Well, I finally got my S5P 4x4 up and running; I had to reorganize my garage to make space. In the process, I made myself a new version of the spoil board with multiple alignment and attachment options.
I have M6 threaded inserts space every 2.02" in both the X and Y directions (half of the spacing of the t-slots), plus 20mm dog holes, and 3/16" pin holes for alignment pegs that I can use for aligning double sided parts, jigs, or even just use as temporary fences.
I’ve also been working on some jigs for common jobs that I run, which will allow me to pass through to the dog holes or threaded inserts, and use the dovetail slots for more flexible alignment and clamping options.
So far, I am very much enjoying this machine over my old self-designed version of an OpenBuilds system.
I’ve mostly done functional parts in the past. I have a couple of smaller machines. With this one, I want to get into more creative woodworking projects, as well as some small cabinetry work. I have more than a few 3D printers, and a few lasers too, so I’m just getting my creative ideas going.
I’ve always found that no matter how many clamping and fixturing options you have, you’ll always need more flexibility. I’ll probably never use more of those threaded inserts, etc, but they’re available if I need to; especially if I end up doing any batch work.
