Shapeoko 5 Pro 4x4 with water cooled spindle

CNC Machines Shapeoko Pro
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Newbie here who is ready to jump in on a Pro 5 4x4 but have a few questions I haven’t been able to find answers to yet. Thanks in advance for any input.

Wondering if anyone has ever wanted or felt they needed a water cooled spindle on the Pro 5 4x4? In some of the Youtube Videos on I’ve watched on CNCs (all brands) there seems to be a preference for water cooled spindles but no real data given on how it would improve the machine’s performance or if it does at all.

Also, I noticed an earlier thread about a 80mm spindle bracket as a possible option for the Pro 5 4x4. Is this still being considered? Unless I missed something the 80mm bracket currently available will not work with the Pro 5 4x4.

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Most of our customers who want a water-cooled spindle go with the HDM.

Correct, an 80mm mount for the SO5 Pro is under development, and the one in the shop is for the SO4/Pro/HDZ-equipped SO3s.

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Is a water cooled spindle primarily a metal cutting need then? Is there a benefit to having a water cooled spindle if primarily cutting wood and plastic?

Is there an estimated release date for the SO5 Pro 80mm mount?

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Here’s a thread I started that asked about water cooled vs air cooled spindles.

Spindles in general are preferred for cutting harder stuff due to the need to run at lower rpms and that you can’t achieve with a router. That being said there’s a lot of people who prefer a spindle over a router even for wood.

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Good info. Did you end up going with a spindle? If so, air or water cooled?

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I haven’t as of yet. But I am going to go with a water cooled spindle. I’m busy remodeling my second home so I can sell it and am away for a couple of months. But will be going that direction as soon as I get back home.

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Good luck. Hope the remodel and sale goes well.

Have you decided on a particular spindle yet?

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Thanks

I haven’t settled on a particular spindle yet. But as my first one I’ll probably go with one of the more reasonablely priced ones on Amazon.

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Others here can answer your specific question far better than I could. However, if you are not acquainted with using a CNC I would suggest you start out with a Mikita or Carbide router. Being that a router is about $125 it’s no big deal to later upgrade. With all the other things you will need to get your arms around to get up to speed and other expenses you will incur, it may be a welcomed saving when first starting out. Additionally, do you know what you plan to cut? Some have never moved up from a router even though they are producing great work/pieces on a daily basis.

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Fair point. My main reasons for considering a spindle is noise and accuracy. Then I went down the rabbit hole of reading up on air cooled, water cooled and VFDs.

I agree. This could get complicated fast if I opted for something other than the air cooled spindle and VFD from Carbide which is the route I most likely will take. But I am soaking up all the info I can get in this forum.

Most cuts will be in hardwoods with some aluminum and brass.

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I hear ya.

If I do go for a spindle it will most likely be the 65mm spindle and VFD from Carbide.

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Definitely can’t go wrong with that.

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If I were you I would go with the Makita or Carbide router to start off. I have the Carbide spindle and it’s awesome don’t get me wrong. I love not having to turn the router on/off anymore and the power is great.

That being said, for the price and as a beginner I don’t think I would have appreciated that much over the router. The spindles are quiet but I wouldn’t really say that much more quiet actually. You definitely have less of whiney tone but the bit’s still making noise from cutting the material. I personally don’t notice much of a noise difference.

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The BitRunner makes the router option pretty nice as it turns it on and off just like the spindle. You still have to adjust the speed as required.

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I may be the voice of slight decent here. :slight_smile: But only in-so-far-as I don’t think getting the router is inherently better for beginners. I would say the contrary. It is safer, less likely to turn you off to a router by having a more streamlined operation, being quieter, and provides a better experience overall. Other than cost, I can’t think of a single downside to the spindle as it is better in every way and built for the purpose. I have crashed many-a-time with both, and the spindle is less likely to be damaged in my opinion. You’re more likely to stick with it if your experience and results are better. That said the compact router is still not a bad place to start and I ran them for 6 years.

Air vs Water: I run 2 Shapeokos with their air cooled VFD spindle, and the HDM that comes with an 80mm Water cooled. The difference is noise is almost imperceptible, and once you start cutting, there is no difference. Cutting is way louder than either. After hours of running all of them are still cool to the touch. If you’re running hard and fast 10 hours a day, the water cooled might stay cooler.

65mm vs 80mm: The 80mm weighs a ton more. Weight at the spindle is good for vibration, but other than that, the differences as the same power level only comes down to ER11 vs ER20. Being able to have a 1/2" tool is nice in some situations (although far less than people think). 3/8" tooling it very nice to use though. So that’s a win for the 80mm/ER20. The S5Pro can easily stall the 1.2kw VFD spindle, so the 2.2kw is actually a better match and I hope C3D makes one available. That said, the 1.2kw on my S5Pro still runs like mad and is in no way a bad choice.

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Appreciate all the input. Very helpful. Great community.

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I forgot one caveat about air cooled spindles. You do have to make sure air can flow thru the cooling channels. I have had one instance in a year and a half when the channels got blocked (by what I can’t recall) and it got hot.

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A blast from the past you and others may find interesting.

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I went with the VFD for my 5 pro & I love it. I couldn’t believe how quiet it was and not having to worry about changing RPM is a bonus. I am sure you know this but, with any spindle the noise goes up once you hit the cutting material.

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To be clear, I am also a newbie. I am not even a CNC owner yet. I am soon to retire and will be starting with CNC as a small business to support the hobby. That said, I am also considering a water cooled spindle. There are many things I have considered including running noise, less stress on a running machine if it has enough power and RPM range for the task, and cooled properly, air flow below on the table from air cooled fan, etc.

I found the option I am considering for when I take the leap and buy a CNC system. It is, of course, the most pricey but not out of line with the VFD from C3d. The price depends on the size and type of spindle, for example, I checked the prices today, a 2,2kw, 80mm, water cooled kit including everything but the mount is $1024, the preorder price for the mount is listed at $99. They advertize the final versions, 65mm and 80mm are in testing now and should be ready to sell / ship in a few days. The 1.5kw, 65mm spindle, same water cooled kit is $875. The OEM C3d mount will likely work so you save yourself $99.

This is the link: Spindle Kit – PwnCNC. The 65mm and a 80mm spindle bracket for the Pro 5 are in development. They are currently in pre-order on the web site. The spindle kits are the first page of the site. then, click on “buy” at the top of the page, go to page 14, you will see it at the top of the page.

They have 65mm and 80mm size spindles, 110 and 220, air or water cooled, 0.8kw, 1.5 & 2.2kw, metal working specific or general purpose. The ratings on their web site are good, as much as ratings can be trusted. 14 entries, 13 “5 star” and one “4 star” for an average of 4.93.

Hope this helps.

Does anyone here have experience with this company?