I see you have made a 3dp spindle clamp. Is this made from ABS fillament? If not then do keep in mind when you run the spindle for long periods of time the heat it generates could affect the tightness of the mount blots thereby introducing inaccuracy in the cutting..
Is actually PLA but I'm aware of it, it was mostly a test to check part fit and assembly. I have a new idea to design, where the part will be simplified, the spindle will sit flush against the metal slider table. That will bring back the spindle close to the axis and will help to dissipate heat. (I'll loose on Z travel as the spindle fan hits the top but is a minor issue for now)
So, I might have ordered a new spindle today… I do like my Makita, but it’s sooooo loud it’s damaging my hearing. And I miss ER11 collets, they have a lot less runout than the Makita system. Every attempt to mill a PCB with fine pitch traces, has failed due to the runout. So what did I buy? A 65mm, air cooled, 1.5kW VFD controlled spindle. I can’t find anyone with a bad thing to say about the G-Penny spindles, and the value for money seems excellent at $350 aud landed, with the VFD. This version doesn’t have ceramic bearings like the 2.2kW versions, but I have no desire to mill steel, just aluminum, CF etc.
There is no question, it runs almost silent all beit the cooling fan does cause some noise and the wattage will be more then powerful for most non-professional cnc use. Looking forward to seeing it perform your machine. Take care!
That’s pretty much what most folk seem to be saying. I think the Makita being a brushed motor is a large part of why it’s so loud.
I run the G-Penny 65mm, water cooled, 1.5kW VFD controlled spindle on one of my CNCs The only think I dont like is that is uses a smaller connector than the Zhong Hua Jiang on my Lead 1010 - the Jiang spindle uses the same plug as the "HY HUANYANG" spindles so If my connector breaks, it will be more difficult to replace Also the G-penny came with the connector but not a pre-made cable so had to solder myself.
It appears to be a fairly common H17 4-pin aviation style plug, a larger one would have been better, but Im not fussed about soldering the wires on myself. Great to hear you are happy with yours.
Probably, my Makita 700c is 710 watt, and it cuts aluminium and carbon fibre without issues. Personally, I'd recommend the more powerful motor as the price difference is not much, and more power means it doesn't have to work as hard so should live longer.
I am curious to find out if by having two separate aluminium profile base plates and spoilboards joined together. Did you see and issues with the flatness (split between the two plates) after plaining the surface?
Surprisingly no, but I do plan to make a single piece aluminum bed at some point. I think that the black stuff tying the two halves together is pretty stiff. Upgraded 3018 Pro using MGN15H Linear Rails and a 500w Spindle As an example, I finished my carbon fibre bed carriage last week, and the 0.3mm deep mounts are perfect in each corner.
The finishing of the carbon fibre bed plate is very impressive. The 3040 mods you have added has transformed the 3018 into quite a capable desktop CNC machine.. When you machine the single piece aluminium bed plate, would love to see the video. Forgot to ask about the material the (black stuff) plates are made of?
Cheers, I’m really happy with the results, my 3D Printer has never looked so cool! i did video making it, but I’m not sure it turned out that well. I’ll edit it and see if it can be polished up. I didn’t use my skirt equipped dust extraction thing, as I wanted to film it. Turned out that the cuts just filled up with carbon fibre dust without it on. Iirc the black stuff is Bakelite - having modified most of the parts, it’s very durable and strong.
i found using titanium coated, solid carbide burr bits gets amazing results on carbon fibre. To bore the holes accurately, I used 250mm/m, but for the contour options, I was able to run up to 1,000mm/m without any trouble. I ran my spindle at 25k rpm.
Should really be doing it under water! CF dust is totally gonna kill your lungs: An evaluation of the toxicity of carbon fiber composites for lung cells in vitro and in vivo - PubMed Milling carbon fiber produces fine dust particles that can be harmful when inhaled. Here are some potential health issues associated with exposure to carbon fiber dust Lung Fibrosis: Prolonged exposure to fine particulate matter can lead to lung scarring (pulmonary fibrosis), which can reduce lung function and cause difficulty breathing. Could Carbon Fiber Be The New Asbestos? On Carbon Fiber Types And Their Carcinogenic Risks Also see TACIT RONIN CNC - Flood Coolant Enabled C-Beam - lots of extra info - this guy is our goto for submerged CF milling tips
Don’t get me wrong, I still had dust extraction on for the fine particles. I just didn’t use the below shirt equipped version. The one I used is identical, but doesn’t have the flexible skirt to improve debris and dust collection. https://youtube.com/shorts/G8GldkfU9Go?si=H3pwSACigN6tR6ki edit: this is the dust shoe I used.
i have a dust separator followed by a hepa filter equipped vacuum cleaner (I also use the disposable paper bags in it).
I am looking at a used custom built fixed gantry cnc router for upgrading. It uses v-slot profiles and has 2 x 500mm SFU1605 ballscrews and has a workarea of about (y) 365mm (x) 290mm. My plan is to change the 500mm ball screw on the y-axis with a 650mm that I have lying around. I was trying to calculate the size increase but I think there is more to it then just deducting the additional useable threadsize of a longer ball screw, which is 42mm less then the actual lenght. Am I right to think one has to also take into consideration other factors such as the mounting position of the fixed x-axis gantry? If anyone who has experience of designing XY fixed gantry cnc machine, would appreciate some help on the above as to how much (y) travel increase a 650mm ball screw provide compared to 365mm for a 500mm.
I’m yet to design my X/Y ball screw upgrade, but I think the best idea is to model it in cad. Then you can move the bed assembly around to work out the actual work area.
Wow, that was fast! Good old FedEx got it from China to my house while my wife and daughter were away! And my [removed] order of cabling arrived too!
Thanks for the reply. Still a novice when it comes to CAD but will try and watch a few YT videos and create a model and report back my findings.. Just wanted to chime in about your new shiny spindle. Looking forward to seeing it in action soon.
You could try mocking it up in the low tech CAD, cardboard aided design? That method can be very effective. cheers, I need to redesign my electronics cabinet now so I can integrate it properly, good thing I’ve got Friday off.
