Woodworking Router SBD0905

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Originally Posted by scratchbuilt_designs

Exactly. 100% agreed.

Moving rails are ok for people who use small spindles, like a Kress, AMB, or a Makita or Dewalt mini router which have to be clamped right at the end of the spindle (usually a Ø43mm flange) In order to lower such a combo down to the spoil board for cutting plywood sheets Z axes with moving rails have benefits, because they usually can be lowered completely.

But once you start with some Ø80mm Chinese spindles or even bigger stuff, moving rails are just bollocks...

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Me too 100% agreed, I made my Z a higher lift with fixed rails so I could machine around a 330mm edge of some disks and got told It was stupid doing it that way, your making a fine machine I am enjoying your posts.

Phill

I fast forward a bit...the router is finished.

Here are some pics of the gantry.
A closed box structure, fairly rigid, sealed servo

And the Z-axis.

Fixed rails allow it to go all the way up, so I can bring an endmil above the gantry bottom, to utilize the full height.

Added an endpiece to the spindle mount, which distributes two different air pressures for the lower bearing seal and dust clearing/laser air assist

And here is the finished router.

Added an Acetal fixture plate with integrated vaccum holding feature.
And there is a magnetic laser dock on the Z-axis.

I decided against a chip collection, fixed to the Z-axis, because I only have a regular Ø36mm hose shop vac, which would be instantly clogged.
So I rather added a dust filter on top of the enclosure, to keep the air reasonably clean and chips are removed manuall with the vac - after the job.

I had to redo the corner though, making the benchtop 100mm deeper, in order to widen the enclosure a little bit.
That created some intermediate shop chaos, but overall, it turned out quite well...

Very nice work.

How do you find that enclosed drag chain?
Source?

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Originally Posted by pippin88

Very nice work.

How do you find that enclosed drag chain?
Source?

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These closed chains are meanwhile an absolute must for me.
I had an open chain on my old router and that was really a magnet for chips and dust.
Almost impossible to clean.

I have them as well on my UHPC mill and they proved to be just fine, so I put them on this one too.

They are IGUS R2i.26.075.060 and R2i.40.050.080 chains and I sourced them directly at IGUS

I have about 20 cables and tubes in the chain. You can get optional dividers and they make it quite easy to route that many cables without squeezing and crossing in the tube...

Thanks. The IGUS website / Configurator is great.