I don’t really have a workshop and can’t keep the Shapeoko XXL indoors. I’ve built an enclosure for it but it’s not airtight and leaving the entire setup outside is the only option. So I was wondering, how well does the Shapeoko hold up in an outdoor environment. Will it rust if exposed to humidity throughout the night?
This sort of situation was one of the reasons for the switch to stainless steel hardware I believe.
So long as it’s not exposed to excessive moisture, and no noxious fumes (there has been at least one instance of the old black oxide coated hardware rusting due to a poorly sealed container of muriatic acid also being in the garage) it should be fine.
My s03 has been my garage for more than a year now and works fine. So you should be ok. I live in Houston too which means it’s pretty humid as well. Don’t see any problems right now though.
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@rnelwan - Have you thought about using dry packs? This link takes you to a search result page of options because I can’t recommend a specific product/brand. Since you already have an enclosure this may be a good (and apparently affordable) ‘just in case’ solution.
If you live right by the ocean or large lake, I personally would do this as a better safe that sorry thing. I lived in CA for several years and anything metal near the ocean take a beating.
You’ll probably need to roughly estimate the dimensions inside your enclosure, then you can determine the size/# of packs needed. Just leave the pack(s) inside when not in use.
By the way, how did you construct your enclosure? I have an XXL and plan to do an enclosure soon.
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Thanks for the feedback everyone! I’m currently residing in the Bay Area in California and it gets pretty foggy at night which is why I was concerned about moist.
@brian I’m almost done building my foldable enclosure but here’s how it looks so far.
I’ve opted to use 80/20 aluminum extrusion. It’s a bit pricey but I think (so far at least) it’s worth it. A big part of the reason why I went with 80/20 is because I needed the pieces to be modular so that I can tinker around with the different settings. Also, I needed it to be lightweight as well as durable.
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Very nice @rnelwan - Looks like a very legit setup that will be quite durable and strong. Hope it works out for you and helps with containment of dust and noise. Thanks for sharing your photos.
My XL lives in my garage year round and I roll it out into the driveway when I start cutting.
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I would be more worried about the MDF board swelling. MDF doesn’t like moisture.
If you can afford it, grab the aluminum bed upgrade or get an aluminum extrusion with T-slots.
Nice job on the enclosure, I need to do that someday.
I’d suggest spraying the MDF wasteboard if nothing else — I used a bunch of coats of spar urethane.
I, too, was worried about the MDF board swelling with my original SO3 in my basement. I couldn’t afford the aluminum bed, so I replaced my MDF with a version of HDPE called King Starboard. It is specifically made for marine applications where water is the norm and it won’t warp or rot.
King StarBoard® is the original marine-grade high-density polyethylene sheet and the industry standard. It is the product of a proprietary process called K-Stran™, the most advanced manufacturing process for superior flatness and consistency. King StarBoard is environmentally stabilized to withstand the harshest marine conditions. It will not warp, rot, or delaminate when exposed to humidity or water. King StarBoard is easy to fabricate with standard woodworking tools and requires little or no finishing.
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I keep mine in a heated room in winter,cause yes cold temps get at anything, not sure where you are but you can buy small 100watt wardrope heaters.my router all the hex screws have rusted till I heated my room to round 20