I also got the Kreg, but the 64in x 64in version. Mine is pretty wobbly. I think it could really benefit from having an additional shelf on the lower supports, because there’s not really enough bracing or material down there to prevent it from flexing.
I wouldn’t really say that it seems cheap or flimsy to me, but it does probably need some additional effort (and material to brace things up with). The reason I bought it was because it seemed like an easy solution that was ready to go. Turns out it’s not, and by that point it’s fair to question if I would have been better off just building one out of wood myself.
Jumping on this thread. Waiting on my shapeoko 5 pro to ship. Decided to go with the Rockler table since it was a good deal. Going for black on black look. Table height with 3/4” plywood. Have a similar height on a multicam at work and that works great. Used 1/4” plywood for the bottom shelf. Waiting on the machine to come in to decide how to do the sides and back.
Hey all I am curious here. I see lots of good tables however many use dimensional lumber. Would dimensional lumber not be prone to warping as compared to plywood. I would think that a 4inch thick torsion box top made of say 3/4 ply cut to 4"stips for the ribbing would be flatter and resist warping and twisting. I see several designs that roll around, that’s Ok if the floor is flat, not in my shop Therefore what keeps the unit from twisting when you roll it around. Unless you have a torsion box or plywood sides to resist the twisting, and maybe adjustable legs. Just thinking out load
My current theory is that an ideal job for a CNC router is to cut a box jointed torsion box with, so the first table only needs to be good enough to get some experience cutting and understanding of what you need from a work surface (dimensions etc) and then you bootstrap yourself into a better setup with a working machine. It’s pretty hard to anticipate all needs before doing anything, so might as well use this as a practice project.
This is a little gross, but with shimmed feet seems sufficient to get going even with the floor that’s a whole inch out of level over 60in of table size due to the whole property settling on a fault zone Managed to get the Z-axis of the surface within 1/16in height as measured by that laser, a lot of the small differences will likely be absorbed by the foam pad everyone seems to suggest.
I’ll grab some pictures of my setup this afternoon. I’ve changed a few things but it’s very similar to alot of the ones here.
I have casters, but when it’s not on the casters it’s sitting on 4x4 posts on the corners, then it’s 60x60 with 3/4" plywood top and a ton of 2x4 bracing underneath on the top. I also build a cabinet with drawers to holds clamps and things and have a toolbox as well for bits.
I’ve recently added a full overhead gantry system for the hose, i run a 4" hose so i was tired of the weight, the hose getting stuck and causing issues on larger cuts. I do run 4x8 sheets of plywood through sometimes.
I also have a small touchscreen mounted on a extra monitor arm i had laying around that i use for control when i don’t need my laptop out, which sits in a custom laptop tray in the cabinet.
Ok here are a few pics of my setup. I also wired in an outlet box with 2 switched outlets and 2 always on, so the laptop stays on and the machine and spindle have a master power switch.
I can’t open the top of the craftsman box, but that’s ok I have more space than I need at the moment.
The unistrut supports the hose gantry but I could enclose it if I wanted to. I might do something but I do run 4x8 sheets sometimes so I can’t fully enclose it. That structure can support several hundred pounds if needed. The gantry has full x and y movement, there are 4 trolleys.
My plan is to pipe some fixed ducting to directly above and eliminate as much of the flex hose as I can. I just upgraded my dust collector to a massive unit so I can pull some solid CFM now, I was tired of the dust with the CnC and other machines as I do a ton of woodworking. I pull about 360 CFM right now with 20ft of corrugated hose. I should be able to pull 400-450 once I pipe rigid stuff.
built from scratch. All metal construction 60x60 metal frame, heavy equipment casters with spin down feet. 64x64 2x4 butcherblock top. Handmade front drawers and the top lifts up from the rear to expose a large storage box inside the table. The top and the machine are lifted by a pair of 200lb struts. Its about 40lbs for the first six inches and then it goes up on its own. It will have a rubber gasket to keep the dust to a minimum inside. I made the brackets to hold the electronics and wired and mounted them to still allow pass-through and lift with the table. Usb was extended to a port on the front of the machine as well as the e-stop. There’s a few more changes to be made but they are minor. I went this road for several reasons, stability, durability coming in first. Use of space second as my shop is small and there’s never enough storage, and lastly because it’s just cool as hell.
Thank you so much. One of the things I’m changing is the e stop location. As well as potentially bumping it during a cut, if your cutting a full sheet you cant reach it if needed. I used lag screws to hold the table down.
Full sheets are exactly the reason I’d never do this. He does have a huge garage though so /shrug he could easily wheel it behind some plexi and worse that happens is damage to his machine which, judging by his quality of work and products in his shop I’d say it probably isn’t a worry.
New here, bench is built and ready for delivery of my 5 pro 4x4 tomorrow. How is everyone mounting there machine to the benchtop, or is it even recommended?
So, I am waiting for my Pro 5 4x4, and prepping for its home in my shop. However, I do plan to be moving (possibly having to store for a few months). With this in mind, I was hesitant to build a full table right now at 60+" square. Hard to get into a truckbed to move without fully dissasembling.
Looked at the Open Builds 64x64, but still requires a full disassembly for moving. Plus with shipping and top and shelf material Im at about $1k+ and a wait time…
Other option I thought of was these 24x72 work benches that have heavy duty casters and drawers. Figured I could do 2 together with a 12-16" gap to get 60-64". Any reason it wouldnt be a good idea to do so? Plan on using mdf top with threaded inserts and bolts to fasten (2 layers for rigidity across the gap and tie the 2 benches enough?).
We’ve had a number of folks do this sort of thing — bridging the gap w/ a sheet of plywood, or better, a constructed torsion box will help a lot in terms of rigidity (It will help to also reinforce the bottom shelf for when rolling it), and I like to put a sheet of foam in-between the sheet goods and the machine (helps keep the sheet from working as a sounding board).
Therefore what keeps the unit from twisting when you roll it around. Unless you have a torsion box or plywood sides to resist the twisting, and maybe adjustable legs. Just thinking out load 
Managed to get the Z-axis of the surface within 1/16in height as measured by that laser, a lot of the small differences will likely be absorbed by the foam pad everyone seems to suggest.
