Dewalt DWP 611 X Carve Upgrade

[@ManhattanWoodProject]

Excellent video! I can't wait until I can get the 611, that sucker was hauling!

[@Blackrain4xmas]

THANK YOU SO MUCH for the tips and info Can't believe that inches per minute!

[@CharleyThomas2016]

+Blackrain4xmas I recently replaced that 1/4 inch bit with at 1/2 inch bit and ran the same speeds and it worked out great. Got a nice smooth waste board milled down in about 1/2 the time. All hail the Dewalt Gods!

[@SJWoodworks]

Charley, the link to the tutorial didn't come through on your last comment (at least on my iPad). Can you provide it one more time? Thanks for all this great info!

[@SteveCarmichael]

Thanks for the info Charley. Looking into upgrading mine. It's a shame you have to sand the Dewalt's body and cut a notch in the mount to make it work though.

[@CharleyThomas2016]

Steve Carmichael I agree, however if you are careful you can make it look good. I did see where someone drilled and tapped a hole in the spindle mount rather than cutting a slot in it. Wish I had thought of that. They put a screw in the hold which when screwed in, presses the spindle lock so you can change bits. Still, the modifications are paying off considerably.

[@FletcherHandcraftedGuitars]

Nice upgrade Charley, I've got a Dewalt on the way too. The Makersilde upgrade with the steel bar is cool too but kind of freaks me out drilling into the rails.. Might give that one a bit of though for a while ;-)

[@CharleyThomas2016]

***** As I have been saying all along, I was reluctant but made the leap anyway. If worst come to worst you can always order new X axis rails, but I truly believe that the modification is well worth the trouble. It makes the machine much more solid especially with the dewalt on board.

[@SJWoodworks]

I,d like to see some details about where you put the steel bar to stiffen the x axis. Also, where is your spindle plugged in now? I assume it is no longer operated by the xcarve power supply, so you just have to manually start and stop it, and rout the power cord somewhere, am I right? And the old spindle wiring you removed and tucked out of the way - where is that now? Sorry for so many questions - I see this as likely one of my first upgrades when I get my machine in a week or two. Thanks!

[@CharleyThomas2016]

SJWoodworks The spindle is plugged in on it's own for now. I plan to put a 12v DC to 120V AC switch in line soon. Then it will be turned on and off by the CNC machine like the stock spindle was. I will still have to adjust the speed manually but I can live with that. For the power cord, for now it is zip tied to the X axis drag chain and then just hangs off the side of the table. That will be routed through the drag chain in the near future with all the other wires. The old spindle wire was disconnected from the block of wires where the stepper motor connects. I left the power wires that come from the power supply in place so If I have a need to reinstall the stock spindle I can. For now they just terminate at the power block if that makes sense. I put together a pictorial explanation of the steel bar to stiffen the x axis which in my opinion should be done by everyone. I have had some comments about it and they have all be positive. This link should get you the pdf of the tutorial. www.dropbox.com/s/4fqpscqj9o2gjlv/X%20Carve%20Rigid%20Mod%20With%20Pictures.pdf?dl=0The steel spline and Dewalt mod are well worth doing. If you haven't received your xcarve yet, you can probably call them and have them cancel the spindle and substitute the dewalt mount instead. Probably save you some money in the long run. You'll have to buy the dewalt separately. They are on Amazon now for $119. Lowe's for a little more. Then of course you will need a 1/8 inch collet if you want to use those bits, which you probably will.Hope this helps.

[@CharleyThomas2016]

Charley Thomas email me at [e-mail] and I will emal a copy to you. Not sure how else to get it to you.

[@marcelocorrea7916]

Hi there, I really like the insertion on the x axis. I will try on my shapeoko...... One question. How about the plate's mounting holes. Do You need to enlarge it by 3/16" ?

[@CharleyThomas2016]

+Marcelo Correa I'm not sure what you are referring to when you asked about the plate's mounting holes and enlarging them by 3/16". I haven't never had my hands on a shapoko. On the xcarve, there is normally a gap between the x rails with nothing but air between them. The 3/16 steel bar simply fills that gap. The holes to hold it in place do not exist and have to be drilled by you.

[@marcelocorrea7916]

Sorry for the late answer, so its explained. in shapeoko both makerslides are screwed together.... So expanded holes are needed to fit the extra length. Thanks,

[@TheRangeControl]

Are these modifications in lieu of purchasing the DeWalt spindle mount, or do you have to purchase the mount for it in addition to purchasing the mounting bracket for the Dewalt on the X-Carve?

[@CharleyThomas2016]

+TheRangeControl I purchased the dewalt dwp 611 from Lowe's and the mount from Inventables. The mount replaces the stock mount that comes with the XCarve. Easy to do. You just have to make a minor modification to allow access to the spindle lock to change your bits. Hope that answered your question.

[@TheRangeControl]

+Charley Thomas Alllllmost... LOL Could you please show a quick 2 min. on the cut you made to reinforce the X axis and how you mounted it? I would be much obliged, sir. :-D

[@CharleyThomas2016]

+TheRangeControl Here is a video of the modification made by Robert from Manhattan Wood Project. About the only difference in my mod and his is that I inserted the steel between the maker slides and clamped it securely using several clamps, then removed the clamped assembly and drilled it on the drill press, then bolted and re-installed. His video is very well done. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eX2tn6muf7GXnbs I hope this helps because the modification makes a huge difference and is definitely worth doing.

[@Patricksworkshop]

Sweet great video. Thanks

[@MrExo_3D]

What speed do you typically set the dewalt too?

[@CharleyThomas2016]

+adamfilip Generally speaking, the slower you keep the rpm on the Dewalt the better results you will achieve. I know it sounds like it should run faster to get smoother cuts but that is not the case. Higher speeds can actually over heat your bits and cause them to dull quicker yielding poor results. The rpm of the Dewalt 611 are as follows: (1) - 16,200 (2 ) - 17,700 (3) - 19,450 (4) - 21,100 (5) - 23,500 (6) - 26,900. Most CNC Spindles don't run that fast and many will have much slower speeds than at setting 1. So to answer your question, It depends on the material and quality I am after. Generally speaking though, I stay between 1 1/2 to 3 with a 1/4 inch endmill and no higher than 5 with small bits on the speed dial. Running at 6 for long periods is not recommended and will lead to premature failure of the router.

[@TheRangeControl]

Charley, to be clear, I'm not posting this to be at all argumentative. I am simply posting to gain a little more insight into the response from inventables about their stating no need for modification and taking a look at their mounting images. I'm trying to compare images and figure out why their mounting leaves buttons so unencumbered, versus yours clearly needing adjustments. www.inventables.com/technologies/x-carve-dewalt-611-spindle-mount

[@CharleyThomas2016]

+TheRangeControl Sorry, I completely missed what you were asking before. The reason I, and others, modified the mount for the Dewalt is so that it can be moved up higher into the mount. Without creating some sort of an access hole or slot for the lock button, the dewalt will have to be moved deeper into the mount an additional 1 inch or so to gain access to the lock button for the chuck. This can limit the maximum thickness of your stock that you intend to mill. This may or may not be an issue your you. I just prefer to have all my options open as much as possible. I hope this answers you questions.

[@TheRangeControl]

+Charley Thomas Ahhh, I totally get it. Thank You. :-)