Quick change end mill options

this is something I should be using now, maybe modified so that you could suspend it from the spindle, maybe with a magnets so you can let go over it and have 2 hands free for wrenches

Yah every once in a while I look around for some type of ATC option that could possibly work, and it seems entry level for this type of feature is still 10x the cost of a Shapeoko.

I’ve been noodling on this tool change thing for a while also. At the risk of sounding like one of those guys, I think I can offer a real solution.

insert obligatory qualification statement

The company that I have been working for for a few years now designs and manufactures quick change tools for robotic applications. Payload ranges are from a few pounds up to a few thousand kg. That said, options are available for not just quickly connecting/disconnecting a thing, but also passing utilities through the connection. Example given: you could swap out an entire water-cooled VFD spindle in less than 5 seconds by hand, including making the coolant and power connections.

I do woodworking and Shapeoko nerddom at an avid hobby level with a bent toward occasionally getting paid for stuff, and even at the rate that I use it I often gripe about the wasted time spent between tools. In my situation, having a second standard DeWilt router setup with the next bit ready and waiting to swap onto the HDZ sounds almost worth whatever the cost would be. I’ve considered diving into development of a quick change application for it, but I haven’t found enough value in it yet.

All that said, I have a few questions:

  1. Is there enough interest within the community to justify pursuing this?
  2. What is having a quick change option worth to the avg Shapeoko user?
  3. Would changing out the entire router be a viable option for most users?
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Not speaking for everyone, but it only takes maybe 30s to change the router bit. Getting that down to less than 10 seems unnecessary.

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What about bein able to automatically change them though?

Significantly increasing the complexity, the cost and potential for messing up IMO is not worth it. As far as I am concerned, the BitSetter made a major improvement in my workflow for probably 1/20th the cost of a rudimentary ATC. All this being said, I remember a tread quite a while ago where someone had designed an ATC for the Shapeoko but never heard of since. Did it work in the long term?

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Cost would be the driving factor, but simplicity and mistakes really are no more than a standard setup. The worst you could do is put the wrong tool on the machine.

Rudimentary would not be an accurate term in this case. The product has a butt-ton of proven hours behind it.

How about having a spring loaded ball in the shank of the bit and a groove in the collet for the ball? Slide the shank into the collet until it “clicks” into place and lock the nut? Would be pretty close, depending on tool wear.
You could start a new fad with that.
You can send royalties to me… 10%
To improve that, you could add a spring loaded collar in the place of the nut. Raise the collar to release the bit, release the collar and insert the new tool to “click” into place and already locked by the spring loaded collar. Maybe add a 3/4 twist to the spring loaded collar just to tighten the tool a bit (see what I did there?) more…
Bit change and zero in about 3 seconds

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How about down to less than 3 seconds?

3 seconds is a lot faster than you will want to be moving, I think.

There’s enough interest from me to consider getting some made, and being a shop owner with more than one machine I can see the benefit. Would the average user want to pay a machine shop for a few hours to make one? maybe not. I’m thinking there must be something like this available already for routers - I was just hoping to find someone here that actually uses a quick change fixture and could tell me it holds up 1/4 end mills and doesn’t have any run out. quick changing out the whole router would be a non starter for me.

thinking about trying this out, has anyone used them?

https://www.musclechuck.com/compatibility/#

There is always a cost benefit analysis to be done. Most of the large commercial machines have the interchangeable bits because it saves time, increases productivity and reduces costs. If you hve a 100K CNC router these things are important. For a hobby machine like the Shapeoko the cost benefit analysis does not seem to be there. If you are in a production environment maybe you should get a bigger machine. There are many who make money with their Shapeoko but the advantages and the costs do not seem to justifiable. That is to say that it cannot be done or will not be done by some enterprising person. But in the price range of the Shapeoko market it does not seem feasible at a low enough cost or without major design changes to $100.00 routers.

I have looked at the Musclechuck before but they do not have any chucks for the DeWalt 611. I went and looked to see if they had updated and they are all for the larger model Dewalts. A quick scan for the Makita was for the larger routers as well. I am a member of routerforums.com and they love the Musclechuck on that forum but they do not seem to have any for the small routers. The idea is a good one for replacing the wrenches with an allen/hex key but alas there does not seem to be the demand for the small routers.

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@gdon_2003 , the Musclechuck is available for the Makita RT0700 It is Type 9 https://www.musclechuck.com/portfolio-view/type-9/

However, I don’t know that you can use it for endmills other than the 1/4in since they do not mention that info the only way I see is to use a reducer. I have 7 different size collets for my Makita. With the Musclechuck, you have to use a hex key to install the router bit instead of a cone wrench. Personally, I’m not sure it actually same much time over the current way of installing bit in my router on my CNC but it is probably easier for a router table. I will save my money for something I find more useful.

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Mafell has an interesting quick change system (thanks @DanSW for linking to their other spindle where I found this one :smiley:)
https://www.timberwolftools.com/mafell-fm-1000-ws-milling-motor

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I’m sure that if someone could create a real quick change system for our trim routers (e.g. : press button, insert endmill release button), enabling several EM sizes, I think he/she could have a very successful business.

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Yes, if you can make it at a price which folks could afford — consider how folks balk at spending $25 for a precision collet — how are you going to make a toolholder which is not markedly more expensive than that?

You need a changing mechanism, and some mechanism for connecting/disconnecting the tools — industry uses these a lot, and they’re well engineered, and a lot of research has gone into them — I’m just not seeing any aspects where one can save significantly.

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Never said it would be cheaper than the regular collets. Not everyone buys an HDZ either, it does not mean that it is for everyone but it could enable affordable ATC. The systems already exist but are probably patented so one would have to engineer around those and still make something that works.

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