Best spindle to buy

[rtmorehead]

After about 10 years of owning a PRT 48x96 I'm ready to upgrade from a PC router to a spindle motor.
I work primarily in hardwoods cutting 3/4 inch and also 3d carving. at 2 inch per second
Recently I got a job cutting 1000 parts in 3d out of a mdf material. My machine will be running 24 hr per day for awhile. Don't want any problems from motor failing so am looking at a spindle.( I've gone threw 4 or 5 PC )
I am looking for recommendations on which spindle to get and size.
Also where is the best place to purchase

[Bob Eustace]

Talk to Frank at Shopbot. You cant go wrong purchasing direct from Shopbot as most here aggree.

[bleeth]

I wouldn't get anything less than 4-5HP for a full size tool used in a production environment.. Both the HSD and the Columbo sold by SB are good tools. I've been running the Columbo for near ten years now with no issues at all. SB started offering HSD more recently as they are priced lower than Columbo, and although a very good tool, not quite as bulletproof. In addition to changing the mounting plate you will need to change your springs in the z as well due to the weight difference.

[cowboy1296]

Let me pick yalls brains. My work is primarily part time and a little more than a hobby. Like RTMorehead i do primarily 3-d. I do change the brushes on my router quite often, but other than that its holding up fine. This carving is nearly 30 inches long. My feed rate on my 1/8 ball nose is 2.6 inch per second, 2.4 on the plunge and a 8 % step over. Now if i went with a spindle what could i expect? Will the quality be better, can i push the bits faster, etc?

[rtmorehead]

Thanks for the great replies. what do you mean by HDS not as "bulletproof"
In the 10 years of using the columbo have you had to replace bearings or anything?

[Ajcoholic]

Thanks for the great replies. what do you mean by HDS not as "bulletproof"
In the 10 years of using the columbo have you had to replace bearings or anything?

Although this is my first CNC router, I have had nothing but very good experience with my 4 HP HSD spindle. It is now on the 2nd month of the 4th year in service (took delivery in Feb 2012).

I know there are tons of HSD spindles in all sorts of woodworking machines, not just CNC. The only "issue" I have read about is that the Columbo is worthwhile in the smaller sizes like what we use, to rebuild if necessary while the HSD is not.

I would certainly not hesitate to purchase the same one I have now. I can hog off some pretty aggressive cuts on hard woods, with a 5/8" spiral end or ball end mill.

[Burkhardt]

....... My feed rate on my 1/8 ball nose is 2.6 inch per second, 2.4 on the plunge and a 8 % step over. Now if i went with a spindle what could i expect? Will the quality be better, can i push the bits faster?...........

At that bit size and feed rate you are probably not using more than 100 or 200 watts to spin the bit. Whether router or spindle won't make much of a difference here, maybe except the spindles have usually better runout. I personally prefer the spindle mainly for noise reasons and speed control. The difference comes mostly when doing high-speed, deep cuts with a bigger bit where you need a few hp of power to shred the wood.

I guess for a professional outfit there is a clear choice of the high end spindles like Columbo. For a hobbyist like myself who runs the machine maybe an hour a day, the low cost Chinese spindles can do a fine job. I have my 2.2kW spindle for 4 years on a Hitachi VFD and no problems. It only bogs down when I do deep surfacing with a 1.5" bit. These spindles are cheaper to replace whole ($200-300) than the bearings. I don't even bother to warm it up. Turn on and start cutting.

[barrowj]

Mr Burkhardt,

Can you be more specific on your spindle (make/model) so I can research, my used machine came with a 3hp Colombo but as a hobbyist also, I would not want to spend the money to replace it if I can buy something similar from china that will work.

Joe

[rtmorehead]

I would certainly not hesitate to purchase the same one I have now. I can hog off some pretty aggressive cuts on hard woods, with a 5/8" spiral end or ball end mill.[/QUOTE]

At what depth per pass and speed ?

[Burkhardt]

....Can you be more specific on your spindle (make/model) so I can research...

You can find on eBay probably half a dozen companies shipping from China, basically selling the same design, e.g. an 80mm diameter cylindrical spindle with Er20 collet and 2.2kW. I never had trouble with it but from other people's postings it can be a hit and miss. The spindles are extremely simple devices and as long as the bearings are assembled and lubed properly they should last a long time.

If you want a local supplier you can buy from UGRA-CNC. These are still Chinese spindles but they are tested and you have local support and warranty.

The air-cooled spindles are somewhat more costly than the liquid cooled ones. That said, I have installed my "water-cooled" spindle in the dust extractor air stream without any liquid and that outside high volume air flow provides more than sufficient cooling even on hot days under heavy load.