Trying to decide what I want for my machine, end goal I expect to be on a spindle. What I see as my options:
I watched the video for the swap procedure and it looked simple enough, but worried about the re-calibration/etc that goes with it. --are the Elite systems the same design there as the X-30/50 that the video was on?
Get the spindle now and get the pain over with. You don’t have to do things like set it up to have the G code operate it right off. I controlled mine from the VFD for months. An air cooled spindle isn’t too expensive compared to a trim router. You do need to decide if you want to use 1/2" bits. If you aren’t going to then the 65mm mount with a 1500w spindle is a good option.
my primary want for a spindle is to get a 1/2"/ER20 collet. I have ~$500 worth of tooling/collets/etc from when I was a member of a now failed makerspace that had a Shopbot.
I have a Z-20 on order under 1F’s upgrade program. I don’t know if I need to send back the 65mm mount, the 80mm mount, or both with the Z-16. But if they only want the 65mm then I’ll have a spare 80mm mount for sale in a couple of months. You can still use a 80mm air cooled spindle (I wouldn’t if you plan on building a fully enclosed table for your 1F) and skip the water cooled costs. I got the 10" display and then upgraded to a 21" monitor. I did sell the 10" to another member so I got some money back. I also upgraded from the X-35 to the X-50 Journeyman (both the 80mm and X-50 came out before my machine had shipped). My point is, unless money is really tight or you like having spare parts you’ll never use get exactly what you want, that includes the Z-20 in 80mm.
Hey Brian,
I know no example of ER-20 collet on 65 mm spindles, you will find it on 80 mm or larger spindles. On the Onefinity Standard Series with Z-16 slider, the 65 mm was not such a good choice because the spindle does not clear the stepper. With Elite Series / Z-20 slider, there is not this restriction. Cheap chinese 65 mm water-cooled were reported to have hairline cracks with coolant leaking. 65 mm with water cooling is obviously a bit small for the ingredients since there is the additional water coolant sleeve.
With air cooling, the fan rotates with the spindle rpm, which can be a problem on low speeds. Water-cooling makes cooling independent of spindle rotational speed, which means good cooling even at slow spindle speeds, which is good for milling metals and plastic. But if you want to mill only wood, you will use high speeds, so the fan will rotate fast enough, so the decision is mainly if you want to avoid the plumbing.
I ordered an Elite Journeymen with the 80mm spindle mount. I am starting out with the Makita router by using a 3D printed, 80 - 65mm adapter sleeve in the mount. You can order one on Etsy or download the .stl file and print it yourself. I already have the router and printed the sleeve myself, it fits perfectly. When I am ready to upgrade to a spindle, I just have to swap out the router.
My thoughts exactly.