Y-axis stiffing mod well worth the 30 minuets to construct

I was still getting a a lot of chatter at higher speeds even after the x gantry mod. I was watch it cut one day and noticed the y Gantry flexing not vertically like you would assume but side to side.
thought about for a couple minuets and came up with this. Its not a pretty as the acrylic dust guards but it adds vertical and horizontal support.

Super easy.
1/2" mdf ( with I had enough 3/4 to make it but I was out)
4 cuts 3.875 high x 19.6825 long.
Drilled holes 1.5625 high and then drilled and taped the maker slide.
Ran a bead of wood glue under the mdf and at the seam.
After this picture was taken I added a couple “L” brackets to help secure it.

This turned out amazing, I was still getting some flex and twist even after the x gantry mod, but this took the rest out. The machine has to be 300% stiffer!

As a added bonus it also serves as a dust guard for the y rails!

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I will be looking more into this when i get home, but what is the wood glue for? wonder how the function can be accomplished without something that permanent in order to keep it modular for easy maintenance.

Thanks for sharing!

I was assuming the wood glue would add to the support whether it did not not is unknown.

I tested it tonight to see what kind of speeds I could get.
.1" per pass and 50 ipm in .377 cast acrylic with a 1 flute 1/8" bit ran great.

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Pretty is optional, functional is not. That took a lot less time to make than the acrylic dust guards, and looks great!

oh yeah that looks good its functional and that is what matters really lol I am in the process of doing mine but i am going way overkill and cutting a bunch of designs in my dust guards that are going to be led lit…its taking forever!!

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Instead of drilling/tapping the Makerslide, any reason you couldn’t just use some captive nuts on the inner slot?
I had some Sunlite polycarbonate I was going to use as a dust shield but might try this one out with some 18mm or 25mm MDF.

Can you post a photo showing where you put the L brackets, please?

That would have been much easier, but I did not have any and it was Sunday so Grainger and Fastenall were closed.

My y axis stiffy mod was a simple l-bracket on each side. I like the dust guard option though, its a twofer!

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love the tool box!

Thanks! It’s my own design that I make and sell on demand. The x-carve has really allowed me to step up my game with engraving abilities.
This one was for a friend who spent many years in the army and retired as a staff Sargent in the rangers division.

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I think this is a really good idea. After several months what do think and would you do anything differently?

Actually I Loved this set up, But…I ended up replacing the MDF spoil board ( I lived in Louisiana and humidity was causing issues the mdf swelling) 5/4 plywood. when I did this I used shorter sides and have hated it ever since.

We moved to Texas a few month ago and i have yet to get the shop finished, as soon as I do I am going back to the original design.

what part of Louisiana / Texas… I too was in Louisiana (Lafayette) and now in Texas (Houston)

West Monroe, Louisiana, ( Yes, I know the Robinson’s, great family, good people. )

We now live in Goodrich Texas.

awesome! only an hour out. wonder how many others are in the area

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The X-carve has been wonderful actually has me looking into building a KronosRobotics Krmxr02 https://goo.gl/images/RiQeyT

that looks like fun. keep us posted, down the road, if I can get my business off the ground, I’ll be looking at building a stronger machine… This looks like a candidate.