This is awesome. Thanks for this information. I have not done any manual G code since one college class and I barely remember that! This helps get a sense of what one could do with more customization options provided by the controls, and more IO enabling things like tool changers, and the ideas of aux motors for things like the dust collector. Very cool.
I program quite a bit, so it is intriguing and exciting to see what one could do!
This brings back all of the situational dilemmas I faced when upgrading for my 4th Axis. As detailed above, in the end I settled for simple and available versus ideal. There is a working GRBL fork that supports the 5th axis (XYYZA via GRBL-MEGA-5X), I proved it out on a test mule rather than on my machine (I bought a pack of 5 cheap, NEMA17 motors and a cheap RepRap ‘hat’ for an Arduino 2560 do do this), and decided that being able to complete and use my 4th axis on a modest budget would allow me to do something ‘now’ rather than eternally seek the optimal answer.
This thread has intrigued me, and I will continue to watch this development with a view to a future upgrade to more like the ideal upgrade to my machine. In the meantime, I can and am making rotary axis pieces as desired.
That’s right, given a stock Shapeoko, there will be no substantial difference between parts made with Mach3/4/LinuxCNC/Siemens/Fanuc and GRBL.
On a stock Shapeoko the main differences you’d see would be in the G-code capabilities, with macros and such.
This has been a really interesting thread with explanations that I’m able to digest.
John - I purchased my Shapeoko 3 XL in March of 2019 from Matterhackers. Have you considered going the DIY route in terms of high frequency spindles? I’m happily running a generic 1.5kw water cooled spindle, Huangyang VFD, small aquarium pump, and modified flour/sugar container for the coolant. Just a thought: wouldn’t need a new board, cheaper than the plug-and-play version (albeit not as nice/convenient), and when you do actually decide to upgrade controller boards, you’ll already have had the spindle up and running.
Well said and I feel similarly. I’m interested in what others have done, and this thread has been super interesting and helpful with respect to how I might “chunk” these modifications. Some are dependencies of others, some mechanical dictate new electronics, some electronics dictate new software, some are tradeoffs on $ vs. time/pain or $ vs. feature set…
For now my leaning has been to pause on my original inquiry. 4th axis is not critical and neither is the spindle. As in, it’s not like my work regularly exceeds what the router can do. I decided to pursue some rigidity improvements (adding an 8020 sub-frame), finally swap my stock z-axis with the z-plus I got before winter (machine is on an uninsulated porch so I don’t do much over the MN winter), and I got a Saunders SO4 fixture plate and vice to play with (which will mount to the 8020 sub frame). I think I’ll see improvements in boosting the overall rigidity and having improved workholding/fixturing.
Situational update: my car just got wrecked last week by a stolen car driving wildly onto my street. They creamed my car, then drove 2 houses down, left it running and fled. Insurance is 99% sure it’s totaled and it’s basically the worst time ever to look at used cars. So… I think my path might be to enjoy this improved rigidity and a fresh alignment/tramming (I get better each time). Then I’ll focus on making enough money to buy whatever my next upgrade turns out to be 
It’s been supremely helpful to hear the motivations, considerations, and learnings from those further down the road than me!
Neat, we bought our machines at almost the same time. Hmm, good question. I have zero spindle experience. My gut reaction was avoiding water. Just seemed like more stuff to screw around with. I don’t want to worry about water, cooling, hoses, leaks whatever. Maybe I’m making that out to be more than it is, but air seems simpler.
In any case, point taken that perhaps a DIY air spindle + building/wiring the electronics for it wouldn’t be so bad. I have plenty of arduino/electronics experience so nothing about this scares me, exactly, just a tradeoff in how many hours/days I want to chase some inevitably stupid mistake I make Those moments can both be frustrating as heck, though also exhilarating when one finally solves it.
Thank you, Sonny, for all you accomplished for the GRBL community. It is enormous.
John Champlain
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