Has anyone figured how to do an enclosure on the shapeoko 5.1 with the legs? I just got my legs on and it’s a little tricky. I’d like to keep the work holding in the front. Also, the sides have a bit of an overhang.
Well, since you’ll need room for the spindle to overhang the front of the machine, you will have to have room for it in your box. I assume you will have a lid that closes, with the front attached to the top of the lid?
If so, just make the front bottom edge of the box screw to the front extrusion with 4 fasteners or so, then when you are using the overhang, you will remove the front bottom strip, and have your project screwed to the front of the machine. When you are not using the overhang, you can put in your blank plate that screws to the extrusion and interfaces with your front face of your lid.
i believe the extrusions that make up the bottom of the machine (the ones that go parallel with the Y-axis) are hollow, and they have 3D printed end covers (i’ve got a HDM so i am just assuming based on that).
so you could remove the end covers and then build something that interfaces w/ the extrusions to create a platform to build the enclosure on.
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The legs are designed to screw into the rails, where the endcaps are. I’m considering drilling holes into the legs to attach a long 2x2 stick and a slotted angle iron. That would give a mounting point almost flush with the overhang. From there, I would attach 36" uprights, to support the walls. More angle iron would span over the table, making a box.
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ah i didnt realize the legs made use of the extrusion ends, thanks for sharing the photo.
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