Looking for a small spindle

[KIMFAB]

I recently threw this unit together with the hope of doing some engraving.
It uses a couple of X Y tables taken from an old film developing unit. (remember film?)
Anyway I got it up and running under Mach3 and it works fine except the spindle is a cheap wannabe Dremel running at 12000 rpm.
The problem is that it is impossible to predict where the tip of the engraving tool is - it varies by as much as .05" on the z axis making the lettering alternately deep and shallow.
Is there an under $100 spindle available with decent bearings or do I have to go to something like a Foredom unit?

[keebler303]

You can get just the handpiece from foredom for about $100, then you would have to hook a motor it (maybe your dremel with a pulley mounted in it), or you can buy the foredom motor and be ready to go. Either way, the foredom is in a whole different league from a dremel.

Matt

[KIMFAB]

Yeah I've looked at the Foredom units and I could get set up for about $300.
http://www.foredom.com/foundations/s...rams=K.2272*57

The problem with that is this was envisioned more as a toy. If I were to spend $300 on the spindle then I would have to upgrade the screws and then the table and then the motors and then......

Pretty soon you end up with a machining center.

I'll probably end up with a Foredom, I was just hoping there is someone out there as squeaky cheap as I am.

[draughted]

i'm looking at a taig spindle head, they tend to come in a ER16 collet head that will give you a range of tools from 1/16th to 3/8th.

match that to a powerful DC motor that runs under 10,000 rpm and you should be able to do aluminium milling

at (super-tech.com) i have seen these go for a decent price.

[serriadh]

You could try getting a Wolfgang Engineering spindle from ebay... there are a few posts on other bits of cnczone by people who've used them for engraving (specifically PCB routing) and been generally happy.