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Bob Eustace
06-10-2011, 12:38 AM
Hi all
In the market for a BT48 but havent got enough power to run a spindle. Could anyone in Australia advise if they are running a Porter Cable router via transformer or are there other work-arounds?

Many thanks - this forum comes across as super helpful!

Bob

erik_f
06-10-2011, 09:37 AM
What kind of power do you guys run down there? 220v 50Hz?

Bob Eustace
06-10-2011, 06:17 PM
Hi Erik

Thanks for responding Erik - much appreciated. We are 50 cycle 240 volt but as we have a pole transformer right outside this can go up to 250 volt. On a domestic property so the maximum we can stretch to is 20 amp 240 volt. Sorry to be wasting peoples time on this but I cant get to anyone technical at Shopbot as I have had a dozen emails with a young (Dianne) and I dont seem to explain to her what I need in language she understands. I'm no doubt getting old and senile! I'm ready to send over the money as I'm totally convinced Shopbot is the way to go but we are now into our 4th week of emails and no further advanced. Would be using it for signage and bird houses (no laughing now our birds in Australia are pretty special!) so we dont really need a lot of horsepower and the unit will be used by guys over 65 so I need the safety features built into the Buddy. The Desktop comes with a smaller spindle that i think would suit our needs perfectly. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. We could get the standard 110 volt BT48 with a Porter Cable as we have a 110 volt 2400 watt step down trannie which we could just plug straight in.

Take care

Bob

Brady Watson
06-10-2011, 07:39 PM
Bob,
You don't have to buy a tool with a spindle/router. You can buy one locally & use the PorterCable mounting bracket. Also, ShopBot should sell a spindle that will run on 50hz. I have a 5HP Colombo spindle, and it only draws 20.6 Full Load Amps @ 230 3phase.

-B

Bob Eustace
06-11-2011, 03:52 AM
Hi Brady

Only have 240 single phase. There dont seem to be any 240 volt routers in Oz of the same construction as Porter Cable. Makita come close with one with a pistol grip BUT no matter how hard I search I cant find the hole size that SB use and its not on the Porter Cable site either. From reading this great forum I have gathered that spindles leave routers for dead and would love to go down that path if possible. By using a local 240 volt router do you think I would lose the safety features of it stopping when finished and for tool changes? Any ideas greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Bob

tlempicke
06-11-2011, 06:58 AM
First off, mate! The spindle is pretty special and well worth the extra money. Operating one from your voltage would present no problem at all! It would be mostly a case of re-programming the VFD. The modern control units will operate off of just about anything. The main reason that SB shows a different unit for the 2KW spindle is that it is de-rated by 50% to operate on single phase.

If you are having problems getting through to Shopbot it probably has to do with the time change. If you call in between 9AM and 11 AM Eastern Standard Daylight Savings time you are almost sure to get someone who can help.

If you are truly ready to buy I would call and talk directly to Ted. Everyone from the top down at SB is helpful and knows their business.

Bob Eustace
06-11-2011, 06:13 PM
Hi Tom

As you can see I have ZERO knowledge of spindles Tom, but have a small CNC with a Bosch palm router running V Carve so sort of know the basics. Had no idea you could reconfigure the electronics but it does make a lot of sense to me and would solve my power problems if its possible to derate. Drilling down through the website I cant find an email to Ted. Could you kindly PM Teds email if you have it as I have asked Dianne twice for a technical contact with no result which is the reason I posted here. She seems to only be a sales lass. Sorry to trouble you all with such mundane problems but its darn hard buying stuff from thousands of miles away and I genuinely appreciate all help. Ready to buy instantly as our dollar is currently 7 cents above yours.

Many thanks

Bob

Gary Campbell
06-11-2011, 07:00 PM
Along with spindles, ShopBot may have a 240V 50/60 Htz PC router for export. Send an email with your questions and they can inform you of all options.

Bob Eustace
06-11-2011, 09:54 PM
Hi Gary

Thanks. Have tried that but Dianne says they haven't. This did strike me as a bit odd. Do you have any contacts in tech support?

Take care

Bob

Gary Campbell
06-11-2011, 10:12 PM
Bob...
I just email support@shopbottools.com , but they are not very far away from Dianne. I may have been mistaken, but I thought they used to sell one for Euro models. Maybe PC stopped making them.

penman
06-11-2011, 10:13 PM
Hi Bob,
I am not that far away, New Zealand. I am not familiar with power, switch it on and it goes or it does not.I ordered a BT32 from Shopbot approx 3 years ago, last of the aluminium table model, with a spindle. I just told them where I was for power and they sorted it out. I have just had a look at the spindle, the tag says SEV HSP Spindle
220 Volt
300Hz
1.7 KW
all run through a Yaskawa V7-4X Controller.

As I said, just told them where I was, what I wanted, and it needed to work here. It arrived and virtually plugged it in and away it went.
It went good, the big part, for me was learning how to use it.
Great machine which I have never regretted buying for a minute, and a great forum with very helpful unselfish members.

Cheers,

Roger.

Bob Eustace
06-12-2011, 04:37 AM
Hi Garry

A million thanks I will resend my enquiries to "support".

Best wishes

Bob

Bob Eustace
06-12-2011, 04:47 AM
Hi Roger

Agree there is no contest that Shopbot is simply the best plus they are not a me too start up company learning from their customers. To me the website says it all!

Is your set up three phase though! Like you I'm not into power hence all my daft questions.

Many thanks

Bob

penman
06-12-2011, 05:08 AM
Hi Bob,

yes single phase power. Never had a problem with the electricity. Can not say the same about my ability though. To be honest, I was pretty thick to start with. I know that I've improved though, but still learning. You are limited by your imagination only.
Take the plunge, you will not regret it.

Cheers,

Roger.

Bob Eustace
06-12-2011, 07:20 AM
Hi Roger

Thanks for the prompt reply as I'm trying to buy whilst one USD is worth AUD 1.07!

Could you kindly take a peek and tell me the size of the circuit breaker you have yours connected too. Do you have it on a plug or is it permanently wired.

A million thanks

Bob

tlempicke
06-12-2011, 07:32 AM
The company was started in the '90's by Ted Hall. He wanted to build a boat and that led to a hobby machine which now has us working on a very serious CNC machine. He can be reached on this forum but I would think you can get him on the phone also.

Keep in mind that the power standard you have is used in far more places in the world than what we use in the USA. Having SB install and set up your spindle will make it truly a "Plug and Play" experience.

Here is another tip if you are setting up a new installation.

But a cheap laptop computer. Use it ONLY for the shopbot. Do not connect to the internet with it unless you are downloading software from Shopbot. i actually don't even do that. I download what I need at home and carry it to the computer at my shop. Windows is written by a bunch of paranoid geeks who have it loaded down with so much unnecessary **** (Like the Registry!) that it will get slower and slower over time and you will get mysterious errors which will ruin material and cause you to pull you hair out. Also if it is not plugged in to the internet virus problems are non existant unless you carry one in on your thumb drive.

I bought an Acer for les than $500 from Sam's and have never had the slightest problem.

penman
06-12-2011, 06:14 PM
Hi Bob,

The machine has a plug on the end of the cable, similar to a three phase plug, but it is single phase. When the machine arrived I had to get a sparky to wire it up. He just ran a cable from the control box, fitted the plug and then hooked up the female end to my power supply and plugged it in. He added another breaker to my existing breakers to run it through, the other breakers say c10 c20 etc, this one says c32. Hope that is some help. I presume it is 32amp.

Cheers,

Roger.

Bob Eustace
06-12-2011, 07:29 PM
Hi Roger
Thanks for that very positive info. Will pester the local sparkie today.

Hi Tom
Thanks for the fascinating background on Ted. I thought it would be something like that. Could be a bit paranoid as ouur first CNC was from the States and I got the feeling the owner was feeling his way and learning as sales were made as getting the thing to communicate was a nightmare.

I got worried with Shopbot when I read on page 11 of the EXCELLENT manual 2.2-3HP spindles 240 volt single phase need a 60amp circuit as house supplies out here are only 60amp. Also my wife runs a big CNC quilter and would kill me if I stuffed up her power!

Many thanks

Bob

Bob Eustace
06-14-2011, 10:51 PM
Many thanks to all who kindly contributed to this thread. Looks like its sorted and we wired over the dosh today. Got through to Frank and have his assurance that the spindle is OK on 240 volt. Couldn't get a staight answer though on the control box so will run a step down auto tansformer as we are rural and the power often hits 249.

Again, many thanks from Austalia!

Bob