I decided to spend some time working on the base for the torsion box today. I wanted to see if I could make it out of the scrap wood I have lying around.
The design I chose is a two-tiered setup — the upper frame will hold the torsion box, while the lower frame will provide stability, but also will be large enough to hold full sheet stock.
The frames are made of 2×4 lumber, while the legs are a combination of 2×6 and 4×4. Everything is stuff that came out of the yard here at Hilltop, so it feels like the house itself is giving its contribution to the CNC machine. It also feels good to reuse wood — as cheap as it is to buy new stock, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this stuff, other than looking a little grungy. This machine will be obliterating enough wood in its time.
The day was spent hemming and hawing and measuring, followed by some quick cuts on the table saw. I had an epiphany mid-afternoon, and figured out how to incorporate a bunch of the shorter pieces I had on hand to stretch the scraps to complete the project. I would have had quite a chore trying to figure out how to use all those pieces later.
By the end of the day, I had 80% of the pieces cut for the frame, with pieces set aside for the rest, and pieces set aside for the legs. I should be able to knock it together in another long session.
I’m looking forward to having a strong base for the CNC.