6" Z clearance

[johnny]

It's Sunday, and I am really thinking of purchasing a SB, but I have a question about clearance in the Z direction. Is the 6" number including your motor, the cutter and everything? If I get a spindle motor and throw a 7" long cutter, will I be able to throw a 6" block of material underneath all of that?

Hopefully someone can answer this today, cause having to wait til Monday is driving me crazy.

[joe crumley]

I have just completed a job of decorating a few 6"X6" posts 8'long. They lay under the gantry with apporx. one inch or so clearance.

We use a router but the spindle will work just as well.

There is no need to have a 7' cutter. I don't believe I have seen such an animal.

One of the advantage of the SB it the room beneith the gantry. Yes; your bit will reach the table and boar right through it.

[dands50@hotmail.com]

If in deed you have a 7" cutter ( never seen one) and you have to use it alot then just have shopbot resize your z height at a charge of course but I would emagine they will acommidate you I have seen one that was sized to 12" David in Wyoming

[dands50@hotmail.com]

just looked at my spelling, man am I tired.

[johnny]

Thanks guys! You know, a shopbot tech guy actually replied to me today (Sunday)! He said that the last time he measured, there was a clearance of 9", but I guess it depends on the material thickness you have for the table. He also informed me of a custom Z of up to 24".

[elcruisr@bellsouth.net]

One thing to consider is that the taller the Z axis the poorer the tolerance will be. Just a case of a longer lever pulling at the mounting system. I run a new PRT 5' x 12' with a columbo spindle and a vacuum table. The realistic working thickness with an "average" 1/2" or 3/8" cutter is 4" or less. The thickness of the vacuum table is 2" if you use the shopbot design. If you must have 6" capacity you might want to have a talk about extending your axis by 2 inches but I wouldn't go any more than I had to.

Eric Lamoray