I had to put Maslow construction down for a few months to move and start a new job, but I want to get up and running in earnest. I want to start simple-ish with a shelf made up of rectangular pieces, with T-slots and counterbored holes for assembly.
When planning cuts, how close to the edge of a sheet can I go?
A simple question with a complex answer…
First, did you build your frame with a parimeter support for the sled? To cut to the extremes, you need 9” of clearance on all sides (no obstructions), and support for the sled on the bottom and sides. The chains are pretty tight on the top, so not as much is needed there.
Second, if you have the standard 10’ top beam, the lower corners will be difficult (but not impossible) for cutting, as the outside chains are close to vertical, providing the least amount of tension with the sled. Going to a 12’ beam will improve performance in these areas.
Third, and probably most important, have you used the Benchmark Test to achieve a good calibration result. Note that both the Triangular Calibration routine and Benchmarmark Test only use about a 6’ w x 3’ h space in the center of the cutting area, so results may vary going beyond those limits. But theoretically, cutting to the 8’x4’ edges is possible. Your proposed first project will let you know just how good the machine is. Let us know how it turns out.
First, did you build your frame with a parimeter support for the sled? To cut
to the extremes, you need 9” of clearance on all sides (no obstructions), and
support for the sled on the bottom and sides. The chains are pretty tight on
the top, so not as much is needed there.
you don’t need 9" of support on the sides, but you do need a couple inches
at the bottom you need more, manually run the sled towards the bottom and look
to see where it starts tipping.
you can make a support for the sled to ride on after it leaves the workpiece to
go all the way to the edge
Second, if you have the standard 10’ top beam, the lower corners will be
difficult (but not impossible) for cutting, as the outside chains are close to
vertical, providing the least amount of tension with the sled. Going to a 12’
beam will improve performance in these areas.
by “difficult”, Bob means that accuracy will suffer.
David Lang
