Replies on Comment by Batcrave

I was quite surprised how after i put it together that all the slot rails and MDF strips sat so perfectly flat on the base sheet with zero air gaps from curvature or twist. It’s just sitting upon my diy table, a MDF sheet mounted on a frame i made from timber and screws which was just assembled and screwed together with less than perfect accuracy by eye and I’m no carpenter and only bought a square set after i had put most of it together and much of it was off square.

I have also got the legs more square now so it will not collapse on me, its got wheels so i can get around it, and LED strip lights now, and have a lead 1010 and a 3040 machine on there too, underneath i have a laser cutter, water tank with pump, an air compressor and festools vacuum. Just need to add doors and acrylic windows. I learn about the torsion box from good old YouTube and wasn’t happy about squareness, lifting of the machine, sagging of the table top in time etc.

One of my original vertical extrusions where also bent at the end in shipping so it was not flat, so i chopped it and put it horizontal originally as a solution so it was usable and not 44mm at one end, then after thought about the MDF support beams. Because of the extra strips of support beams bind to the worktop and the base sheet and they are all 40mm, it seem to pull itself perfectly straight which is pleasing.

If you ask the hardware store to cut a piece of MDF that fits your machine work are then you can cut even strips on that.

I tried threaded inserts, didn't work out for me, first I make mistake and put wrong side and they pull out easy, then I have to lift machine and put other side, they still pull out. I have no help and I got the machine jacked up with timber trying to replace the board, super scared it fall on my head!!!.

The solution I have I am happy with, its flat and don't need to lift the machine again, even if I do a project where sticking down makes more sense, add another sheet of spoil mdf onto and secure the piece with double sided or bonded tape is still an option, where it depends on the job. At least I know that any up-force created by tightening clamps is kind-of negated by the overlaps which hold the slots down, equal and opposite=0 was the idea