W.I.P. CNC Table Design

Are you willing to share your plans?

I’ll second the request for your Fusion file. That looks amazing!

I realize this is an old thread, but I am the 4DThinker who owns the blog referred to above. My CNC bed has gone through several iterations. Originally with just a removeable panel and a hole in the table it sat on for occasional vertical work, I’ve both scrapped the t-slot bed on my Probotix CNC, and on a new Probotix CNC I oversee where I work I replaced the MDF top it came with with a version of my compound angle jig that can be set at any angle from vertical to horizontal. I still use the small angle fixture on the front bar of my CNC. I chose the front bar as it was easy to mount the fixture on and lets the spindle approach boards clamped to it even if the pocket or slot I want to cut has the board sticking up out of the CNC. I mounted the smaller Probotix CNC on a tall stand knowing I would get tenon requests on the ends of 4’ and longer stretchers from my students. Even then we keep the stand sitting on 4x4 scraps for even more height above the floor.


4D

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That’s what I was thinking of. I was looking at a hinged design then thought it makes it more complicated and every time you want to work vertical you’d have to check for square or have a darn good system for locking it in at 90 to the spoilboard.

Plus, I did not build my table from the ground up, I used a Kreg 64x44 bench frame on which I placed my Journeyman with the QCW. I am going to make my vertical table under the rightmost panel in the QCW frame. That will give me an opening of about 8 X inches by 32 Y inches. I have about 37 inches from the spoilboard to the floor so that would be about the limit of the length piece I could work but that should be more than enough for whatever I want to do.

Under the bench top I will build a fixed clamping surface and get it set at 90 degrees to the spoilboard. It will also need a reference edge to set the workpiece plumb in the other direction.

Then to use it I just remove the one section of MDF from the QCW and I am ready to go.

That’s what I have dreamed up anyway.

If you are going to use the retractable feet that you show in your model Eric you might want to look at the optional mounting plates that will let you remove the wheels and get them out of your way. After you catch your ankle on one of those a couple times you be wishing you had. The wheels then slip on and off with no tools, you just drop a pin in to lock the wheel in place. You can put all 4 of them on or off in about one minute if you take time for a sip of coffee. :slight_smile:

Hey Bob,

wanted to send you a message, do you have “Do not Disturb” flag on?

After about six weeks I finally have everything setup. Thought I’d share my table and dust collection setup.


My table frame is all Douglas Fir. 4x4 posts with 2x6 rails and 2x4 mid supports. Rails joined to legs with 4.5" mortise and tenon joints. My friend has some precat lacquer that was about to expire so we gave it a few coats of that.

The table top is two sheets of MDF that is glued and screwed together. Then painted with Rustoleum enamel. Attached from underside with countersunk scews around the perimeter of the frame.

Mounted the OneFinity using 1/4" machine screws. Placement was specific to provide access to the nuts on the bottom side.

Started by machine a hole pattern in the table top for bolting down the spoil board base. Then clamped the spoil board base to the table and then machined three different hole patterns from the bottom side.
Pattern 1: 1/4" holes through the board with same locations as in the table top. These are used to assemble the base to the table. Had to avoid the screw pattern that was used to join the two pieces that made up the table top.
Pattern 2: Holes and pockets for 10-24 Tee Nuts for mounting the Tee Channel to the base.
Pattern 3: Holes and pockets for 1/4" Tee Nuts and mounting the spoil board segments to the base

Installed all of the Tee Nuts in the bottom of the spoil board base.

Used my touch probe and a homemade arm to tram the router using a piece of scrap clamped to the spoil board.

Installed the Tee Track Channels

Clamped each piece of spoil board down using the Tee Track and then machined holes and pockets for 1/4" machine screws for assembling them to the base.

Added dog holes.

3D printed covers for the Y-axis connectors and made a channel to cover the wires so they don’t get snagged.

Made a bracket for the joystick controller and hung the router wrenches on a nail. You can also see that the table legs have adjustable feet and that the height is just right for a garbage can and shop vac.

Attached the controller to the table top, then made a cover to keep the wires organized and to keep dust away from the cooling fan inlet.

Created a shelf attached to the X axis sliding block and fastened the X and Z control wires to provide strain relief on the connectors.

3D printed a dust boot and suspended the 4" hose from the ceiling with a 3D printed cradle and paracord which allows me to swap the hose to other nearby machines fairly easily. I fashioned my dust boot off the Suckit and PwnCNC boots. I made my own because I already had a magnetic connector system for all my other machines and I wanted to keep things consistent so I could easily swap the hose with my drill press and disc sander.

The dust boot is two pieces. They attach to the support arms using a sliding dovetail. I purchased the 1" brush from PwnCNC. The hose attaches at the back and the front section slides out so I can use the touch probe. I’m in the middle of modifying my hold down clamps to be much lower profile so the dust boot can slide over them.

Here’s the hose connection in the rear.

Here’s a close-up of the magnetic quick disconnect. All of my hoses have a male connector and all of my machines have a female connector. The magnets are from K&J Magnetics. They are very strong in tension but fairly weak in shear so you just have to twist the hose and they separate.

This shows the cradle and paracord used to hoist up the hose so it can reach all areas of my machine without creating much twist in the hose. It also shows the power cord for the router that is suspended from my dust collection ductwork.

I hope you find this useful.

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Nice job. I like the little shelf for the X-axis wires.

Hey Rex,

do you print all your 3D objects so that it looks like they’re made of chocolate :slight_smile:?

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LOL - It is sweet, but not chocolate. It’s actually my first usage of metallic copper filament. I guess the green one would be mint and my white ones could be vanilla or cream. Hadn’t thought about it looking like chocolate. Now I can’t get that out of my head.

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Rex, any more planned upgrades? Maybe some drag chains.

Love the 3D printed parts.

Curious about your method for tramming with the touch probe.

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Not planning to do drag chains. Power from the router comes from above. The cables from the controller to the X & Z track pretty well since they are fixed to the shelf and zip tied together.

For the tramming, I use the touch probe to measure the height instead of using a dial indicator. I came up with this when the dial indicator I borrowed from a friend was too tall and wouldn’t swing under the X rails. When you use the touch probe, the absolute position is displayed on the monitor, so you can use those values to compare left to right and front to back. I filed down the tip of a screw to create my touch point. An added benefit is that the touch probe base will set on the high ridges so you don’t get any error by probing a high point on one side and a low point on the opposite side.

My only other mod is my router speed control. But I had already posted this so didn’t want to repeat the information. Not sure how to create a hyperlink. But if you search on router speed control you should find it.

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That’s an awesome installation.
I like the dust boot that draws from the back and dog houses.
Any chance I can get you to send me the .stl files?

I just purchased a Makerbot Method and am now learning about 3d printing. I’d rather print something I can use than the useless trinkets available online.
I’ve been playing with Aspire and, while still cumbersome to me, one can convert a carved project to a 3D file from within Aspire.
What do you use?

Thanks
Bill

Hey Rex,

Were you able to see any advantages by these metallic ingredients (except looking like chocolate? :rofl:)

(^But the question is meant seriously)

You would have made a good chocolatier :slight_smile:

Not that you bite into it after all and we have to call the paramedics (copper filament indigestion) :slight_smile:

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Metallic Copper only refers to the color. There is actually no metal in the filament. It is strictly ABS through and through.

Unfortunately ABS and ASA are the only filaments my printer will run with because it is operating under a proprietary software and they don’t allow you to change the print parameters. But that’s a restriction I’m willing to live with since ABS is a good material and I like that it works without me having to tweak and babysit the printer.

I know this is an old thread, but it’s exactly what I need right now. Thanks a lot @AdamsLeatherWorks for sharing your designs and version 4 SketchUp file. While I have my Onefinity mounted to a torsion box, your drawings are going to save me tons of time adding the vertical clamping component. So appreciative!

You don’t by any chance have the updated version of your SketchUp file…?

Great work, and thanks again!
Kat

Cool design. Have you done any vertical joinery yet? I’m thinking about the table I need to build and I definitely want to incorporate a vertical section, preferably near the front so I can still access the table underneath. Would you change anything with the experience you now have? Merci. :slight_smile:

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Bonjour Jean-Claude. Unfortunately, I did not and my design changed a few times since I acquired a QCW. I plan to change it again and attach the QCW to a flip mount so I can save some space in my garage an still be able to work with 4x8 sheet. Regarding vertical section with the QCW my thought was to install it in between two metal slots but go to the final design. I saw that SpruceKnotLab now propose one very similar on ETSY link.

Just found this post and very similar to what i am doing

Very curious how your table is working out with the flip panel for vertical cuts.

I had a few issues with my dust collection that was drawing from the rear. I was running a project over Christmas and wasn’t paying attention when I moved the router after completing a cut and crashed into one of my hold downs. This resulted in a broken support arm.

I decided I wanted to go with a longer brush so I would have more clearance and also to get better suction by placing the hose on the front side. Bringing the hose to front side also made it possible to raise the dust collector higher since it would no longer bump into the bottom the Z axis support plate. Since I have a custom hose connection I needed to design my own dust port. At the same time I designed a hose support that also connects to the slots in the Z axis plate. This new system works really well. Only problem is that my dust collector is so powerful it sucked up the small piece of brush that fills in the gap designed to pass through the router bit. Here are some pictures.


New Front Side Dust Boot with 1.5" Brushes


New Hose Support Bracket and Retainer Ring


New Hose Support Bracket and Retainer Ring Assembled


Complete Dust Collection Setup, including magnetic quick release hose connection

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