Hello, due to some issues with my initial attempt at surfacing my spoil board I plan on attempting it again this coming weekend.
I’ve seen that some users surface a 12x12 piece of MDF and tram off of that.
Should you surface your actual spoil board prior to surfacing the 12x12, or surface the 12x12 tram off of that, then surface the spoil board?
I’ve got some spare MDF and a table saw, and due to the issues I had I will most likely be making new slats. From what I can tell from my initial attempt it is definitely going to need some tramming.
I’m trying to figure out the most efficient way to tram this machine and remove the least amount of material possible for my spoil board. Thanks!
So long as the 12x12 piece doesn’t wobble or rock, do it first and the spoilboard second.
If it doesn’t lay flat against the spoilboard, see if the 12x12 is warped. If it is flat, then you would need the surface the spoilboard enough for the 12x12 to lay flat on it.
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Thanks for the response! Sounds good. I noticed the ridges on the x axis travel and almost completely flat on the y axis travel. From what I’ve read that means I need to adjust the nod my router is that correct?
If you surface the 12x12 board after you mount it, then that is all that is needed for the tramming. Just make sure it doesn’t move after. I have one i just re-use that has countersunk bolt holes that align with the hybrid bed rails. When you surface it, use something like a 1/4" endmill and a small stepover. That way any tramming error is very minimal and doesn’t effect the results. That goes MUCH quicker than trying to shim a piece of float glass level, then tramming.
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Seal it with sanding sealer ( dewaxed shellac ) to minimize the effect of moisture.
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Part of the issue with the initial surfacing is that I had found a couple of the oil plug screws from the linear rail carriages had fallen out. I followed the procedure to reinstall them. The problem I had is one had fallen out of the top right carriage for the HDZ. As I was trying to slowly push it up to reinstall the screw I encountered some resistance that suddenly freed up which caused the carriage to come completely off the rail. Luckily somehow all of the bearings seem to have stayed in place. I was able to slide it back on and didn’t notice any loose bearings that had fallen out. Should I be okay to keep running the machine, or is this going to cause some sort of issue?
I have told them repeatedly how to fix this issue. The fact its still a problem is wild. Use some Loctite 565 PTFE sealant. It hardens like low strength loctite with the added advantage of PTFE not being able to damage your linear bearings. I also reccomend buying an E2 oiler block kit for your x and y rails. The maintenance if done correctly becomes very infrequent.
Do you leave those E2 oiler blocks on all the time or just put them on periodically?