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I’m in the midst of assembling my 1000mm X-Carve kit, and I’m beginning to design my bench and enclosure for it.
I’m considering the following…
Machine footprint
Machine height (including allowances for vac hose)
Doorway dimensions to room where I’ll be operating (so bench and enclosure can be moved in and out of the room)
Accessibility
Noise
https://amzn.to/3zJ1fdE
So far, it looks like I’m going to make a square bench… 48" Square x 32" tall.
The height is short, but it’s based on being able to flip it sideways to get it in/out of a doorway.
The 48" square dimension comes from half-sheet of plywood/OSB decking.
I’m going to have a top deck for the machine and a lower deck for the computer, power supply, controls, and shop vac.
The upper deck will have a 1/8" plastic windowed enclosure framed with 1"x3" pine boards, which will reduce the inner available footprint of the machine to about 46" square, which should still be plenty.
The enclosure will be hinged to allow access to the machine.
My questions are as follows…
Is a 46" square working footprint adequate for a 1000mm X-Carve?
What height should I use for my machine, if I have a Dewalt 611 spindle and am planning on using a dust collection hose attached to the carriage?
I’m considering maxing my hood out at 32" tall just to give myself maximum working room while still being able to fit it through the doorway (detached from the bench).
Any input or thoughts on this design will be appreciated.
Here’s a sketch…
Your bench is basically the same design that I use. Having the flip up top enclosure really cuts down on noise and contains dust.
I can’t remember the exact dimensions that mine ended up being and I’m not home to check for an few days. I want to say that I went wirh something like 48x48 outside though. Mine is tight on the inside space a little bit. I have room for the machine and drag chain/NEMA 23 combo but if I ever decided to buy larger motors it wouldn’t fit width-wise
I have a few posts in the “workspace showcase” thread with pictures. You could check those out if you want an idea of what your design might look like.
Does your 1000mm X-carve have vertical or horizontal drag chains?
Mine has the vertical (I’m guessing newer design), and it looks like if I have an inner work area of ~45" sqauare, it’s just enough to fit the machine… width-wise has less “wiggle room”, but it looks like it’s going to work.
Thanks for the information.
Here’s my progress, so far.
I’m lacking the hinged front part of the enclosure, and I still need to finish the shop-vac enclosure underneath… but I’m getting close.
Also needs plexi, but waiting to get list of dimensions from finished build.
I also plan on suspending the vac hose and spindle cord from the inside of the lid.
I’m getting close on my enclosure.
I finished up the Shop-vac box, which is lined on the inside with thick carpet (hopefully will dampen sound a bit).
I have plywood panels on much of the lid, and only the front and two large side openings on the lid will have clear panels installed.
I also have LED strip lighting to install in the cover to light the inside.
I’m getting closer to firing up the machine every day.
I got the enclosure finished on top… lights, plastic panels on the front and both sides (1/4" plywood sheet on other open panels).
I also got the vacuum enclosure done… lined with thick carpet, and the sound level is very tolerable.
Here is a current photo showing the lights (not as bright as the photo would have you believe, but they are adequate) and the vacuum cabinet door (latched door near the rear on the left side).
Hi Coryalex, that’s a great looking enclosure and exactly the spec I was looking for.
Do you have any plans or ideas to sound proof the hood? I’m in a similar situation to yourself and I’m about to pull the trigger on the x carve purchase and noise dampening and dust reduction are paramount to me. Really need to make sure I’ve both these elements boxed off (excuse the pun) before I purchase the x carve.
A video demonstrating everything when it’s in full swing would also be greatly appreciated!
So far, I haven’t really run the machine, except for the vacuum. The vacuum enclosure is under the table and is lined with thick carpet. That greatly reduced the noise generated by it.
I have fired up the router, without load, and it is a great deal quieter with the hood closed. I don’t know now much I could do to soundproof the top of the box, but I did put the X-Carve on rubber feet (adhesive backed) to dampen any vibration that might be transmitted from the X-Carve to the table while operating/cutting… that should cut down on noise, too.
I will state that the vacuum noise alone is still substantial. You won’t want to run this in the same room where you’re trying to watch TV or enjoy dinner with family. It will generate noise… no way around that.
I will be sure to post a video of it working, once I get it wrapped up… I’m very close. Last night, I got the wiring all finished, and I’m to the steps involving installing drivers on the PC. I can’t wait!
I attached my shop-vac hose to the Dewalt 611 bracket, last night. It’s the simplest method I could devise.
I just used some M4x.07 screws (60mm length, I think) along with 1/2" nylon spacers, and I just drilled through the nozzle to attach it securely.
All I need to do now is to model and 3D print a “sleeve” that fits on the router itself to help direct air flow better and improve vacuum efficiency at the spindle location.
I’m thinking a basic “C” design that slips up over the exposed part of the router with the gap in the “C” at the nozzle location. If further restriction is required for it to work better, I can add bristles to the sleeve.
Wish me luck with this solution!
Well, my printed “sleeve” is a nice, snug fit!
I may add some bristles or other flexible skirting around the base to better contain dust and chips, but I’m about ready to fire her up and see what she can do!
Last night, I wired everything up, installed drivers, and went through the Easel setup to verify proper wiring and so on… and she lives!
I’m excited to perform my first test cuts… hopefully, tonight, but definitely by this weekend.
Wish me luck!
Okay, I’m on version 3 of my dust shoe. I still need to add bristles/skirting to it, but I’m happy with the design.
The shoe must divert the router’s exhaust out to the side and away from the tool area, as my shop vac cannot overcome the “blowing” force the router produces… and dust/chips will fly everywhere.
The gap between the baffle face and the bottom face of the router is roughly 1/4"… this allows the air blown out of the bottom of the router to be diverted out of the side, away from the tool.
The hole in the baffle face is just slightly larger than the chuck nut… this allows the chuck to spin freely while restricting downward air from the router from blowing chips and dust around.
Also, I cut the shoe into 2 halves for 2 reasons. One is for ease of installation. The other is to be able to adjust its grip on the router body. If I need to shim the halves, I can… but it should be snug, based on its dimensions. But having bolts through it in 3 locations will give it a secure fit, no matter what.
Video of my first test run… things went well.
Everything ran nice and quiet. You can have a conversation right next to the machine at a normal volume. I was surprised how quiet everything ran (spindle & vacuum)… the vacuum made more noise than the spindle, actually. 1st test run of my X-Carve
Welcome to the X-Carve nation! Your enclosure turned out so well that it has me rethinking my current setup. I may have to give your dust shoe idea a try as well. Great work!
Looks real good. I’m interested to see how clean your enclosure stays with the dust shoe installed. As you know my enclosure is a lot the same design but I haven’t added dust collection yet. The enclosure keeps the mess contained but it’s a lot of work vacuuming the box out after I cut wood. I’d love to hear about how well your setup does after a few days of cutting.
