Spindle Upgrade: Tramming, Locating, and Dust Collection

My machine is an AvidCNC 4'x10'. It's not a standard size but AvidCNC's are like legos so you can build what you want, basically. In this video I'm upgrading my spindle to the 8.7HP plug and play spindle. I won't be getting the full 8.7HP though. That rating comes from running it with a 3 phase power source. I'm running mine on 240v single phase. My power rating will be 6.4HP. That's more than double the power of my previous spindle.
www.avidcnc.com/
Coupons to save you money:
- EF5 dust collector (use code JAY5 for 5% off) - jayscustomcreations.com/clearvue
- Router bits - use code JAYBATES15 for 15% off - bitsbits.com/
- Save 10% on CMT saw blades code CMT10 - lddy.no/qi2r
- Save 10% on MicroJig products with the code JayMicrojig10 - lddy.no/ymdw

[@revtmyers1]

Actually nice to finally see someone tram in one of these larger CNCs in a better manner. Congratulations on the nice upgrade.

[@michaelnewell9662]

it's funny seeing the struggle to resist the desire for unnecessary precision. tolerances which make sense with machining metal make no sense at all when milling wood products.

[@MrStrizver]

You're not the only one that chases accuracy unnecessarily. That made me laugh. *MUST DIAL INTO ZERO EXACTLY!!!!*

[@SandyMasquith]

Awesome video! Thanks for the detail explanations. That was great stuff to learn about the offset and how you measured it. Oh, when you do your pecan slab, try to capture those cuttings separately. They might be nice to use in a smoker. If you have a pellet smoker, those pellets are made by pressing sawdust into dense little pellets. You can do the same with your CNC dust and a press. Pecan smoke is awesome on just about any meat you can name!

[@KRWoodworks]

Thank you very much for posting this. This kind of info is great to have for folks just starting out with CNC. I have a much smaller CNC and as I was climbing that steep learning curve I found out about tramming. I trammed with a 1/4" glass plate and then surfaced the spoil board. What a difference. I also use the precision collets from Precise Bits in both my router table, Porter Cable router, and CNC, and again what a difference. I also did a couple of short videos on tramming mine and I'm going to add this video to the reference links. Thanks again Jay.

[@MrRoscoj]

Awesome upgrade!

[@sidespin9968]

Good to see some cnc stuff, about to lose me with all the excerise equipment videos

[@JayBates2]

All 3 of those exercise videos? :)

[@MCsCreations]

Awesome upgrade, Jey! 😃 This thing is going to work even better now! Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@kimhorvath7327]

Have an avid pro 4848 on order. I have watched several of your video's and they are vey informative. Anyway, someone suggested using a probe to see how much it shifted and I thought similar but just sweeping one of the holes in the spoilboard with an interapid or the like to see how much it had changed.

[@krisaunedi4920]

Cool vlog I like your CNC machine. I just bought and finally got it last week a Laguna Tool CNC machine the model is, Laguna Smart Shop 5 Axis CNC machine. It took me 5 years to save for it and finally got it and now hoping to make some serious money now with it.

[@robertsmithUH60driver]

Great info. Would love to get a cnc like yours one day.

[@jeffkeskeaw4027]

The future is here ROBOT CARPENTER

[@Kcustom216]

The size of the shafts you'll be holding has just gone up. 🤭 I couldn't resist. If all goes well I'll be ordering a 4x8 in January.

[@extremewoodworker]

Hi Jay, thanks for posting this. I have the same spindle on my CNC which I just got up and running in the past several weeks and so have had a few thoughts regarding this subject. I considered tramming in a manner similar to what you show however, I discounted it because spoilboards do not start out flat which is why we surface them in the first place. It didn't seem logical to tram to a surface that I did not know was flat. I was starting from scratch which is a different condition than where you started so perhaps you knew your spoilboard was flat. I used the Avid suggested method using a 1/2" endmill and did not notice any ridges so called it good. I then surfaced the spoilboard with the huge Amana (nearly 4" diameter bit) and noticed ridges indicating my Y axis nod was slightly out. I then shimmed out the nod and checked it again with good results. It seems it would make sense to surface the spoilboard again and then re-verify the tramming operation was correct. Steve

[@michaelhooper9729]

Jay, I made a dozen or so dust shoes, trying to get the dust under control. If you look at the professional machines, you will see their shoe is fixed, and the spindle goes up and down independently. This cuts down on the dust plume when your machine does a safe Z move.

[@rickvanderploeg6813]

Was your machine/spindle rigid enough to machine 3/4 plywood full depth at the recommended chip load and get quality edge finishes with a 1/4″ compression bit prior to changing the spindle? Same question for a 3/8″ bit. Same question for a 1/2″ bit. I assume the reason for the spindle change is for the large surfacing bits. I’m wondering if your CNC has the power and rigidity to support production speed cutting with 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 inch router bits with the stock spindle and then what difference do you experience with the upgrades spindle. Maybe the above question is based on ignorance as I just saw something indicating the a rule of thumb is to not exceed half the cutter diameter for the depth of cut. Thanks in advance for sharing. I really enjoy your content.

[@whitexeno]

what's the big benefit from going to that much power on the spindle for just working with wood?

[@mrxmry3264]

if you have a touch probe, you could have used that to determine the new reference point.

[@JayBates2]

Yes. I just wanted to show this method for those who do not.

[@HampsteadHomestead]

Did you run into any limitations with the old one that made you think I wish I had a bigger spindle? Thank you

[@jandrewmore]

Thanks, I was wondering the same. Particularly looking at the bits he likes to run, which are generally on the smaller side. I've got a 3 HP router in a table, and it's that HP because I want to run some really large bits for making doors. Much larger than that and I'd be looking at a shaper, which I might still do.

[@DearHenryA]

Who told their math teacher that they would never use such a thing?