[steelcogs]

Typed this out twice now only to have hit a button/chrome bookmark and autosave not work...let's try again.

I have a Weiss VM25L I bought already converted to CNC. It's basically another G0704 varient but the spindle motor setup is different than most of the G0704 varients. The spindle isn't automated due to compatibility issues between the CNC controller and the brushless motor speed controller. It's 1100w and maxes out at 2250 spindle RPM (probably closer to 2100 in reality). I mainly cut aluminum so having 2-3x that RPM would really be helpful since I can tell RPM is my current limiting factor for feedrates. I do know that I need to upgrade my spindle's bearings so they don't overheat, but that's at the back of my mind for now.

Here is a link to the manual for this mill for a visual aid. Correct me if I am wrong, but if I double the size and tooth count of the motor's HTD pulley, that would roughly double my spindle RPM? Looking at the spindle it appears its pulley is fixed to the spindle itself, so the size of that isn't changing. My only concern is removing the current pulley to get the size. It appears that the only way to remove it is to completely remove the head from the vertical slider. I would be able to get it off by loosening the pulley set screw and sliding it off but the only decent size hole in the head's casting appears to be on the back, so there's no way I could get it back on afterwords to machine the new pulley. Typing this out makes me realize I'm kind of just being lazy but I'd end up having to remove and re tram the head 3 separate times (first time to get the current pulley size, second time to put the new pulley on, third to do spindle bearings) and it seems like it might be a challenge with the 3 holding bolts and rotating bolt setup. Never taken it off before so I don't know for sure, maybe it's easy.

I was also thinking of (while I was at it) doing away with the motor mount that's on the machine now and machining an adjustable one so that I can remove the motor in the future without taking the head off the slider and also so if I wanted to upgrade motors in the future to make up for lost torque from this mod, and that I could easily CNC control I could essentially just machine a new top plate with the new motor's mounting hole pattern and be good to go.

It's unfortunate there doesn't seem to be many people out there with a Weiss mill CNC conversion so I can only use G0704 content for so much of my own machine's use.

Any input on my thoughts is appreciated!

[TheHebs]

I hate to dig up an old thread with an unrelated reply, butwould it be possible to reach out and bug you with a few questions? I just bought a vm25l on facebook marketplace and am looking to cnc it soon.

[kawazuki]

Can't respond to the gearing question but it occurs to me that the spindle gear must 'come off' somehow to allow bearing fitting / replacement!