I have a 5 Pro, and while it has been working well, I apparently can’t leave well enough alone. I have previously flattened the spoil board. I decided to check the tramming of the spindle. I noticed when I applied light downward pressure to the spoil board, the gauge showed about a .015 deflection.
I had watched a YouTube video on tramming and it suggested putting screws through the Hybrid Table Extrusions into the benchtop, resurfacing the spoil board, and then checking the tram.
Does anyone have any experience with this or thought to share?
Our recommendation is not to attach the machine to any surface which is not flatter and straighter than the machine is — FWIW, I place the machine on a sheet of foam to support it, and then am careful not to lean on it when loading stock or changing tools or clamping.
I went down that rabbit hole this past winter. The table I built had 2 high spots in it, front left and back right. I tried shimming the machine but that just created more problems. I ended up taking the machine off the table, built a boarder around the table and filled with epoxy. That got it 90% there. I put a squishy pad down and that got it 98% perfect.
Shen I assembled my machine it got built on Table built with 2x6 . 12” on center then a piece of 3/4” plywood ontop.
The machine is screwed down in each corner after squaring. Then before installing the slats. I used thin skis to shim under the entire machine to make sure there is no way it can deflect. Pin nailed the shims in place and competed assembly.
Don’t have much defection.
Deflection is all relative. There’s zero deflection. There’s the level of deflection in a 12k lbs milking machine then down the line is the deflection of an aluminum machine that’s bolted together by the end user.
This may not help with your deflection but I built a torsion box. I only have a lowly SO3. I removed the leveling feet and put a 3/4" piece of rigid foam under the machine. I have never measured for deflection of my spoilboard. On my SO3 they have a 3/4" piece of MDF for the base and then I make a 3/4" MDF spoilboard that has 1/4" Tee nuts and I use cam clamps and a big L fence to locate projects. A torsion box gives you a good stiff base for the machine to sit on. Torsion boxes dont deflect like a table with a plywood/MDF top that the machine sits on. Making a torsion box is not all that hard but could help with giving you a solid base for your machine to sit on.
Maybe you could remove one of the center slats and put a spacer under the hybrid table to help with deflection.
That indicates your bench top is definitely not flat…neither is mine. I put down EVA foam under the machine to let it compress that to make up for my table being a topographical map of the Rockies. It’s not 100%, but it works way better for sure.
LOL. I just learned this one. I am working on the female side of an inlay cutting board, and I had my hand on the machine. Unfortunately, I leaned on the machine. Just a little bit of pressure pushed the wasteboard down, making the carve too shallow for the Inlay. Lesson learned.
Fine detail requires slowing down the machine and avoiding breathing on it. lol
I put down EVA foam under the machine to let it compress that to make up for my table being a topographical map of the Rockies. It’s not 100%, but it works way better for sure.