First Build - Yet Another Alu Profile Router - 900 x 800

[phill05]

I've been paying some attention to my X and Z Axes design this week and I'm starting to question whether I have built my gantry too high. The fully extended Z Axis looks like it could be vulnerable to excessive deflection given the amount of extension from the gantry.


What I realised is that most of the work I'll be doing will be on relatively thin material (12-40mm) so the router will be operating at full extension most of the time. I also realised that this must be a problem for a lot of machines; do most people raise the bed in order to minimise the deflection of the cutter? I would like to work material up to 100mm thick and I currently have about 120mm clear travel on my Z axis.

I have 120mm clearance under my gantry and have the rails fitted to the back plate on the Y axis and bearing blocks fitted to the plate holding the spindle and travels no lower than the gantry, if you lower your spindle housing to around 30mm of bottom of the plate you have the option then to cut 100mm high or lower the spindle in the housing to cut the smaller jobs, this is how I work mine with no problem cutting ally and have cut some steel with the correct cutters.

Phill