All I can say is that I love my air cooled spindle… a lot of people say that the fan will pull dust down into the spindle but if you have a good dust extraction system and you use it there should be no problem.
I really like my air-cooled spindle as well. The air intake is at the top of the spindle - a very long way from where the cutting is going on. I always run dust collection - so dust at the top of the spindle is not a concern for me. Here’s the one I purchased - looks like it’s out of stock at the moment: High-Torque Stepper Motor, Stepper Motor, Driver, Stepper Motor kit, DC Servo Motor, DC Servo Motor kit, Stepper Motor Power Supply, CNC Router, Spindle, and other Components.
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I ran an air-cooled spindle on a Shopbot Desktop for years (like 5 maybe?) without any problem whatsoever. I almost never ran dust collection - it was just as easy to vacuum it out after the cut and the Desktop’s full housing kept it from spilling into the shop so the spindle wasn’t in dust-free air either.
I really wish 1F would offer a 43mm mount (euro neck). There are many air-cooled milling motors available. I’m personally attracted to the Mafell FM1000.
Of course I could cut a reducer from the 65mm to 43mm but I’m concerned with fit and, most importantly, with hitting the stepper motor.
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Hey Benoît,
What is it that makes this model interesting for you?
They have a version that can interact with the controller, so the G-code would set the speed, turn it on, etc.
But I’m attracted to that model primarily because I’m very familiar with Mafell. I own their equipment and I have always found it reliable and quality products.
This is interesting. And you also have something between its 0–10 V DC speed control voltage input and your CNC controller?
Not yet but I’m much more at ease with electronics than mechanical mounts.
So the first hurdle is a 43mm mount for 1F.
How would you realize it, with an Arduino? You would easily have a RS-485 interface with the MAX485 shields offered. Or are there existing solutions?
There are none on the market?
But you could mill one?
Have you thought of making the opening at the same point than the opening in the 65 mm mount, so that you would need no clamping screw on the adapter, it would be clamped by the 65 mm? Just an idea.
What do you mean? The Makita 701RC is 89x89 mm, the Mafell is only 74x79, so it should fit? Or do you plan to use the Tool-less quick-clamping device?
EDIT: Made wrong assumption on stepper overhang:
You are right, it could become tight. Does someone know the exact distance from center of 65 mm mount to stepper? And with 80 mm mount?
EDIT2: […gears in the head were running…] But maybe it could go if you put the Euro 43 mm not in center of 65 mm, but excentric instead, towards front
Indeed, that’s some of mechanical challenges and possible solutions that I have considered if I was to cut a reducer. With the added… concerns (a) that I’m not very knowledgeable on the matter, (b) and that if I get it very wrong, I could potentially hurt myself or (c) damage the machine.
1F did a great job at delivering a simple but powerful system. And, as the journeyman demonstrates, the system can grow and evolve. The Z-axis appears as the least flexible aspect though: it is designed for the Makita router, period, as the limited clearance shows.
My original point in this thread is that I’d like to see more options besides the 80mm mount for spindle, and I’d love to see one targeting the 43mm euro neck. There are many tools in 43mm, including drills, which would open even more options for manufacturing!
Yes, agreed. That’s why I gave the QCW Frame a try. It is not at all what I planned for a table, but it is something that is designed to work out of the box. My impression is, the older you get, the more your appreciate that you don’t need to make everything yourself…
Yes, totally agreed. It’s the weakest point in an uncompromisingly excellent choice of parts. They didn’t make a large plate on Z Axis for custom spindle mounts as other CNCs have, since they would have been using much stronger rails and bearings because of the leverage force then. The Onefinity Z Slider has its milling motor axis very, very near the rails, sort of nearly inbetween the rails.
It was designed for it because in my opinion they feature a short way to use a cnc, so they designed it for a 1-phase household electricity socket device. But that does not mean you have to stick on a hand-held router on the machine. You are just limited something narrow enough.
If I were a hobbyist, and feared water plumbing and disassembling the Z Slider for larger 80 mm mount, I would use this:
HFSAC-6508-24-ER11 65 mm 0.8 kW 24,000 rpm air-cooled
(I own a larger water-cooled from them).
But for the Mafell, do you own one already, in order to see if it really doesn’t fit?
Agreed!
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I have seen those options, I don’t need a spindle that bad. Short-term, I’m experimenting with a laser, then I will have tons of things to do with the Makita.
It’s really about the flexibility of the 43mm mount and the ability to buy a motor in a brand I trust, at a good price.
And indeed, I would rather buy than make the tool. More time to make things. Probably the age stuff 
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The 65mm original mount does place the router/spindle under the Z-stepper. I had a 800w 65mm spindle installed, and it had to fit under the Z-stepper. It fit, but it was tight.
The 80mm mount has more clearance, allowing a spindle to go on the outside of the Z-stepper. So, no more restrictions on height! Its a very tight fit - only .1" of clearance in my estimation - but it does clear it.
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Hey Michael,
This is very interesting and also very good to know! Thanks for the picture also!
I just got my OF and it came with the Makita setup. I have a smaller machine with an air cooled spindle (quite small) and the noise is substantially less than the router. I am interested in an air-cooled 110v 80mm spindle. Any suggestions… also, how significantly is time impacted by using the router or spindle?
Take a peek at this for a description of the voltages in play: 220v vs. 110v Spindle? - #6 by MikeH
I’ve used both 65mm/800w and 80mm/2.2kw air-cooled spindles on my 1F.
Using a spindle vs. the Makita router will not make a material difference in the speed of the operation - you may be able to go a little faster with a large spindle, but speed of operation isn’t the main reason people are usually upgrading.
A shorter time might be achieved by using a larger roughing tool in your spindle if capable.
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What do you think of the QCW table? I’m on the fence of getting it as I will be raising and lowering my set up as I use or don’t use (space issues)
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Hey Wallles,
still can’t say more, still waiting for it!
I love solutions on how to accommodate with small space!
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The lift to the ceiling is interesting. Did you build that; or, is it something that is commercially available?
Jim