Maximum Size on 24"x24" table - without protruding out.

Mostly Printed CNC - MPCNC Troubleshooting
1

Hi everyone,

I am planning to build a small machine that would fit on a 24"x24" 3/4 MDF board. This way, it would fit perfectly on my bench and would be small enough to be portable. (On the small side since I am planning to use it for PCB milling, light wood milling and 3d printing)

However, I may want to build an enclosure around the MDF board to keep noise and dust in… How close to the edge can I put the feet and still maintain a reasonable distance from the edge so that if I put walls around my table, it won’t interfere with the belts and other items that may protrude out?

How high an enclosure would one need to build to put a “lid” on top of the enclosure?
A simple equation like this would be useful:
Min Enclosure Height = Usable Height + Stepper Height + Clearance + ?mm

On a similar note, the screw holes on the feet are on one side only; with a slot on the other side. Can I rotate the feet so that the screws have plenty of material to bite into (putting the slotted corner in the corners) without affecting the geometry or the ease of squaring?

2

I would say use the calculator and add 1" minimum to the table dimensions, That would give you probably 1/2" clearance from your box.

Height depends on your stepper motor size. So z rail length + leg length + motor length + plus a little extra 2-3" for breathing room.

You can do whatever you want with the feet, screws out is generally the strongest option. With 8 screws holding it down each one sees very little force.

3

Great.

I’ll use 23"x23" as my rails for my 24"x24" table. On the assembly page you indicate that the table needs to be 1/4 in bigger than the rails. With 1/8 on each edge, I didn’t think the screws would really have enough to bite if they were going to be on the outside; Especially considering that it won’t really be a table with legs but simply a board resting on top of a bench. With 1/2", placing the screws out won’t be an issue.