CNC SPINDLE :
Using a Basic Wood Router As Your Spindle
From the previous discussion we know that the biggest reasons why someone building or buying a CNC wood router would choose to buy a basic brush type CNC spindle motor are price and simplicity of the electronics… And those are big reasons .
Just off the top of my head I’d guess the difference is well over $3,000. Brushless spindle motors need Variable Frequency Drives (VFD’s) to control the RPM’s whereas this can be done simply and easily with the dial built into the average router spindle.
Router spindles are plug and play. You bring power to the machine and turn it on. Brushless spindle motors require starters that add to the cost and complexity of a CNC router just as do the VFD’s.
You can use all the tooling that you have currently on the shelf for manual routing and lock it down in these traditional router spindles, after all the only difference between the two is that you don’t have the outer collar ring, face plate and handles that typically come with a traditional hand-held router. With brushless spindle motors you have to buy special tool holders, collets and nuts that all add to the cost… and that’s not including the router bits themselves!
Bottom line is that when you’re framing a budget, it is important to understand that a router spindle is cheaper not just due to the initial outlay of spindle costs but rather all of the other issues from speed control, wiring and tooling as well as the added knowledge needed for assembly.
The big thing with using a router as your spindle motor is to know what you’re buying. Handheld routers have one anomaly at least in comparison to induction spindle motors. Their “power” rating is most often specified as PEAK power .. you know the point at which your tool blows up. This is key! It’s really important to recognize that a 3Hp router and a 3Hp spindle motor are NOT the same in power output so you’ll undoubtedly make some speed compromises, but have more money in the bank.
Have a look at the 3.25 hp Porter Cable Router 75182 as one option, then we’ll move on and discuss in more detail some of the challenges and benefits of using the more industrial spindle motors... some of their really cool options and add-ons.
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