# Has anyone replaced their Z axis assembly for greater travel?

**URL:** <https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/has-anyone-replaced-their-z-axis-assembly-for-greater-travel/9028>\
**Category:** Original/PRO Series (Buildbotics) (Gen 1)\
**Created:** [November 19, 2021, 5:11pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/has-anyone-replaced-their-z-axis-assembly-for-greater-travel/9028 "2021-11-19T17:11:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 24

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**Author:** ![349iq2345](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/bb73d2/32.png) [@349iq2345](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/349iq2345)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2021, 4:59am UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/has-anyone-replaced-their-z-axis-assembly-for-greater-travel/9028/24 "2021-11-23T04:59:37Z")

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Hey Peter,

> [@Nightowl](#):
>
> Hmm, I was thinking more about allowing additional space below the lowest Z height so I could carve thicker material with longer cutters, but I get the additional stresses and strains on the machinery and affect the rigidity.

Yes, in fact this should be the [Riser Blocks Topic](https://metager.org/meta/meta.ger3?eingabe=site:forum.onefinitycnc.com%20%22Riser%20Blocks%22&focus=web) as it differs from [thread’s creator topic](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/has-anyone-replaced-their-z-axis-assembly-for-greater-travel/9028/)

> [@Nightowl](#):
>
> I suppose it would be a lot more rigid to mount the machine on to a welded steel or bolted aluminium extrusion frame, and incorporate a removable/adjustable waste board, but that would need to be bolted down to ensure that remained rigid to the frame.

When Riser Blocks discussion once more raised up, some time ago @MikeH suggested in:

> [@Anyone using riser blocks, or thinking about it?](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/anyone-using-riser-blocks-or-thinking-about-it/4732/2):
>
> I would consider running the block the full distance of the Y axis to give it more stability. Also, you could extend the width to be larger to the outside to increase the footprint a little more.

This may be a compromise that makes tabletop stiffier when rising. I would then add two more reinforcements, perpendicular to it, under the tabletop.

> [@Nightowl](#):
>
> A bit like your frame/table combination, @349iq2345, but I don’t have shares in an aluminium extrusion company 🤣!

Seriously, in fact I try to avoid [aluminium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium) whenever I can, I prefer [steel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel). In contrast to [iron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron), the main steel component, aluminum cannot be found in [elementary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_element) form in the [Earth’s crust](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth's_crust) ([→ note](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium#Earth)), but has to be extracted from [Bauxite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauxite), a [process which not only is highly energy-consuming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium#Production_and_refinement), but which brings extreme environmental problems with it, even [environmental catastrophies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajka_alumina_plant_accident).

Also I have decades of experience constructing things using softwood and hardwood (not [MDF](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium-density_fibreboard), [OSB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriented_strand_board) [Chipboard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particle_board), or [Plywood](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plywood), I mean **[wood](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood)**! 🙂 ) Many people forgot what mechanically strong things were built through the centuries using wood.

Tags: [Aluminium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium), [Bauxite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauxite), [red mud](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_mud)

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