Deck flatness

[angelosart]

What tolerance do you shoot for in the "flatness" of your deck support below your spoil board?

[bleeth]

Between the deck and the spoil board I have a vacuum plenum, so for the deck I don't surface it at all. I do surface the plenum prior to cutting the vacuum channels. Since the purpose of the deck is stiffness and stability, and therefore is generally done in plywood, I can't see surfacing it. I do tend to get quite picky about doing all I can to ensure the rails and deck support steel is as level as reasonably possible.
Some use other materials besides plywood for the deck, such as PVC or aluminum. They have their own reasons for doing so and I won't debate them.
To me, the main thing is to ensure the table itself is level as possible. If that is done right surfacing the plenum should require very little depth and the spoilboard will also take very little shaving. If yu're not using vacuum you may still want another level of material like MDF between the deck and spoilboard to keep the deck as pristine as possible and not have screws for hold down going into it.

[Ajcoholic]

What tolerance do you shoot for in the "flatness" of your deck support below your spoil board?

Angelo,
Are you referring to the Buddy table (assuming so since we are in the Buddy forum)?

If so, I have managed to - with a spoilboard made up of two layers of 3/4" MDF - kept my working deck to within about ten thousandths. I do resurface my deck every so often and I have checked my rollers about twice in the 14 months I have had the machine.

AJC

[angelosart]

AJ

I saw your photos of your buddy, looks like a great setup that makes a lot of sense. I hope to someday upgrade to that idea, but for now, just starting out I am just going to surface both the deck and any spoilboards.

Thanks
Angelo