Spindle choices

Dclifton2
Vectric Wizard
Posts: 320
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 9:41 pm
Model of CNC Machine: home built shopbot clone. CNC lathe
Location: Port Orange Fl.

Re: Spindle choices

Post by Dclifton2 »

I have 2 HSD spindles both 3HP and I have 2 China spindles. The china spindle work as good as the HSD and at a much lower cost. The only draw back is the 3hp HSD has a 25 collate and the China has a 20 but both will take a 1/2" bit. The one thing against the china spindle is the fan is shaft driven so if you run them slow you will not get the cooling you need. I have also used the super-PID which works well but you still have a very inefficient motor.
Don

User avatar
Wemme
Vectric Wizard
Posts: 510
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 6:31 am
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand

Re: Spindle choices

Post by Wemme »

I am using a porter cable router spindle i got from shopbot.
Appart from being fixed speed and noisy as hell it has served me well with only needing brush and bearing changes every 4 years or so.
Regards
Bart

bolingerbe
Vectric Apprentice
Posts: 60
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 1:38 am
Model of CNC Machine: MechMate

Re: Spindle choices

Post by bolingerbe »

As said in above the Chinese spindles are great and cheep but stay away from the VFD. I had a lot of noise on the one that came with the spindle, and it caused problems with my limit switches. I change to a Hitachi X200 and all my problems went away. I use Mach as the control software the speed control and and everything works great.

jimchi52
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2012 11:56 pm
Model of CNC Machine: rockcliff d

Re: Spindle choices

Post by jimchi52 »

Which is quieter air or water cooled? Like to know before I buy

User avatar
Adrian
Vectric Archimage
Posts: 14544
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 2:19 pm
Model of CNC Machine: ShopBot PRS Alpha 96x48
Location: Surrey, UK

Re: Spindle choices

Post by Adrian »

Presuming you have a reasonably quiet water pump then the water cooled will be quieter than the air cooled but compared to a router they are both incredibly quiet. You can have a normal conversation standing right next to a spindle running at full speed (not cutting) which is more than I can say for any router I've ever used.

ger21
Vectric Wizard
Posts: 1592
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 2:59 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Custom DIY
Location: Lake St Clair, MI, USA
Contact:

Re: Spindle choices

Post by ger21 »

Water cooled is quieter.

There are two types of air cooled spindles.
1) With a shaft driven fan
2) With an electric fan

At higher rpm's, a shaft driven fan is louder than an electric fan.
Gerry - http://www.thecncwoodworker.com

jimchi52
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2012 11:56 pm
Model of CNC Machine: rockcliff d

Re: Spindle choices

Post by jimchi52 »

Any recs on spindle and vfd

User avatar
martin54
Vectric Archimage
Posts: 7339
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2012 2:12 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Gerber 48, Triac PC, Isel fixed gantry
Location: Kirkcaldy, Scotland

Re: Spindle choices

Post by martin54 »

I have never owned an air cooled spindle so this is only from research I did when I was looking, apart from the water cooled spindles being quieter I also read reports where people had problems with air cooled spindles getting to hot when running extremely long jobs. That helped sway me towards water cooled. If you read through some of the other posts people have said that the chinese spindles are OK but stay away from the VFD's. Personally I run a Chinese spindle on a Chinese VFD, don't want to tempt fate but it has been ok for me so maybe I was one of the lucky ones :lol: :lol:

User avatar
Adrian
Vectric Archimage
Posts: 14544
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 2:19 pm
Model of CNC Machine: ShopBot PRS Alpha 96x48
Location: Surrey, UK

Re: Spindle choices

Post by Adrian »

I definitely wouldn't go for an air-cooled one that has a fan on the shaft as the slower they run the slower the fan runs but it doesn't follow that the spindle is generating less heat just because it is running slower. It depends on how loaded it is.

The higher quality spindles such as HSD have separate cooling fans that run independently of the spindle itself.

jimchi52
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2012 11:56 pm
Model of CNC Machine: rockcliff d

Re: Spindle choices

Post by jimchi52 »

What is HSD

User avatar
Adrian
Vectric Archimage
Posts: 14544
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 2:19 pm
Model of CNC Machine: ShopBot PRS Alpha 96x48
Location: Surrey, UK

Re: Spindle choices

Post by Adrian »

HSD is a manufacturer of spindles. They are used on ShopBots and many others.

ger21
Vectric Wizard
Posts: 1592
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 2:59 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Custom DIY
Location: Lake St Clair, MI, USA
Contact:

Re: Spindle choices

Post by ger21 »

Adrian wrote: The higher quality spindles such as HSD have separate cooling fans that run independently of the spindle itself.
HSD and other high end spindle manufacturers makes spindles with shaft driven fans.
http://www.hsdusa.com/viewdoc.asp?co_id=1293

But I agree that if you need to run for long periods of time, at slower speeds, an electric fan is a better choice. But, they tend to be much more expensive.
Gerry - http://www.thecncwoodworker.com

User avatar
Adrian
Vectric Archimage
Posts: 14544
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 2:19 pm
Model of CNC Machine: ShopBot PRS Alpha 96x48
Location: Surrey, UK

Re: Spindle choices

Post by Adrian »

ger21 wrote: HSD and other high end spindle manufacturers makes spindles with shaft driven fans.
http://www.hsdusa.com/viewdoc.asp?co_id=1293

But I agree that if you need to run for long periods of time, at slower speeds, an electric fan is a better choice. But, they tend to be much more expensive.
Are you sure that fan is driven by the spindle? It looks identical to the setup of mine and the black section at the top is the fan. The spindle is enclosed in a rectangular housing with air channels down the the side of the spindle. The separately driven fan (which runs constantly whether the spindle is turning or not) is mounted on top of the housing blowing downwards and the air comes out of channels at the end near the collet.

ger21
Vectric Wizard
Posts: 1592
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 2:59 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Custom DIY
Location: Lake St Clair, MI, USA
Contact:

Re: Spindle choices

Post by ger21 »

I'm pretty sure. While the specs are in italian, that one says forced air, but the others specifically state electric fan.
I believe that the ones where the fan shroud is rounded on top are shaft driven, while the ones that are flat on top use electric fans.
This one has an electric fan. http://www.hsdusa.com/viewdoc.asp?co_id=725
Gerry - http://www.thecncwoodworker.com

dbrook
Vectric Apprentice
Posts: 88
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 3:36 am
Model of CNC Machine: 4x4 DIY Router
Location: Starkville, MS

Re: Spindle choices

Post by dbrook »

My hsd spindle has a 24 volt electric fan that runs on a separate 24 volt supply. I have it wired so that it runs even when the spindle is not running. It is in the top of the spindle in a black housing.

Post Reply