Time to upgrade my spoil board. Since my machine was assembled several years ago, the spoil board has simply been sheets of MDF which I flattened with the router initially and as they became worn down. Projects were usually screwed to the spoil board. Occasionally, I used the blue tape method. Sometimes both hold down methods were used simultaneously. This has worked well but it took too long to secure some of my recent projects thus inspiring this upgrade.
T-track will be used for clamping. Dog holes for alignment and light clamping. I may add screw inserts if that seems appropriate later.
Since I only have access to the top of my machine bed, this is how I put it together:
Two 3/4 pieces of baltic birch were laminated together and then bolted to each of the four machine bed supports.
Care was taken to make certain the plywood was level with the machine bed supports.
I used Armor tool t-track that is double sided so that it can be secured to a board with t-nuts. (link to Amor tool: Quick-Track Archives - Armor Tool)
I laminated a piece of 3/4 inch baltic birch to a 1/2 in piece of baltic birch and secured the track to the plywood with T-bolts.
The T-bolts did not slide well horizontally over the vertical T-tracts as supplied by Armor so I milled down the slight ridges. Hence the visible bare aluminum.
1/4" grooves were cut in the front face of the plywood to orient the t-track and relief holes were cut in the back so that the securing t-bolts and nuts did not protrude:
3/4" MDF was then cut to fit between the T-track and secured to the plywood with 1/4" hex bolts and threaded inserts placed in the plywood. The spoil board when then installed in the router with 1/4" hex bolts and threaded inserts.
Another piece of MDF was then glued on top and grooves were cut to expose the underlying T-track. I did not cut a groove to expose the middle vertical t-track but may do that in the future.
The last glued down layer of MDF hides the many hex bolts.
However, this MDF can be milled away thus exposing the hex bolts and making it possible to remove this spoil board.
The dog holes will be cut when the dogs arrive Monday. Before that, I'll confirm that my machine gantry is square.
This upgrade was inspired by Jay Bates. Here's a link to a youtube video describing his spoil board: