As I set up my shop and learn more and more about my machine, I stumble on ideas for the future. I have just replaced my spoil board using MDF. Trammed my machine, leveling the spoil board and tramming again. I have a great machine, It is dead-on from day one.
Interested in adding to or replacing the spoil board with HPDE.
Question:
Should I add HPDE on top of the spoil board or remove the spoil board and replace it with HPDE. I am leaning towards replacing to give me Z height.
HDPE is great for a wasteboard (and I’ve been using one for a long time, pic below), but if by “spoilboard” you mean the MDF plate that came with the machine and attaches to the structure of the Shapeoko (I call it the “baseboard”), then I don’t think you should use HDPE for that:
HDPE is soft and unless you go for a very thick plate, it’s not going to be any stiffer than MDF.
it’s expensive, so the price of the (thick) HDPE plate required to cover the full machine footprint would sting.
Unless you really need to optimize your Z travel, and considering you have a setup that works great for you, I would add a supplementary HDPE wasteboard on the top of the existing one. It does not have to be thick then, so it will be less expensive too.
I went with a 1” thick sheet of Delrin for my baseboard, and use MDF as my spoilboard. I have a 16x32” ATP 5 aluminum plate that I need to bore and thread mill as a spoil board. I have an XL so cost doesn’t sting as much as an XXL.
If you are careful, it will definitely last for a very, very long time indeed. I like HDPE as a wasteboard, just not as a baseboard (because regardless of the baseboard material, when you have to replace it you also have to redo the machine squaring…). But if you do need the extra 3/4" of Z travel that’s understandable. Note though that the lower the stock is, the larger the X/Z gantry deflection is in the front/back direction, so that’s another advantage of using a thick wasteboard when possible.
HDPE works well as a work surface. Most of my tables have HDPE tops. It machines ok, and will hold a thread well enough for light duty work. It is expensive. I purchase in large quantities at a wholesale rate, and I still wouldn’t purchase it for my own tool and table tops. But I happily use the blems. In my opinion, a better option would be Phenolic. Comes in a lot of flavors, you’ll want something easily machinable, and preferably waterproof. But HDPE will work great, and be easier to buy from a typical retailer.
