Chinese 300W DC spindle - is the spindle shaft grounded?

**Swarfing** · 17-06-2013

Hank the one in the video as a kit is exactly as the one i bought. I've only run it up at 40v as that is the pwm driver o bought to use for it. Looking at it was a disappointment when it arrived. Powering it up was a different matter. It ran rather smooth with no noticeably run out. i will change some of the parts on the driver so i can run it at a higher voltage when i get round to finishing one of many projects.

**HankMcSpank** · 17-06-2013

Originally Posted by Swarfing

Hank the one in the video as a kit is exactly as the one i bought. I've only run it up at 40v as that is the pwm driver o bought to use for it. Looking at it was a disappointment when it arrived. Powering it up was a different matter. It ran rather smooth with no noticeably run out. i will change some of the parts on the driver so i can run it at a higher voltage when i get round to finishing one of many projects.

Cheers for the feedback.

I'm thinking if the fan is removed, then it ought to run much quieter (& possibly smoother) .....it'll be interesting to see how hot it gets & how fast with the fan removed. (the Zen Toolworks spindle doesn't have a fan on the top)...I typically only use mine for 20 minutes stints max - if it runs too hot with the fan off, then I'll even considering mounting a separate larger low noise DC fan suspended over the spindle somehow or other ...this can spin at far lower RPM vs the spindle's & yet should still keep the spindle cool.

**Swarfing** · 17-06-2013

Hank i think the fans are just air movers rather than cooling if you know what i mean? you could suspend a vacuum unit over the top clearing the mess and cooling at the same time :-)

**HankMcSpank** · 20-06-2013

Well asbo's spindle arrived in the post today...as expected the bracket mount holes didn't align with my machine's Z axis, so an adapter/ bracket was quickly knocked up & it's all mounted now.

First impessions are favourable.

I can confirm that asbo isn't going doolalley.... ie there's no continuity between the chassis/casing & the shaft ....wtf? I'll look at lashing something up as a kludge, because putting a croc clip on the spindle shaft for every tool change is gonna get old very quick!

I've already removed the top fan & spindle is indeed whisper quiet ...like so quiet you have to double take whether the thing is even on! (& I typically only use my spindle for 10 minute sessions & whilst it got warm over 10 mins, it didn't get scorchio).

Changing tools on these things is a ballsache vs my proxxon (which uses a tommy bar to stop the shaft turning)....also, even with the nut loosened, you have to continue loosening a fair bit more just to get the tool to finally release, it feels like you have to be an octopus....need to mull this aspect too!

**Swarfing** · 21-06-2013

Bugger about the continuity Hank, why not just add another bearing to the top to connect off? Got me wondering what the differences are between all these spindle. Might pop mine ope over the weekend and have a look inside.

**HankMcSpank** · 21-06-2013

Originally Posted by Swarfing

Bugger about the continuity Hank, why not just add another bearing to the top to connect off?.

That'd be the best way - but I don't have any bearing & it'd need to be a press (firm) fit - heaven knows where I'd get one of those ...in the meantime, I fashioned a heath robinson arrangement...

....yes that green material is acrylic! - I don't have a strong enough machine to mill aluminium ...and besides, there ain't gonna much stress on this particular part. It was quite an ordeal to get right, there are only two screws at the top of the spindle (they run the whole length down through the spindle, so I had to piggy back that makeshift bracket off those two screw holes, which for the record, on this spindle are 41mm between centres!!)

& which will ultimately hold a spring loaded test probey/pointy thing (which I have in abundance), & look a bit like this....

& hopefully press down on the centre of the spindle shaft! (thereby allowing me to attach ground to the tool tip)