I have a shapeOKO4 and one item that I need to mill is too tall / long for the Z axis. Instead of cutting a hole on the table to fit the piece, wonder if there is an existing hardware to mount the spindle, so that it is parallel to the Y axis instead of the Z axis? Maybe an L-shaped spindle mount that’s compatible with current mount holes on the carrier plate?
I know this will likely mess up the machine initialization steps of CM, I can use a 3rd party controller to bypass those steps.
Based on the lack of responses, I’m pretty confident in saying there are no ready made options. Based on your post history, it looks like you might be capable of making something up though.
It shouldn’t be too terrible depending on what you’re trying to mill. If it’s just wood then you’ve got plenty of wiggle room.
You could probably do a quick mount with a service like send cut send if you’re in the states. That might be a “good enough/cheap enough” option to get the job done?
Good luck to you, let us know what you end up doing 
Thanks, yeah I will use an aluminum block to replace the current spindle mount, and put the spindle mount on the block’s top, if I can find the mounting hole specs I should be able to drill them with the CNC - I searched carbide3d and find those 4 holes are of 2 different diameters, but not exactly sure the spacing among them. Does carbide3d publish the mounting hole diameters and spacing?
Just a thought… given that the spindle applies lateral pressures to the Z axis when in use in a vertical position, I considered how the pressures generated would be dispersed with a spindle parallel to the Y axis; that was moved along the X axis to make the cut. Could the part you wish to mill be completed if you installed a fourth axis? If you could accommodate one it is probable that it would be an easier to implement solution, which could preserve your current machine initialization steps.
Why not rotate the stock instead?
3 Likes
Thanks Jeff. Pressure is something I need to consider. I think the main problem I am trying to fix, is the stock is too tall to fit under the factory setup of my ShapeOKO4. I do have a DIY 4th axis that kinda works - the A axis rotation has tiny errors that adds up, but that’s a different story. The 4th axis won’t be able to bring the milling bit to the top of the stock, where I need to mill a couple of internal threads.
1 Like
Thanks William. Just to make sure I understand your idea, is to bring the gantry to the outer most position of Y axis, so that the tall stock can hang out of the bed, using the fixture in your link? I actually tried that, but I don’t think the extra room the spindle goes out of the bed’s edge, is large enough for the holes and threads that I need to mill. If it was a thin and tall stock rotating it might just work.
Unfortunately, the Shapeoko 4 and Pro have a minimal overhang cutting area.
Another option is to remove a Hybrid T-track and introduce the stock from underneath.
If it’s just cutting threads, why not use a tap?
Is your Z axis an HDZ mount? I upgraded my standard size SO3 from the Z Plus (is this what you have?) to an HDZ unit. The Carbide HD 80mm spindle mount is a very well contructed piece of kit. My spindle mount sits with its bottom edge around 16mm (0.63") above the lowest edge of the Z axis. The upper edge of the Carbide HD 80mm spindle mount sits about 75mm (3")below the upper edge of the Z axis.
Potentially this provides an additional 65mm (2.55") of additional extension by drilling and tapping additional mounting holes in the spindle mount carrier plate of the Z axis. Keeping 16mm (0.63") away from the upper edge so as to leave sufficient metal to tap. Many milling bits and thread taps can be purchased as stubs so you could also find a little extra room that way. Perhaps using a thread mill, like the items at the following link, may give you a bit more versatility. Would moving the position of the spindle mount on the carrier plate of the Z axis north by up to 65mm (2.55") help you to achieve your objective?
yeah removing a T-track and dig a hole on the table underneath will help, too. It is a big thread and I might change the hole size later, so I chose to use a thread mil over tap.
I don’t have the HDZ mount, mine is the standard ShapeOKO4 mount, maybe it is called Z plus? I am using a single tooth thread mill to cut the thread on some stock and quite happy with the result.
I actually raised the spindle about an inch to get some room when milling before, but keep squeezing the already limited Z space, or move to the edge of the table like William suggested above, doesn’t seem scalable - it will soon hit some limitation in one of the dimensions. If the Y-direction spindle I imagined can work, I will have much more room to play with, or maybe I am pushing the ShapeOKO too hard, but worth a try, lol.
1 Like
If it looks like this, it is the Z plus.
When I installed my spindle on the HDZ, I got an immediate increase in Z height from the old Z plus (about 94mm) to the new spindle and HDZ (about 125mm) and the HDZ is a far more sturdy Z axis and a very worthwhile upograde if you are considering keeping the SO4. After my upgrades to my SO3, I decided the HDZ was a worthwhile investment and it gave my machine a completely new lease of life. I would not part with it now.