PRT 4g cutting speeds

[phil_o]

I recently upgraded the control board to the 4g board. I have a 2.2 HP HSD spindle. I haven't tried to push the limits with the upgrade. What are reasonable cutting speeds? I'm sure the speeds will vary depending on the type of cut. Most of the cutting I do is V-carving.

[srwtlc]

Phil,

I don't have the G4 board, but I would think that your v-carving speeds would remain close to the same (design dependent), just that you will have much better resolution.

I'd be very interested in your thoughts/opinions on your HSD 2.2hp spindle. I have cut mostly hardwoods and some ply/mdf and other various materials over the last six years with just the 3.25hp PC. I'm considering stepping up to a spindle and I'd like to know if the 2.2 is up to the task. I'd especially like the savings! ;-)

Thanks

[Brady Watson]

Phil,
Scott is correct in the fact that v-carving speeds will not increase much, but the resolution will go up. I typically v-carve @ 1.5,.7 with good results. The smaller the letter the slower I go.

Your profile cuts can reliably cut between 6-8 IPS depending on the stepdown and chipload. The more cutting force you require, the more you have to throttle back the speed to reduce lost steps.

-B

[phil_o]

Scott,
I teach high school woodworking and our school shop has had a PRT for three and a half years. It has a Makita variable speed router. The router has performed very well. Last summer when Shopbot had the discounted benchtop available I decided the time was right to buy my own. I had plans to buy one when I retire. The main reason I opted for a spindle was noise. The spindle is much quieter than a router and I know it will last much longer than a router. The spindle has performed very well but I haven't really pushed it very hard.
Brady - thanks for the info.