Laguna Tools Smartshop II Series, Manual

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23
Spoil board preparation.
When you purchase your MDF spoil board, it should be no thinner than 3/4 inch.
Contrary to what you might think, the thicker the MDF, the better the suction that
is created. It is not recommended that your spoil board be thicker than 1 inch.
The MDF that you purchase will not be flat, and the machine will need to cut it to
make it accurate. Accuracy in the order of a few
thousandths of an inch is required, so you will
have to machine the spoil board flat. After your
spoil board has been skimmed many times and is
1/2-inch thick, discard and start a new spoil board.
The spoil board edges are very porous and must
be sealed. We recommend that a hard candle
wax be used, as it contains no water. Never use a
water-based product to seal the edges of the
board, as this will make the board grow and it will
be unsuitable as a spoil board.
Note: Even some glues contain water and can affect the edges of the spoil
board.
Note: Do not confuse flatness with bow. If the board is bowed, the vacuum may
not pull the board down and you will lose vacuum. Never use a bowed board as a
spoil board.
1. Cut your spoil board to the size of the bed of the machine.
2. Place on the vacuum table. Prior to placing the spoil board onto the vacuum
table, ensure that the table is perfectly clean, free from sawdust and dirt. If there
is sawdust or other debris on the table, it will change the height of the spoil
board, and it will not be flat.
It is strongly recommended that you do not wipe or brush the table clean, but use
a hand-held blower or vacuum cleaner.
3. Turn on the vacuum.
4. Fly cut the total surface of the spoil board.
Note: Only remove the minimum to achieve a flat surface over the complete
surface. You will have to skim the surface several times during the life of the spoil
board to clean it up, and you should get into the habit of only skimming the
minimum off the surface.
5. Once one face is flat, remove the vacuum, turn the spoil board over and repeat
the process for the other side. (Remember to ensure that the table and spoil
board are clean.)
Spoil board use.
Each time you set up a new job, you will cut into the spoil board by a few
thousandths of an inch in the areas that the cutter passes through the job. When
doing repeat jobs, always position the job in the same position so that you are not
cutting new groves in the spoil board. This will greatly extend the life of the board
and save time and money. Prior to placing a job on the spoil board, clean with a
hand-held blower or vacuum cleaner. Dirt under the job will reduce the vacuum,
and in extreme cases, the job will move and be a reject, or worse fly off the spoil
Spoil board edge
Edge sealing wax