first: this is our first CNC router, so we haven´t any experience with cnc milling yet. We built a table for our new foreman (that we couldn´t test yet). The Frame we welded from steel profiles in 60x60xmm (feet) and 60x40x2mm (rest). The base plate, mounted on the top with M8 110mm screws, is made from two pieces of Chipboard with a total size of 1600mm (w) x 1800mm (l) and 38mm thickness.
I really like the idea of the Morgan Hop wasteboard without the need of additional c-profiles, so this is my choice.
Now my questions:
What is the best way to fix the wasteboard to the base plate? Some screws at the edges or gluing with wood glue or…?
In the instructions the wasteboard shall be made of exactly 48" x 48" (~1220mm x 1220 mm). Is that the optimal size and why not a bit bigger?
For the ones who are interested this is our table frame:
You can make it bigger, the distance from the bit to the machine’s feet is big enough to allow for a bigger wasteboard, but be aware that if you want to flatten it with a surfacing bit, you should only make it (workarea width + bit diameter) × (workarea length + bit diameter) big. The remaining small corners that are not machined can be removed with a chisel or a handplane then.
Thanks a lot, sometimes a bit hard to find the needed info for non native english speakers. And do you think it should be enough to only fix it on the edges with the size of the foreman?
I would attach a wasteboard over the entire surface, but it depends a little bit on which clamping method you use. If you use T-tracks (see also T-Tracks on QCW frame), T-nuts (Einschlagmuttern) or Insert nuts (Rampamuffen) that are attached on the wooden tabletop and not on the wasteboard, it’s not that important, but if you use the cyanacrylate and blue tape method, it would be important that the wasteboard cannot be bent upwards. The same applies should you attach any vises or clamps to the wasteboard instead of the underlying wooden tabletop.
Some people use clamps that sit in dog holes e.g. like these shown here, in this case I would make sure you use long enough dog holes that go through the tabletop and that the bench dogs are long enough, and it would be wise to have the wasteboard attached firmly to the tabletop everywhere since the dogs will have lateral forces applied.
Since it is a "waste"board (=Opferplatte), it would make no sense to glue it, as you will want to remove and exchange it once it is damaged or worn.
