T-Slot Plate

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Bob La Londe 14 years ago

I recently picked up a little CNC router. Its got decent (not perfect, but decent) ballscrews and decent linear rails. I am taking apart the stuff I don't like, upgrading the motors, spindle, controller etc.

One thing I would like to upgrade is the table itself. Its got a 20x20 style extruded t-slot table, but its awfully soft and not very uniform. My Taig and my MaxNC mills both have aluminum tables, but they are a lot more rigid than this hollow extrusion. To get something decent at a good price am I going to have to just wait until I get the big mill going (been working on it for a long time) and just make my own table?

Suggestions? Ideas?

I did consider just going with a couple pieces of mill rolled aluminum plate with drilled and tapped wherever I need a hold down. Surface as needed.

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Lloyd E. Sponenburgh 14 years ago

"Bob La Londe" fired this volley in news:v14Gr.36873$l_ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe21.iad:

Soft, I cannot help with, but uniformity? Just have it surfaced!

LLoyd

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PrecisionmachinisT 14 years ago

Maybe drill a large blank plate for pins, and drill / counterbore up = through it from the bottom so that you can then attach a row of = "tee-shaped strips" onto it's top.

Then, once the strips have been attached and the whole mess is installed = onto the machine, you can lightly fly cut across the tops of your "tee = shaped strips" in order to true it in....

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Ignoramus6950 14 years ago

I have a very nice T slot table for sale.

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Lloyd E. Sponenburgh 14 years ago

Ignoramus6950 fired this volley in news:2e-dnceXr7pNnnTSnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

That would stiffen his router bed real good!

LLoyd

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Bob La Londe 14 years ago

Yeah, when it flattens it. LOL.

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Ignoramus6950 14 years ago

It is not that heavy, as a matter of fact.

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Ignoramus25088 14 years ago

Far less than two tons. We have not brought it in yet, but it is clearly a lot lighter. Maybe today we will bring it in, we have to move a massive amount of stuff.

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Bob La Londe 14 years ago

I am looking at something like this. Looks cast or roll milled and then machined. Not extruded.

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Now I could find that in cast iron instead of aluminum for a smoking price...

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Lloyd E. Sponenburgh 14 years ago

"Bob La Londe" fired this volley in news:giMGr.8491$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe17.iad:

That's the link I sent you a few days ago, or one just like it.

Those are cast, and are NOT machined (not even on the bandsaw cut ends... Yechhhh!)

LLoyd

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Bob La Londe 14 years ago

Hmmm... never saw that. Still thank you. The claim the bottom is good enough to seal up to their vacuum plates. Either they have some impressive gaskets or they had to atleast surface the bottom.

Makes me really really wish I could get inspired to finish the Hurco. with its 24 by 14 working envelope I could use it to make every part except the screws and electronics for machines this size.

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Pete Keillor 14 years ago

That plate is also very thin under the slots. Can't be very rigid.

Pete Keillor

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Bob La Londe 14 years ago

Its gotta be better than the extrusion used as a table on this machine now. This is going on a small router so clearance is an issue as well.

Its one reason I considered just throwing some mill rolled flat bar stock on there and then drilling and tapping for mounting stuff as needed.

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T-Slot Plate

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