Possibly dumb work cabinet idea: Tilted X-carve bench assembly?

Quick question here. I know the workspace and wasteboard needs to be as planar as possible…but does it have to be level?

If I built a cabinet assembly that held the whole X-carve workspace at an angle, I’d gain some shop floor space. I’d raise the workspace back edge such that I’d have better visual and hand access when tightening down workpieces. I’d gain shelf space below it (maybe the new Xcontroller fits better all the way up high in the back, protected from more dust). And I could perhaps incorporate a front-edge vacuum ‘trough’ to help collect dust sliding forward. And I’d pretty much completely remove the temptation to use the currently big flat wasteboard as a temporary place to toss stuff when working on other tools such as the table saw… :wink:

Granted the motors now have to work harder to travel in -Y vs. +Y. The spindle is now rotating with an axis off vertical as well. Work pieces must be attached well, but then again that’s a good idea regardless.

Are there any other downsides / cautions anyone can think of? I wouldn’t go completely vertical or anything fully ludicrous like that, but a 30deg angle from level means a 1.1m table (43.3in) on a 30deg slant is only 37.5in deep front to back. Going as far as 45deg it’s down to under 31inches. It doesn’t sound like much but 6-12inches is a lot in a packed garage…

My Xcarve has been languishing unused for a while and I’m trying to figure out how I can perhaps make it easier to access, hence a new mobile bench at a minimum so I get get it in a free space, and/or something like this so I have more room around it.

Not speaking from an expertise as I use M3. But shouldn’t he turn off he current reduction for the steppers as well? A GRBL setting I believe. I watched a YouTube vid from educating savvas. He tried that very thing but a much higher angle. Didn’t workout to well.

Useful information, despite the passive-aggressive snark bit.

Searches such as ‘tilted work surface’ ‘slanted work surface’ ‘angled cabinet’ ‘angled wasteboard’ all came up with info about planarizing or ‘leveling’ rails with respect to the surface. Not an angled intended build.

But thanks ever so much for your concern about my inability to utilize basic internet forum etiquette. I shall strive to do ever so much better the next time and rate your personal satisfaction. But this is clearly a hobbyhorse of yours. (Yes, I checked your history before responding.) Maybe I don’t want to get back into this at all unless I can fully self-help. That makes Inventables happy, no?

A new try at searching with many different terms yielded ONE pertinent post, from Nov of this year, with your response. So…congrats champ. And thanks to the rest of you for responses with a bit less angst.

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What about having it fold up out of the way when you’re done using it? Would that help? YouTube has many videos showing these kind of designs. I’ve posted one example below for you;

My concerns for having it at an angle would be the same as others have stated. Gravity is going to do its thing and parts many wear unevenly. There is one design where the entire X-Carve flips upside down and it turns into a workbench. It was posted online a day or two ago, and when I locate it I’ll post it here for you to review.

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Here ya go;

While searching for the above video I also came across this. Might work out well for you;

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Excellent info here guys. XC, you video post are helpful. Angus, I like the graphic.

Thanks,

Donnie

Once a year, including the one I belatedly found. Indeed, “many, many” times, one can see how tired you must be keeping the chaff from overrunning the forum! By searching and responding again instead of just subtly offering a link the first time, you’ve now spent more effort than if you weren’t snarky. But hey, you be you. And it is nice to see the subject has come up and there’s no more detailed ‘con’ answers than already given.

I can get that. Similarly frustrating is the assumption one didn’t, simply because a long-time forum member has staked out a domain and has seen it a few times. I admit I clearly didn’t search well enough.

I see similar things on forums where I’m the helper not the helpee, and try to balance my responses a bit more like the rest of you are (for which I thank you again, the foldaway links are something I recall seeing before and do offer an alternative).

And FWIW, someone who finds it necessary to make their point like this:

…is clearly more after scoring points simply ‘tired of helping’. In my opinion.

I’ll promise to precede new posts with “I searched for these terms already:” should I invade your space again.

Absolutely I’m snarking back. I wasn’t the one complaining about my time being wasted however, simply pointing out a tone. Just because one’s been a member for years doesn’t mean one’s been active throughout. I find being a bit more subtle about providing links helps both answer without the tone, and pays it forward (later on others I’ve answered use the same bookmarked links, carrying the flame for me).

Not me, mind you. I’m probably a lost cause and will decide this particular forum isn’t worth my time again. No skin off y’all’s back, I get it. :wink:

Still haven’t decided if I’ll try it at all. My current workspace is a nightmare contributing to poor results. I’m not sure I’ll really step up to building a new rolling base at all much less be a heretic about it at the same time. (Edit) I similarly keep looking at the new stiffer extrusion and Xcontroller upgrade but then think I shouldn’t spend the money when I haven’t used the machine anywhere near its potential so far… just got a whimsy today. This’ll larn me, but good. :smiley:

Now you’re taking it out of context, but thanks again for the help you offered. Angus poked something that didn’t need to be and I poked back; you’ve been cool about it IMO. I’m pretty sure the hint was the forum doesn’t need or want new dumb ideas, anyway, and I’m chock full of those.

Is FB really that bad? I honestly wouldn’t know. But then this is well and truly off topic and I’m definitely wasting the forum’s bits now. Don’t respond…I’d search myself but that would require signing up for FB and I’ll pass.

can’t wait to see you go head to head with @PhilJohnson :sweat_smile:

for the record; that’s a joke guys! :poop:

Really? He was one of the most helpful in the early days. Can’t believe he’s completely gone to the dark side. I have missed a lot.

He still is

Faith restored. Thanks. :wink:

(BTW, I’m getting good at this search thing. This here black pot even found a kettle transferring his snark at me onto some other noob in another post for bonus points! I see I just fell afoul of That Guy on my first day back, din’t I?)

Looks that way. Angus is having a bad day I guess. He’s usually a nice guy. The forum has been over run lately with repetitive questions. (Some literally in the next post) it’s been a “search first” as a first response couple months. It’s still a great place to get answers. Welcome back.

Thanks for the welcome and the explanation! I may not stay (not because of this, but because my temporary enthusiasm may be a false symptom and I just fail to launch again) but I remember you from my bathetic self-made dust catcher discussion over a year ago. My machine has literally sat unused since about a month after that as I pranced off after the next short-term interest, which was what I pulled it back out of mothballs for that time, too (been doing a lot of virtual piloting in a space game with mounted HOTAS and VR headset…well that and a lot of real-life, real-job long hours and stress). If you’re curious, here was the project, I never did post back over here about it: STANDING HOTAS COCKPIT - Album on Imgur …since those pics were taken I’ve upgraded to much better joystick hardware as well.

Yet I keep adding to the pile of ‘things I want to make’ pages in the scrapbook…even if it is just a longer list of silly coaster or sign design ideas.

@RobertCanning thanks again for the reply. See above. If I do take a dive it won’t be because of today, it’ll be because I really wasn’t worth the effort, sincerely. :wink: I’m rather ADD sometimes (if that doesn’t seem too flippant about a real condition, and therefor me committing an unsolicited party foul).

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my advice:

  1. make something custom as a gift
  2. give it to someone
  3. see their reaction
  4. motivation right there
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