This is more of a PSA. I am still very much learning how to machine things. I have the shapeoko 3 and I know the bed has some “give” toward the middle.
However, after months of noticing this I realized it was something else causing it. I am working with some PVC board, cuts like butter, but when drilling some holes through it, after about 5mm - I constantly notice the piece / bed “bow” in slightly, and today I noticed that the Z Axis was tilting.
But, why just after 5mm and not at the beginning…
It was Sweepy. In an attempt to have less chips about, and sweep inside pockets or slots, I keep Sweepy a little lower. I had no idea those bristles were strong enough to push down that hard. I took it off to get a better look while cutting and “Poof” no more bowing or tilting. Literally just like 1-2mm of bristle contact did it.
If this helps anyone, fantastic.
PS - It would be cool if there was a “soft” bristle version that was longer to eat the chips tho!
My SO3 XXL had a big sad in the middle. I put a piece of 3/4 Plywood in the middle. Later I built a torsion box and put a 3/4" piece of rigid foam on the torsion box and removed the leveling feet so the whole machine sits on the rigid foam. Problem solved. Maybe some foam might help with the sag in the middle of an SO3.
The v1 had markedly stiffer (and shorter) bristles than the v2.
I haven’t had difficulties w/ the v2 bristles on even my belt-drive machines (though I will admit that I bent them outward before first using them, and I try to keep an eye out when cutting and pause and shift it up if need be).
