Does anyone have any advice or tips as to building the frame. I am going to order the maslow kit in a couple of weeks and want to be prepared.
There are many different types of frames to fit many situations. Perhaps you could give an idea of the space you plan to build yours into so that the tips are meaningful to you.
You could also search on the “stock frame” in the forum for the super long thread that compiled a long list of considerations and suggestions for the frame suggested in the build notes.
I’m just getting to the end of mine right now. The only really unique thing I did was put casters on it so I could roll it around in my garage.
Did you get the instructions from the maslow website?
here is a link to that super long stock frame thread
and to the assembly instructions from the Maslow site
As you can see from the first link, there are a lot of opinions on what is important. And if you search the forum, you will find several different types of frames, from hinged wall mounted frames, metal frames, rolling frames, the list goes on.
Nope. I just took a picture from the website and just went off of that and built it myself.
I heard a good idea recently… Someone had asked if we could position the stock on a frame in a “portrait” configuration rather than “landscape”.
I bet we wouldn’t have as bad of bottom corner inaccuracies. A decently long top beam and she’d be great (just a theory). Someone’s gotta be the first one to try it! You’d have to have enough height and step stools. 
I think a portrait setup would cause inaccuracies. The longer the chain in a vertical manner the less lateral control the chains have.
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I see. I was thinking about the disadvantage of the longer chain ( in landscape) and how it pulls too much. In the same way, like you are saying, it may not have so much leverage to move it where it needs to go in portrait.
I still wonder (practicality aside) if the beam was really long and the chains we’re long enough if we wouldn’t lose the “danger zone”.
This, of course, uses great size in a strange configuration.
play around with the maslow spreadsheet
you want the minimum force to be as high as possible (the higher this force, the
more accurate it will be in the bottom corners) and the max force to be as
low as as possible (the lower this force the better it will work across the top
center)
take the stock machine as the baseline, then take a look at the 12’ top beam
version, then go wild with your own versions to see what happens.
The parameters you can really play with are the height above the workpiece and
distance between the motors (along with the dimensions of the workpiece)
hint, you will get a point of diminishing returns where increasing one dimension
drives one of the values out of range and you cannot fix it with the other
parameters
David Lang
Hey,
My advice is to get started building now. When your kit arrives you are going to want to get started using it right away. I also put my router on caster wheels and made the base wide enough so I can include plywood storage on the back side. The only thing I noticed is that my floor in the garage isnt level. So I put tape marks on the ground and always return the router to the same spot before I start using it.
Cheers
Rufino
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Make sure the wood you use for the top cross beam (that the motors attach to) is dense enough to securely hold the screws you use to attach the motors. The calibration procedure includes a step that can shift the motors if they’re not attached securely enough.
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I built mine like a reverse air hockey table with a pegboard and a vacuum into my dust collection system. I really don’t recommend that because it doesn’t work that well. I would suggest thinking through the chain tensioners, I have seen a few custom frames that move the elastic strings out of the way.
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I did mine out of metal for strength, and I’m still working on it but it can disassemble, and fold.
!
Once I have made up my mind on the feet of the stand I will dissasemble and paint. Have a 3d printed case for the audrino, and chain guides, then it will be done
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I would be concerned about flex in the arms, there is a fair amount of force
that the motors can apply to the arms (pulling them towards each other on the
top), and if they flex, even a few mm, that will show up in the resulting cut.
That’s why the new frames all have a top beam between the motors. you could have
it telescope, but would want to make sure it was solid when you are setup to
cut.
David Lang
I had this problem, especially after upgrading to the new controller shield. I ended up having to reinforce the top beam with a perpendicular 2x4.
If you want it to break down and need more stiffening, you could consider something like scaffold braces!
Hey Mate, I’ve just got my kit and I have to sort out the frame. I’ve done a slight redesign which should be better and if it works out, it will be the Mark III frame. I have drawn up the frame using sketchup and i’ll post those files if it is worth it. It’s mainly wood and it has an upgraded frame to accommodate tracks with din rails and guide bearings.
I told my wife my MASLOW CNC was going to take just a little bit of space in the garage, after three weeks “Godzilla” was born
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