Increasing Z-Capacity on the Dominator CNC

Our standard 7.59" Z-axis clearance on the Dominator is a game-changer for most users—but we understand that some projects demand more. Whether you’re sculpting deep reliefs or mounting taller materials, the Dominator's modular design—built on precision 8020 extrusions—offers flexible upgrade paths to meet your needs.

Customer Spotlight: Expanding to 10” Z Capacity

We recently assisted a customer who frequently works with deeper carvings and required 10" of vertical clearance. While the Dominator's spindle has a travel range of 7.59", we were able to reconfigure the machine’s frame to accommodate taller materials—no custom parts or extensive modifications required.

How It's Done

To unlock this extra Z clearance:

1. Remove the center extrusions from the machine’s frame.

2. Shift the rear extrusion back by 40mm to expand the usable front-to-back space.

This simple change modifies the internal tray dimensions to approximately 50.78" wide x 46.4" deep, while opening up room for taller stock below the spindle.

💡 Note: You can push the rear extrusion back even farther for deeper material clearance, but the spindle will still only reach up to the 46.4" depth point from the front of the machine. Beyond that, the toolpath would be physically out of reach.

Stability Considerations

To ensure consistent support and rigidity when making this kind of adjustment, we recommend installing our Rigidity Upgrade Kit. It reinforces the MDF bed and maintains structural integrity—especially when center extrusions are removed.