Carbide 3D VFD Spindle Kit

Technically yes it would be compatible.

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Hello!
Can this spindle have slow rotation speed, to allow us to drill without burning? :slight_smile:

Again, @Luke can correct me if I’m wrong but I believe we set the lower limit at 8k RPM. Generally speaking, on a high-RPM spindle, it’s probably better to pocket/bore a hole.

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Depending on your hole size, you may be able to use a carbide drill. They are better designed for higher RPM.

Super excited for this - I may have a dust collector, but the noise reduction alone is worth the cost IMO. I had just started asking and researching a VFD, so this is super welcome news. I do have two questions about this:

  1. Is the ability (ie. heavy-dutiness) of this spindle similar to a water-cooled spindle? I’m still learning about all the lingo and cool tools, but what I really need is a more high-powered spindle than the standard router. I’m assuming it is, but I thought I’d ask. I like to carve out thick (2" thick) pieces of wood and it’s a long, heavy duty cut.
  2. Will the spindle be able to integrate with Carbide Create and Motion so that we can (maybe) use a higher feed rate/faster rpm for certain cuts? Again I’m pretty new to this world, and I’m trying to figure out what I can realistically do with this vs the standard router.

Oh, one last question. I was thinking about getting a water-cooled spindle but I resisted because of the standard voiding of the warranty. Would this add on void the warranty on the Shapeoko Pro?

Compared to a standard router like the Makita, the spindle specs out as 50% more powerful (1200W vs about 780W).

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Thank you! That’s what I thought too, but I really don’t have an engineer’s brain.

One other thing, will this be compatible with the bitrunner?

The Carbide 3D spindle kit should not need a BitRunner — instead, it plugs in as the BitRunner does and allows the controller to not just turn the spindle on/off, but to also control the speed.

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Fascinating! I already have the bitrunner so can I just use that as a paperweight if I get the spindle?

If you use a Shop-vac for dust collection, you could use the bit-runner to control that.

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I’m pretty sure you just blew my mind. So simple, but so brilliant! I’ll try it out, see if I can get it to work once I can get my hands on a VFD.

Slight correction: the spindle and the BitRunner use the same connection on the control board. So both can’t be used at the same time. However, you can likely sell the BitRunner.

Also, the spindle speed can be controlled, but just off/on. So if you want different cuts done at different RPM in the same file, you can without having to adjust a dial. You just set the RPM in the program.

Spindle should be better at longer cuts. They are designed specifically for the task. :slight_smile:

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Yup, as most people know I love a water cooled spindle - I spent a bunch of time running both during testing and for most people the main benefit of the WC is it’s quieter, although not by much when actually cutting material. For many people it doesn’t warrant the additional effort to setup good cooling and all the lines. You can also run water cooled spindles for a little longer *although this is directly impacted by your coolant and shop setup. With poor water cooling they can actually get warmer than air cooled. Air cooled can still be ran for hours at a time.

This is fully integrated to carbide motion and computer control.

You will see a good increase on power with this spindle over a trim router. Whilst this is 1.2kw we found when testing that many 1.5kw 65mm spindles do not actually have 1.5kw worth of power

The end result is a simple to setup - spindle kit with a US warranty which can take larger/faster cuts.

By all means you could likely swap the spindle for another, although I’d not rush to do this and we obviously can’t guarantee the replacement spindle would work with this setup *although assuming <1.5kw and same voltage it should work.

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Super happy to see a spindle available directly from you guys. Knowing the excellent customer service I’ve had since my initial SO3 purchase.

Ive been bouncing back and forth on purchasing a spindle (more so as i listen to my second Dewalt start to get a bad bearing) and this feels like the perfect solution for me.

I did come to the realization after a short chat with @SLCJedi on Facebook that I needed to upgrade my board to have the necessary plug (already ordered along with 65mm mount for my HDZ) to run the spindle. Might want to put a small mention on the product page about that so nobody gets caught holding a new spindle kit that can’t plug up.

I’ll be over here with my finger twitching over the order button.:upside_down_face:

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I’m assuming I will still be able to use an Automatic Vacuum Switch like this to control the vacuum

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085NH2LC9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I do not think so. That relies on the spindle being power directly from a plug when it runs, when it gets the power from the VFD. So that device would torn the vac on amen you got the power switch for the machine. At home and work, I just use a remote switch.

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Challenge accepted :sunglasses:

Sound comparison (NOTE: Video is unlisted and intended for release on Monday, therefore statements about present availability are not accurate):

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Awesome video! Exactly what I was hoping for. That’s a great improvement and I think my neighbors will appreciate the upgrade :slightly_smiling_face:

Thanks for all the all hard work everyone!

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This 65mm spindle is compatible with Sweepy 65 for dust collection.

This is the same as SweepyV2 that ships with the SO4/SOPro?

Yes, SO 4/Pro come with Sweepy 65

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