I sure would like to try it on my 1000. Not to keen on drilling. Thanks, Jene
Whatās the worst that could happen? You would need two new pieces of maker slide is all. It does make a huge difference.
1 Like
Once you have the stiffener plate positioned and clamped in place just be sure to drill squarely through the maker slides and plate all in one shot. Using a drill press is probably best and I went so far as to drill one end and insert the bolt and nut, then the other end, and finally the middle bolts.
It made an amazing difference in how my machine operates.
1 Like
Just finished the steel spline mod on my 500mm x-carve, went very smoothly with the drill press and itās insanely rigid now, not that beneficial for the 500mm, but stiffens it up even more than it already was. And to anyone nervous about drilling the rails, its not as scary as it first seems. Once you have all the holes marked to be drilled its just a step by step process from there.
5 Likes
I have suddenly realized how lacking my machine is in the sticker department. This must be remedied!
2 Likes
Mine would all be warnings to myselfā¦ like āBuzzed carving is drunk carving!ā Or, āDid you turn the vacuum on?!?ā Or āTest on inexpensive scrap!ā Orā¦ āDo you smell something burning?ā
3 Likes
Iāve milled the very stuff. Its HDPE usually and mills great. I had the same thought, but will probably go with a metal optionā¦
It is worth a shot though if one has a HDPE cutting board lying around.
Earwigger, the L-brackets - did you fabricate them or are they store bought? I like that idea and want to eventually do that whole mod on my machine. Do you have the measurements for the brackets? Bolt sizes also?
Thanks
Just out of curiosity, why does everyone doing this drill thru the middle (heightwise) of the makerslide and obstruct the Y-axis wiring channel? Couldnāt you stagger smaller diameter bolts above and below and keep the channel and get the same stiffening effect?
Also wondering if something in a very hard rubber vs. metal might give both some (clearly less than metal) stiffness and some vibe absorption / dampening, perhaps.
Havenāt finished my own machine but considering incorporating this mod before even attempting a first cut.
If you install the furniture hardware so the nut is in the front, there is enough room to pass your stepper motor wire through the makerslide channel.
1 Like
Mine was simple poor planning. I believe I was the ātest caseā having decided to use furniture bolts after noticing regular bolts interfere with the carriage. I was pretty proud of myself once it was assembledā¦ and then I remembered the other y-axis motor wire. DOH! I also used my own shielded motor wire which is just thick enough NOT to fit in the forward makerslide top slot. Double DOH!
As for rubber, well, metal is cheap, more rigid and proven to provide excellent stiffness.
Thatās what this forum is forā¦ learning from our mistakes and capitalizing on our victories.
Since you are just finishing up - I thought you would get a kick out of this post. She is just now emerging from the x-carve dark ages and into awesomeness:
1 Like
Fabricated. The metal was steel and came from old speaker stands. But you can just use aluminum L channel and cut two brackets. Put a straight edge on the rail and shim until it is perfectly flat. Mark your holes so they line up with the slot. I happened to have extra socket head screws that fit the t-nut.
Definitely. But this bracket does not interfere with the live cutting area on the waste board so it makes no difference other than aesthetics. But I use a homemade wasteboard that has been surfaced and resurfaced so aesthetics are a pretty low priority. It was handy and it was black, so I used it. I love using stuff from the junk pile.
I am working on a sign right now made entirely of wood from a Lowes (big box home improvement center) dumpster. My first dumpster diver project!
2 Likes
somewhere on here I started a thread on where folks get their wood and dumpster diving was a question I asked. Interesting indeed, now I have to drive around the back of those places and have a look. My luck Iāll get arrested.
If you go back to the cutting area inside the store, there should be a large dumpster. I left with an armload and the guy walked up to the register with me to tell them I didnāt have to pay. I thought that was pretty cool.
Iāll have to have a look next time there. I did get some free flooring samples from Home Depot to mess with.
My X-Carve is out for delivery right now so Iāll be assembling tomorrow, and Iām planning on doing the stiffening mod right while I build it. Aside from unnecessary extra weight, would there any problem with going with 3" tall steel instead of 2 1/2"?
And speaking of weight, what about using aluminum instead of steel?
1 Like
I believe this amount of weight is incidental to the capabilities of machine. I am hauling around steel, an 8 lb Hitachi router, a dust shoe with attached hose AND a spindle tachometerā¦ and am about to attach a pen holder.
But, people seem to like the aluminum mod as well and it is probably easier to cut. Just donāt forget the y-axis supports as well - equally important. That and upgrading the spindle. Assume you are not getting the old 24 volts spindle correct?
I have the 611. And yeah - Iāll definitely be doing the y-axis supports too. So the extra 1/2" on the bar to stiffen it up wonāt cause any issue with the gantry or wires? It doesnāt LOOK like it wouldā¦
I assume the Maker Slide is just standard T-slot, and that any T-slot connectors/hardware will work on it for the y-axis mod - right?