Hello!
I would appreciate your advise…
I just bought a 0.75" thick MDF sacrifice board. I have a Shapeoko Pro 3 XXL.
Do I need a sacrifice board to be installed, even if the machine has rails and mdf sections?
Is that the correct thickness?
Do you have guidelines on how to install it?
If my working stock is 2" thick, will I have enough ‘Z’ travel?
Thank you!
Pablo
Yes, having a sacrificial board (usually termed a “spoilboard”) is a good idea, and works well for some folks.
3/4" is a good thickness — thick enough to last for a while, thin enough not to lose too much Z-height (and you should have room for 2" stock, though this will depend on part geometry and endmill length)
That said, most folks don’t use an added spoilboard w/ T-track and MDF filler strip setup.
My inclination would be to just drill holes to match the spacing of the T-tracks and install using a nylon screw into a suitable threaded part in the T-track.
Sacrifice board is a great name! Where we offer up materials to the CNC gods to see if they will be angry or benevolent. 
I created this document for the so3, xl and xxl but the advise is the same for the 4 and pro if you want a spoil board on top of your t-track and mdf.
spoilboard_considerations.pdf (1.3 MB)
Please let me know if it is any help.
I’ve been using a .75" spoilboard, but have found some limitations you may want to consider based on the types of projects you run.
I like to carve boxes out of solid 8/4 stock. If you use a material this thick with a spoil board, you will need to position the router higher in the mounting collar to get clearance. I found this resulted in more difficulty getting smaller bits like .125" to reach the bit setter. It often required precise placement. I wasn’t happy with how little of the shaft was actually in the collet and was amazed I never snapped a bit, or worse, damage the router.
Having worked like this for while, I’ve concluded it’s far easier for me to not use a spoil board. Instead I will just cut a lot of MDF strips to have on hand to replace damaged table inserts when they happen.
Also consider when using a spoil board you’ll have to create your own work holding solution since you’ll likely be covering the t-tracks of the table.
See the post just above for work holding solutions.
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