Carvera Air Upgrades 2026
Two upgrades to the Carvera Air in 2026, both by Erik Cederberg: custom vacuum adapters (February) and an aluminium fixture table (September). Operating instructions are on the main page.
Aluminium fixture table (Sept 2026)
An 18 mm machined aluminium plate replaced the original MDF bed. Result: many more clamping positions, easier setup and better rigidity. Announcement
Before | After | |
|---|---|---|
Bed | 16 mm MDF | 18 mm aluminium |
Fixture holes | Sparse M5 | ~300 M6 (two 20 mm grids offset 10 mm) |
Spoilboard | 2 mm | 5 mm MDF |
Total thickness | 18 mm | 23 mm (18 mm without spoilboard) |
Clamps | Makera M5 | 8 × Genmitsu mini vise / toe clamps, M6 |
Makera accessories | M5 holes + 4 mm dowels | Kept; longer dowels for the thicker stack |
The 4 mm dowel sockets are on the lower table and pass through the new plate, so positions are unchanged.
Removing the spoilboard for rotary work gives 18 mm — the same as the original stack.
Before | After |
|---|---|
Original MDF bed | New aluminium fixture table |
CAD and spoilboard files
No CAD came with the table, so it was reconstructed in Fusion (reconstruction, not guaranteed exact). The spoilboard was exported for the laser: black = cut, red = engrave (countersinks, anchors, rotary position). Countersink the fastening holes at 90° after cutting. LightBurn settings are estimates.
Fusion model of the table and spoilboard
Spoilboard cut/engrave layout
CarveraAir-Alu-Bed.f3z — Fusion assembly
CarveraAir-Spoilboard.dxf — ~306 × 222 mm
CarveraAir-Spoilboard.lbrn2 — LightBurn project
Planned
A thin Mylar sheet under the aluminium bed to keep metal chips off the tool-probe PCB (material and DXF available). Proposal
Bosch vacuum adapters (Feb 2026)
A dedicated Bosch EasyVac 3 with 3D-printed quick couplings, designed from 3D scans of the Bosch hose ends. Installation · Design write-up
Machine side: magnetic adapter — easy to detach.
Vacuum side: 180° return bend routes the hose back around the machine, keeping the dust bin accessible from the front.
The vacuum is still switched on by hand (software control was proposed).
No downloadable CAD/STL for the adapters.
Bosch vacuum connected with the printed return-bend adapter
Scan → model | Machine-side adapter | 180° coupler |
|---|---|---|
Scan and reconstructed connector | Machine-side adapter CAD | 180° coupler CAD |
Fitted | Detached |
|---|---|
Adapter fitted to the machine | Magnetic adapter detached |