Beginners guide to a Spindle VFD upgrade on your CNC

[@cyberlizardcouk]

adding a VFD was one of the first improvements I added. I like them as you can hear yourself think when they are running... unlike a router.

[@chrishayes5755]

I have a 2.2kw vfd (water cooled), going to need to install it one day but it's not a priority. good to see it's a nice easy process!

[@karlriley1314]

James, it took me a little while to figure out what you meant by "Checking the spindle is earthed" but I think you are talking about it being "Grounded". hehe We speak the same language but have different meanings. hehe. Love these videos of yours, they are very informative and helpful. Keep them coming.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

😆 I think there is a point in the video where I quickly say earthed and grounded in the same sentence but yes, same thing....ultimately to male sure we dont get shocked 😁

[@adrianharrison5208]

I will watch this one when I get home from work. Looking forward to seeing the video as I bought a spindle upgrade about 2 years ago and I still have to use it.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Mine was 18 months ago...only just got around to installing it 😆

[@adrianharrison5208]

@@JamesDeanDesigns 😂 it's so easy to do when you are busy

[@Martin-uj6zn]

Awesome video as always James. The community is lucky to have you.

[@randolph50]

Hi James. I enjoy your videos even if I am not about to build what you are. I build CNCs from scratch and have a 2.2 KW spindle and VFD to put on the latest one. The guy I buy all of my stepper motors, cables, motor controllers and even this spindle/VFD combo is very helpful in designing systems, I think he is an electronic engineer among other talents. He's talked me through building a CNC milling machine, a 4'x4' CNC router with a Gecko 540 controller and now a larger CNC router with the 2.2KW spindle. He insists that soldered on cable ends will clear up any problem due to corrosion over time and that the sheilding mesh should not be cut back but twisted into and wire a wire lead soldered on and set up to run to ground. He also solders ring conector on the ends and covers them with heat shrink. Crimped wire connectors can lead to issues. Here a short video about a VFD conector cable he builds. He has a wealth of how to videos and choosing components and wiring them. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYDHiqGwaJatoJo

[@Thomllama]

Cool video, well presented. One thing is the ramp up/ramp down. There is a reason for the long spin up and it’s to warm up the bearings. Even in super cheapo spindles the bearings are set for heat expansion. You should never wind it up fast, but let it slowly speed up to let the balls in the bearing settle correctly until it’s warmed up. Will prematurely wear out your bearings by ramping up so fast.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Very true. I've been meaning to make a follow up talking about warm ups and how to do a warm up sequence and pause code before a job starts.

[@Alex-gi7sm]

I have spent so many time and now finally found someone properly explaining how to do the wiring on this setup. Especially regarding earth and shield. Thanks so much and keep up the good work. Best regards from Germany. ❤

[@thelfordlacan7471]

Right on time. Was on spindle and I got you right there. Thanks I got it all. I need some more help.

[@LarryBaruth]

Hi James- When I installed my 2.2k spindle it was highly recommended (actually they said required) that the VFD be mounted in a metal cabinet with metal door. and that all components including cabinet and door be grounded and bonded together. I did this and also also installed fans in cabinet for cooling. By doing this I have had zero electrical interference. I've talked with others who didn't comply with this and they've had multiple problems with EMI. Just a heads up in case you should start having any issues. Great video as always. Keep 'em coming!

[@danielnaden28]

That was a great video. I've recently purchased a 1.5kw water-cooled spindle. I just need to find a video to see if I can wire the pump into the VFD to work inline with the spindle.

[@robertfagerholm6999]

Great vids as always, would like to point out the importance of the shilding tho, if you have a hamradio guy living close to you, he will come charging with a pitchfork and a torch. Its a great "noise" creator and can in fact give your own porly shilded computer, cellphone or cnc box big problems.

[@zaviardavis7851]

Another great video @JamesDeanDesigns I'm sure this video will give persons alot more confidence in VFD Spidles. You make it look so easy! 👌🏾👌🏾

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thank you very much 👍

[@mohammadlateef7543]

Hi there nice video. By the way the deceliration time must be longer than that because that will allow the spindle to cool down after working and getting hot as long as it's air cooled spindle. I hop I'm not wrong.

[@adrianharrison5208]

A really good and professional video from you as usual, very helpful to people such as myself who just need to get on with this upgrade. One thing I will say is if you have a water cooled spindle make sure you have water running through it if you are running it, apparently they can overheat pretty quickly

[@ericgossard8808]

Nice video. Really well thought out and very nicely explained. No jibberish, just straight to the point with useful info. Thought:: Throw some tape on the spindle with some extra hanging off. It's a good visual for what the spindle is doing without having to physically check it.. Just an Idea. Great video though. Keep em coming.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thank you and a useful bit of advice 👍

[@Festivejelly]

Would something like this be worth adding to the new genmitsu 4030 machine. I dont have one yet but im looking to be mainly cutting aluminium and some acryllic, I wouldnt want to put an expensive bit of kit on a machine that couldnt really handle it rigidity wise.

[@WoodomainJeremyBroun]

Could you advise please on what cabling I need and where I buy it to connect my 2.2kw spindle to the VFD unit

[@21291dim]

Thank you again for an amazing and clear video !

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@brianmatsuo1032]

Top notch quality once again. Really appreciate the time you put in to produce professional level videos. I’ve not watched all your videos so this question may be answered elsewhere; I apologize for the silly question - why would I consider acquiring a VFD setup? Is it to vary speed during a cut?

[@brianmatsuo1032]

And a follow up - does something like the Fox Alien iOT relay interoperate with a VFD controller. It seems like it may be incompatible.

[@rickr911]

Is this drive made specifically for that spindle and the motor parameters already set for the motor nameplate information. Usually the motor nameplate info needs to be entered into the drive parameters or it will not run at the correct speed and not at max efficiency.

[@Eccentricmick]

Hi James, for 8 years I've been trying to get the manual on the Askpower A131 VFD you are showing and I'm excited that you have made a video showing spindle control as I've been trying to do that to - mine is still manula and costing money leaving spindle running! But I'm desperate for the correct need a manual showing PN parameters - do you know where I can get one? many thanks Mick

[@JohnColgan.]

Hi james, ive been looking to get another VFD for my 4030 v2. They've almost doubled in price since last year!! I've noticed 2 alternatives. 600w brushless square can 12k rpm. 800w 52mm Canister, 110v DC. Like a 300w on Steroids but very reasonable prices. £85+ need to get a 110vDC power box.

[@ydeardorff]

Could you make a video on upgrading the genmitsu 3018 pro into something strong and reliable? Such as all metal parts, linear rails, upgrades motherboard, steppers, and spindle

[@warrenking1815]

Good job James, and well explained!

[@kevinmyers5543]

Thank you, this video helped me out!

[@Jbpipesandmufflers]

Read this before you start buying alternative vfds or what ever extra things.I bought this vevor spindle and vfd. Instaid of the 5v port. I used 0-20ma in. This does put the rpm correct. Works like a charm. It just happens to be exactly right as far as i can measure mah..

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

That's interesting, I tried all the inputs on mine and I couldn't get any to work correctly without using a voltage converter and separate power supply

[@Jbpipesandmufflers]

@@JamesDeanDesigns i can if needed make a video for you or make pictures. Only dont exactly know how i can reach you. I have the vevor 2.2kv inverter. Same version as you in the movie. With 800watt spindle. First i turned down the potmeter on the mainboard of the controle box completely. This gave me 4 volts. Instaid of 3.6 on the pwm and slightly higher voltage on the steppers.(0.1v) The spare 48v port next to the pot went down in voltage a lot. But im not using this. I had a invt converter on it first and i was able to set about everything you want to set it up on the 5v imput by setting 100% spindle at 4v. But thought.. yeah. This is not what i want. Couse its only 0.75kw and i want to upgrade to 1.5kw spindle later So. Thats where the tinkering came from. The potentiometer turned left fully. 0-20mah imput. And that gives me the controle to use it at the rated 400hz. At 4v as voltage imput i only got 320hz

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

@jeffreybres3999 oh cool. You can contact me through Facebook or a contact form on my website. Just send a short message on the form and then I'll reply so you'll have my email address www.jamesdeandesigns.com

[@mikebay4852]

Hi James thanks again for great tutorials. Really need to see episode 2, Bob to VFD but cannot find it. Have you done it yet please

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Posted it up on Monday. Still not 100% there but shows the steps taken to get it working

[@ssddcc]

Great video and superb explanation!! If this is to be used in an enclosure, how thick is that cable/hose? Also is the hose fairly flexible or more rigid??

[@mattrombach8947]

Thanks James

[@GeneDascher]

So when connecting the shielding on the VFD side to the earth/ground, do you do the same thing with the shielding on the spindle side, so that you have BOTH the ground/earth wire AND the shielding connecting to pin 4?

[@julianlowes2444]

Extremely helpful 👍👍

[@abelgarcia6890]

Is it possible to set the spindle speed from grblcontrol (candle) software? It would be great to use a smart relay control and/or analog input from cnc controller to the vfd, so you don't have to start/stop the vfd and manually change speeds

[@targetshooter3751]

Basic Guide for Beginners: RPM = 4 x CS / Tool Dia. (inches) RPM = 4 x 100(steel) / .3125 = (1280 RPM --- With Coolant!) FEED = RPM x # of teeth X Chip-load = IPM FEED = 1280 x 4 x .0025 = 12.8 IPM (With Coolant!) Cutting Speeds (CS) --- Steel = 100, Alum = 400, Stainless = 40, wood = 800+ Make the tool as short as possible. Adjust these specs accordingly! Wear safety goggles!

[@md.uzairahmed7774]

Sir James, I have built a handwriting automated cnc machine (just a diy). The machine executes the task by writing in random places to finish the work, although it does the job very well I want it to write line by line. How could I make it do that? Please help. I would be extremely grateful. 😊😊😊😊😊

[@patrickgirard-k3g]

très intéressant , à retenir pour le futur!

[@davebuchan3136]

Hi James what type of cable did you use for the spindle ?

[@lurcherino]

Outshone yourself with this James, great content. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. I am still campaigning for your knighthood

[@mattrombach8947]

Looking for part 2. Did you post one ?

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

@mattrombach8947 I did. There was also meant to be a part 3 but haven't got around to filming it yet kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnzGhXebn8qtpZY

[@johnpeters211]

James, do you do a breaking process with your spindle, kind of like a neww engine. Hold at a certain RPM for a certain amount of time? Thnaks.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

I didnt...maybe I should of. Some places do suggest warming your spindle up. Slowly building the RPMs up over the course of one or two minutes before starting a job each day

[@johnprosser2142]

As always James, you are a lifesaver! Just looked at the 1.5kw air cooled kit, do you think this would be too heavy for my Genmitsu 4040 Pro?

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

The motors will handle the weight but you may have some flexibility in the middle of the X axis

[@johnprosser2142]

@@JamesDeanDesigns thank you so much for that! Do you think even an 800 W would be too heavy or even a 500?

[@truckersdream6080]

Maybe you can help me, I have a Fox Alien XE-Pro the VFD is rated at 2.2 on the torque of stepper motor. Can I wire a 1.2kw spindle like the one in your video directly to my Fox Alien without having to purchase the additional VFD unit. If so then that leads me to my next question? How do I do that... there is 2 wires going to the 400watt spindle I see the 1.5 has 4 wires... Can you help me?? Ron

[@velcrodreams178]

Thank you James!

[@creatingcraftstoday]

how do you connect the vfd spindle to your existing spindle connection. i have a 4040pro

[@michaelk5889]

Where is a link for the spindle used in the video? The links show different spindles than shown here. Thx

[@nmore878]

Hey James I have a few questions new to CNC machines bought my first CNC machine a (Genmitsu 4030) when I got it none of the bits would touch my project material so I adjusted the height of the spindle by unscrewing the four screws on front and droping it down until my bit meets my table was this correct of me to do?

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Yes, thats fine to do 👍

[@Bernhard-c3r]

Do not solder stranded wires used for power! It's perfectly fine for low power applications. But: If the connection gets too hot the solder will become liquid again. Bad connections and high current will cause a lot of heat and once the solder starts to liquify the resitance will increase which increases the heat and no on. Do you plan to run this machine unantendet? Anything flamable near by, wood, saw dust or paint?

[@davidhughes4020]

Hi James tried looking for your recommendations on a spindle and vdu on your links and can’t find any for sale any ideas please Dave

[@oficinanoz]

Can I use a cordless Makita Drt50z on a Masuter Pro? It weights about 2,1kg, 300g more than a traditional one.

[@Brandon-d1d]

Can you update the link for the spindle you used please. I can't seem to find that Vevor air-cooled spindle.

[@TheSepharos]

Hey Guys, currently i think about getting my first CNC. I thinking about getting the Genmitus PROVerXl V2 because i like the idea that i am able to increase the working area pretty easy and "cheap". At the checkout i saw that they offer an 1,5kW Water Cooled Spindle Motor Kit, with VFD & Water Pump and now i am not sure if it worth to invest 330€ additional for a spindle? I am a complete newbie in CNC and woodwork in general... Is it worth to upgrade your system from beginning? Does someone know how the noise different between a normal 400w Router and the water cooled spindel is?

[@linarestribe]

How does the 2.2kw compare to a Mikita on the Genmitsu 4040 pro?

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

It's nearly 4 times more powerful but equally a bit more weight. May result in a bit of sag near the middle of the x axis

[@ynnocser]

@@JamesDeanDesigns Shouldn`t we be more concerned on sack of Z-axis - X to sack I think is more unlikely. Although mounted since a while on 4040pro I did not have challenging jobs since then.

[@massimilianocomi5574]

Any advantages (except noise ) of 0,8 kW spindle over the Makita router ? Thx

[@fredmercury1314]

In the UK, brown is always live.

[@aman53608]

Would i need to upgrade my z axis on my foxalien vasto if i were to upgrade my spindle to a 1.5k watt air-cooled spindle thanks in advance

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

No, the Vasto will handle this fine 👍

[@MaintDocs]

You didn't mention that how fast you should stop your spindle is limited by the braking resistor, so don't go overkill on it, lest you risk killing your vfd.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Didn't mention it because I didn't know that to be honest so it's useful to know

[@Reviews-Tidbits]

Can you control the speed in your software?

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Yes this video will help. I finally figured out the issue I had in this video though and need to do a follow up kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnzGhXebn8qtpZY

[@cncwoodcrafofficial]

good job keep it up.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thank you 😊

[@banka1321]

I installed my spindle like you. When I start the spindle with the button "run" it runs, but then all light (com, alm, dsp, run, hz, rpm) blink very fast and i cannot stop or adjust the rpms. Does anybody had the issue? Has it something to do that i dont have a break resistance or is just the wiring wrong?

[@Meusde]

ty

[@chanceanderson3085]

My spindle is air cooled 500w but it only has two wires ? can in i use a vfd with it ?

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

No, that will just be a DC spindle. It can't be used with a VFD. Or not to my knowledge anyway.

[@MrNutmegdesigns]

I purchased the UltimateBee this spring 1500x1500 2.2K 220v air spindle xPRO controller. I had so many issues with the controller and getting the motors to move right I scrapped it and got a NightHawk controller. All the motors are working perfectly now, but I can not control the VFD. I have gone over all the settings and matched them up to what seemed to be the best choice and moved the jumper. Still, the spindle will not turn. I am hoping someone out there will be able to help me.

[@joemccluskey4554]

Did you ever get this sorted? I have similar issues within my FoxAlien Vasto XL.

[@rickr911]

The manufacturer of the VFD should give instructions on how to de-rate the drive when running on single phase versus three phase. The 2.2k drive should be able to run the 1.5k spindle on single phase but it would be worth double checking with the manufacturer. It will definitely not run a2.2k spindle on single phase.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

As I said at the start, I'm not an electrical engineer so I'm really not sure. Does 230v make a difference to 110v supply because I'm pretty sure I know people in the UK running a 2.2kw setup off single phase? Maybe I'll look into it some more

[@rickr911]

@@JamesDeanDesigns this particular drive may already be de-rated for use on single phase power. It depends on who they are marketing to. I’m used to Siemens and Rockwell which are industrial drives and almost never used with single phase. 230 requires less current. If you can provide the current required with 110v it will work the same as 230

[@Roy_Tellason]

One thing that I would have done differently is to use ring terminals rather than the "spade lugs" that you used there. These will *not* come off unless the screws are the whole way out... :-)

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

I get that, makes sense. I think getting rings in on this particular model would be a pain to get in with the plates as well, but on some other models I've seen where the ports are more open it would be easy enough to do

[@Roy_Tellason]

I remember how narrow the slots on some of those terminal strips were, and how I had to use a dremel to make the ring terminals a bit narrower as wel to get them in there. :-)

[@ynnocser]

@Roy_Tellason Me too, but ring-terminals are truely the better option

[@randolph50]

Vince's video connecting shielded cable to VFD kzbin.info/www/bejne/moWuf5xmmpikeMU