Upgrade V-Groove Wheels?

CNC Machines Shapeoko
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Just a few days ago i was using my XL and i was in the middle of a big client job when for some unknown reason, the cutter started chattering like crazy, got stuck and cut a big swirly hole in my wood and that caused 2 of my plastic v-groove wheels to break, which then caused the router unit to come off the tracks:

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So I went ahead and ordered the maintenance kit with the extra wheels and belts, etc and i should be up and running again after the parts get here in a couple days but it got me thinking…is there an upgrade v-groove wheel out there? Any recommendations on a stronger better made option than those that come included with the machine? Thanks so much!

-seth

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Seems to me that you should also be thinking about what might have caused this to happen. Perhaps the broken wheel(s) was (were) a result and not a cause of the situation?

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The carbide3d wheels seem to be the most consistent size wise and have the best bearing quality.

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Folks have tried upgrading the wheels — Delrin/acetal is surprisingly well-suited for this given its original use for plectrums in harpsichords, and the dimensions are constrained by belt anchors and so forth.

Please contact us at support@carbide3d.com and we’ll do our best to work through this with you.

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i never said the broken wheels were the cause. I had run a couple dozen of the exact same file prior to this happening, all on 5/16" thick alder, all with the exact same feeds and speeds, and all the other ones went fine. I didn’t hit a knot or anything weird on this one, and i’d only been using the machine for a week. I was simply wondering if there were better wheels out there.

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No other readily available wheels will make a significant difference.
Harder material wheels can wear out the aluminum extrusion.

Linear rails would make the biggest difference, but it’s not a simple bolt (swap) on option.

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The Carbide ones seem to be just as good as anything else.

It is possible to over tighten them, the adjusters should be just tight enough you can’t roll the wheel by hand, they don’t really need to be any tighter.

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thanks! i recall a couple of mine (not the ones that broke) were loose enough to juuuuust barely spin by hand. i’ll give them another micro turn when my replacement parts arrive :+1:t2:

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also make sure that your track is clean a buildup of dust and other material in them can cause extra pressure on the wheels and may cause them to break

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