This forum is still new and may look a bit empty at the moment.
Please don’t hesitate to ask your questions. If you are building a Raw Creative 2.5, planning your build or wondering about parts, setup or assembly, feel free to start a topic.
I will do my best to answer questions and help as much as I can. As more builders join, the forum will grow into a useful place for tips, build discussions and shared experience.
Especially for the larger and heavier machines, even though the frame is metal, aluminium is a soft metal and prone to bending under load. The Y axis beam is supported with a steal tube. But what should one think about regarding supporting the machine?
One possibility is a rigid table, I suppose. But are there alternative methods? Like building a steel frame? I see in other machines you've built that you seem to use very large dimension Aluminium extrusions, but those are very expensive. And since this is a DIY I would think many adopters will need to find cheaper alternatives. What are your suggestions? Since I personally don't have a suitable table, I will need to build something anyway.
Another thought is putting wheels on the table so the machine can be moved. Is it a good idea to put wheels on it where the table rests on the wheels all the time (but the wheels can be locked) or is it better to use wheels that are retracted and can lift the table only when needed?
I suspect many builders will come to these considerations. And especially those who, like me, opt for the largest standard size must consider a base for the machine rigid enough to make sure the machine frame only has to take the load of the workpiece and machining forces, and not the entire weight of the machine itself.
Any thoughts about these matters are appreciated.
Yes, this is an important point, especially for the larger machines.
For a large Raw Creative build, I would personally build a strong and stable table first. The machine should sit flat on the table, and the table should support the full length of the frame. I would not treat the aluminium frame as something that should carry itself freely like a heavy industrial machine frame.
A good solution would be a strong table with a steel base/underframe. The machine can sit on top of that, and you can also use the front area of the table for the monitor, keyboard, control box and tools.
Reinforcing 20x80 aluminium profiles directly is not always easy. The other option is to go up in profile size, like we do on some of our larger finished machines, but large aluminium profiles are expensive, especially right now.
For wheels, I would prefer a table that stands on proper adjustable feet when the machine is in use. Wheels are useful if the machine needs to be moved, but the machine should not rely only on locked wheels for accuracy if it is a larger build. Retractable wheels or lift-up casters are usually a better solution, so the table can stand firmly on its feet during cutting.
I am also looking at a possible upgrade path for the Creative platform where the aluminium frame could be replaced with laser-welded steel tubes. This is only on the drawing board at the moment, but the idea would be to make it as an upgrade option, so builders would not have to start completely from zero if they want to replace the frame later.
So my simple recommendation for now would be:
Build the machine on a strong, flat table.
Use a steel underframe if possible.
Use adjustable feet for cutting.
Use retractable wheels only for moving the table.
Let the table carry the machine, not the aluminium frame alone.
For the larger machines, the base/table is almost as important as the CNC frame itself.