Hi There,
Does anyone know if it is possible to increase the worksize to 5’ x 9’ (152.4mm x 274.32mm) without any issues and with just making the frame wider and higher?
If so, should one take some factor/ratio in mind to increase the width and height with?
Best Regards,
ERD
In short: Not a problem!
I suggest looking at the frame calculator to see what the results would probably be.
http://lang.hm/maslow/maslow4_frame.html
Note that there is an ongoing discussion about what angles to account for regarding the precision on edges (white area in that calculator), you might want to look into that.
PS: Seems like your understanding of the metric system is off by a factor of 10, unless I am mistaken. Perhaps you meant cm instead of mm?
The frame size will ultimately determine the maximum work size. The larger the work size, the larger the frame must be. However, this is also restricted by the belt length (according to the description in the Shop, the belts are 14.5 feet). Issues can especially arise in the extreme corners and along the edges of the work area.
As @KaffiMann mentioned above, the frame calculator is a really good tool to help determine what size frame you want to build. On the calculator, green areas are good to have and red and white areas are bad. The measurements are from where the belt ends get anchored to the frame, so if you are building a vertical frame, your actual final frame will likely be a bit bigger since the anchor points can’t be at the farthest corners of the frame. The calculator also tells you how much belt length would be required, so as long as that number is under around 4100-4200mm (based on 14.5’ belt with some buffer to be safe) then the belts should be able to reach the anchor points. Playing around with the calculator a little, I found a frame of 3700 (x-axis) by 2800 (y-axis) would provide pretty good coverage with not a lot of red/white areas while requiring under 4000mm in belt length, or stretching a bit farther 3900 by 3000 eliminates a little more problem areas while still being just under 4100 in belt length. It’s also good to remember that the calculator is a tool and not reality, so, when pushing things closer to their limits, results may vary and issues may arise.
Overall, I think you definitely can get a work size of 9’ (x-axis) by 5’ (y-axis), but your cuts may not be very accurate in the extreme corners.
As a final more practical note/consideration, with the M4, you will likely end up retracting and extending the belts on the machine a lot, so make sure you have some means of easily reaching the belt anchor points. I personally would not want to move and climb a ladder every time I had to retract and extend the belts.
My Maslow 4 is about to move into a vertical(ish) orientation in a friend’s shed, where it will be hung in the rafters when not in use, so I designed a support that included a step on the left and right to make reaching the upper anchors easier.
Hi All,
Thanks for all the clear and helping replies. I will try to play with the calculator a little.
Also, good to hear about the maintenance experience and ideal height for a vertical setup. Will take that into account before moving ahead.
@KaffiMann : There was indeed a mix up in the units, it should be CM, thanks.
Best Regards,
Erd