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  1. #1
    So I'm new to cnc and have got a kit machine.

    The spindle it comes with is a hi torque spindle, however it only has a 1/8" (~3mm) shank.

    I'm thinking of getting a router on amazon and dissecting it and mounting it on the machine to give me up to 1/2" collet size. I'd only really need 1/4" (~6mm) as most decent milling bits come in that size.

    my issue at the minute is not making the mounts (I can machine them with the curet spindle) but ensuring the new spindle is straight in the mounts so it cuts straight down and leaves straight edges on pockets etc.

    Any tips on how to do this?

    And actually how to get the profile of the new spindle for the mount (cut from wood by hand first maybe?)

  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by Cncparts View Post
    So I'm new to cnc and have got a kit machine.

    The spindle it comes with is a hi torque spindle, however it only has a 1/8" (~3mm) shank.

    I'm thinking of getting a router on amazon and dissecting it and mounting it on the machine to give me up to 1/2" collet size. I'd only really need 1/4" (~6mm) as most decent milling bits come in that size.

    my issue at the minute is not making the mounts (I can machine them with the curet spindle) but ensuring the new spindle is straight in the mounts so it cuts straight down and leaves straight edges on pockets etc.

    Any tips on how to do this?

    And actually how to get the profile of the new spindle for the mount (cut from wood by hand first maybe?)
    You need some slight adustment in the brackets but I would make them as good as you can then mount it all on the machine and with the longest piece of 6mm silver steel in the collet check for square from the bed in X and Y axes using a good quality set/try square. This will show you where the brackets needs fine adjustment with a file or similar.

    Something like this will give you the profile or just nibbling away at a piece of cardboard until it fits would also work.
    Toolstation > Painting & Decorating > Tiling Tools > QEP Profile Gauge
    Last edited by EddyCurrent; 02-12-2013 at 06:05 PM.

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  4. #3
    Ah yes I forgot about those profile gauges, very handy things, been meaning to get one!

    Would be nice if there was an easy way to get it to an electronic vector...!!

    Thanks for the help

  5. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Cncparts View Post
    Ah yes I forgot about those profile gauges, very handy things, been meaning to get one!

    Would be nice if there was an easy way to get it to an electronic vector...!!

    Thanks for the help

    This is how I do it.

    Get a photocopy or photo of the profile, fire up Sketchup and import it as a picture, use the scale tool to resize it to the exact size you require, on a new layer use bezier curves to draw around the outline of the picture, print result at 1:1 scale.

  6. The Following User Says Thank You to EddyCurrent For This Useful Post:


  7. #5
    What your wanting to do is called tramming the spindle and using a Set square with Steel in Collet is not good enough and won't be accurate.

    Easy way is to get a Piece of round steel bent 90deg that fits in the spindle, make sure it's stiff and ridged so doesn't flex. Make it has wide has your Bed then mount a dial gauge on the end. Then sweep around 180 deg and see how much it changes, if your spindle is trammed correctly it should hardly move in each Axis direction.

    The wider the sweep the more accurate it will be.

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  9. #6
    Ye thought about scanning the gauge, might be the easiest option.

    So Jazz what your saying is put the spindle in the middle of the bed, insert a piece of steel, say a 6mm rod as that will probably be the max shank size. Have this steel rod go down to the bed and bend 90deg and run parallel to the bed, touching it. If its square then the rod should stay flush to the bed along its length, and while I spin it around the bed 360deg..?

  10. #7
    Yes obviously the longer the piece the more accurate, it depends on your requirement and depth of cut you envisage. For my requirement the first method would work but I suppose it might as well be as accurate as it can be so use method 2.

  11. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Cncparts View Post
    So Jazz what your saying is put the spindle in the middle of the bed, insert a piece of steel, say a 6mm rod as that will probably be the max shank size. Have this steel rod go down to the bed and bend 90deg and run parallel to the bed, touching it. If its square then the rod should stay flush to the bed along its length, and while I spin it around the bed 360deg..?
    Yes and No to do this correctly you need a dial gauge on the end, just touching the bed is not accurate enough. The process would go something like this.
    Position gauge at say 12oclock and Zero it then rotate to 6oclock. what ever the differance is how much your out of tram in that direction, now adjust the spindle half gauge reads half the amount.
    Then repeat at 3oclock to 9oclock and now your spindle is trammed, it may take a few goes but each time the amount will be less.


    Quote Originally Posted by EddyCurrent View Post
    Yes obviously the longer the piece the more accurate, it depends on your requirement and depth of cut you envisage.
    Eddy Spindle being trammed correctly has nothing to do with Depth of cut.!! . . . If it's just tiny amount out it will show when surfacing and on flat surfaces like the bottom of pockets etc. Depending on which direction the tram is out you'll have tiny steps in one direction or the other.

    The material your using will play big part to how accurate you want to tram. Wood for instance doesn't need so much accuracy but aluminium,brass and even hard plastics will easily show an out of tram spindle on any flat surface.

    Then you have the fact edge angles will never be 90Deg so the longer the Z axis extension and tool Dia/length the more obvious it will be.
    Last edited by JAZZCNC; 02-12-2013 at 08:29 PM.

  12. #9
    A router will not be as good as a spindle - much noisier, less accurate and more prone to wear. Far better to get another spindle with a greater capacity. If you machine is quite small, don,t be too put off by the 1/8th collet. I have a spindle and have been using 1/8" down to 0.5mm cutters for years, and I always say "I can make anything" (except money). G.

  13. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by GEOFFREY View Post
    A router will not be as good as a spindle - much noisier, less accurate and more prone to wear. Far better to get another spindle with a greater capacity. If you machine is quite small, don,t be too put off by the 1/8th collet. I have a spindle and have been using 1/8" down to 0.5mm cutters for years, and I always say "I can make anything" (except money). G.
    Exactly, my bed is only 600 x 1000 mm but I'm using a 2.2kw Elte spindle with a ER25 collet, I plan to use cutters from 1mm to 12mm mostly

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