8' Powerstick on its way!

[erik_f]

Ordered my 8' Powerstick for my gen I BT48. Should be here Monday...woo hoo...only thing that scares me is the Fedex shipping description says, "Powerstick96Outfeedroller" I hope they aren't sending me the wrong item!

[dana_swift]

Erik you will want the outfeed rollers with a powerstick. You could build your own quite easily (after all you own a shopbot!) but supporting the 8' powerstick weight is an absolute must.

I have both 8' and 4', both benefit from the outfeed rollers, but the 8' requires them.

Using the 4' without the outfeed support is hard on the bearings and will make Z accuracy degrade, however for "quick and easy" low-tolerance work I have done just exactly that.

I have an alpha, so I use the high slew rates on the X and Y, with powersticks the bot table can "reach out and touch you". The outfeed rollers make impractical to stand in the way of the table motion, so that is another reason to install them.

Good luck with your new capabilities!

D

[jporter]

Erik, they ship the Powerstick in the same type of box as the outfeed rollers, so there might be some confusion on the outer lable, but hopefully you will get the right item. By the way, this is a long, slender rectangular tube of heavy cardboard that is put together with sheetrock screws, so just get your power screwdriver out and take your time and it will come apart easily. Also, I agree with Dana, the outfeed rollers are a "must". I learned after trying to build something suitable that the ShopBot version is probably the least expensive option. Hope this helps, joe

[erik_f]

Hey guys,
I actually ordered 160 roller blade wheels and bearings for a total cost shipped of around $80. I'm going to make my own outfeed with those...I found a site called Plascore that makes a laminated aluminum honeycomb. 1" sheets are around $240 and I'm waiting to see how much shipping is going to be for a 4x8 sheet. I have a sample of the 1/2" and it is very rigid. I was told by the rep on the phone that 3/4" is about as rigid as 3/4" plywood and the 1" is even more rigid. The half inch sheet is $200 so it makes sense for the $40 more to go with the 1"...haven't ordered yet...but I'll post when I find out more