Greetings to you all. I am a proud new owner of the Lead 1515, with zero experience in CNC in general. I finished assembling the machine, and due to limited space in my workshop, I designed a folding table to support the CNC and save space when not in use. My question is, do you anticipate any structural issues with the Lead machine when I fold the table into a vertical position? I am asking because the CNC rests on the base, hanging from eight L brackets at the four corners of the base.
Make sure that whichever axis will be vertical is at the bottom end of it's travel before folding the table (so that the gantry doesn't descend under gravity, turning the stepper as it does so). Alex.
Thanks for you reply. Yes I had this in mind. My concern was the structural integrity by holding only on those 4 points in the corners of the base.
A torsion box top to your bench would be very stable - build it flat in the first place and it should stay flat. Alex.
If you're concerned, you can always add more attachment points. It really comes down to the integrity of the screws and the wood you're anchored into. Better safe than sorry.
I am sorry if I was not clear enough. The base of the CNC to the table is going to be very sturdy on top of steel frame l. I will attach a photo, of what I'm talking about, that holds all the weight of the 3 axis. The 2 L brackets you see in the photo ( two of those on each four corners of the Lead 1515) I am concerned if they are enough to hold it vertically.
It's basically a static load. As long as the base framing members are properly attached to your frame, the load of the axis beams shouldn't be a problem. The only potential problem would be cracking of the cast brackets. Machined brackets like Black Angle Corner Connector would be better but as the load is static, I see no reason the cast brackets should crack.
I anticipate no structural issues. But as others have pointed out, I would expect that the zero of at least one axis will shift during transition. So home early and home often. You should be fine.