#102 1/8” bit WAY too SHORT on Z+!

I would like to use my #102 1/8” bit to build my waste board, but it’s way too SHORT! See photo attached, the Z+ is max’d out. And I’m using TWO 3/4” MDF boards! I’m totally baffled. Why is the Z+ depth so limited?

How can I get the depth I need out of my 1/8” bit?

Thank you,
Gary!
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The Z-Plus router mounting bracket is 1" higher. And this is even more important for the Makita router sold by Carbide3d with its shorter length. This doesn’t limit its length of travel but you have to account for this higher starting point.

The solution is to use two MDF spoil boards. IMPORTANT - This does NOT include the base 3/4" MDF that comes with the machine. From what I can see in your photo it looks like you are using one spoil board.

Per a suggestion from this forum I added a 1/4" piece of pegboard on top of a second 3/4" MDF with holes aligned to my 2" grid of T-Nuts for clamping to raise the bed 1" With that I can reach to the bottom of my MDF spoil board with an 1/8" bit.

Bill

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You can check out this thread where this was discussed extensively, both the setup and various ways to address this (which boil down to: supplemental wasteboard or milling an alternative plate)

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Wow. So Bill you’re saying I should add 2 MDF spoil boards on top of the stock MDF baseboard? Plus, 1/4” pegboard? Are you using long bolts to hold all three layers together? Drilled all the way down to the bottom layer?

Thanks!

Gary:

Attached are pictures of my configuration.

Each 3/4" MDF is attached to the layer underneath it with screws. The 1st MDF spoilboard is larger than the cutting area as you can see in the photo. The 2nd 3/4" spoilboard is sized to the cutting area of my Shapeoko XL and is attached with screws that are counterbored so I don’t hit them when flattening. The pegboard is secured to the MDF spoilboard using 1/4" bolts in wooden knobs. This reduces the cutting area but makes removal / replacement of the pegboard very easy.

Bill

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Nice job!
I like the pegboard hold downs.
Thx for the photos too!

Gary,

Dont know what you are using under the holes to bolt into. I used 1/4-20 5/16" Tee nuts. The holes I cut were .30 to accommodate the thickness of the Tee nut. I wanted the 5/16" tee nuts to give me room to flatten my spoil board a few times. I had to measure what my maximum bolt length had to be to avoid lifting up my spoil board by hitting the base board. Since you have a Z+ you will need to lift up your work to cut all the way through but with a .30 hole I could cut them with the #201 1/4 inch bit. You cannot make holes that are the same size as a bit so trying to make a 1/4 inch hole with a 1/4 inch bit will not work in CC. So if you have not bought your hardware consider the tee nut method. I dont personally like the screw in type inserts because they may break loose when tightening and/or loosening. The Tee nuts are secured by tightening the hold down bolts.

On the bottom of the spoil board the tee nuts measured .75 inches round so I made the recess for the tee nut .80 in case of variances in the Tee nut manufacturing. Measure the thickness of the Tee nut head and make your depth .05 inches deeper than the thickness of the head.

Guy is correct that you cannot make a hole of the same diameter as the bit you are using. Carbide Create will simply ignore it. However if you enlarge the hole by .001" it will work.

Example - using a 1/4" bit set the diameter to .251"

Guy is also correct in the need to pay attention to the length of bolts used for clamping. Check each time as this will vary depending on the stock you are clamping and the style of clamps being used. Keeping an assortment of appropriate lengths and a bunch of flat washers helps with this issue.

Bill

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