I am upping my woodworking game. I am looking to outfit a new XL or XXL with all the trimmings. What have you found that works really well? I know I like the Suck It vacuum shoe for example, but what else out there has made your lives easier? Lasers, belts, etc…and GO!
Thanks in advance for the help
Along with the Suckit a good shop vac with a dust collector like the Oneida Dust Deputy. For shop vacs you’ll see all sorts of opinions on the forum and elsewhere, I use a Fein Turbo 1 and I’m very happy with it, but again there are tons of options. A good set of starter bits, 1/4" square, 1/4" ballnose, 1/8" square, 1/8" ballnose, 90 degree V cutter, 60 degree V cutter, and a 1/8" collet for your router. A suitable table to set it on, I went with 3/4" plywood, 2x4" frame and 4x4" legs on casters. A good solid flat table is a must! And then a PC you don’t care much about to drive it, sawdust tends to get sucked into fans. I use a small HP mini PC with a full 24" monitor mounted on an arm to my bench, others like small tablet PCs and laptops, my eyes need a bigger screen.
That should get you started 
Dan
A probe, doesn’t matter which, just a probe. < $10.
This has been a really nice addition, but obviously a little more expensive than most things: http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-24-touch-monitor-p2418ht/apd/210-alcs/monitors-monitor-accessories
I have it on an arm attached to the bench my SO3 is on. Collects a LOT of dust, but still works even when it’s getting crazy thick. I spent a bunch of time messing with other ways of runnning the machine remotely, etc, and gave up and just use this with a kangaroo PC to run the system.
Thanks, Guys. Keep 'em coming.
Anyone have any feedback on alternative spindles? I have the Dewalt router, but just wondering what people have seen in terms of durability and the ability to remotely control RPM.
I use the Dewalt with a SuperPID installed:
Others run the Makita, and still others have put all sorts of water cooled spindles, laser beam eyes, I’m still waiting on someone to slap a rocket engine on one of these things and take it to the Moon!!! Honestly if you have the Dewalt, just start with that and see where it takes you. The Dewalt by itself is plenty capable, and since you already have it, that makes it free 
If you’re just getting started there’s no reason to go all in adding complexity before your feet are wet. I’ve seen people come here with all sorts of mods done to their machines, still haven’t cut anything and they don’t know why it won’t work. At this point they’ve changed so many things it’s hard to help. Stay simple at first, start walking, running, then mod till your hearts content! Having said that I’m really happy with my SuperPID, but I didn’t add it until a couple months of cutting stuff.
May The Force be with You!
Dan
Great points for sure. I am sure that will be how I build this out, but I figured this would also be helpful for others that are ready to run too.
Thanks!
I just started with mine, but I was in the same boat, looking to outfit with the best stuff I could find.
A good selection of end mills with spares is essential. Lots of places to get those, but you can’t go wrong with the C3D ones. 90 and 60 v-bit, .25 and .125 EM, .125 BN. I also picked up a 3/4" bottom clearing bit which made surfacing my wasteboard quick and easy.
I have the suckit dustboot and I consider it to be essential as well. The only problem I ran into was using it with a 2.5" hose. The dust boot really should be an inch or two longer to give clearance to the router mounting plate. Or you have to use a smooth sided hose. I have a standard dust collector hose with ridges on the outside and the router plate hooked into it causing the belt to slip. I now have a 1.25" hose piece from the dustboot to clear the mount, then the adapter for the 2.5" hose above that. I’m not totally pleased with how it looks, but it works. I’ll probably switch over to a rigid hose instead.
I don’t have a touchplate, but I would have ordered one had it been available. However, I haven’t found a need for the touchplate, zeroing the unit to my material hasn’t been an issue. I haven’t done anything requiring the precision of the touchplate either. I’ve been eyeballing the X-Y location and using a post-it note to set the Z. When I’m doing a full thickness cut, I don’t even bother to set the Z correctly the first time. I just set it to a little above the material, let it do it’s thing, then use my caliper to measure the difference between the distance to the wasteboard and the distance the cutter went on the first pass. Then I drop my Z that amount and rezero. Perfect depth cuts every time.
I have the t-track and clamp set, but I’m currently not using it. I was impatient and wanted to get a feel for the machine before installing it, so just attached a piece of 3/4" OSB to the machine and surfaced it. So far it’s working great and the tape/CA glue hold down method works like a charm. The only issue I have with that method is during full depth cuts the bit can pick up some of the tape glue and it gets all over your material.
Honestly, while it’s nice to have everything you could ever want starting out, getting to know your machine first is probably the best idea. You may find, as I did, that not every accessory is needed right out of the gate.
Thanks! I just made the purchase and I am going to run with the XXL, the end mills and the Suckit. Let’s see where it takes me!