Hey everyone,
I looking for 2 y motor plate because I got some spare parts and wanting to out together a unit. Carbide just told me they phase out the so3 and those plates are not available.
What are my options?
Make them my self ? How thick of aluminum plate I need to make sure it’s sturdy .
Can I buy it from someone or somewhere ?
Any tips will be greatly appreciated
Have a wonderful day
I cant give a specific site but I have seen people selling taller plates. Have you checked etsy.com ?
Found this reference for drawings
If you are familiar with Fusion360, there are Shapeoko models floating around, I would probably just try and mill them out of 3mm aluminium (such that they are the same thickness as the original ones). I suspect (but have not tried) that 3mm would be rigid enough.
Even when SO3s were in production, the Y-axis plates were not available separately since they are the parts which allow folks to turn the leftover parts from an SO3 → XXL upgrade into a complete machine (by adding a controller, Z-axis, and motors, and V wheels, &c.).
The plates are 10 gauge sheet steel ~9/64" (~3.429mm) — I don’t think a thinner sheet of alu. will be sufficiently rigid, and it would require making up the difference in thickness somehow.
As Julien and Will say, the Y plates are steel sheet and fairly solid, there are welded / pressed in nut thread inserts too.
You could make it out of a good Aluminium alloy but, as said, you’d be using a thicker plate (10mm or so) and machining rebates into it to clear the ends of the X rail, stepper motor and probably a few other bits. It’s do-able definitely, I’ve machined more complex stuff for my @DanStory inspired rails upgrade on my SO3 XXL but maybe don’t make it your “learn to cut Aluminium” project like I did 
Alternatively, you could just take the leaf out of Dan’s book and make some custom end plates to ride on some eBay / AliExpress linear rails.
I have a model which is approximately correct for the Y plates but I would not say that it’s accurate enough to fabricate from, I took some of the measurements whilst the parts were still on the machine.
You’re probably going to need a working CNC or access to one to make these parts up.
edit - just noticed Julien said 3mm, I think the need to have the threaded holes in the plate means thicker than that or threaded inserts.
yeah, good point…did not think of those
thanks everyone for your reply. It seems like I will have to make’em since buying it doesn’t seem like an option. The link seems to be dead.
https://wiki.shapeoko.com/index.php/Shapeoko_3#Drawings
has anyone made their own y motor plate?
yes, they are exactly it
Forum member since 18? Give me your address, pay it forward.
ya, I bought the original SO3 #0005 a long time ago.
A big fan of this machine but now I need the y axis motor plate for another custom build project. School related 
.
I will DM you.
Thanks WillAdams you are always so resourceful with all the helpful links
Wow 0005! You were hovering over the buy now button on release day or what, ha ha
My friend was a fanatic but he no longer into CNC anymore, I bought it off him. I did build the Shapeoko 2 prior so I am family with the system. Then life got busy and didn’t get the time to play with it and now I am back :).
I always appreciate everyone in the forum being so helpful 
Just want to say thanks to @CNCInspiration for willing to send me those spare Y plate of his and everyone else for their tips.
Love you guys for always being so helpful.
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