Have you carved or cut something tall on the Multicam? Did you ever need more Z height than was available? If you have, please let me know the specifics. We may have an opportunity to increase available Z when the woodshop moves. Speak now if you want something considered!
I’ve managed to cut the entire height of the table + Zaxis max. I cut at the far end of the table after removing the panel. but the panel is a pita to remove/replace.
I needed to flatten a 7" thick end grain butcher block but it was too high. More z height would definitely be beneficial.
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How high are we talking?
Not big numbers. Need to base on actual Maker needs. The more we try to increase, the more compensation has to happen to make it doable. We always have to reach the vacuum plenum, etc.
Even an extra inch would help… and yes, I realize how that sounds.
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I’m not a user, but it might be enticing to have the option of dropping one end of the table to various angles.
Thanks, Ed
Or just an open section in the top, but I don’t think that will work with the vacuum system they just upgraded.
What’s the current useable Z travel, and what are the options that could be put in place?
Z travel is a total of 6" from top to bottom. That will not change.
The option is to elevate the gantry a modest amount. The result will be that the starting/stopping points of Z travel will be higher relative to the spoilboard. This will be done by adding a steel plate spacer at the connection of the vertical and horizontal members of the gantry. (Multicam does this as a standard practice when a customer’s specification requires more height than the normal dimensions.)
Based on the collective feedback, I will plan to add the spacers and get what height I can while still retaining the ability to machine the vacuum plenum and/or reach the spoilboard with V-bits and similar short bits … whichever is limiting.
Thanks to all for responding.
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not reaching the spoilboard can be a feature, not a bug… let people supply their own “spoilboard spacer”, vacuum will pull through quite a bit of MDF.
Would this have the effect of increasing the thickness of the thinnest piece that can be routed?
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No. Because you can always put something under your workpiece (and should anyway to protect the spoilboard).
There’s no real way to ensure that you’ll never reach the spoilboard for all different lengths of bits, I think setting the max z depth is sufficient. Either way we’re dependent on the individual to ensure they aren’t going to damage the spoilboard.
Most of what i cut is sheet goods, i don’t have a need for more Z axis travel, but as long as it doesn’t significantly impact rigidity I don’t mind either way.
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No, because I will not elevate it enough for that to be a problem. I don’t want to rely on user’s having to add to the spoilboard, so will not raise enough for that to be required.
As for other comments about using layers of MDF and letting vacuum pull through that, our vacuum is not that forgiving. Yes, it could work, but we have a high flow, low vacuum pressure system (as opposed to the type on the big One Way lathe which is low flow, high vacuum pressure). If you stack layers of MDF on our spoilboard, you add extra resistance and unless you also seal the outer edges, you add extra places for flow loss. We use LDF (low density fiber) material on the spoilboard to minimize the resistance and we seal all the edges. We have to minimize loss and resistance to get reliable performance from the DMS equipment.
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