[Flateric]

I've been want to move to a fairly beefy spindle for my gantry style machine for some time now and everytime I am about to go for it I get the nagging feeling I should wait and look a little longer for perhaps better options.

I use my CNC primarily for milling aluminium. I understand that moving gantry style mills are not optimal for aluminium work. But I have in this now 8th revision of the machine refined it, stiffened and tweaked it to a place that I get the results I am happy with. The machine is all metal in construction, aluminium/steel, sand filled in all cavities and is no longer easy to move around, LOL. It weighs in the area of around 550-600pds.

I have until this point always been using Bosch or larger dewalt routers with an external speed controller for all my projects, acrylic, wood, aluminium. I also run a full flood recirculating coolant system.

The routers are so damn loud I can't take it anymore, I am certain a few more years and I will damage my hearing even though I often wear eye protection.

I have found a Colombo RV90.2 Spindle which is rated at 4HP, 18000 RPM, 380V/300Hz. Collet size is ER25. I can buy this lightly used motor for around $400usd. I do have a VFD, it's a Toshiba G3 Tosvert-130 which was given to me by a friend who had used it himself for a short time.

So, my questions are, is this a good spindle, how loud will it be relative to my router situation. Am I better off with finding a 2.2 china water cooled spindle.

Will this Tosvert be a good match to the Colombo or a china spindle?

I'll try to up a photo of my machine tomorow so you might have a better idea of it's size as well. But for now it's work area is x48"y36"z5"(but I have a new 8" z axis on its way).

It is entirely driven by 1"ballscrews on square block linear rails (thk I believe) 2 rails per axis and 4 blocks (2 per rail) per axis. With nema23 steppers all round and 2 steppers for the yaxis which is also driven by 2 1"ballscrews (1 per side per motor). I am likely moving those to nema 34 soon though just to be on the safer side of axis power and movement.

Thanks for any and all advice of any kind here guys, look forwards to what you have to say.

[BanduraMaker]

I have found a Colombo RV90.2 Spindle which is rated at 4HP, 18000 RPM, 380V/300Hz. Collet size is ER25. I can buy this lightly used motor for around $400usd. I do have a VFD, it's a Toshiba G3 Tosvert-130 which was given to me by a friend who had used it himself for a short time.

That's a fantastic price for that spindle if it's indeed lightly used. Rebuilds are very expensive though. Obviously, you'll need 380v. Can't comment on noise though. I have a Teknomotor spindle with a shaft mounted fan and that's really loud at 18krpm. If it's got an electric fan it should be pretty quiet.

The routers are so damn loud I can't take it anymore, I am certain a few more years and I will damage my hearing even though I often wear eye protection.

You might try some hearing protection - will help your ears more than the eye protection

[Flateric]

Ya, that was a being very tired typo! I meant very often wear ear protection, LOL. Gee I wondered why glasses were not helping my ears much...

Any idea if the VFD I have will run that colombo spindle?

The price is that good hey? Hmmm, he does have 3 of them he wants to get rid of, makes me think.

[Flateric]

Damnit this is one of those times I got burned for hesitating. He essential sold all three of them to someone else for less then the price of 1 moderately price china spindle.

So my search continues.....

[slowlearner]

sorry you blew it. You coulda bout all 3 and sold one of them to pay for all.
Sounds like we have the same luck.lol

[charlieslasher]

sorry you blew it. You coulda bout all 3 and sold one of them to pay for all.
Sounds like we have the same luck.lol

i use 24k rpm alot with aluminium and carbide tooling something to keep in mind