High Speed Spindle (Router) Mount for a CNC Mill

Mount for attaching an auxiliary router motor to a CNC milling machine. Cast from aluminum and finish machined to fit.

Attachment 3263

Here is a picture of the Craftsman router and finished mount before assembly.
Attachment 3264

Link to Project Page:
High Speed Spindle (Router) Mount for a CNC Mill | Scorch Works Blog

Thanks scorch! I've added your High-Speed Spindle Mount to our Forging and Casting category, as well as to your builder page: scorch's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

<div id="blocks"> <div class="block b1 pngfix"> <div class="bimg"> <div> <a href="/high-speed-spindle-mount"><img src="/uploads/114898/high-speed-spindle-mount.jpeg" alt="High-Speed Spindle Mount" /></a> </div> </div> <div class="head pngfix"></div> <div class="left pngfix"></div> <div class="right pngfix"></div> <div class="blockover b1 pngfix"> <div class="title"> <a href="/high-speed-spindle-mount">High-Speed Spindle Mount</a> <span> by <a href="/builder/scorch">scorch</a></span> </div> <div class="tags"> tags: <a href="/tag/casting">casting</a>, <a href="/tag/cnc">CNC</a>, <a href="/tag/mill">mill</a>, <a href="/tag/router">router</a> </div> </div> </div> </div>

My builder page (scorch's Homemade Tools) is starting to look like a tools for routers page. I am going to have to change it up a little for my next tool.

I'm impressed that you even take the time to cast your aluminum before making the part you need. Great job!

@DIYer, You have an interesting take on casting the part first. I don't consider it "taking time". I think it might actually save time in the end since there is a lot less machining to do after the part is cast. Making the wood pattern also allows me to work out what the part will look like as I build the wood pattern. When I am making the wood pattern I can just glue on more wood if I want to add a tab or make a feature thicker. If I went straight to making it out of aluminum I wouldn't have that flexibility.

Not to mention the raw material cost is dramatically lower when I cast the part from scrap aluminum. I use aluminum that would otherwise be discarded so it is essentially free. Of course I do have to pay for the fuel to melt the aluminum.

Thanks for posting this! When I saw that router mount casting on your page it inspired me and I immediately bough the Gingery foundry book. I did some alu casting in college and have always wanted to do more. This is definitely on my list of skillz to work on.

Do you have any pics of your forge and crucibles?

-Tyler

The Gingery book is good. Another good source of information is Backyardmetalcasting.com
I use the homemade refractory recipe that is on the Backyard metal casting site. I can't remember why for sure but I think the refractory in the Gingery book needed something I didn't have or didn't want to source.

I use a steel crucible. It is made from angle iron and bottom plate that I welded together (Using a homemade welder of course.). I also have a smaller on made from welded together sheet (~.1 inches thick).

My furnace is made from an old popcorn tin. It has pictures of snowmen and holly on it so it is pretty funny to see it in the yard during the summer.

(To get an idea of scale the furnace cover pictured below is 12 inches in diameter.)

Picture of the Furnace and Crucible:
Attachment 3272

Picture of the furnace cover (it is cracked but it is reinforced with "rebar")
Attachment 3273

Cool, thanks for taking the time to document and share.
I will be building my set-up soon.
-Tyler

I found this picture of the as cast part with the gate and sprue still attached. I though it might be of interest.
Attachment 3274

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by scorch

@DIYer, You have an interesting take on casting the part first. I don't consider it "taking time". I think it might actually save time in the end since there is a lot less machining to do after the part is cast. Making the wood pattern also allows me to work out what the part will look like as I build the wood pattern. When I am making the wood pattern I can just glue on more wood if I want to add a tab or make a feature thicker. If I went straight to making it out of aluminum I wouldn't have that flexibility.

Not to mention the raw material cost is dramatically lower when I cast the part from scrap aluminum. I use aluminum that would otherwise be discarded so it is essentially free. Of course I do have to pay for the fuel to melt the aluminum.

---

That's a great point of view, scorch, one that never occurred to me. When I said taking time, it was from knowing dangerously little about casting, only enough to know that voids can be a problem, resulting in poor quality and frustration. Looking forward to more of your posts so that I keep on learning from this site. :)

Scorch,

That's a very illustrative photo - Thanks!

Gate, sprue, riser, registering system on the sandbox, scorched wood...

Hmmm... Maybe that's how you got your name?

-Tyler

Hell inside that tin wont freeze over. Nice furnace theme, scorch. :D

I see that you made it to mill wood, but how will it perform milling aluminum?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by owc

I see that you made it to mill wood, but how will it perform milling aluminum?

---

I think the mount will do fine with aluminum. It is really stout. I am a little worried about where the aluminum chips are going to go with the router running. There is a lot of airflow coming from the bottom of the router. I have a feeling there is going to be aluminum chips all over the workshop and potentially inside the router.

Yep aluminium chips go EVERYWHERE, learnt that the fun way.:p
And they did eventually get sucked into the router and went *splat*.
luckily it was only a brief short and i just took it apart and cleaned it all up.
I ended up hotgluing some material to the air inlet on the router and works perfectly. :)
Attachment 3553

Tnx to Scorch & Baskarz. I will WATCH the chips.