Hardware request, adjusting router z axis tilt, easily

We all, I think, sooner or later get around to discovering tramming. And then we discover the tedious procedure necessary to shim the router mounting block to achieve better accuracy.
Can, or have, any of you engineers out there devise(d) a mod to enable an easier, more accessible adjustment?
Thanks

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Out of curiosity, how are you shimming it?

This is a tricky one, it would be good to have some kind of way to adjust it vertical tilt - forward and backward. There is already left to right adjustment on the stock setup and access holes.

The most logical way would be a couple of screws you could tighten at the top/bottom of the mount to push one side out or in.

Thinking more about this, I’m kicking myself for not thinking about this on my new setup. I had been using an aluminium foil shim…

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grub screws would do the job, I like that idea. Same way something like a jointer is adjusted for coplanarity… might need to apply some brain power to that one…hmm

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I’m working up a Z-axis screw design of my own (based on the CNC4Newbie one and @Luke’s recent post) but this is the portion that also has me stalled. I’m not going to take the time to make a good Z-axis upgrade it winds up being un-trammable.

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I’d be keen to see what you come up with. I would have thought adding 4 m4 or M5 bolts and access holes to the rear of the Z axis mount would work. I did design mine with large access holes on the rear plate - I’m wondering if these could be used and a new front plate be milled…

If so it’s a quick swap…

Real dirty mock up, but something like this would work:

Top and bottom flanges are the same, the smaller grub screws would press out against the Z plate and the two larger center screws would pull tight to the plate. Would allow Z/Y adjustment very precisely. Z/X could be accomplished by using a through-hole or slightly oversizing the center holes, giving some play.

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Thats a good design!

I would add that actually front mounting the screws would be the best thing you could do - then even using shims would be easier…

Some twat cut off his spindle mount flanges when he got it…

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So far what I have thought of (no drawings on this part yet) is basically what you have @Adam_Xett, but I would still use two main screws for secure attachment. This would adjust rotation about the X-axis, but I’m not sure how to adjust rotation about the Y-axis. For sure those grub screws would need to be a really fine thread pitch so that you could make very small incremental adjustments.

I think adjusting the Router mount is the way to go. I don’t think you want to try to adjust placement off of any of the other plates. I’ve started trawling through the other Shapeoko forums for ideas as well. I have to remember that these machines have existed since 2011 I think, so we aren’t the first ones to try to crack this.

@Luke Probably the same wanker that came at cut my springs too short the other day :expressionless:

and @EvanDay: Nonsense! History started the day I got my machine!

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4 layers aluminum foil. Took 2 hours.

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Take my money! Great idea!

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I think it might be better to make the body of the mount taller, which would allow more adjust ability on the X axis. Think of the mount used on the X-Carve, which covers more of the router body. And the middle of the mount should fit a little tighter than the top and bottom and will act as a pivot point. Then grub screws in the top and bottom on both sides would give you the X adjustment, and grub screws in the top and bottom of the face like you show above would provide the Y movement.

Interesting ideas all around.
In theory, this should all be moot, since there is play in the spindle mounting bracket screws to allow for Z/X movement and then play in the X gantry extrusion slots to adjust Z/Y. I think this latter one is shown in one of @wmoy’s videos on tuning up the S3.
But when did a simpler solution preclude engineering a better solution!

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Just a thought - does anyone see a benefit in making this design in 2 pieces? Take this design cut it in the middle horizontally and flip the pieces around. I’m no engineer but it seems like that would give more adjustment and help keep the router from flexing. Has anyone made a 2 piece router mount?

There were a number of two-piece router mounts back in the Shapeoko 1/2 days (and the original mount design for the SO1 was a pair of muffler clamps):

https://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/Spindle_Options

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