OK…so I know there are a lot of topics out there about spoilboard surfacing…and I believe I have read them all. However, for some reason, I think we all have unique situations that require the greater knowledge of a community. So…after that preamble, I’m hoping someone has a similar situation and can help/commiserate.
I purchased a Whiteside 6210 to resurface my spoilboard. I added a new tool to Carbide Create, created a simple pocket rectangle cut and started to resurface my spoilboards.
Unfortunately…my situation involves different “issues” that have been posted on these forums.
First and foremost, the spoilboard surface area on my Shapeoko 3, is less than what is advertised (not 16” x 16”). I had previously marked a reference line on my spoilboard setup so that I could utilize the full 16” of Y travel, which extended a couple of inches beyond the frame of my machine. However, I also have a bit setter, that is affixed to the frame which sits within the 16”x16” boundaries of the cutting area. I have an extra 0.693” of Y travel to hit the bit setter, but unfortunately, this is within the extra ~2” I have to extend my work piece beyond the frame.
So…the easy fix is to determine the exact amount of spoilboard cutting surface I have and to create the corresponding pocket.
Herein lies my problem.
I often use stock that is greater in length (Y) than the cutting area. My spoilboard setup (with Rockler T-tracks) extends beyond the gantry so that my hold downs are well beyond the cutting surface (behind the router). I can either clamp or screw down my workpiece and this setup works extremely well…except when I have spoilboard tolerance issues.
Which brings me to my current issue…I can resurface my spoilboard to remove the z-tolerance problems…however, because my setup involves a bit setter that can only be mounted within the cutting area, and a spoilboard that is greater than the cutting area, I am now going to be limited to stock that is equal to, or less than, my cutting area.
It seems as if I need to eliminate the bit setter and only have a spoilboard that is equal to the cutting area. Otherwise, I completely negate the surface with stock that is greater than the spoilboard area (as it does not rest on the re-surfaced area).
Am I missing something simple here?