Buddy spoilboard

[jharmon]

This is an interesting comment by Brady Watson (posted 11/12/08 in Troubleshooting):

"If you screwed the spoilboard down from the top, I gaurantee that you will have problems. The spoilboard should be glued to the plywood support board (which is attached to the metal X members) and then flattened with a flattening bit. The difference between a glued down spoilboard and one that is just screwed down is HUGE!"

Now, how does that work on the Buddy? Isn't the spoilboard supposed to be screwed down from the top onto that aluminum plate? There are 14-20 threaded holes provided.

Jim

[dana_swift]

Jim, my spoilboard is screwed down just like you describe. My spoilboard is two layers of 3/4 mdf (glued together), I created 1" pockets centered at the bolt hole locations and that keeps the bolts recessed for many table re-surfacing operations.

The spoilboard is only held on by 4 bolts, the other 1/4 20 tapped holes are available to mount fixtures to the top of it all.

D

[myxpykalix]

When i first got my bot i drilled holes and screwed down my spoilboard with a bunch of those nylon nuts and bolts that hold toilet lids on toilets. My theory was that even if i do hit one it won't tear up my bit and you can replace the nut/bolt.
I have since changed that setup and glued all layers down.

[erik_f]

I made a file to like others have said pocket out where the 1/4-20's bolted down from the top. I used this as a base to screw my spoil board down to from the top using another pocketing file for where my screws were to go. I'm sure gluing the spoil board down is ultimately better, but I didn't find a problem with using my 1st layer bolted and second layer screwed. I suppose you could always double up some MDF and sheet rock screw from under the aluminum table...but be careful not to ruin the threads for the 1/4-20's.

[Brady Watson]

Hey Jim,
It depends on what you are doing. I have a plastic vacuum grid bolted down on mine, but also wanted a spoilboard for times when I had to screw material down to the spoilboard...so, here's what I did:

Take a sheet of MDF and drill all the way thru it in all the places where you have 1/4-20 holes. Also, countersink those holes by doing an area clear on a circle that is 1/2" in diameter, centered on those holes. Then go get some 8-32 tee-nuts, and appropriately long screws. From underneath, thread those 8-32 screws into the tee-nuts and attach the board to the AL base board. Then glue a sheet of MDF on top. Then machine flat - and viola! You've got a stable table. If you want to do a vacuum grid, then remove the 8-32 screws from underneath & remove the spoilboard. This would work equally well, and give you more Z clearance with 1/2" MDF.

On a BT series, the table is a LOT smaller than a large tool and possibility of the spoilboard getting out of whack from being 'screwed up' from the bottom, while resting on a 1/2" AL plate is greatly reduced.

I'd take a pic of my setup with the tee-nuts, but the machine is busy working right now...

-B