table - with the Foreman you’ll need the extension wires OF just released. I added a new 18" wide torsion box to the original 4ft box but instead of relying only on screws to join them together, I added two 24" long 3x1/4" steel plates overlapping the two torsion boxes. There’s no deflection of the table top. A monolithic torsion box won’t need that though.
Thanks again for taking the time to write up this explanation. Sounds as if I may go this route. Based on what you’ve done to your build, would it be possible to make it lower in height? I am 5’4" and height was one of my concerns for even a stationary non-flip table. Secondly, I ordered my package without the HMI and built my HMI using the Raspberry PI and 15" touch screen. I can place the PI anywhere I would like and extend the cables from the PI to the Realtime controller as needed… would this be suffice or are the Onefinity extension cables needed for a different reason I am not considering?
@JimHatch I found your write up and pictures you’ve included of your flip top build. Great info you’ve provided! Guess the real outstanding question I have after seeing your build would be regarding the extension cables as I’ve asked in my prior post. Thanks to you and all users who provide such informative write ups to us new users. Helps a great deal!
Sure. Instead of 1x4" for the torsion box, 1x3s would work too. Also, I have 5" wheels - smaller ones would reduce the height, just make sure to keep a 500lb or better rating. The bottom has an open bin along the entire bottom. You could eliminate this but you’ll want to double up the base plywood to make up for the loss of structure. I’d also add some triangular corner supports to help prevent racking. But that will prevent full rotation.
For the cabling you can skip the extension cables but you’ll have to plug & unplug the connectors every time you rotate it. With the extensions you’ll be able to run the cables through the axle pipe and the torsion box. Then you can relocate the VFD, controller & other hardware (the HMI or monitor) to the end cabinet and never have to unplug the connectors when rotating the table.
Who is going to pay to repair the sidewalk? 
Those boxes are HEAVY.
@sbetts That made me laugh! Yes, those boxed are heavy. I give credit to the delivery guys having to deal with them. The four boxes I received came in fantastic condition considering the weight and distance they have traveled to get to my home. I should hold my breath… looking at my tracking notification there is one more box coming tomorrow. If that box arrives in equal condition to the others then all is good… actually all is great!
As for the sidewalk… well, that will have to be left for the next home owner to fix. I’ve got some buildin’ to do on a cart for my new machine!