I’m sure it’s in here, but I can’t find it and I want to confirm before I secure things. Since one side is about an inch longer than the other, which side of the X-spar gets the conduit rail?
Conduit rail goes on the shorter side (you can figure this out by thinking of the machine at each extreme. The non-conduit side has the motor – so the offset is larger than the conduit side.)
Why does it require you to start over??? You cutting the parts out like that are most likely going to mean your parts aren’t accurate. The machine will be ok at the extremes where your temp struts are but it will be a limp noodle in the middle.
It’s relatively easy to pull the core by loosening the top clamps on the braces and sliding the top rail over, then walking the core off. This provides plenty of access to install the strut plates without a complete teardown.
Both work well. I think they are just about the same speed as well, you can push a 1/4" faster but it has to remove twice as much material. Lately I have been using the 1/4" more often.