Glue down the spoilboard or use gasket? Or both?

[Greybarn]

Newbie question! I am just getting ready to install a new spoilboard. Rather than using a gasket as the seal to the plenum, is it better to just glue down the spoilboard around the perimeter (and some dabs in the middle) with some construction adhesive? Or is the gasket better? If the construction adhesive is better, then is any one type better than the other?
Until we get our feet wetter, it seems like the gasket would be better. I can't imagine getting the construciton adhesive off the plastic pleunum would be that easy.
Regards
Peter

[jerry_stanek]

I like to glue mine dowm but I glue the whole top of my plenum and cover it with a sheet of sintra or ply wood and start my vacuum sor about 6 hr. nto suck it down good and tight. I use 8 foot rods to hold the spoil board off the glue till I get it positioned just right clamp one side and slowly pull out the rods.

[loriny]

I silicone mine to the plenum. Probably better ways but works for me. Set it on and run vac and pile 4x8 sheets on until no more fit. Then leave it a day or so before surfacing. I get a lot more life out of the spoil board this way VS gasket only.
Lorin

[myxpykalix]

I use titebond glue and coated the whole sheet then glued it to the plenum. I then took silicone caulk and ran it around the flat outside edge (the .75 thickness edge) and sealed it up to keep from losing vacumn on the sides.

[dlcw]

I currently use a 1/2" Trupan spoilboard. My table is 60x96 and has four zones in the plenum.

- Cut the 5x10 sheet of Trupan into 4 pieces, one for each zone.

- Edgeband each of the pieces with melamine banding.

- Place the spoilboard on the table and hold it down using the vacuum.

- Lightly surface the side facing up.

- Turn the spoilboard over and apply silicone caulk around the edges and 4 or 5 spots in the middle.

- Place the spoilboards down and turn on the vacuum.

- After a couple of hours, turn off the vacuum.

- Next day surface the new spoilboards and we're ready to go.

Once I run out of 1/2" Trupan I will be going with a 3/4" ultra-light MDF (32lbs density versus 45lbs density) for the spoilboard. The way I prepare and attach the new material will probably not change.

[Greybarn]

Don, is your plenum made from HDPE or some similar type of plastic?
Regards
Peter

[dlcw]

Peter,

My plenum is made from 2 sheets of 3/4" Baltic Birch laminated together into one. The lamination was then sealed with 4 coats of spray on shellac. Next the plenum was machined and then the machined out area was sealed with another 4 coats of spray on shellac. Seams to be working pretty well.

[coach]

my spoil board is 3/4" MDF. Like a cople of people here, I surface 1 side, remove from table and turn it over. I apply thick beads of painters caulk around perimeter and around the 4 zones.
Takes 2 of us to get it onto table. turn on vacs for a few hours. I screw down the 4 corners. countersink so you don't hit screw after several times surfacing top. I check plenum for holes from screwing parts down at times.
Also spray plenum every change with polyurethane. cover ur spindle.
I smear caulk all around the edges of the MDF.
surface the next day.

[dakota]

Jack when you glue your spoilboard to your plenum how do you get the spoilboard off the plenum when it gets too thin to use or do you make another plenum each time you replace the spoilboard?

[knight_toolworks]

you try to plane the spoilboard of without damaging the plenum.