Benchtop PRT on the way (the tabletop version of the buddy 32)!

[MaxFrenzy]

Hi guys, new member/owner here. I just picked up a benchtop PRT, something that doesn't pop up too often these days :). Essentially it has all the same specs as a buddy 32 PRT, but is a table top design like the desktop. I'm sure I'm going to have a million questions, so I appreciate your patience!

Before I can get going, I need to get a few things. 1st is a dust collection system. I've read over a variety of threads but there are really mixed opinions. I've seen everything from those plastic cyclone adapters hooked up to a shopvac to $5,000 dollar systems. I'm open to suggestions. I'd also like to get a magnetic dust skirt if anyone makes them. It seems that the kent dust skirts are pretty high quality?

I plan to do a variety of different kind of work from 2d to 2.5d and 3d. I wanted to get people's take on the starter bit set from shopbot. Is it worth getting that or is there another set that recommended? The guy I bought the machine from through in a few bits but I haven't seen them yet so I have no idea what sized collet I have or what he threw in the box. It seems there a ton of sources for bits. What seems to be the most popular online source for people?

Lastly, I remember reading either a sticky or possibly even a pdf someone made regarding the shopbot and it had some good information about different bits and what they're good for (up/down spiral..fluting..V bits..compression bits..etc). Any ideas where I might find that info again (or simply another source?)

Hope to be chatting with you all a lot more soon!

Thanks

[Simops]

IWelcome.....
Take the time to search through all of the Forum.....there is a wealth of information available. Don't be afraid to ask even if you think it is a newbie question.......never stop learning......I've had my machine 4 years and I still label myself as a newbie;).

I have a Kent and it's been great.....highly recommend it. Get your self at least a 2hp DC with 4" hose statically grounded.

I got the starter kit with my purchase and well worth it when starting off......still use the bits now.

Post a pic of this desktop buddy......not seen one before....

Happy learning......

[bill.young]

I have a PRT Benchtop and use it all the time...it's a great compliment to the Gantry tool. I just posted a YouTube video of it cutting Handibot logos into the new Handibot crate kit sides.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYULWMKq95Y

[Brady Watson]

FYI - SB Benchtop machines were available in both PR & PRT-based varieties. The PR BT32s (at least some of them) were pretty cool because they used screws on all axes, which made it very accurate for what it was. They were slow & ugly, but they'd work all day long without giving you any lip. The PRTs were available in two flavors - Standard and Alpha. The standard has an ATX computer style control box, the Alpha has a bare aluminum control box. Here's a little trip back to 2001 (https://web.archive.org/web/20011031033245/http://shopbottools.com/benchtop.htm).

If the machine is mostly blue it is a PRT. If it is mostly gold/unistrut, then it is a PR.

The first thing you will want to do is make sure the machine is sitting level. Then put a fresh set of pinion gears on the motors, clean the racks and properly adjust them. You will also want to make sure that the table is properly aligned with the v-roller bearings and moving squarely to the rest of the machine. Racks should be raked out with a stiff brush and new grease applied. Steel on steel is bad & WD40 isn't grease. The pinions are really the only consumable on the machine aside from the spoilboard.

Make sure that the wiring is neat & tidy, with proper strain relief. Sloppy wiring is the number one antecedent to problems on these machines. You'll also want a clean 'vanilla' computer with no junk or bloatware on it. That's the #2 source of problems. Aside from this, you should be good.

I'm not sure what software you are running, but it is well worth it (if you like yourself even a little bit) to consider upgrading to the Vectric stuff. ShopBot sells Vectric software at a cheaper price than retail for use with your machine. It will work with any ShopBot. Things have come a long, long way in terms of 'bang for buck' when it comes to CAD/CAM since that machine was new.

Welcome...be sure to sniff around the site a bit. Lots of your questions have been answered many times.

-B

[MaxFrenzy]

It is definitely the PRT version. I'm wondering if the powerstick will work with the benchtop prt system? Thanks for the maintenance/setup recommendations. Unfortunately, I have no idea what any of those are at this point! The seller said he included the manual so hopefully that can point me in the right direction. If there is a video or illustrated guide, that would be even better! Apparently there is a long plastic arching piece leading to the router that all the wires are zip tied to that tends to break on people. I think they just taped it back together! There is no also no dust skirt, so that's on the list of "need to buy". I imagine I'll need to examine it much more closely when the shipment arrives and hopefully some of what you're saying will make sense. Setting up a fresh PC should be no big deal. Will the latest shopbot control software work? Does the unit have adjustable feet for leveling? As for design/toolpathing software, I'll be running Aspire. It seems to allow me to do the functionality of vcarve pro, partworks 3d, cut3D, etc., so I think I should be able to interface well with the shopbot. I like Vectric stuff and have been running through tutorials. I have much more familiarity on the software side than the hardware. A lot of what I've been reading now is about bits and such. I located that PDF I had referred to in my original post that I think is useful for people starting out. It's located here: http://academy.cba.mit.edu/content/tutorials/akf/Downloads/ShopBot%20Trainings/router_bit_basics.pdf

Thanks guys!

[Brady Watson]

Max,
The powerstick is not compatible with the PRT Benchtop. SB sells replacement wire guides/arches and a dust foot that are direct fits.

Good news on the Vectric stuff. You're well on your way.

That PDF was put together by Steve Glassel (an SB user) a few years back.

I wouldn't get too hung up on 'feeds & speeds'. It isn't that big of a deal unless you are trying to wring the last drop of performance out of a production run. Most materials cut around the same speeds...give or take.

-B

[MaxFrenzy]

Well, I got the machine hooked up tonight after setting up a computer and fixing a wago clip that got yanked off a stepper motor. I was able to hook right up to the shopbot with no software issues and immediately put it into keyboard move mode so I could just see if everything was moving OK. PROBLEM! The Y axis (the moving deck) sounds pretty goood. The Z axis sounds OK when its going UP but pretty crappy when going down. The X axis won't move at all. The motor is working and I can see that it's trying to do its job, but no go. While in transit, I found out from the original owner that the machine had been sitting on a shelf for a year or so without use. There is ZERO lubricant/grease on any of the vee bearings, racks, rails, or gears off the stepper motors. I know you had mentioned replacing the pinion gears, but it sounds like this thing needs a lube job pronto. I was able to manually move the x axis by hand with quite a bit of force. As I moved it back and forth, it seemed to get a little easier to move...particularly once it started moving. The initial force to move it is quite a bit. Could a good greasing fix my issues? I was told that shopbot uses the brand "super lube" with teflon/lithium, but they make a variety of lubricants and I can't tell which one is the right one. Can anyone point me to the correct type? I'll take a brass brush or similar and clean off the racks before I apply, then I'm assuming I'm going to have to manually move the x axis back and forth a bit to get the axis loosened up? It sucks that I'm running into this stuff, but I guess that's what happens when you buy used. It's just that I was under the assumption that it was in proper running order.

Thanks for any help.

[bleeth]

Make sure the motors are unplugged when moving the gantry by hand. Otherwise you can/will toast a driver as the motor will act as a dynamo and backfeed the driver with electricity.
When the gears are engaged properly it should move only with resistance when moving by hand. Any good grease is fine. There is no shortcut to properly squaring and aligning your machine. Follow the routine to do so and you will have greater chance of enjoying your new tool. You have a sophisticated piece of equipment here and when moved from one location to another re squaring and leveling is normal.

[scottp55]

Oops Dave stomped me AND remembered the motors:(
Hopefully these might help?

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-20315.html

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?20322-Bit-Chatter-on-xy-moves-only&p=169995#post169995

(Brady, difficult to find"Shluckification" when you forget the"c" in Schluck" when Googling) :)

[MaxFrenzy]

I have a PRT Benchtop and use it all the time...it's a great compliment to the Gantry tool. I just posted a YouTube video of it cutting Handibot logos into the new Handibot crate kit sides.

The problem seemed to be with the X1 controller input. Switching to X2 made the x axis move (fortunately the benchtop uses only 1 x axis motor). I still need to clean and grease all the appropriate parts and eventually check for square, but the machine is still sitting on the basement floor which is not level. When my table is in place and leveled, I will attack that project. I had a question that maybe Bill or Brady could chime in on regarding the dust shoe. I'm wondering where Bill got the dust shoe featured in his video and what size diameter hose is being fed into it. There isn't a lot of space between the edge of the router and the frame of the machine and I don't think a standard 4" hose will fit very well through that opening. My dust collector uses a 4" hose, but I know there are reducing couplers that could be attached if need be. That said, I think most dust shoes have a 4" diameter opening for your hose...so I'm not sure if I'd have to go from 4" down to 2-3" then back to 4" to fit. I realize people have designed their own custom dust shoes. At this point, I'd just rather buy one I know will work well.

I'm also open to ideas for a replacement to the original wiring support. Originally it came with a flat, approximately 4" wide or so, semi flexible piece of plastic that all the cables were zip-tied to. The plastic wasn't flexible enough and broke in multiple spots. I can see 4 or 5 fixes from the previous owner and at this point, it's snapped in half. 1 person had mentioned using spring steel. All I'm really looking for is something that is semi-rigid so that it maintains an arch over the machine. I have some 1" internal diameter clear vinyl tubing that might work with a slit cut in it so I can push the wires inside. The original plastic piece was flat and bolted into place, so if I use something round like a tube, I need to attach something flat to it or try to flare out the ends so I can bolt it down.

Thanks for the help

[Brady Watson]

The original dust foot was just a piece of acrylic with 2 holes in it - one for the router & one for a shopvac wand screwed to it. I believe it had a 2" opening. However, SB sells a compatible clear foot that will fit on the PRT. I know they at least did up until recently, you'll have to call to check. The other option a lot of PRT guys like is the Kent Dust Shoe. Google should get you there. The old shoe was stationary. It attached to the gold piece of strut on the Y car. The newer PRT one goes up & down with the Z & has a 3.5" hose that goes inside of a 4" DC hose and clamped.

Make sure the control box is 100% off for a good 5 minutes & then check the wiring and strain relief on the motor connectors - from the box to the motor itself. Look for stray wires and loose connections. If there is a short...you'll smoke the other driver. FYI - a 4G upgrade would do wonders for that tool...but work with the 'diesel' for now to get full appreciation of the upgrade :)

The wire guide - SB should sell a clear replacement better than the original ABS. You can use the original as a template and make your own. I've seen people make them out of PVC (like 1/4" thick Sintra/Komatex PVC - same as exterior trim boards) and other materials. Avoid the temptation to repair the original...Try to make the replacement the same shape and dimensions as the old one.

[MaxFrenzy]

The original dust foot was just a piece of acrylic with 2 holes in it - one for the router & one for a shopvac wand screwed to it. I believe it had a 2" opening. However, SB sells a compatible clear foot that will fit on the PRT. I know they at least did up until recently, you'll have to call to check. The other option a lot of PRT guys like is the Kent Dust Shoe. Google should get you there. The old shoe was stationary. It attached to the gold piece of strut on the Y car. The newer PRT one goes up & down with the Z & has a 3.5" hose that goes inside of a 4" DC hose and clamped.

Make sure the control box is 100% off for a good 5 minutes & then check the wiring and strain relief on the motor connectors - from the box to the motor itself. Look for stray wires and loose connections. If there is a short...you'll smoke the other driver. FYI - a 4G upgrade would do wonders for that tool...but work with the 'diesel' for now to get full appreciation of the upgrade :)

The wire guide - SB should sell a clear replacement better than the original ABS. You can use the original as a template and make your own. I've seen people make them out of PVC (like 1/4" thick Sintra/Komatex PVC - same as exterior trim boards) and other materials. Avoid the temptation to repair the original...Try to make the replacement the same shape and dimensions as the old one.

In case anyone else runs into this in the future, shopbot no longer carries the original dust shoes that came with the benchtop PRT. Kent CNC makes a variety of dust shoes, but their design for people using Porter Cable 7518(2) routers has dust collection coming down vertically (Z) and while it might fit the bottom of the router, there is not enough clearance between the edge of the router and the frame of the machine for a 4" hose to come in that way. Kent advised against using a reducer to make it fit (e.g. going from a 4" hose to a 2-2.5" reducer to fit through the opening then back to a 4") As Brady mentioned, shopbot carries an upgraded version that personally I don't think is as nice as the split shoe designs from Kent, but it will fit the benchtop and allow you to insert a 4" hose. It feeds in from the rear of the Y axis and is used on the buddy systems. Unfortunately this shoe comes in at $211 bucks, a quite hefty price for what it really is. I couldn't wait to build my own as I work in a very small room in our basement and dust collection is required immediately. Thus, I reluctantly purchased but would likely suggest to others that they consider building their own simply for costs sake.

Moving on, I have a question regarding Value Units (VU). When I installed SB v 3.4.27 (the latest version available for the older PRTs) and selected a shopbot default file, I used "ShopBot_BenchTop_oldStop". There is another shopbot_benchtop file, but the only difference between the two is normally open VS normally closed settings (VN). My Benchtop was issued in October of 2002 as far as I can tell, and uses 20T pinions on a 3/8" rails (as opposed to 1/2" rails that are on later benchtops). Inside of the user manual I received when I purchased the machine, I found a two page stapled sheet that says "IMPORTANT IMPORTANT" and has preliminary setup instructions for the shopbot benchtop. It mostly goes over the uncrating procedure, how to install the z-axis assembly, etc. but at the bottom it states:

YOUR UNIT VALUES (entered with the [VU] commmand) are:
X & Y = 229.1832
Z = 916.7328

When I check in shopbot by using VU, all 3 axis (x,y,z) are set to 916.7324. As far as I can tell, all 3 stepper motors use the same size pinion and I just ordered 3 replacement ones by giving shopbot sales the width of my rack and the model on the stepper motors. Based on that, I received an invoice that they are sending out 3:
Pinion 20T PRT 3/8 Face, 1/2 Bore, PA 14.5, DP 20 (item: 000263). So the question is, should I be changing my unit values to what is shown on the piece of paper sent out with the machine in 2002 or use the ones already provided from the sbd file? What I'd like to do is to be able to zero the x,y axis from the front left corner and put in a value like 4,4 and have the bot move 4 inches over in the x and 4 inches up in the Y. I could then machine is shallow grid into my table to have an easy reference of location, if that makes sense. Can someone help me figure this out?

Thanks much!

[Brady Watson]

The UV is the same for all 3 axes. If running DOS SB2.39, it is 229.1832 - running SB3.4.27 it is exactly 4 times the DOS values, or 916.7328 for XYZ.

You may want to add proximity switches to the tool to make homing the XY easier & repeatable. In the meantime a sharp v-bit can be used as a pointer to move the tool in keypad to the edge of X - then ZX. Move to the edge of Y - ZY. (Use the 'Fixed Mode' option to precisely move the tool small increments when sneaking up on an edge if you are shooting past the mark with the arrow keys.) This should move the tool to the bottom left when the MH command is used.

You can draw a series of lines in PartWizard/PartWorks for your grid. Drawing one parallel to the X & one to the Y - then do a linear array of each to space them out to your offset or gap of choice. Then using a v-bit, you can either use Machine Along Vector or Profile toolpath with ON option (not inside or outside) [PWizard/PWorks respectively] to create the toolpath.

However...this will most likely get old pretty quick & it probably won't be as helpful as you think it will be. If you zero out at the left edge (X) and front edge (Y), you can pull your tape on the edge and get a distance. It is also possible to manually move the tool via keypad mode (k) and then assign the current tool location to a location of your choice using the VA command.

-B

[MaxFrenzy]

I've set x y zero to the bottom left corner if looking down from above (or front left corner when standing in front, but when I move the y axis (the spoilboard moving towards me @ the front) it is registered as a negative y movement. Thus if im located in that 0,0 spot and move x y to 4,4 it tries to move the spoilboard even further away from me instead of moving towards me. I have to use 4,-4 to get the desired effect ( spoilboard moving towards me and having the bit up 4" and right 4" relative to the bottom left corner. How can i switch it so I dont have to use negative numbers based on that position. Had a nice crash testing a cut file from aspire. I hope this makes sense...thanks

[MaxFrenzy]

Pardon my ignorance. The answer was to put a negative sign on the Y axis under VU (value units). I have officially made my first cut....and I have saw dust all over me :) WEEEEEEEEE! It was a simple v-carving of my son's name on a piece of veneered shit board. It came out a little slanted...I'm going to cut a square next to see if I have any issues with square on x/y.

[Brady Watson]

If the (-) signed VU bothers you, turn the control box off. Wait a full 5 minutes. Then swap the black & green wires for the Y axis in any (but not all) Wago connector between the motor and control box. Then remove the (-) in VU.

-B

[MaxFrenzy]

I've got some BEEF with the PRT benchtop. As I was preparing to surface my machine, I knew some prep was going to be needed first. I'm not sure who installed this, shopbot or the previous owner, but there is a 1" thick piece of plywood attached as the spoilboard currently. It is 36 wide (X), 28 long (Y). As previously mentioned, I wanted to use my shopbot like every other person and zero from the bottom left corner. Well currently that it is impossible because the board is too wide and I'd rack the machine out (on x axis) before I made it to the edge of the board. No problem, I can move the x-axis as far left (towards my intended 0) as I can (without racking) and then simply trim off the excess material. Since my cutting area is supposed to be 32x24, and I have a buffer of 2 inches on each side, I figured I'd just measure 2" over in the x..and 2" up in the Y and then cut a rectangle 32x24 going through the spoilboard to get my exact working area. WRONG. See, the problem is that the spoilboard is completely centered on the metal mounting rails. On the PRT, there are 3 that are under the spoilboard and run parallel with the X axis. Countersunk bolts go down through the board to some difficult to reach rectangular nuts. Because the board is centered, it's making it quite difficult to use the shopbot like a regular machine or even a desktop. When I zero the y axis to the edge of the spoilboard, I can only go about 21.5" until I'm out of rail to run on. It is also worth mentioning that the stop bolts on the underside Y motor are poorly placed as the V-bearings run out of rail well before the pinion runs into the stop bolt, allowing the v-bearings to run off the rails where bad shit happens. Unit doesn't have prox switches.

After looking at everything, the only answer I can come up with is that the problem exists because of the way the spoilboard is centered on the mounting hardware. If you were to align your workpiece in the middle of the board, you'd have no problem going 12" one way and 12" the other way. Who would want to work that way and try to have to center pieces up if they need to use all their cutting area. So, the only thing I can think of is to shift the spoilboard over in the Y axis as far as it can go, essentially countersinking the bolts right on the edge of the spoilboard. If I do that, I think it would be PRETTY close to being able to run the full 24" in the Y axis.

I'm open to explanations, ideas, suggestions. Maybe I'm stupid and missing something. It does make me wonder if SB Buddy owners have run into this... Please let me know if I need to elaborate, it's confusing for me and I'm looking at the machine.

Thanks

[MaxFrenzy]

So.. these are the types of problems you create when you''re not getting enough sleep because the whole house is ill with something.

[Brady Watson]

Just start over with a fresh piece. I'd recommend MDO as the support board with a piece of MDF glued on top as your sacrificial board.

It ain't rocket science as they say...but it does take some good layout skills to get it right. All 3 members need to be parallel. Start with the 2 outside parts first. Test their fit on the rails to make sure it runs square to the X and that there is enough adjustment on the eccentric bearings. Then after you are done that, use them as a reference to put some lines down to attach the Z bar. Test fit the gear in/out with the motor and the rack on the Z bar. Button it up.

If you want to get things really true, a dial indicator is the only way. They are cheap...I am sure HF has one for under $30 with holder.

I doubt that was the board SB put on it - it was most likely installed by the PO.

Properly adjusted/configured, that tool should go 25x34 or so, but SB put a 24x32" board on it.

If it was my tool, I'd yank the board & put a fresh one on. Few BT owners understood that they still needed a sheet of MDF glued clamped/temporarily screwed down until the glue dries, on top of the plywood support board. You cannot accurately machine things with plywood layers and glue peeling up on plywood...

-B

[MaxFrenzy]

Im entirely confused by your reply Brady lol! After I thought about the problem, i realized that the v-bearings on the y axis can roll past the edge of the hardened rail essentially just hanging off the edge a little. In this case, they would be off the rails about 3" past. The second set of v rollers (both horizontal and vertical ) would still be on the rail. meanwhile the cutting is happening over towards the center of the table. In my head I assumed the v rollers couldn't go past the end of the rail. I checked all 8 Y axis v rollers and they are all rotating through the full length of the rail. Some fit better than others by a hair but a square cut on the spoilboard looked like x and y were pretty well squared up. The board that is on now is nice besides being oversized currently and a bit high in the middle but doesn't have too many screw holes and no old glue. I can surely double up with some mdf and either glue it down or come up from underneath with some 1 1/4" screws. Are we getting closer to the same page?

Thanks

[Joe Porter]

Max, it's not necessary to zero X and Y to the extreme edge of the table or to the table at all, as Brady mentioned above. What you want to zero X and Y to are the point (say lower left corner) of your material. When you open V-Carve or Aspire, the first thing you do is set up your material, which must be pretty accurate. Then you do your design and tool path and save it. From that point, pick a good reasonable spot on your table and secure your material safely, (tool bit will clear clamps, etc.) the material should be parallel to both the X and Y like a framing square. Then zero your X and Y to the same corner or center of material that you specified in the design and zero the Z to the top of material or table as you did in the design and you will be ready to go. The starting point of X and Y is in the design software. I hope this will help you get going....joe

[MaxFrenzy]

Max, it's not necessary to zero X and Y to the extreme edge of the table or to the table at all, as Brady mentioned above. What you want to zero X and Y to are the point (say lower left corner) of your material. When you open V-Carve or Aspire, the first thing you do is set up your material, which must be pretty accurate. Then you do your design and tool path and save it. From that point, pick a good reasonable spot on your table and secure your material safely, (tool bit will clear clamps, etc.) the material should be parallel to both the X and Y like a framing square. Then zero your X and Y to the same corner or center of material that you specified in the design and zero the Z to the top of material or table as you did in the design and you will be ready to go. The starting point of X and Y is in the design software. I hope this will help you get going....joe

Thanks for the response. Yeah, I'm aware that you can zero x/y to wherever you'd like. The goal here is to get access to the maximum working area of the Benchtop PRT, which should be 32x24. I have the 32" in the x axis fine...its the Y axis and potentially how the sacrificial board was placed onto the aluminum supports of the Y car (there are 3 that run parallel to the x axis under the spoilboard where you countersink bolts down). As I laid awake in bed last night for hours trying to wrap my head around it, I figured that the V-bearings must be able to slide off the edge of the rail a bit when you extend all the way out close to the stop bolts. That is NOT the case. In fact, my previous statement about the stop bolts being in a bad spot seems to be wrong. As I attempted to run the v-rollers (v-bearings) off the edge, I did hit the stop bolt.

Thus, my problem is, when I align a bit to the bottom edge of my spoilboard (remember: bottom left corner is my intended 0,0 point for ease of lining up work material) and zero out the Y axis, when I run the machine in the positive Y direction all the way to the other side, I end up with about 21.5" instead of 24". When I look at the position of the pinion on the rack, I can see why I'm not getting the full length. It is because the edge of my spoilboard is about 3.5" offset from the edge of the stop bolt. In other words, when I move the Y car all the way to one edge of the rack to the other, I of course have my full 24", but the router is no longer over the spoilboard. See pic 1 (sorry for quality, my camera lens is destroyed). For frame of reference, I'm standing in the front right of the machine with the Y car moved as far away from me as it can go. Notice that the router bit isn't over the board (but the rack/pinion is at it's edge). Now, if I move all the way in the opposite direction and bring the Y car towards me, I have the opposite issue, essentially there is a few inches of extra board and I'm not making it to the 24" edge mark (pic 2).

Here is another way I can explain it after thinking it over. The spoilboard is centered on the mounting rails of the Y car (and thus the machine as a whole). However, the router is NOT centered on the machine. What I mean by that is that while the z-car assembly is more or less centered between the X rails, the router takes up space itself and is about 3.5-4" off the center of the machine in one direction (Y). So, the spoilboard really can't be centered on the on the Y car, because where your bit touches down is not the center of the machine. In order to use the full length of the Y axis, the spoilboard needs to be offset in one direction to compensate for the distance the router sticks out. Does that make sense?

pic 1
24744

pic 2
24743

[Joe Porter]

I don't know if this is true in your case, but on my BT32 the motor and rack you are showing in your pictures is the X axis which is 24". So, the Y axis is what the router rides on. In answer to your question, my table is 24" in the X direction and the router is centered over the table (12" in either direction) and will move 24" from the beginning of the table to the other side and still be engaged with the rack and not hit any stops. There is something definitely not installed or not placed correctly on your machine. When I say centered, I mean the point of the bit. I am charging up my camera batteries and will try to take some photos tomorrow.......joe

[MaxFrenzy]

I don't know if this is true in your case, but on my BT32 the motor and rack you are showing in your pictures is the X axis which is 24". So, the Y axis is what the router rides on. In answer to your question, my table is 24" in the X direction and the router is centered over the table (12" in either direction) and will move 24" from the beginning of the table to the other side and still be engaged with the rack and not hit any stops. There is something definitely not installed or not placed correctly on your machine. When I say centered, I mean the point of the bit. I am charging up my camera batteries and will try to take some photos tomorrow.......joe

The benchtop PRTs are different from the buddy. On the benchtop, the Y axis is the moving bed (vs the x axis on the buddy). Essentially they are just reversed...so my movements in the X direction don't require the spoilboard to move. Dimensions for me are 32" (x) 24" (Y). Since your bit is centered over the table, that is how they addressed the issue on the buddy (and thus you can center up your spoilboard like how mine is now). With my older machine (remember, we're talking like 2002 here), the spoilboard had to have been offset somehow to account for the router bit not being centered with the entire machine. I'm hoping someone who is familiar can chime in and set me straight.

Thanks

[bleeth]

It sure sounds like the spoilboard is simply in the wrong spot. Move it.

[bill.young]

Just as a reference, here's my Benchtop with the table at y=0. The router is at about -0.5" when the table is on the hard stop, and it has a little better than 25.5" of Y travel .

24760

[MaxFrenzy]

Just as a reference, here's my Benchtop with the table at y=0. The router is at about -0.5" when the table is on the hard stop, and it has a little better than 25.5" of Y travel .

24760

Thanks Bill. Can you do me a favor and tell me the dimensions of your spoilboard and then also measure the distance from the underside of the spoilboard to the edge of the aluminum mounting rails on each side of the y car? I think that would help me setup a board. Thanks again

[bill.young]

It's 32"x24", the same as the nominal cutting area. My benchtop doesn't have any aluminum parts other than the router bracket...it's all blue steel and gold utility strut.

[MaxFrenzy]

It's 32"x24", the same as the nominal cutting area. My benchtop doesn't have any aluminum parts other than the router bracket...it's all blue steel and gold utility strut.

Sorry, maybe I'm just using the wrong terminology. If you look under your spoilboard, do you have 3 pieces of "square stock" (with holes spaced out along it) running parallel to the X axis that are used to support your spoilboard? On mine, countersunk bolts are driven down through the spoilboard and attached to those 3 support bars that are spaced out. It's essentially what the board rests on and what supports it. What I was looking for is if you were to look under your board and see them, if you could measure the distance from the support to the edge of your spoilboard on each side (as the spoilboard extends out further past the supports). I was thinking that would help me in terms of adjusting mine. Does that make more sense?

Thanks