Increase Z depth

CNC Machines Shapeoko 5 Pro
1

I’d love to increase the Z depth beyond the 4.5" on the SP5. Mainly to cut bowls. One thought I have was to perhaps cut a 24"x24" hole in the work surface, that of course would be able to reinstall when the hole isn’t needed. Dumb idea?

2

Here is a recent thread on increasing the Z height

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3

I would hesitate to cut a hole in the middle of your Shapeoko. Might work and might destabilize your machine. That might maybe would make me pause on that thought. I dont have an SO5 but I have seen and read the post @jtclose referred to. That might be a better alternative to cutting up your machine. Plus if you want you can reverse your decision. Cutting a hole is unrecoverable without buying a lot of expensive parts.

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If I were to raise the gantry height, this is what I would do. This is more work than adding the blocks but I believe it would be much more stout for what I would be machining “if” I were to go this route. Everyone has their own idea on what works best for their particular application, this would be mine.

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Thanks, yes I saw this and was inspired by it.

I used the CNC to cut lap joints in a set of 4x4’s this week to see if it were possible. Surprisingly it worked. Barely. Could of done it the old fashioned way with a table saw but I’m working to justify my CNC leap! Plus, the CNC route was much safer overall.

Thanks for the response.

6

I really like this mod, maybe a Winter project.