[spumco]

I bought a BT30-90 spindle from Skyfire along with their PDB. PDB is a 2-stage matched to the spindle belleville stack. You can see both of them on their web site.

I tried working with the US distributor but he was a total flake - stopped returning my emails. I'm like "Hi, I have many American Dollars for you. Please answer one question, and I'll give them to you." cricket, cricket...

Wound up using the Canadian distributor - very nice guy - but I got hammered in customs and shipping 'cause he had to ship to Canukistan and then to the US. Just email Skyfire. They'll sell directly to you. No issues with delivery or so forth when they forgot to include the PDB mount - they also made me a custom 36T pulley for about $50. If you do buy something from them, make a big shopping list. The spindle is going to go freight and take a while, so you might as well get tool holders and anything else you think is sexy.

An alternative would be same thing from Alibaba or Aliexpress. There are a number of vendors offering BT-30 spindles - some seem crappy, some are using the Skyfire photos, and I believe Skyfire has a store on there as well. There are also air over hydraulic PDB's for very cheap.

This is not an insignificant upgrade. The spindle mounting hole will need to be bored from 80mm to 90mm, and the bolt pattern is different.

In addition, Skyfire has changed the head casting from the original Mikini. Close examination of Skyfire Instagram photos shows the head casting is now taller, has a thick circular boss on the bottom where the spindle mounts, and the top is open. Also there is a wide flange on the top where the 130mm (I'm guessing) servo spindle motor sits. They are using a thick plate on the top of the head casting to box everything in instead of the Mikini arrangement. That plate acts as a mount for the motor and PDB.

Minimum to accomplish using a 90mm Parker servo:

1. 3/4" plate on the bottom to drop the spindle down and reinforce the head casting where the spindle mounts. This will bolt to the casting and the spindle bolts will clamp through it to the casting.
2. Top plate, about 3/8" thick. Raises the PDB and motor so the motor shaft and spindle pulley are about the same height.
3. Motor sub-plate.

I still haven't figured out how to take the head off the column. I think I have to un-do the ball screw and slide it off as there's no access to the flanged rail trucks from the front.

Just to make it clear, I haven't done this upgrade yet. I figure my mill will be down for quite some time and I have a few thigns to make before wheeling it in to the ICU.

First thing to do is see if you can find a spindle that's the same length as the R8. If not, go to the Skyfire instagram page and look at some of the construction photos. Pay close attention to the details of the head - you'll see what I'm talking about.

I have some tentative models of the adapter bits if you're interested.

[SWATH]

I bought a BT30-90 spindle from Skyfire along with their PDB. PDB is a 2-stage matched to the spindle belleville stack. You can see both of them on their web site.

I tried working with the US distributor but he was a total flake - stopped returning my emails. I'm like "Hi, I have many American Dollars for you. Please answer one question, and I'll give them to you." cricket, cricket...

Wound up using the Canadian distributor - very nice guy - but I got hammered in customs and shipping 'cause he had to ship to Canukistan and then to the US. Just email Skyfire. They'll sell directly to you. No issues with delivery or so forth when they forgot to include the PDB mount - they also made me a custom 36T pulley for about $50. If you do buy something from them, make a big shopping list. The spindle is going to go freight and take a while, so you might as well get tool holders and anything else you think is sexy.

An alternative would be same thing from Alibaba or Aliexpress. There are a number of vendors offering BT-30 spindles - some seem crappy, some are using the Skyfire photos, and I believe Skyfire has a store on there as well. There are also air over hydraulic PDB's for very cheap.

This is not an insignificant upgrade. The spindle mounting hole will need to be bored from 80mm to 90mm, and the bolt pattern is different.

In addition, Skyfire has changed the head casting from the original Mikini. Close examination of Skyfire Instagram photos shows the head casting is now taller, has a thick circular boss on the bottom where the spindle mounts, and the top is open. Also there is a wide flange on the top where the 130mm (I'm guessing) servo spindle motor sits. They are using a thick plate on the top of the head casting to box everything in instead of the Mikini arrangement. That plate acts as a mount for the motor and PDB.

Minimum to accomplish using a 90mm Parker servo:

1. 3/4" plate on the bottom to drop the spindle down and reinforce the head casting where the spindle mounts. This will bolt to the casting and the spindle bolts will clamp through it to the casting.
2. Top plate, about 3/8" thick. Raises the PDB and motor so the motor shaft and spindle pulley are about the same height.
3. Motor sub-plate.

I still haven't figured out how to take the head off the column. I think I have to un-do the ball screw and slide it off as there's no access to the flanged rail trucks from the front.

Just to make it clear, I haven't done this upgrade yet. I figure my mill will be down for quite some time and I have a few thigns to make before wheeling it in to the ICU.

First thing to do is see if you can find a spindle that's the same length as the R8. If not, go to the Skyfire instagram page and look at some of the construction photos. Pay close attention to the details of the head - you'll see what I'm talking about.

I have some tentative models of the adapter bits if you're interested.

Thanks a lot man! I figured it wasn't going to be a walk in the park. Would you mind giving me a ball park cost for what you got from Skyfire. As much money as I've constantly poured into this machine I would have been better off selling it and getting something else. I'm on the fence about the spindle but if it needs to be replaced then it just does. The questions is am I gaining anything by going with BT30 over just replacing the R8 cartridge. For what it's worth I have grown to hate R8 and would kill for a shorter tool with pull studs and a PDB. I'm wondering if their 12T ATC could be retrofitted to the Mikini? Probably have to do surgery on the enclosure.

BTW, so far the servo motor upgrade is turning out to be a game changer over the steppers!

[spumco]

The spindle + PDB were basically $1k to my door. $90 of that was shipping from china to canada. Another $90 was shipping to my place from canada. Another $130(ish) was customs/duties on both legs. So I ate $200ish because I couldn't get it from the US distributor or directly from Skyfire.

Again, Marc from the CA distributor was very favorable on the deal - wasn't a 'favor' but he didn't mark everthing up a bunch and gank me on shipping.

Skyfire, SZGH, and one other vendor are offering 2.2KW AC servo spindle motors which can run on 240VAC 1P. All of them want about $1100 for a motor and drive package - the SZGH are now appearing on eBay.

I would honestly consider asking for a quote for a spindle and head + PDB assembly and supply your own motor. Eliminating the fabrication of adapters may be worth your time/money.

Yes, I believe their ATC would bolt on to the column no problem. I think it's $2k and it uses simple interface - not some proprietary modbus programming or connector. It's a basic Geneva drive, but it appears they are in the process of upgrading the tool holder fingers (last instagram post).

Cliff at Threadexpress youtube channel has a good comparison of spindle taper options - BT30, R8, ISO.

The BT30 requires more Z-axis travel than TTS but less than an R8 collet. It also requires less spring pressure - the PDB doesn't need to be quite as stout. If you remove the drive keys you can run without spindle homing/indexing for an ATC and I've got certified internet speculation that the drive keys are only necessary over about 3-4HP spindles.

I think - hope - that with the column stiffening I've mentioned earlier this thing can be a mini-beast. At the very least I need it to be have more reliable tool retention.

[SWATH]

The spindle + PDB were basically $1k to my door. $90 of that was shipping from china to canada. Another $90 was shipping to my place from canada. Another $130(ish) was customs/duties on both legs. So I ate $200ish because I couldn't get it from the US distributor or directly from Skyfire.

Again, Marc from the CA distributor was very favorable on the deal - wasn't a 'favor' but he didn't mark everthing up a bunch and gank me on shipping.

Skyfire, SZGH, and one other vendor are offering 2.2KW AC servo spindle motors which can run on 240VAC 1P. All of them want about $1100 for a motor and drive package - the SZGH are now appearing on eBay.

I would honestly consider asking for a quote for a spindle and head + PDB assembly and supply your own motor. Eliminating the fabrication of adapters may be worth your time/money.

Yes, I believe their ATC would bolt on to the column no problem. I think it's $2k and it uses simple interface - not some proprietary modbus programming or connector. It's a basic Geneva drive, but it appears they are in the process of upgrading the tool holder fingers (last instagram post).

Cliff at Threadexpress youtube channel has a good comparison of spindle taper options - BT30, R8, ISO.

The BT30 requires more Z-axis travel than TTS but less than an R8 collet. It also requires less spring pressure - the PDB doesn't need to be quite as stout. If you remove the drive keys you can run without spindle homing/indexing for an ATC and I've got certified internet speculation that the drive keys are only necessary over about 3-4HP spindles.

I think - hope - that with the column stiffening I've mentioned earlier this thing can be a mini-beast. At the very least I need it to be have more reliable tool retention.

Cool, thanks! $1k doesn't seem too bad but yes I would like to see how much a new head would be and if it would just easily replace the Mikini head. I see they have a US distributor, Tripletree. Perhaps they would be helpful. I did watch the Threadexpress videos. It appears my best option is BT30. There is no way I could run TTS without pullout.

I have a 3hp Automation Direct Dura Pulse VFD running my 80-90lb 2hp Black Max motor. I wonder if the same VFD could run their 2.2kw servo motor for the spindle. I'm leary about any Chinese spindle motor ratings anymore though after the original Mikini debacle. I know mcphil got a spindle servo motor from Skyfire and he said it ended up being even worse than the original Mikini motor. It's hard to believe that is even possible.

I'm cutting Delrin right now and you could literally cook an egg on the spindle.

[spumco]

No, the servo won't run with a VFD - it might turn, but there are only a couple of VFD's on the market advertised as being able to run permanent magnet motors. My Hitachi WJ200 claims to do it, but the best one appears to be the Invertek series. And those are easily as expensive as a dedicated servo amplifier from the motor suppliers.

My advice, for what it's worth, is to replace the bearings in your spindle now - maybe $500 for some decent but not champagne-level AC bearings. Then keep running your machine while you plan out a spindle upgrade. Sounds like your spindle isn't going to last long enough to get parts together for an upgrade.

In addition, you can make an aluminum cooling ring for the spindle nose and run flood coolant through it. I have a 3D model of one I made and used until I needed the clearance back.

Tripletree CNC is the same outfit I tried to contact - thier website is upgraded + new business name, but same address. Maybe they've changed since I tried to engage them.

[spumco]

CI know mcphil got a spindle servo motor from Skyfire

I missed that comment earlier. Was it really a servo, or was it their BLDC that comes on the low-end model?

[SWATH]

I missed that comment earlier. Was it really a servo, or was it their BLDC that comes on the low-end model?

I actually don't know for sure. He just told me he replaced the Mikini spindle motor/drive with the Skyfire and it was worse, so he went the Marathon/VFD route. I made a REX84 conversion card for him to make it seemless with the Mikini front panel.