Hey,
So I wanted to get my spoilboard flat and even with my router. The biggest flat bit I have is 19mm wide. At 1mm depth, to cover an area of 2440 x 1220mm will take something like 40+ hours, at 20mm/s. Even if I was to run it at 50mm/s, it would take 17 hours.
What am I missing? Do people invest that many hours in doing their spoilboard? Do I need an extra large bit?
What’s everyone doing?
Thanks
I don’t think anyone is surfacing the whole low rider. I proposed a couple of times that someone should use a frame and flatten that, then attach the spoil board to the top.
But really, what are you doing that requires surfacing the whole thing?
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I remember you had suggested that when I was building my table. I might take the sheet off and do that. I have about 1mm drop on the opposite side diagonally .
I have a 1 inch surfacing bit. Haven’t surfaced the lowrider yet. I need to though, I’m planning on a full sized 3d engraving, so I need it flat!
That is pretty small for a cnc this large. But those are through cuts, just add 2mm to you cut depth and cut those guys out. The spoil board is meant to be spoiled!
Have you looked at how the carving will take?
Hehe, yeah you’re absolutely right. I set my height with the intention to only just penetrate the bottom and marking the spoilboard as least as possible.
@Jeffeb3 I have just removed the spoilboard and am manually (with the knob) manoeuvring the router and surfacing the 2 x 4 underneath. Actually it’s not taking as long as I thought. Another half hour and I’ll be done and ready to screw the spoilboard back in
Cool! I hope it works as well as it does in my head!
Not yet. I’m going to split up the gcode at every layer. I still need to end stop the lowrider too. It’s going to take days though.
Take lots of pictures!
If everything is carved, like no surface left, then the Z won’t actually matter much.
It’s going to be a table top, so like 1.5-ish inch thick wood. My cnc table has a slight hill in the center of the y travel. Not an issue with sheet goods, they flex, but the solid wood top will teeter totter over that hill.
I am new to CNC. However, if you are not cutting through you might just be able to shim the work piece. You could mount a dial indicator (harbor frieght sells a decent one for $15) and just measure to get your high and low points. You might also be able to use the dial indicator to know where you need to surface your spoil board to avoid having to surfacing the whole thing.
Thanks, I’m pretty new myself, but I did get it sorted. I did what Jeffe said and had suggested when I was building it (I was in too much of a hurry to do it lol) but didn’t at the end.
So I took the spoilboard off, manually (with the lcd knob) routed all the 2 x 4 underneath and although I haven’t tested it yet (that’s another story) it actually took off around 3 mm from some places and none at other spots. Now there’s a groove where the spoilboard just drops in. Won’t be able to test it with the router because I killed it.
Oh no!
Literally 1 more minute and I would’ve finished before it died. It’s kinda my fault though. As it was cutting, it came to a pretty deep part (around 4mm) and it stalled. I reached for the switch and turned it off, and it got going again for almost one pass then it died. I didn’t have the RPM up full, if I did it may not have stalled. 4mm doesn’t seem alot, but at half the RPM with a 19mm surfacing bit, it takes quite a bite. I ended up finishing the rest of the 10cm that was left with my hand router.
I’ve ordered another one and it’ll be here in a few days. Not sure if died because it’s the cheapie makita look-alike, or not. I don’t know if the better brands have protection for things like that, but regardless, there was absolutely no smoke at all, it just peacefully gave up
That’s the worst way to go! Hahaha…my electric saws go in fits of sparks and smoke and bad burning smells. And if they don’t, chances are if I let them cool right down they’ll fire up again and go till they do! ; )
Are you sure it isn’t just thermal shutdown? The brushes are replaceable too, although it usually sounds quite funny when they go.
It’s also got a manufacturer’s warranty. That might be something to look at. The dewalts are great for that.
I was hoping it might’ve been thermal shutdown, but after a day and it still won’t go. Brushes are still almost new.
I have contacted the seller I bought it from, waiting for reply. It does have a 2 yr waranty.
Holy crap! Just threw it in estlcam to get a rough idea. Might have to change my plans. 37 hours just for the roughing pass! That’s with a quarter inch end mill. 46 hours for the finishing pass.
Yeah exactly what I was saying lol
Surfacing the spoil board will only take 4.5 hours with a 1 inch surfacing bit.
