Porter and cable router/spindle replacement

[Diysurgeon]

Hi

I have a boxford CNC router model A3HSR. When trying to replace the bottom bearing I destroyed the armature. I contacted boxford but they don't sell the armatures only the whole spindle/router (porter and cable 86920 type 2) for around £600. I can only find the same spindle/router in the USA (around $200) but these are 110v rather than 240 volt. Does anyone know where I can get a replacement porter and cable 240v spindle or something similar? Any advice would be appreciated.

I am a retired DT teacher and taught students how to use a similar machine at school. I use this one at home as a hobby making signs form oak.

Thanks

Mike

[EddyCurrent]

Welcome to the forum Mike,

Something like this ? https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.X181821905 386.TRS0&_nkw=181821905386&_sacat=0

[Diysurgeon]

Hi

Thanks for your reply. I was hoping to find a "like for like" replacement. The original porter cable router is single phase air cooled, 240v. These spindles are 3 phase and water cooled which will take some "fettling", but doable.��

[shoeswith]

Before the water cooled Chinese spindles became popular lots of people used the Kress spindle. It is better made and more accurate than the average router and only a bit more expensive.

https://www.cnc4you.co.uk/Spindle/Kress/Kress-1050-FME-1-Spindle-2-Year-UK-Warranty

It will have a 42mm diameter for the spindle which is smaller than the body of the porter cable router but you can buy the clamp or you could rig up an adaptor.

RoboCutters sell a router called the Rhino router that looks similar to the porter cable specifically for CNC applications.

https://robocutters.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=Router

I think none of them are a match for the Chinese spindles really.

[Diysurgeon]

Hi

Thanks for those links and information. Asfter reading various threads on here I think you are right about the chinese spindles. Looks like the direction I am likely to go. I have an engineers lathe so should be able to knock up a reducing collar to fit my boxford cnc mount.

Thanks

Mike

[Diysurgeon]

Just want to say thanks for the above info. Finished fitting the recommended Chinese spindle and phase inverter. It is water cooled so connected it to the chiller of my laser cutter. The difference is amazing particularly the sound level. SO much quieter.

[Clive S]

Just want to say thanks for the above info. Finished fitting the recommended Chinese spindle and phase inverter. It is water cooled so connected it to the chiller of my laser cutter. The difference is amazing particularly the sound level. SO much quieter.

Make sure you have checked or the parameters in the VFD some come set for two pole and others 4 pole

[Diysurgeon]

Thanks. I have checked and sorted the parameters. I'm fairly ok on that side of things as I have an engineers lathe and wadkin table saw that run off similar VDFs. At some point I will make point pendent control as I have done got he other machines.