My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.


Results 1 to 14 of 14

Thread: My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    U.S.
    Posts
    344
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.

    I just discovered that my spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator. I didn't realize it came with that feature until I installed the Nite Watchman's fan. Before that the original fan was so noisy I couldn't hear anything else. How difficult is it to replace the Chinese bearing with American ones? Also, it seems there is nothing to effectively prevent coolant from getting into the lower spindle bearings. I want to continue with industrial strength flooding but not at the cost of my spindle bearings.

    Similar Threads:


  2. #2
    Member popspipes's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    1777
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.

    John,
    Mine was more like an air raid siren, it was hard to talk over it.......good one John!

    Spindle slinger, keeps the coolant away from the lower spindle bearings. I used a scrap piece of UHMW, there is an oring in the bore as well as one on the perimeter, the inner one is a force fit on the spindle, the outer one is for turning the spindle by hand, just makes it easier.

    I replaced the telephone switch as well as it definitely wasnt industrial quality, this one is more durable.........busy work ha!



    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.-img_0520-jpg   My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.-img_0524-jpg   My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.-img_0526-jpg  
    Last edited by popspipes; 03-17-2017 at 03:11 PM.
    mike sr


  3. #3
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    U.S.
    Posts
    344
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.

    Mike, thanks. That should do the trick. Today I will be assembling and installing my heavy duty pump circuit from Tormach. I fried the section of the system board that responds to g-code for the pump but everything else works fine. I'll be able to operate the pump and computer with the switches on the panel, just no auto pump on/off. Many thanks to Tormach's support people who's responses were fast and patient.



  4. #4
    Member nitewatchman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Birmingham, Alabama
    Posts
    477
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.

    Quote Originally Posted by jttoner View Post
    How difficult is it to replace the Chinese bearing with American ones?
    The only thing difficult about replacing the Chinese bearings with American bearing is paying for the American bearings.

    I have gone through a couple sets of spindle bearings and actually have two spindle cartridges, one running and a spare. The bearings are not difficult at all to change and Tormach has relatively cheap replacements (Chinese). Just watch the stack up and alignment marks for the Angular Contact Bearing matched pairs. Setting preload can be a little trial and errorish, too loose and the spindle will chatter when you look at it and too tight it will run hot and by hot that is 160+F. Way too hot to hold.

    Last time I had decided to put in a good set of premium SKF or equal Angular Contact Ball Bearings until I saw the cost, Even e-Bay bearings were several times what the Tormach bearings were (Tormach's are about $170USD) and I have had mixed results with old stock bearings. Only takes one dull or etched spot on the race to spell doom for the bearing. So I held my nose and put another set of Wuxi Bearings back in the spindle.

    gary



  5. #5
    Member nitewatchman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Birmingham, Alabama
    Posts
    477
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.

    Quote Originally Posted by popspipes View Post
    John,
    Mine was more like an air raid siren, it was hard to talk over it.......good one John!

    Spindle slinger, keeps the coolant away from the lower spindle bearings. I used a scrap piece of UHMW, there is an oring in the bore as well as one on the perimeter, the inner one is a force fit on the spindle, the outer one is for turning the spindle by hand, just makes it easier.

    I replaced the telephone switch as well as it definitely wasnt industrial quality, this one is more durable.........busy work ha!

    Mike,

    I like the coolant slinger detail you have a lot and the outside o-ring is a nice detail and a hand saver I'll bet.

    I have lost one set of bearings to coolant wash out. When the spindle was pulled down to replace the bearings, the lower bearing had the grease washed out and had fine swarf and etching on the races and balls. The upper bearing of the pair was still okay.

    There is an internal slinger of sorts but I think that if coolant hits just right it blows straight through it.

    gary



  6. #6
    Member popspipes's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    1777
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.

    Mike,

    I like the coolant slinger detail you have a lot and the outside o-ring is a nice detail and a hand saver I'll bet.

    I have lost one set of bearings to coolant wash out. When the spindle was pulled down to replace the bearings, the lower bearing had the grease washed out and had fine swarf and etching on the races and balls. The upper bearing of the pair was still okay.

    There is an internal slinger of sorts but I think that if coolant hits just right it blows straight through it.

    gary

    The UHMW by itself wouldnt stay tight on the spindle hence the oring on inside, my hands are so slick anymore that the outer oring helps hold onto it. The thing really works well at least in my application. I too had a coolant problem getting into the lower bearing, I hadnt used the machine in a week or so and I noticed the spindle was stuck slightly, hence the slinger. I am going to get a larger diameter oring for the outer one, I think it will be more durable.
    I do use coolant just not water based anymore as my usage is rather sporadic.

    I have my spindle and drive balanced, but I have been eyeballing your fan and shroud kit, very nice and professional looking!

    mike sr


  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    U.S.
    Posts
    344
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.

    Mike,

    I like the coolant hoses and nozzles you are using, I really don't fancy the loc-lines I'm using. That coolant switch looks to be industrial strength, are you operating your coolant manually or does that switch work on conjunction with g-code?



  8. #8
    Member popspipes's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    1777
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.

    Quote Originally Posted by jttoner View Post
    Mike,

    I like the coolant hoses and nozzles you are using, I really don't fancy the loc-lines I'm using. That coolant switch looks to be industrial strength, are you operating your coolant manually or does that switch work on conjunction with g-code?
    John,

    The switch just replaces the PDB telephone variety switch, mine failed, so I made up one from a surplus heavy duty switch, I use a push button on-off variety, I never used the second switch so I didnt include it. This is the third one I have made, the second design change, never get it right the first go around ha!

    I just included that as a mod, had nothing to do with coolant. I plan on moving the coolant switch to a different location eventually though.

    I thought about making these switches & enclosure up for sale, but not many guys would be comfortable drilling and tapping the machine to mount it, it does work nice and the button is big enough even I can find it easily ha!

    The slinger I made about 2-3 years ago, seems to work fine for me.

    The coolant lines are homemade to length with an 1/8" hole, my theory is less volume and more pressure, I have found that I am going to need to change the pump to be able to do this though. I have some small quick change fittings to change lengths easily, (tapping etc).

    mike sr


  9. #9
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    U.S.
    Posts
    344
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.

    Quote Originally Posted by popspipes View Post
    Mike,

    I like the coolant slinger detail you have a lot and the outside o-ring is a nice detail and a hand saver I'll bet.

    I have lost one set of bearings to coolant wash out. When the spindle was pulled down to replace the bearings, the lower bearing had the grease washed out and had fine swarf and etching on the races and balls. The upper bearing of the pair was still okay.

    There is an internal slinger of sorts but I think that if coolant hits just right it blows straight through it.

    gary

    The UHMW by itself wouldnt stay tight on the spindle hence the oring on inside, my hands are so slick anymore that the outer oring helps hold onto it. The thing really works well at least in my application. I too had a coolant problem getting into the lower bearing, I hadnt used the machine in a week or so and I noticed the spindle was stuck slightly, hence the slinger. I am going to get a larger diameter oring for the outer one, I think it will be more durable.
    I do use coolant just not water based anymore as my usage is rather sporadic.

    I have my spindle and drive balanced, but I have been eyeballing your fan and shroud kit, very nice and professional looking!
    Mike,

    I have Gary's fan and it's great. Since having had a computer shut down due to a GFI and subsequent major crash, I now run it on a dedicated line. This resulted in a little fringe benefit, I'll never again shut down the controller when intending to hit the coolant switch The monitor and fan are powered by the "Computer" switch on the front panel. This way the monitor acts as a pilot light for the fan. Since the blue smoke escaped from one of the widgets on my controller's system board I no longer have program control for the coolant. I disconnected wires 202 and 205 and that eliminated the GFI triggering problem so once again my panel switches are functional. Also, I'm using Tormach's heavy duty coolant switch circuit and now safely running a more powerful coolant pump.

    Obviously my spindle's lower bearings are toast. Replacing them would cost just north of $100 plus Tormach's somewhat expensive shipping charges. (Amazon Prime has spoiled me). I'm considering a spindle assembly. That would allow me to rebuild the original at my leisure and always having a back up unit. Pricey but convenient.

    John



  10. #10
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    U.S.
    Posts
    344
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.

    Quote Originally Posted by popspipes View Post
    John,
    The coolant lines are homemade to length with an 1/8" hole, my theory is less volume and more pressure, I have found that I am going to need to change the pump to be able to do this though. I have some small quick change fittings to change lengths easily, (tapping etc).
    Mike,

    When you decide to upgrade your pump be sure to use a relay to provide the pump with current independent of the Tormach. That way if the pump goes south and presents a direct short to the controller, as mine did, the blue smoke won't be able to escape from any of the widgets on the system board. (Don't count on FU6 to save you, it just might not.) That's how mine is configured now. It's working great except I've lost program control since I had to disconnect wires 202 and 205. The "computer" switch only controls the monitor and Gary's fan. My computer is on a dedicated line now with the switch in a most inconvenient place. No more accidentally killing the computer when a job is running. The worst I can do is to accidentally turn off the monitor, something even I would notice. The monitor also serves as a pilot light for the fan. I even have an extra relay I'd be happy to donate. It's the same one that Tormach includes it their upgrade kit. I ordered it by mistake and not worth the hassle to return it.

    John



  11. #11
    Member popspipes's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    1777
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.

    Quote Originally Posted by jttoner View Post
    Mike,

    When you decide to upgrade your pump be sure to use a relay to provide the pump with current independent of the Tormach. That way if the pump goes south and presents a direct short to the controller, as mine did, the blue smoke won't be able to escape from any of the widgets on the system board. (Don't count on FU6 to save you, it just might not.) That's how mine is configured now. It's working great except I've lost program control since I had to disconnect wires 202 and 205. The "computer" switch only controls the monitor and Gary's fan. My computer is on a dedicated line now with the switch in a most inconvenient place. No more accidentally killing the computer when a job is running. The worst I can do is to accidentally turn off the monitor, something even I would notice. The monitor also serves as a pilot light for the fan. I even have an extra relay I'd be happy to donate. It's the same one that Tormach includes it their upgrade kit. I ordered it by mistake and not worth the hassle to return it.

    John
    I remember you talking about loosing a circuit for the pump, I didnt realize it was on the main control board, That board is 450 dollars or so if I remember correctly. Thanks for the offer, I probably wont upgrade unless I get some paying work for this thing, kind of sporadic work and many wood parts for free etc.

    Those printers would make a nice switch enclosure, things of this nature come to mind as there wouldnt be the waste of making them out of solid stock etc. Keep me updated on the printer!

    mike sr


  12. #12
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    U.S.
    Posts
    344
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.

    Mike,

    With shipping etc., the board would likely be close to $500.00. For that kind of money I'll gladly operate the pump manually. If I were in business and had a need for the machine to operate autonomously, that would be a horse of another color. The pump that fried the board was 1/6 hp, the max recommended by Tormach. Thinking back, there were warning signs. Occasionally, and for no obvious reason, my GFI would trigger. I blamed it on either the refrigerator or microwave in my shop, (my garage). The last week or so before the failure I noticed I wasn't getting the flow I was used to, but still was dramatically better than I ever got from the Tormach pump. I guessed the pump or tank might be clogged up so I decided to clean the tank and pump. I found they were clean but changed the coolant anyway. About a week later the pump shorted out completely, the fuse didn't fusilate, and the board lost some blue smoke. After disconnecting wires 202 and 205, the pump circuit is totally isolated from the main board. I'm simply using the switches on the front panel which are fed separately from the system board. The relay supports triggering from either 120 or 220 VAC, single or three phase, so I could have wired it so that if the pump switch was in "auto" the pump would come on when the spindle motor was running.

    The printer should be fun. You can check it out on the Prusa website. It's a model i3 MK2S. At $600 it was a no brainer plus it includes the g-code for an SM Spitfire! My four, (five next month), year old grandson is crazy about gargoyles and dinosaurs, so maybe we can print some for him. He's too young to appreciate model airplanes, but would likely go for one of those RC quadracopters. He is, as are so many of today's youngsters, obsessed with video games and smart phones. A few printing projects might help him to see there is more to life than just video games.

    John



  13. #13
    Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    1602
    Downloads
    5
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.

    I think the VFD has an output that goes high when the spindle is running. One could use that with a couple of relays to turn the coolant on/off.

    bob



  14. #14
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    U.S.
    Posts
    344
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.

    Quote Originally Posted by rowbare View Post
    I think the VFD has an output that goes high when the spindle is running. One could use that with a couple of relays to turn the coolant on/off.

    bob
    Bob,
    Thanks, I'm using a relay now because of the 1/6 hp (more like Shetland Ponies than full size horses), coolant pump, but I'm manually switching it. I'll look into the VHD solution when I get a chance. Combined with the manual switch that would be great.



Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


About CNCzone.com

    We are the largest and most active discussion forum for manufacturing industry. The site is 100% free to join and use, so join today!

Follow us on


Our Brands

My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.

My spindle has an audible "spindle on" indicator.