New Spoiler Board

[gene35146]

I have never been very happy with the clamping capabilities of my AR8 Pro and just got by.  I finally decided to do a new spoiler board and designed it around this idea:



I changed it up in a couple of ways my fence bolts outside of the work area and I doubled up with two 3/4 pieces of MDF.  I lose 3/4 of Z height but I really don't do thick stuff and I could easily take the top layer off if I needed the extra 3/4 of an inch. 

There are only 6 bolts on each end holding both pieced own. 

Now when I need a new spoiler board I just cut a piece of MDF the size I need on the table saw which for me is 63 x 28 5/16 and lay the old one on the new one and drill the holds using my drill.

It take about 10 minutes. 

I did make a fence and the clamps as they show in the above video.

I will probably machine a piece of hard board and put on the top so even it will last longer.  Not planing on leveling it as even after doing that I can still get a few uneven places here and there.


Happy with the way it clamps. I did not do as tight a grid as I can just put space blocks in I have a ton of scrap laying around.

It uses t-nuts on the bottom and I used Vectric Aspire and two side machine with tiling to put them the full length and width of my machine.

Attachments:

[sd961960]

You wouldn't have a video you created of the process would you? Or some planes to follow? How far over do you set the fence? I have the pro 2x 4 foot model.
Thanks

[savantpcs]

I am currently in the process of making a new spoil board myself. i wanted to actually shorten the slabs of MDF so I could have room for a vice but then decided to do something extra that I saw StoneyCNC do on his instagram. I ordered 7 6061 aluminum bars that match the width of the original MDF slabs that came with the machine. Once I get the bars installed I am going to surface them, engrave probably a 25mm x 25mm grid for ease of understanding where I am putting my material but then I am going to drill out and tap some holes for clamping so it will be like a bunch of fixture plates. Work holding is probably one of the hardest things to get the hang of when starting out with a CNC. And it can get VERY expensive

[pedro]

oh I love the idea of the square/fence, after an adjustment cut after installed it gets perfect...I will take that idea.

I prefer to use plywood as spoilboard. I always cut a cross with a vBit which I then paint black with a marker to find the center. So that I only have to center the piece based on the cross and move the spindle manually to the center, saves me a lot of time centering.

An improving suggestion...use plastic/nylon screws to fix it. There are plenty of 1/4x20 options that you can attached to a t-nut and fix them easily to the tracks.

[grossmsj]

I've become a big fan of composite nails. They hold well and are bit friendly. They don't work so great on the new Axiom spoilboards (they pull out easier).

I like to fasten one part of the new 'expendable' fence with a composite nail, then roll the bit up the axis to align the fence to that axis. Composite nail that down, then add the wood I'm machining and nail that down too. The nails don't have a lot of lateral stability so they are easy to remove with a thin ply bar and a gentle tap from a mallet.

The downside is the need for a specific (Omer) nail gun.