Spoil board for Shark SD110

Questions/answers/discussion about initial setup of your CNC Shark

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Emnesto
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2021 8:24 pm

Spoil board for Shark SD110

Post by Emnesto »

Just setting up my new SD110. I’m stuck this weekend by a mismatch error when unlocking the Pendant. In the meantime, I thought I’d get started with a spoil board. I’ve watched several videos and understand width, length, how to fasten it to the base, and how to fasten the workpiece to the spoil board. The info I’m still missing is the thickness of the spoil board. I’m thinking 3/4 MDF. What do you think?

Rando
Posts: 757
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 3:24 pm
Location: Boise, ID
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Re: Spoil board for Shark SD110

Post by Rando »

Emnesto:

Yeah, that's a common thickness. Some things to consider (about the thickness):

- To get the surface flat to the movement of the spindle, you'll surface it, typically with a "fly cutter" or surfacing bit. Amana makes a couple that
are useful for this grade of CNC machine.

- After you've used it a while, there will be (hopefully shallow) cuts in the surface, where you've cut through the material your part is made of.
This is normal, but eventually, you're going to want to re-surface it like above.

- The spoil board should be thick enough so that after you've cut the counter-bored holes, there is enough material to clamp it to the bed surface
without the bolts crushing the MDF. Typically, 1/4" or so under the bolt heads.

- If you're using washers under the bolt heads, add that thickness too.

- Then there's the bolt heads themselves.

- Above the bolt heads will be the spoil material. How much you have here will determine how many times you can surface (and re-surface) before
having to make another set of them.

BUT, the flip-side is that for every bit of height you use in the spoilboard, that's height you can't use in your parts. If you're doing flat plaques, that
won't be so much an issue. But, if you're carving, say bowls, or deep relief carvings, it might end up being a tight squeeze.

As you can probably guess, 3/4" is possibly "just enough"...My guess is a lot of folks go with a full 1" thickness, to have more material to surface.

And trust me, the LAST thing you want to see happen is your z-travel lose steps at the top, because when it comes down, it will be all the deeper
for every step it lost. It can be a horrible thing to watch as it plunges down way too far into the material, possibly the spoilboard, and even worse,
into the machine's aluminum bed.

So, as you decide the thickness, you want to give enough space to surface it a time or two, but not so much you eat all your vertical height.

If you have a design that's working perfectly, I (strongly?) recommend making TWO sets so that you will have "the next one" ready to go when
you decide you need it.

Hope that helps and gives you some ideas.

Regards,

Rando
=====================================================
ThomR.com Creative tools and photographic art
A proud member of the Pacific Northwest CNC Club (now on Facebook)

cromag27
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:13 am

Re: Spoil board for Shark SD110

Post by cromag27 »

Emnesto wrote:
Sun Sep 05, 2021 8:48 pm
Just setting up my new SD110. I’m stuck this weekend by a mismatch error when unlocking the Pendant. In the meantime, I thought I’d get started with a spoil board. I’ve watched several videos and understand width, length, how to fasten it to the base, and how to fasten the workpiece to the spoil board. The info I’m still missing is the thickness of the spoil board. I’m thinking 3/4 MDF. What do you think?
yes, 3/4” is just fine.

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