EShapeoko 1.4 Assembly: Frame

The frame is the stationary part of the machine.

It consists of the Y rails, plus all the components that support them. In the original Shapeoko, and the first version of eShapeoko, the two Y rails were held together by two end plates as wide as the machine -- very simple to build. The disadvantages were less convenient access to the bed, and difficulty in enlarging the machine in the X direction.

Many mods of the original Shapeoko, the later versions of the eShapeoko, and the Shapeoko 2, use four narrow vertical plates instead, joined together in twos with aluminium extrusion. These open end plates make the machine easier to use and more versatile. They improve access to the bed and they allow the material to overhang the front and rear of the machine, opening the possibility of machining stock of arbitrary length (in stages, with some form of indexing).

With larger machines, it became apparent that the Y rails needed to be supported in the middle, not only at the ends, both against vertical sag, and against horizontal deflection. The larger eShapeoko machines come with mid-span supports. They need to be attached rigidly to the underlying surface, or they are not able to prevent lateral movement of the Y rails. This is made easier by the deluxe frame, which adds longitudinal members to make a complete rectangle. The end plates and mid-span supports attach to this rectangle.

Deluxe Frame

You need the remaining parts in Pack 7, all the parts from Pack 8, all four pieces of extrusion, all four end plates, and the two or four mid-span supports.

The base of the deluxe frame (500 mm × 750 mm machine shown, with one pair of mid-span Y rail supports)

Deluxe frame assembly (500 mm × 750 mm machine shown, with one pair of mid-span Y rail supports)

Item	Part Number	Part Description	Count
			X length (mm)				Y length (mm)
			375	500	750	1000	750	1000	1500
1	EB-435M	435 mm 20×40 T-slot extrusion (with holes)	2
	EB-560M	560 mm 20×40 T-slot extrusion (with holes)		2
	EB-810M	810 mm 20×40 T-slot extrusion (with holes)			2
	EB-1060M	1060 mm 20×40 T-slot extrusion (with holes)				2
2	EB-670	670 mm 20×40 T-slot extrusion					2
	EB-920	920 mm 20×40 T-slot extrusion						2
	EB-1420	1420 mm 20×40 T-slot extrusion							2
3	N5TI	M5 T-slot insertion nut					16		24
4	S5ST	Self-tapping screw/blind joint, M4.5	8
5	LXP	Open end plate	4
6	LYS	Mid-span Y support					2		4
7	S5-10	M5 10 mm cap screw					16		24
8	S5-14	M5 14 mm cap screw	8
9	W5	M5 washer (form A)					24		32

Identify the pieces of extrusion: the transversal ones are 60 mm longer than your X axis and have holes drilled through them. The longitudinal ones are 80 mm shorter than your Y axis, and don't have holes.

Insert the eight self-tapping blind joint screws into all holes at the ends of the two longitudinal members of the frame. Tighten them all the way in (use a Torx T25 bit in a drill-driver, or the supplied Torx T25 key), then back them out about 3 mm.

For each pair of mid-span Y rail supports, insert two T-slot nuts in the longitudinal extrusion. Put them in the T-slot facing the centre of the machine.

Slide the heads of the self-tapping blind joints into the T-slots of the transversal frame members, until they line up with the drilled holes. Access them with the Torx T25 key through the holes, and tighten them up. Measure the distance between the longitudinal members: it should be 13 mm less than the length of your X axis. Resting the frame on a flat surface, tighten the blind joints firmly.

For each pair of mid-span supports, insert two T-slot nots in the Y MakerSlide, one in each of the two slots facing the centre of the machine.

Using the M5 × 14 mm screws (with one washer each), attach the four end plates to the ends of the Y rail, making sure to orient them as shown (belt slots toward the outside).

Note:

Please examine your end plates. If they are of two different designs, place the two plates with more belt slots each at the front of the machine, and the two plates with fewer slots at the rear.

Using two M5 × 10 mm screws each (with one washer and one T-slot nut each), attach the bottoms of the end plates to the transversal members of the frame. Using four M5 × 10 mm screws each (one washer each), attach the mid-span supports to the inside of the Y MakerSlide and to the longitudinal members of the frame.

Once the frame is assembled, make sure that the Y rails are at the same height in each of the four corners. Tighten all the screws firmly.

Standard Frame

You need the remaining parts in Pack 7, all the parts in Pack 8, plus the four end plates, the two or four mid-span supports (if your machine has them), and the two pieces of 20 mm × 40 mm extrusion. You also need the assembled gantry, with the Y rails inserted in the Y carriages.

Standard frame assembly (500 mm × 500 mm machine shown)

Item	Part Number	Part Description	Count
			X length (mm)				Y length (mm)
			375	500	750	1000	375	500	750	1000	1500
1	LXP	Open end plate	4
2	S5-10	M5 10 mm cap screw					8		12		16
3	W5	M5 washer (form A)					16		20		24
4	S5-14	M5 14 mm cap screw	8
5	N5TI	M5 T-slot insertion nut					8		12		16
6	EB-435	435 mm 20×40 T-slot extrusion	2
	EB-560	560 mm 20×40 T-slot extrusion		2
	EB-810	810 mm 20×40 T-slot extrusion			2
	EB-1060	1060 mm 20×40 T-slot extrusion				2
n/a	LYS	Mid-span Y support					0		2		4

The standard frame has only transversal extrusion pieces, 60 mm longer than your X axis. They connect the end plates in the same way as they do for the deluxe frame.

Before you bolt the Y MakerSlide to the end plates, do not forget to put in two insertion nuts for each mid-span support, if applicable (shorter machines do not have mid-span supports): for each support, one nut in the upper slot and one in the lower one. Please see the diagram for the deluxe frame above, but note that no hardware is supplied for the bottom of the mid-span supports. Ideally, the mid-span supports will be bolted securely to the table (using a stiff bracket or a solid block).

Once the frame is assembled, make sure that the Y rails are at the same height in each of the four corners. Tighten the screws firmly.

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