I'm working through the build on my LEAD CNC 1010 and have completed the basic assembly and currently doing the wiring. I purchased the high-z upgrade and have added it along the way. Question i have is if the z rail is fixed on the x-axis it needs to be up high to clear the material and the router allowed to go up and down how can you utilize the full depth of the 8" available? it would appear that you need a really long cutting bit to get down to the spoil board surface, correct? I plan to cut foam mostly at this thickness so i don't envision a heavy load on the bit but am I understanding that correctly? If that is the case, where can I source longer bits to be able to benefit from this added height? Thanks!
I believe you manually loosen the angled connectors that hold the z extrusion to the plate and slide it down by hand.
yes, I understand that, but they the extrusion is in the way. For example if I wanted to route a shape that looks like an upside down bowl that is 7” deep, if I set the extrusion High to clear the base of the upside down bowl, how does the router reach the spoil board to route the upper lip of the bowl? Make sense. This is how I would view the term “8 inches of clearance” to be able to route parts of that depth. The only way I can see it happens is to have an extended bit, but how strong is that? Thanks!
The only practical application for the 8” depth is milling the surface of 8” deep objects. Great if you do case mods or engrave ornamental boxes but not much else. Usable depth is limited to usable bit length, potentially upwards of 6” in foam but generally less than an inch in metal. I am currently looking at milling a 3-1/2” deep bowl with a 2” bit extension. Only works because of the slope of the bowl and how far down the chuck can extend inside of it.
If you have a spindle that can fit a 3/8" endmill, you can find endmills in the 7 inch overall range. I have not seen 1/4 inch endmills in anything longer that 6". I have one from Kodiak Cutting Tools. I have used it on wood, but you can not be real aggressive. Also, that is the overall length. You could always mill it from one side and using pins, flip it and do the other side. This is one of the reasons I am building a CNC Lathe.
