Getting ready to put spoil boards on QCW. Manual calls for length of 41 1/2”.
Has anyone used 32 1/8” (actual cutting dimension) to avoid having unsurfaced
areas at front and back?
Yes, this is what I do and it works nicely
I am waiting on my CNC machine and planning ahead. If you use the 32 1/8" boards, how do you line it up correctly to the cutting area?
Thanks!
I used the lengths manual called for. I don’t like all the waste on the back, but do like little on front. When you surface the board, it will leave a small lip that can be used as a square for your work pieces.
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Hey rcmatz,
You might be interested in this:
Welcome to the forum!
PS: Note that when switching from original 65 mm diameter milling motor mount to optional 80 mm mount, then the cutting area is located approx. 19/32″ / 15.1 mm more towards front.
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I use the full size boards on my QCW, and I like having the extra surface area. However, if I was doing projects that used tiling toolpaths, the difference in heights on the spoilboard would probably mess me up. I rarely use the tracks, so I took the leftover MDF from the sheet I made my slats from and made another spoilboard that sits directly on top of the cutting area. Since I use the painters tape + CA glue method to hold down work pieces, I find not having t-tracks in the way works well for me. I know this is not part of your question, but just adding it for thought.
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The post you referenced was very helpful. Probably some simple trial and error to fine tune the alignment. I am planning on tilling so I would prefer to work with a correctly referenced surface.
I have purchased a 1.5" flycutter. Will the onefinity allow me to surface out to .75" beyond the border, or does the system protect you from that?
Thanks again!
Hey rcmatz,
you can mill what the cutter reaches, so yes you can add the radius. But be aware you will leave a small area unmachined on the corners (due to circular area that the cutter covers). You could remove them with a hand plane (or a well-done bevel-down sharp chisel hit).
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Mine is about 40" deep. T-track comes in 36" lengths and I wanted at least enough extra so I could clamp down a 32" deep board if needed. I have a CMT surfacing bit that’s (I think) 2 3/8" wide. The last bit of the spoilboard I used a hand planer to get down below the flattened surface. It’s not perfect but it doesn’t need to be.
I also manually surfaced my spoilboard with the joypad. I didn’t make the lines like some people do all across the spoilboard but I did mark all 4 corners.
Yep, the Joypad works pretty good to surface things. I don’t have a laptop or anything nearby so it would be a trip back and forth with a USB to make a quick file. Sometimes it’s just faster to manually do it with the joypad.
When I put mine together I followed the instructions, but I wish I had left the panels short so they were just the cutting area. I’m actually working on a Dog Hole + Threaded insert system similar to the Red Dog Woodcraft setup, but sized to make a perfect grid on the wider QCW Slats.
One thing I forgot to mention is that I like the raised edge on the front of the spoilboard (from where the surfacing bit couldn’t reach). I use a piece of MDF and push it tight to that lip and then push the piece of wood I’m working with tight to the MDF. It’s much quicker than measuring. I thought about making lines but never got around to it. The MDF trick works great so I can’t see any reason to make lines in the spoilboard.