I recently upgraded my waste board to a sectional version over t track and it shows how easy it is to twist the frame out of square. I am ordering 6 - 20mm x 40mm x 1000mm Extrusions to make an extrusion Torsion box as my base for the unit. I think if I can get the base frame to be closer to true flat I will not have to worry as much about the mdf waste board strips on top of it. I also wanted to go to a 4 rail cross so I can screw the waste board to more extrusions keeping them down better a single bar in the middle even with the original waste board never seemed very secure really shows up bad on the strip top version I did. I find more than anything now I am doing the painters tape with CA glue hold down version, no need for tabs with enough tape. I will most likely also be building a new bench squared up more solid base with a torsion box on top of that with built in dust collection and storage, tons of builds on benches already this is my 3rd version but it will hopefully be one of the last. I also want to enclose the Xcarve - sound in the shop is crazy running this thing on an 8 hour 3d carve trying to do other stuff with hearing protection on all day kind of sucks and if it gets late I feel bad for the neighbors. After a while of fine tuning and getting this thing dialed in properly now I want to tear it apart and build a new base and cabinet… Ill rewire the limit switches at the same time, the old ones are hanging off the machine new ones screwed on, I have the shielded wire to redo it just felt like it was running good for now why tempt fate. I found using the center point for the Vcarve as a base saves me from using any set home position, but I may add a touch plate eventually. Has anyone done base frame rebuilds to beef it up I have not seen much more than x and y fixes so far.
Man I just went over your whole Linux Build post that is a comprehensive and impressive layout! I am only doing the 1000mm x 1000mm in my shop but I liked all the info on the torsion box and foam conduit runs are pretty neat as well. Lots of great ideas…
I was thinking on just getting some more 20 x 20 and remember seeing that build with the aluminum plate as well. I found a place that has a much better price on extrusions - sorry inventables… I was pricing the 20 x 80mm but they only sell it in 4000mm lengths and I already sacrificed one of my saw blades for aluminum cutting not sure if I want to go crazy on something 14’ long… the idea of thicker overall base rails was doing a dual torsion flat on flat should equal pretty flat… I suppose that aluminum plate may of done it too but cost is a factor for me.
I am looking into doing the same thing. Though I am holding off as I plan on getting longer Y rails as well. (just one of many planed upgrades)
Looking at some other oversized builds I noticed that a lot of people were using heaver gauge rails, 40mm as opposed to 20mm, for their table frames.
I am not sure but it looks like the 40mm based stuff has thicker walls, so a single 40mm gauge rail may be less flexible than a 40x40 20mm gauge?
8020 has a big selection and more info I plan on researching more later.
I went thru Masumi 80/20 looks like they have comparable pricing too. I am ok with what I have for now on size personally I bought the Vcarve home so I am restricted to 24" x 24" on my detailed layouts I am not sure how large Easle can go but seriously I do not see the need to do bigger the rare sign I have done so far tiling and line up worked perfectly.