Table Design for twin spindle setup

[Travish]

Greetings Gerald and freinds,

I'm in the planning stages of my MM and I don't want to limit myself to the option of having two spindles. Now from what I have read and the plans note that an offset of 3.9 inches is required for a single spindle setup with dust collector tube on the other side. So to have 2 spindles, would I need to add 3.9 inches to the shortened end of the table so both routers have full travel to the table making it symetrical? I hope this makes sense.

Thanks,

Travis

[Gerald D]

Travis, you would have to add about 8 inches to the shortened end because the second spindle will be about 8 inches from the first.

[Travish]

Thanks Gerald. That makes sense by keeping the 3.9" offset and adding the 8". I understand that in order for the 2nd spindle to reach the other end of the table it has to move an extra 8.0". Ok, so couldn't I also keep the table on centerline and just add 4.0" to the ends of each of the beams/rails giving me my 8.0" of extra travel needed for both spindles to have full travel of the table?

[Gerald D]

Keeping the table top at "standard" length and lengthening the X-rails to be symmetrical to either end is the most logical approach I guess.

[domino11]

If you added a second spindle in place of the dust collector hose, wouldn't the extra travel be needed in the Y direction not X for the second spindle to be able to reach the edge of the spoilboard? Or am I getting confused as to what is being asked?

[bradm]

Heath, I think I made that visualization error myself once, and Gerald drew a quick sketch to straighten out my brain. I've was unable to find that sketch when I just searched for it. I think it was part of some silliness when we were bouncing around the fact that you could conceivably have two gantries with two y-cars each with two spindles each resulting in the need to drive 16 stepper motors (14 axis).

However, the quick answer is that the line between the center of the spindle and the dust collector hose (or between the centers of two spindles) is parallel to the X axis of the table, not the Y.

[domino11]

Thanks Brad,
Your right, I did have it turned around in my mind. Makes sense now that you said it that way.

[Travish]

Ok, Thanks for clearing that up Gerald. That's what I thought but I wanted to make sure that was the case.