Above: The best way to
support your material is with a number of vertical slats 3" wide x 3/16"
thick. Placed every 3" or so along your table, they support your work, yet the
sparks and debris pass through. As they deteriorate over time, they can first be
turned upside-down, and then discarded and replaced individually. In the above
photo, the 1/2" x 4" cold roll bars that serve as the X axis rails have not yet
been installed.
Below: The ends of the slats are supported in U shaped brackets made from 1" x
1/8" hot roll steel strips. These are welded to the sides of the material
support table as shown here. A couple of good tack welds per bracket are all that is
needed. Note that the 3" square tubing that will support the rails, rests on
top of the material support table. Thus, the tops of the slats are even with the
bottom of the square tubing that the rails will rest on. |
