Advice on Mammoth CNC Router Build - Steel Framed - 2440mm x 1220mm cutting area!

**JAZZCNC** · 08-01-2014

I've used both methods in the past and each work good and each have there own +/-

Full Epoxy level is ok and works good but has you can see with clives pictures there's plenty of prepartion required and on large machine like what the OP wants this means a lot of work. This prep has to be very good and fully sealed other wise sag can happen and being 3mtr length the chances of this happening are plenty.
Yes it's not the end of the world and can be corrected if it happens but it's a ball ache when it happens.!! . . . . I'm sure Both clive and Jonathan will tell you when pouring and it starts leaking your running round like headless chicken trying to suppress it and again over 3mtr and between 80-100mm width that's a fair amount of epoxy your fighting with.! . . . . It's also not cheap.

Now with Epoxy putty feet and shims you don't have this problem has there's no liquid epoxy involved but you do still have to do careful measuring and setting up to get rails on same plane. Unlike The above epoxy method which takes care of this for you, thou if it's not perfect which you won't really findout until machine is built and working then it's a lot more work to correct.
The epoxy shimming is very easy to correct on the fly and while machine complete and working. You don't need to strip it down to correct.

Now to be honest I think the OP is correct to use Both methods has 3mtr is a long length of boxsection to ensure is straight and true, which it won't be, so would need some work even with Epoxy putty method and the Epoxy liquid method will make light work of this. The Epoxy putty and Shims will give him the fine tuning he will need over this length machine.!!

**Jonathan** · 08-01-2014

Looks ok... but probably a bit OTT. Don't leave the ends of the long pieces of box section cantilevered - support them with a piece at 45°.

Originally Posted by JAZZCNC

I'm sure Both clive and Jonathan will tell you when pouring and it starts leaking your running round like headless chicken trying to suppress it

I've not had any leaks at all. The guiding aluminium strips were firmly bolted to the frame, and the wooden pieces used covered with grease, which makes a good seal, and clamped with plenty of G-clamps. If it had leaked then I would have addressed the situation in a calm manner, using the glue gun and tape I had on hand just in case. The running round can be left to the three birds in the garden...

**JAZZCNC** · 08-01-2014

Originally Posted by Jonathan

I've not had any leaks at all. The guiding aluminium strips were firmly bolted to the frame, and the wooden pieces used covered with grease, which makes a good seal, and clamped with plenty of G-clamps. If it had leaked then I would have addressed the situation in a calm manner, using the glue gun and tape I had on hand just in case. The running round can be left to the three birds in the garden...

Oh I'm sure I'd read somewhere you had a Leak.??. . but obviously not so I stand corrected you obviously don't know.!! . . .But I assure you that you would run around trying to stop a leak if it happened no matter how COOL . .

. . . you think you are.!!