Shopsabre with Colombo 7.5hp spindle, Dust Problem

[keyeskennard]

Anyone have any suggestions on how to keep out dust from the inside of the spindle tool holder? I have a 7.5hp Colombo spindle on a Shopsabre 4896. When I release the tool after cutting a board, there is usually a good bit of dust sitting on top of the tool holder, and also some dust inside the spindle where the tool is clamped. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[cabnet636]

i keep a compressed hose with a 24" air gun on the machine for blowing them off, the only other method would be a direct blow of air (constant or controlled my accuators and macros $$$$$)

[ger21]

With a good dust shoe, you shouldn't be getting any dust settling around the spindle.

[Butterknife]

Hi keyeskennard,

You mean the dust is on the tool fork, or on top of the tool cone?

I agree with Gerry and Jim both. If you have good dust collection, you shouldn't have much dust to worry about. But if it's still laying on the forks, you could probably rig an accutator up to an output that would come on when Wincnc calls the tu.mac file. I guess you'd have to rig an air line that blew on each fork.

If it's on the tool cones, it must have been there before you picked up the tool, so the air would help there too, I think.

Butterknife

[ger21]

Doesn't the spindle blow air out the bottom before picking up the tool?

[keyeskennard]

Thanks for the replies. I think I was using the wrong terminology. The ISO toolholder, when it is released from the spindle, has dust on top of it (the tapered part with the Retention knob). It seems that dust is getting into the conical part of the spindle between the tool holder(not the fork, but the actual tool holder) and the spindle where it is clamped while cutting the sheet. After the tool is released, I can run my finger inside the conical part of the spindle and dust comes out. I have a 5hp dust collector with a very good dust shoe, which is picking up 95% of all dust. The problem occurs more when surfacing the spoil board.
Example of process: I pick up tool 1(1/2" end mill). I then cut out parts, leaving a very thin onion skin for my last pass. The machine returns to the tool fork to drop off tool 1 and then pick up tool 2 to cut the final passes. When dropping off tool 1, there is a good amount of dust sitting on top of the tool as stated above. There is also a fair amount of dust inside of the spindle where it holds the tool.