Hi guys! I’m getting ready to pull the trigger on some xcarve parts. I’m wondering, for those of you who upgraded your shapeoko 2, did you find that the xcarve x axis extrusion was much of an improvement over the old two plate shapeoko 2 method?
I like the simplicity of the extrusion and it totally makes sense to simplify part count and assembly for new machines, but is it worth the added cost when I already have my x axis assembled and ready to swap?
YES! I upgraded my Shapeoko 2 because of the new X axis extrusion. That combined with the new Z axis assembly and ACME rod makes the entire machine much more rigid. Plus having the motor mounted below the motor plate and using a belt and pulley really helps with clearance issues I had with the SO2 spindle.
A bit late to this party, but @AllenMassey, did the upgrade come with the circular GT2 belt for the Z axis?
I bought the x axis extrusion and think it’s a worthy upgrade, FWIW.
The z axis plate does not include the closed loop belt. You will need to buy the plate, an 8mm pulley for your threaded shaft as well as a 5mm pulley for nema 17 motors ( 1/4 for nema 23), as well as some m3 panhead screws to hold the bearing in the plate.
Yes the upgrade kit did include the z drive belt as well as the belts needed for X and Y axis.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood your question. I bought parts individually rather than the shapeoko upgrade pack.
