[biomed_eng]

This is what I have seen for cutting solutions:
Routers sell for up to $500
High Frequency (HF) Spindles start at about $2500.

There seems to be nothing in the $500 to $2500 range.

Is there such a thing as a:
1. "low end" HF Spindle or
2. "high end" router

for about $1000?

[JRoque]

Good question. After several years looking, the answer that comes back to me is always "no". I ended up cutting my own spindle and now drive it with a treadmill motor. While the setup works great, I wish I'd had a better motor... and by "better" I mean faster. Mine spins at 6700 RPM max. A 25K RPM one would be nice. One of these days I might just replace the bearings on my router and use that motor, which goes to 22K RPM, as the drive.

JR

[biomed_eng]

Would this be considered a HF Spindle or a Router?
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-PERSKE-SPIND...QQcmdZViewItem

[ViperTX]

The manual states HF Motor....

[walter]

That sure is HF spindle and a good one actually. German made industrial grade Perske spindle - it can easily handle 2-3 shifts per day. Prices start around $2500 (?)

[ger21]

http://www.ekstromcarlson.com/spindle%20motors.htm

[[email protected]]

Have you considered going with an air driven spindle? MUCH simpler than an electric, so not so much$$, as the "thing" that makes it go, is remote, (air supply), but there IS that expense, if you don't have a compressor, and a fairly serious one, at that. RPM out the wazoo.

[Cartierusm]

What do you recommend? Do you have any links to air driven spindles? Thanks

[wcarrothers1]

ger's link is about the least expencive I've found. Depending on how you mix and match what you need and what you already have (to power it)..

Still you are probably looking at 1300-2k to do something like that from them. Todd K was very responsive to my inquire so would be worth talking to them.

I'm still not sure what I want to do in this area. But I also want to upgrade..

At this point I'm thinking more about the hightech systems collet holders/tool changers as my next thing as after getting my bridgeport with it's collet holders it would be super cool to have holders for my most used bits and have less tool zeroing to do.


b.

[lgalla]

Fimic and HSD has low end HF spindles 2kw to 3kw around 600Euros plus the VFD.Low end spindles are considered "disposable"as labour on repairs is high.That is the reason for the gap in pricing.If time is money,get a HF spindle,otherwise a 500 dollar router.
Larry

[[email protected]]

Sorry for the delayed reply. That darned job just gets in the way of all the important stuff, sometimes. ((-::
I was thinking more along the lines of fabricating one, starting with perhaps a "better" quality die grinder, as the basis/air motor, and going from there. I'm not thinking in terms of a little pencil type grinder. I've worked in shops that have had some VERY serious air grinders. All sorts of pneumatic tools would lend themselves to the project, at least as far as providing the correct RPM and horse power air motor. There might even be something out there that is very close to what you would need, with little modification. Used is always an option. A new set of bearings often times is all that's required to bring a fairly balky used air tool, up to snuff. You have to be somewhat careful, though. Too severely of a worn bearing, especially with a short shafted tool, and the vanes can take a beating in the rotor housing, rendering both the housing, and the vanes junk.

[Lemo]

Going with air will make you spend as much for a good compressor as for a spindle..
Lemo

[Smertrios]

I was looking here at the "zero backlash" ball screws and saw a water cooled high speed spindle that may interest you.
http://www.homeshopcnc.com/HFspindle.html

[mike watson]

Hello folks
I'm an absolute beginner with lots of ideas I want to realise.
I want to cut plywood up to 6mm thick producing sharp edged corners, polycarb and Perspex, 4mm non-ferrous metals and ceramic tiles up to 20mm, again all sharp edged.
I'm focusing on the CNC900 machine but don't know what spindles or spindles and what bits to get.
Noise is a consideration as I'm in a residential area. However I could acoustically treat my garage to suit. I think cutting tiles may create the most noise, (opinions?)
Any advice would be appreciated.

regards

Lepper2

[JRoque]

Hello Mike and welcome to the forum.

This is a very old thread and I believe there are now readily available, low cost HF spindles you can buy on eBay. Search on the forum or see here: cnc spindle | eBay

I don't know about others here but I've had the best results cutting plywood by using Porter Cable endmills. Those things a sharp, last a long time and can easily handle your target material.

Things get complicated when you also want to cut ceramic tiles. I'll let others pitch in on this one since I've never tried it. But I can imagine you will need a constant flow of water while cutting, much like you do when cutting with a rotary tile saw, and/or a special bit will be needed (diamond?). I would think it would be the loudest when cutting.

Regards,
JR