We are starting to develop the fixturing we are going to use on our Dominator when it gets here this summer. First thing first. Does anyone have any good ideas on bed design and execution? Thanks!
My current machines table is made largely with dimensional lumber, (2x4s, 4x4s, osb (its cheap(er)), baltic birch plywood, mdf and 4x casters) and painted black. It comprises of a top torsion box which you want as flat as possible (but mines not perfectly flat as the mdf will correct high/low spots), the bottom torsion box is even less important. I went super overboard and even installed joist hangers at all the joints of the torsion box. I ordered them online from home depot because they were cheaper from in store options… we’re not building a house here…
The 4x4’s are along the Y axis of the torsion boxes, and 2x4’s everywhere else. You could do 4x4’s for the legs but I butt jointed 2x 2x4s in an L configuration. Once its all assembled, I glued the mdf to the top torsion box plywood, and surfaced that… then placed my sacrificial mdf on top of that using holes and bolts/washers/threaded inserts. I did this because if I were to just put the sacrificial wasteboard down, I would have to cut about 1/4" every time I went to surface. I built the table over the course of 2 days but could have probably done it faster if I was dedicated to getting it done asap.
After that I installed piece of plywood on drawer slides, for a keyboard. I have several compartments where I’d just frame out a support, and slap a piece of whatever scrap plywood I have and screw whatever it is into that.
Heres the dominators dimensions. Dimensions
I would oversize the table based on personal preference and space available, but by at least an inch on each side. A popular oversize is along the X Axis so you have a place to set items without placing them on the bed.
From everything I could see of the dominators leg kit it appears to be very rigid. I ordered my Dominator with the legs kit, bed rigidity upgrade and the bed structural upgrade. I forgot the 5th leg but I’ll order that when I receive notice that it will be shipping soon.
That said I feel confident that all I need to decide is what I want to do for a top. I hope to figure out a way to configure it to allow me to use use T-tracks and then add the AirWeights slat system. I have the Slat system made for the Elite Foreman, still in their shipping boxes and stored in a corner of my shop. The individual who bought my Black Friday Elite Foreman package said he did not want the slats. I bought those direct from AirWeights and they arrived the day before I sold the 1Finity.
Anyway they have to be attached from underneath and I have some ideas but really can’t do much until I know more about the way the spoil boards are supposed to attach to the machine top.
Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly aprreciated.
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Let me know what you decide. I’m going to do the same. Have T tracks made to fit and see if Air tracks could make the exact size needed or have a company make a true zoned top and use a small regerative pump with pvc.
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@ChrisBratton. I have been working hard to come up with a solution. I do not want to wait until the last minute. I already have the slat system from AirWeights that I bought for the Elite Foreman I had for 2 months. The Airweights arrived the day of or day before I sold the Elite Foreman. The buyer did not want to buy the Airweights. So I have been examining pictures, video and even the 8020 site to try and figure out how PwnCNC is putting the Dominator and stand together. This way I can try to make the system work without any major changes. Since the Dominator has not been released and their are no parts list or part sizes available yet, I have only been able to guess.
Jace at Airweights has been very helpful and provided the sketches etc to help me. But not having the machine and table in front of me is making it difficult. I need to talk to PwnCNC to get more details on their assembly to make sure I can adjust how the stand and table are assembled to make sure the changes I have in mind will not cause problems. But they are very busy and I really do not want to bother them with this issue. Especially since they have not even started production yet.
My thoughts so far have been to use the existing 8020 as the t-track and Roll In Panel Brackets from 8020. This might work, But it would require knowing more about the table and if I can change the direction of the top supports. And even replacing some of the parts in the rigidity upgrade I ordered. A lot of ifs.
But I will figure it out and let you know what I come up with.
Are the Airweight panels solid like a normal top? I was thinking just just get more cross members material from 8020 and cut my own to fill in
@ChrisBratton. I have been using the AirWeights for a while now. I have a 24x48 AirWeights on the Shark 520. It works great. But there are times that hold downs are needed. I cut a lot of PVC parts out of 3/4x24x48 panels. I use hold downs on the four corners. The seal is always good without them, but I need the hold downs for my piece of mind.
With that said the larger Airweights are designed to be screwed down from the top and need something solid under them. Not the slats that he designed for the 1Finity QCW tables. They screw in from the bottom. They do not require anything underneath them because they are at most 10" wide. That is where I was thinking the Roll In Panel Brackets from 8020 might work great with the Dominator part. They would need holes drilled in the correct positions and might just work in the same way the QCW table works. Then I could use the tracks that are on top of the 8020 for t-tracks.
It is still are just an idea but initially seems like it could work.
Did you come up with anything more. I’m waiting on a reply from AirWeights to see if the can mamek a solid piece.
Yes. Jace at air weights sent me a DXF that shows the placement of each Slat with T-Tracks in between each. This DXF has all the hole locations marked where I will need to put screws through the MDF Spoil Board that I will be putting down first. Once I have the CNC set up with the MDF in place, I plan to use a v-bit to score where each slat goes and to mark where the screw holes and the holes for the placement pins go. If it all looks good, I will then drill each hole using the CNC and attach the slats with screws from underneath.
What kit were you going to use? I was looking at the Onefinity QCW kit 48x48
@ChrisBratton . I have the Airweights Vacuum Slats system that he developed for the Elite Foreman QCW. I bought it directly from AirWeights.
Are they a 48in in length? Are you planning on using the Onefinity QCW table and intergrate it?
@ChrisBratton. Yes they are 48” length. No, I am not going to use the QCW table. I will attach the slats directly to the MDF spoil board.