Hi,

I'm putting together my first CNC router and am figuring out what I need for the spindle and VFD. My first thought was to go with a 3kW spindle, but after reading (lots) more, it seems that the weight of larger spindles can put stress on the machine. So, I'll want to find the ideal balance of power and mass the CNC has to throw around.

I'll be ideally running this machine 2-8 hours a day 3-5 days a week. I'll be working with a wide range of woods, from poplar to hickory, but mostly in the sub 1200s (Janka scale). I expect that most of my projects/products will require at least some cutout or shaping work ( 1/4 - 1/8" bits ), but there will almost always be a lot of detail work ( ~ 1mm bit @ 0.5-1mm depth ).

Any thoughts or suggestions on what size spindle I should shoot for?


Conan.