Just ordered the Gen 2 woodworker with the folding/rolling QCW stand. Planning on getting the 80mm spindle after I get comfortable with my new machine.
My question is mounting the VFD. If I go with the under table mount, I’m afraid that when the stand is folded, the weight of the VFD will cause the bracket to rip out since it’s just screwed into the bottom of the MDF waste board. If I go with the tabletop mount, I’ll need something to set it on (prefer not to set it on the floor).
Anyone have a setup like this or have any better ideas how I can mount the VFD with the folding/rolling stand?
As @cyberlynx1 says, the under mount is pretty straightforward to take on and off. I wouldn’t worry about screwing into the MDF, the provided course threaded screws have excellent hold, I’d just suggest not going whole hog on tightening them down and tearing the treads out though. Better off to go in easy and if it isn’t tight enough, back out, then go back into forwards to finish snugging things up.
It really isn’t required, but if you were extra concerned you could drill pilot holes.
(Also, it’s not hard to put back on, just not with one hand, LOL)
Thanks for the info and video, very much appreciated. So it does look like the bracket is screwed into the underside of the waste board, correct? Or am I looking at it wrong?
I’m so happy I saw this, I have been wondering if going with the spindle was going to make it a pain to fold up. This was perfect, thanks for the post and the answers and vid!
I realize this post is three months old since I first posted it, but I wanted to update everyone on mounting (or not) the VFD to my folding/rolling stand.
I have been in contact with Onefinity tech support regarding this issue, and the bottom line is that, according to them, there is no real way to securely attach the VFD to the folding stand. Using the under-table mount and attaching it to the MDF waste board creates a significant stress point when folded and because the VFD weighs nearly 5 lbs, the screws will eventually rip out. Onefinity suggested that I set the VFD on another table (not putting it on the floor) and then disconnect all cables when finished and put it away. In theory, that’s great, but I don’t like the idea of connecting and disconnecting the cables from the VFD; eventually, they will wear out. I emailed Redline for their thoughts, but have yet to hear back.
One of my thoughts was to fabricate a 6”x6” shelf, with a 2” angle from 0.25” aluminum or maybe steel (with two right-angle support pieces) and mount it to the front of the stand using two of the cap head screws that hold the t-track in place. I have no idea if this will be strong enough to hold the VFD, but I’ll give it a try. I just need to find someone who can create/weld this shelf for me. The shops I contacted don’t want to do one-off small piece jobs like this. I could probably use angle brackets, but that won’t look clean. I’m amazed that Onefinity hasn’t thought of a solution to this. I can’t be the only person who has this problem.
Another solution to worrying about wearing out connectors…you could make little whips that go in between the controller / VFD so when you plug and unplug you are plugging and unplugging into the whip and not into the controller and VFD.
I am using the folding and rolling stand and considering all the same issues you are as well
Pigtail extensions are a great idea, My concern with them is either making absolutely sure that the wiring on the pigtails is correct or, hopefully finding generic through DRO, data and communications cables, which may be tricky to locate.
If I can fabricate a solid mounting solution for the VFD, I’ll be more than happy to share how it was made and who made it. I have a rough diagram, just need a shop to weld the parts for me.
One other thing to watch out for…I noticed the Gen2 fits the fold rolling legs but the weight distribution is very uneven. I think it may have worked great as is for the previous version, but mine folded and standing would only take a small bump and it would being crashing down. I don’t have the spoil board on yet, so maybe that will help with the center of gravity, but I will definitely be strapping up to the wall when I store it that way. I have been using a 2x4 as a kick stand when I have to walk away when it’s folded up.
I don’t have my X & Y rails on yet, but I did install the spoil board. I’ll definitely watch how it sits. Unfortunately, I don’t have a wall to strap it to, so if need be, I may use some type of clamp to hold it to the garage floor.
Since the unit will weigh >100 lbs when it is completely assembled, I’ll be adding a second stand on the opposite end to act as a handle and give me more control when moving it, setting it up, and taking it down.
Or maybe something from above. For the electronics, I was thinking maybe some sort of plenum board that goes across the QCW cross members on the under side, not sure if they are think enough to tap, but maybe a threaded insert of some type to hold the plenum board in place that everything is mounted. The VFD is a little more tricky since its more of a hanging mount, I suppose if the mount is correctly oriented it would hold the VFD up when the machine is upright, just have to figure out how to keep it from sliding out when in the process of folding.
My initial idea is to mount the VFD to the Redline table base/stand then mount that to the shelf. To make sure the VFD doesn’t move, I was thinking of adding a 2”x0.25” removable aluminum “frame” that goes around the top of the unit to assure it stays in place even when the stand is folded.
Now this is all preliminary, I plan to do a mock-up as soon as I get the base/stand.