Sorry if this post is a duplicate - I'm new to the threads here and I've searched for my specific issues; a lot of what I am seeing is old threads.

I'm hoping others have had new experiences that might be able to help.

I have the Wolfgang TB-350 spindle with the DC hobby motor, and I'm using it with a K2CNC 14x14" router table.

First off, I was trying to use small stub end mills (8mil) but even with reducing to very low feed rates (0.1 IPS) I was snapping bits. I measured the speed of the spindle and motor with an optical tachometer. With 15V applied to the hobby motor (I doubt it can handle much more), the motor itself turns about 14000 RPM unloaded (No belts attached). With the spindle belts attached, the spindle itself measures 9500 RPM unloaded.

I've never seen this assembly draw 10A (3.5A at most). Of course I never load it down because I am always using small cutters. 150W of cutting power seems highly unlikely - the o-rings would most likely burn up first.

The entire assembly is loud and it always has been. The motor itself without being connected to the spindle sounds like a mixer. I bought a brushless motor in the hopes of quieting things down, but now a new problem has surfaced before I had the chance to install that.

I've got about 90 hours of use on this over the past two years (I've made 12 circuit boards so far), and now I can feel the spindle bearings grinding when I turn the pulley by hand with the motor disconnected. 90 hours at 9500 RPM is all the life I got from this.

Does anyone have any instructions or pictures on how to dismantle and replace the bearings in this thing? Old posts have some people talking about rebuilding, but the pictures are missing. In the meantime, I've been in the search for something else. Richard offered to rebuild this for $70, but my concern is that every 90 hours I will be sending $70 and the spindle off to get rebuilt, and in the near future my needs will be much more than 45 hours per year.

I am in search for a better solution and something that can turn higher than 10k RPM, but I was hoping to hear from anyone who found ways to replace the bearings with maybe better ones and get some longevity over the original design.

So:
1. How do I take this apart?
2. Has anyone else measured their Wolfgang spindle speed?