Anyone using an "Avenger" ATC spindle yet?

[Riceburner98]

The only 2 threads I found on the 'Zone are from the maker of the thing, and besides 1 video doing a tool change and some nice pictures on their website I can find ZERO information on anyone actually using one..

Link ->
Avenger ATC Spindles

My plans keep evolving for the beast of a machine I'm going to build (only 32" x 18" for now due to space constraints..), I think the gantry could hold up a truck. I've been looking at Colombo and Perske spindles lately, and for some reason in my warped head I'm justifying the cost.. (my boss built a 6' 8020 gantry machine years ago with a Colombo and tells me about the rooster tails of hot aluminum chips he'd get going full-bore through .25" stock...)

A manual 3HP Colombo (new) can be had for $2,300, plus a drive.. Granted, I'll only have 120v available for a (long) while so I doubt I can even use the thing to it's full potential.. One of the places that has Colombo's for sale is Blurry customs, and I saw the "Avenger" auto tool changer they have. Once again, my damaged brain is justifying the cost (~$3,000 -ish with 6 tool holders and a 2HP Bosch router for a drive motor).. But it freaks me out a little that I don't even get 1 hit on Google besides 1 Youtube video and their website selling it..

On the other hand, some time back I bought an X2(?) R8 spindle shaft and some really high quality NSK spindle bearings and designed a spindle in my head.. No ATC, but how hard can that be? (LOL!!! Kidding!) Should I just dump $2,500 into having a machine shop make me a housing and hope the shaft doesn't vibrate like hell @ 15,000 RPM?

I'm not exactly made of money, but I did just get a bonus at work... Hate to blow it on something that doesn't quite work as expected though. (like the spring-loaded quick-change tooling I bought for the Taig a few years back - runout was bad enough to snap small tools..)


Any thoughts? I'll have to post my SolidWorks renderings of the gantry mill (router? I don't really cut wood...) here if I ever finish changing the thing.. Right now it's got an 8020 main beam (48" 3060 - 3" x 6") with a 5/8" aluminum plate on top of that to mount the X axis slide.. Super-overkill! Using a Taig spindle on it just seems a little under-whelming..

[jharvey407]

I'm surprised that no one has replied.

I am in the same situation that you're in. I am upgrading my router to a larger frame, and would really like a larger spindle. Also an ATC would be very nice.

Have you decided which router/spindle you are going to use?

Did you find any information about the Avenger?

[Riceburner98]

Never saw anything more about the Avenger spindle online, though I haven't looked in a while.. As usual the build of the machine got delayed due to work, funds, and my wedding.. Hoping to get time over the winter to do some more work on it. A guy at work has a 4'x8'x3/4" slab of anodized ground aluminum he said I can trade my slightly warped slab for, i just have to go cut it.. That should make a great base!

Of course now that the wedding is over it's not "my" money any more, right? So we'll see what I have left for spindle $$ when the time comes....

[giz]

I haven't heard much on the Avenger. I've been searching night and day for an affordable, compact ATC spindle but I just can't find one. The Avenger and the Chinese ATC spindles I am seeing are just too long for my design.

[mactec54]

Riceburner98

I will be doing a ATC spindle starting early next year, the build will be on the Zone
Here is a link to a small one that I have just made for a customer, It is not a ATC

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/cnc_wo...dle_build.html

[jharvey407]

Originally Posted by mactec54 Riceburner98 I will be doing a ATC spindle starting early next year, the build will be on the Zone Here is a link to a small one that I have just made for a customer, It is not a ATC http://www.cnczone.com/forums/cnc_wo...dle_build.html

I'm looking forward to your build. Will you be producing the ATC spindle for sale?

[mactec54]

jharvey407

Yes they will be for sale