1.5kw spindle questions

CNC Machines Shapeoko
1

I have a square 1.5kw air cooled spindle I received from a buddy who works at a large cnc builder in mn shopsabre. I would like to put it on my xxl but would like to know the gantry weight limits first. Will the xxl handle this spindle? Also will I be able to add dust collection still or will I be pushing weight already? Lastly is a 1.5kw spindle really that much more power than the d 611?

I appreciate your answers I know it’s probably been covered but I couldn’t find the answers I was looking for.

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List of options and some discussion links at: https://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/Spindle_Options

The machine is really over-engineered, for the current sizes and until deflection gets excessive should be fine.

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3

DeWalt = 1.25 hp = 932 watts

Your 1.5kw spindle is engineered, designed, and made in China. I would think the 1500 watt rating is closer to 1000 watts (knowing that just about every rating I have measured out of China is OVER rated…usually by a factor of 2)

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If I could justify a 220V run, I’d have a Kress 1050 FME-P — mostly for the sake of:

  • speed as low as ~5,000 RPM
  • narrower body to reduce lever effects
  • ER16 collets

EDIT: Ultimately, I bought a Mafell FM 1000 WS — not so much for the reasons above, but for the quick tool change because I’d been doing a lot of test cuts:

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With tens of thousands of CNC routers out there, it behooves me why DeWaly/Makita, etc, isn’t making a 1/2" 5k to 25k router just for this market…

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Thanks for the reply’s, One more question the z axis is there a upgrade for this like the old Shapeoko or is this axis stout enough? I see springs what purpose do these have and does the belt run it or does it run a lead screw. My xcarve was a direct to screw mount with a lovejoy connector seemed stronger.

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There were lots of different upgrades for the Shapeoko 1/2: https://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/Upgrade_Overview

For the new SO3, the belt drive AIUI, has the following design goals / advantages:

  • faster
  • friendlier to newbies — a crash will skip teeth rather than tear the machine apart, configuration is simpler since the # of steps is the same / consistent across all axes
  • less expensive w/ an increase in commonality of parts which increases economies of scale

The springs are there to support the Z-axis when power is lost and should be adjusted so as to prevent an endmill from dropping to the wasteboard / stock and breaking

@RichCournoyer — you’re over-estimating the economic power of such small numbers of people. The entire boutique woodworking tool industry comprises less money than a single celebrity brings in annually:

(I bought a Bridge City Tool earlier this year, and it’s one of my favourite things ever)

It would certainly be an interesting job to see a spindle design optimized for the needs of our machines — given the proliferation of Makita RT0701 clones, you’d think it would be easy — the problem is the need for the larger collet — that would require a new mold for casting (I don’t think the larger collet and bearing would restrict the airflow so much that cooling would be an issue) — the other consideration then is would the current motor work adequately well / have sufficient torque for a 1/2" endmill controlled by a CNC, and what sort of liability would there be in folks using too-large endmills.

Seems easier to just run 220 or get a step-up transformer (and I just thought to check the price on that, so may have to go that route) — I will note that I am mystified by folks in 220 countries not springing for the Kress.

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