So is the standard SB metal table "good enough"?

[mthomas]

Ok, so I figure this is a loaded question, and I know there are many opinions on this. But, I thought I'd ask it anyway..

My philosophy is that if I can buy and use something (anything) successfully, I will do so instead of building it myself. That doesn't mean it's the perfect rule to live by, just that it works for me. That said - is there anything really inadequate about the standard SB metal table?

Take the money issue (i.e. is it worth what SB charges for it) out of the question - I'm more interested in the basic quality, durability and usability of the table. Is it "good enough" for what it's supposed to do - hold the 'bot up and let it run effectively? Or is there a fundamental deficiency in it that, eventually, becomes more and more problematic to overcome?

Thanks!

[paco]

Hey Michael!

Do you like blue?!

Seriously, I'd say you can built one cheaper (and not blue) of the same design but you have to be comfortable with this kind of project. Unless you have most of the parts cut (and drilled?) by a local steel shop. By building it yourself, you can make it different... like red! You may want to browse Gerald forum (http://www.mechmate.com/Forum/) to see if you can found idea there...

You'll notice that the major common DIY table difference is having the frame weld which is, I believe, a big plus. Braces, when "correctly" located, added a lot of stiffness to the unit.

[gerald_d]

Is the table good enough? A resounding YES!

It perfectly complements the other major parts of the ShopBot - gantry, y-car, z-slide, etc. Of course, each component can be made "better", but then you wouldn't be talking of a ShopBot.

[mklafehn]

I second Gerald's opinion. I built mine in Jan 06 and all parts (except for the router) were ordered directly from Shopbot. The table is solid, it cuts beautifully and I am very happy with the entire process. The folks at Shopbot have been very helpful and accomodating.

Now could you make a "better" table, probably, but I didn't want to venture into unknown territory. I didn't have the time to be researching companies to build tables.

I had enough to deal with just learning cnc terminology, software, bits, chip load, etc.

If I had to do it over I would do the same thing. Thank you Shopbot for providing an economically priced cnc machine that cuts very similar to the "big boys"

[gamisano]

I built my table from scratch with the plans supplied by Shopbot, so I can't vouch specifically for the table you would purchase, other than the fact that mine is made of the same materials, and has the same holes drilled, and same components. Thus far I like it. It is sturdy, and easy as pie to square up. I had mine squared within 30 minutes.

That said, if I had to do it all over again, I would bite the bullet and purchase the table direct. I spent 1 solid day just measuring and marking the locations for the holes to be drilled. Then 2 solid days drilling all of the holes (there are a lot!). The whole time I was worried sick about whether or not my measurements were spot on, and if my holes were centered properly. After spending $125 or so on high end drill bits that were up to the task of drilling tons of holes in .25" steel, and purchasing a drill press and clamping system, as well as the $400 or so on the raw materials, I probably spent about $800. Much cheaper than the table from shopbot, plus no shipping....but factor in how much time you'll spend drilling.

Table is good...but buy the kit.

Guido

[john_r]

I have to agree with Guido on this one. I got all the material and even an extremely close SB blue powdercoat finish for about 500.00 bucks. But the hole marking and drilling and lifting and moving to drill the holes is a lot of work (I have a PRT120 12FT sides I also did 8" C Channel...Heavy stuff) about 3 days of labor and a week out to the powder coater. If I were to do it all over again...I'd buy it from SB.

[bleeth]

I built mine from SB plans also and despite the work it was a lot of fun. Painted it myself, already owned a drill press, and in a previous life had worked many long hours in a shipyard and so drilling the holes was no big deal. But having said that, once was enough unless the dollars were a factor. Since then I have moved the table intact from one shop to another using a forklift and it took no time to relevel and crank up. That makes the design a winner to me.

[mthomas]

Thanks for all the great feedback! My sense was that the table was plenty capable, and certainly much easier to buy than make.

[gerald_d]

You don't have to drill all the holes if you weld it together. Take the plans as a guide only, and modify according to your local skills, tools and materials.

For the USA residents, where the dollar is king, it is a good option to buy the table from SB. But, for those far away, where the millimeter is king, the shipping cost is very high and it makes sense to design for local material sizes.

[gamisano]

You also don't have to drill all the holes in the legs....much to my shigrin, after my assembly was done, I noticed all of the unused extra holes on the outward facing portions of each leg. In retrospect, I realize that this was done so that it makes each leg universal, but maybe it would be more helpfull to make a note on the plans that some holes are unnecessary if you arrange them in the appropriate manner. Or, better yet, just have a seperate page in the plans for the 2 differing locations (ie. legs 1&2, and legs 3&4). This would've saved me about 4-5 hours of marking, measuring, drilling, de-burring....just a thought.

regards,
Guido