I made a supplemental wasteboard with lots of spots for threaded inserts, and a number of .25" dowel locations. Threaded inserts are on 1.5" centers. I chose this (and 10-24 inserts) to be able to reuse some other tooling.
For me, having a place to stick dowels makes getting stock aligned against the machine axis quick and easy. You can align this board to the machine using dowels stuck into the same holes from the underside and placing them hard up against the front of the machine. I clamped it to the lower wasteboard with t-nuts.
I am fixing to make another wasteboard for mine. I made the one I am currently using, and I will not use the threaded inserts again. I have had too many strip, and come out on me. I will be using Tee Nuts installed from the underside next time. I like the idea of using dowels I will definately be incorporating that into my next one. Thanks for the idea.
I’ve got t-track under it…I’m not real happy with how that has worked out. I’m pretty much always hitting clamps for it and breaking endmills, clamps, dust shoes, you name it.
Nice Idea with the dowels, easy to use for 2-sided machining too. I just have a 3/4" MDF wasteboard with inserts, it works fairly well.
You’re the first person I’ve heard who wasn’t a fan of the t-track. I have been thinking about going down that path, but have been worried about exactly what you don’t like about it.
I had a homemade threaded aluminium plate on my original SO3, which was great, but to put one on my XXL would not be cheap.
The only way I like my T track is I installed it only on the sides of my surfaced waste board. I cut a lot of panels (15" width) of patterns with lots of parts for toys so my clamps are all on the side out of the reach of the cutting bit and the motion of the gantry. Otherwise I totally agree with Mike, I used to have them down the middle but removed them because of their getting in the way. I also have a strip (thicker than the waste board) on the outside of the T tracks that the clamps sit on so that end is higher than the material I’m clamping. I also use pegs for alignment.
