I’m going to buy a Shapeoko 3 soon (standard one) and I’m working on plans for an enclosure, but I can’t seem to know the exact dimensions of the Shapeoko’s bounding box.
On the Shapeoko 3 Kit buying presentation, there is 28.4" x 23.8" x 15.4" which translates into the metric system to 72.14mm x 60,45mm x 39,12mm BUT working on Fusion 360 with the model retrieved here I measured 72.17mn x 61.34mm x 47.14mn…
I guess the minor differences on the X and Y axes are due to approximation in the imperial to metric conversion but the Z axis have (imo) a non negligible difference as I’m working with tight tolerances.
So my question is, what are the exact MAXIMUM dimensions of the Shapeoko 3 with a Makita router?
If you’re building an enclosure that’s within 1-2mm you’re likely to have other problems down the line just doing service. I’d really recommend leaving 2+ inches around it, at which point the “exact” dimensions don’t really matter that much. The feet do stick out a touch, that may account for the 10mm or so.
It’s more about space economy that constraint. The enclosure will be embed inside a bigger furniture that would also contained other machines, so I would really like it to be nice and clean without “wasted” space.
Well, then I can’t really help, maybe someone else can. You’ll need the carriage full forward with a Makita actually on it (mine is Dewalt), to get a good measure front to back (the carriage overhangs the base at the front when fully forward)
First of all, I’m a newb and still waiting on my XL so take anything I say with a whole shaker of salt rather than just a grain. Having said that here is my 2 cents worth based on enclosures I’ve built for my 3D printers:
Don’t build the sides of your enclosure too close to the sides of the machine. It’s much easier to get an allen key in to make an adjustment or tighten a screw when you don’t have to try and wedge your hand in between the wall of the enclosure and the machine.
Don’t build your enclosure too small. As it cuts, the router is producing both heat and chips. A small tight enclosure maeans that both of those will build up inside the enclosure possibly leading to reduced router life. (I think that I ran across a couple of threads here on the forum on this.)
Plan for maintenance. There are parts on any of these hobby machines whether they are CNC or 3D printer that require maintenance (belts pulleys, bearings etc.) On both types of devices, one of the key elements of getting good results is keeping all of the machine’s axes as perpendicular to each other as possible. If you have to take the machine out of your enclosure to adjust this, I can almost guarantee that by the time you wrestle it back into a tight enclosure it will be out of square again.
In short, the area around the machine is not “wasted space” it is room for you to work with the machine without having to either move the machine or work in a very constrained environment.
I don’t have a direct answer to this. I’m using the DeWalt router and don’t have my machine yet anyway. When you do get the answer, remember to double check on how much room you will need to remove the router from the machine. At some point you will have to in order to change brushes on the motor or to replace the router entirely if it sees enough use.
It may seem like I am harping on accessability and maintenance but I’m also a shade tree mechanic and it really irritates me when the designers don’t think about the poor idiot that has to service their design. In one car I had, you had to pull the engine ot of the car to change an oil pan gasket and completely drain the cooling system to change an alternator. I’m trained as an engineer and know that compromises have to be made but, I guess, that my point is to try not to make it hard on yourself if you don’t have to.
Think of dust collection system, you may need additional room at the top of the gantry to pass the vacuum tube so it does not get stuck and mess up your cuts. Check this forum and the wiki as there several examples of enclosures where you can see all the systems people have used. Some people have front opening doors while others have the front half of the enclosure open-up for access. I still have to build mine and I don’t know yet how I will build the opening but lighting, sound insulation, air intake are things you also have to consider in your design.
