Small toolpost live spindle

[olderdan]

¼ inch milling/drilling/grinding spindle.
This is a universal medium duty spindle that has proved very useful over the years.
The body is alloy and is accurately machined to be square, parallel and bored central to the two mounting faces, this is important to allow for various set ups.
The spindle is tool steel and bored for Crawford spit collets simply because I had them in three sizes of imperial and two in metric, and can accommodate a drill chuck if needed.
Bearings are 28x12x8 rubber sealed.
Power is a 12volt DC motor from a golf cart and run through a cheap PWM speed controller, drive belt is from a sewing machine which was a temporary measure but has proved up to the task.
This will just about push a ¼ drill into steel without a pilot hole (not something I would normally do) but you have to find the limits don’t you.
It happily copes with end mills and a mini fly cutter with a ½ inch sweep and I have used it for grinding using mounted point wheels, this has been useful for truing worn chuck jaws etc.
The benefit of taking care in machining the main body is that with a dedicated spacer block it can be mounted either way up exactly on the lathe centre line.
This gets used a lot in my vertical milling attachment of which more later (pictured for now).

[mtwheatley]

Great work! Do you have CAD files for it that you are willing to share? I'd love to make one like yours.

Michael

[olderdan]

Thanks for the comments Michael.
The only CAD files are in Sketchup 3D, they are to scale and can be dimensioned by anyone using that programme.
I have been trying to post them but 3D files are large and so far outside the limit for uploads on the forum.
I will keep trying and add them to the original post if poss.
Regards
Alan

[mtwheatley]

Thanks Alan, Sketchup files would be great!

[olderdan]

Thanks Alan, Sketchup files would be great!

I know its a bit late in the day but I must have missed your request for the Sketchup files which you are welcome to if you still want them.
I would have to send them in zipped form to your email address as they are too large for the forum.
regards
Alan

[Ironduke]

If someone else wanted a copy of the files for the controller would we be able to get a copy?
Elwin Murley @ ironduke66@hotmail.com

[Okapi]

A very good idea, especially for the belt tension, nice work !

[Toolmaker51]

Anyone familiar with RPM and torque range of golf cart motors? Won't DC motors also run either direction?
I like this for both index milling and auxiliary spindle. Variable more attractive than a single speed
tool post grinder, hence question on rpm. Drive ratio will take care of the rest.

[olderdan]

Thanks for the interest,
I cant provide much info on the motor other than its a 200 watt from a Bentley golf trolley, I am not too up on this but I think thats about .27 HP.
No labels on these Chinese made things but at least they are cheap, and yes reversible.
I have another one with is drive gearbox on my lead screw drive and the most current that has drawn under load is 1.5 amps
Regards
Alan

[Toolmaker51]

200 watt +/- .27 HP, cheap, and reversible; one drives gearbox on lead screw most current drawn under load is 1.5 amps.
Thank you olderdan, that info will find the answers. Hardinge HLV's have something like that on their leadscrew, but I recall less power. That will easily run endmills, and what I'm after.