Milling spindle motor

I am finally starting to make my own milling spindle for my lathe mostly based on an idea I got from Steve Jordan

I've not selected a motor for this yet and my original idea was to get a small 3 phase motor and VFD....

I have however been looking at Brushless DC motors (BLDC) as I see the used quite a lot these days. They actually work out a little cheaper than a 3 phase setup with the advantage that the motor is quite a lot smaller.

Has anyone had any experience of using something like a 57BLF03 motor and BLBC-8015A driver such as this

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 01/06/2020 16:38:46

I haven't used one but a couple of things strike me.

One, it isn't very powerful - 188W = 1/4 hp; also quite low speed.

It needs a lot of current - quite a beefy PSU for 24V, 12A continuous, 36A peak. This item adds another nearly £60 to the cost.

A neat package though.

Hello Mark,

I too am in the process of making a grinding spindle for a tool and cutter grinder that I am building. I haven't decided on a motor to drive it yet so I'm quite interested in your experiences.

My spindle is going to use a 12 mm shaft with four slim line bearings type 61701ZZ which are 18 mm diameter and 4 mm thick. The body is made from EN1L steel 35 mm diameter and 125 mm long.

John H

That link just goes to a ebay listing for a PSU.

Edited By ian j on 18/05/2020 22:05:56

I used one of these 200W motors and controllers from Ebay **LINK**

My milling spindle uses a 12 mm er 11 parallel shank holder and has plenty of power to drive a 6mm/1/4" endmill

Stay well,

Rod

Exactly

Agreed adding the power supply for the BLDC kit does add to the cost significantly.

The link to the motor Roderick has used is however exactly the same as Steve Jordan used in his video. It actually represents very good value for what I'm trying to achieve.

I will be using it for driving horological wheel cutters so the speed and power rating works well. Depending on what I'm doing I need a speed range of 500 to 2000 rpm which should be easy with the speed controller and appropriate pulleys.

Thanks for pointers - this helps loads.

For small cutters, say ~3mm or less, 2000 rpm would be very slow. I run even 6mm cutters at 5000 rpm on my CNC mill for appropriate materials. So a 1:2 step up pulley in the cluster would be useful I think.

In addition to the PSU you would need a stepper motor controller to generate the step pulses. Like this **LINK**

I recently made a toolpost spindle but mainly for drilling etc.

It has a variable DC motor driving a 2 to 1 ratio tooth belt and pulley.

David

Critical, maybe, but here is my assessment of those videos.

I watched his videos and was, frankly, appalled at his kit and methodology. And I’m not even a (proper) machinist.

His drills clearly only really cut on one flute, the parts video was a blatant advert for his (probably freeby) digital micrometer, turning long large diameters without a fixed steady is decidedly poor practice, using a 3-jaw chuck and expecting concentricity between his two bearings is farcical, not turning his bar to ensure it was perfectly round all along its length as a starting point and not a dial indicator in sight, etc, etc.

At the start he extolled the virtues of the 20mm parallel milled spindle, but only ‘measured’ it in inches, and at the final fitting of the bearings remarked on the apparent taper of that supposedly ‘precision’ shaft (likely another item sourced from his usual supplier?)

I think an oil seal at each end of that housing might just have been a possibility.

Am I being too harsh on him and his videos?

Um, no, it isn't a stepper motor.

In addition to the PSU you would need a stepper motor controller to generate the step pulses.

The drive description shows that speed control can be either by an internal potentiometer, 0-5V signal or PWM input, so a stepper motor drive pulse generator would not be required ?

There appear to be other power outputs available - the same seller has 330W motor/drive packages for around £10 more. Obviously would require a larger power supply as well.

Nigel B.

He does have some good ideas, but its always worth pointing out improvements to the techniques he has presented. You do have a fair point about turning that long length in a 3 jaw chuck without a steady.

I agree ! No I wouldn't say critical at all.

That's both the 'cure and the curse' of Youtube...you get all sorts of stuff from golden nuggets to dross and there's plenty of the later......However, Steve Jordan offers his exploits as they are and they probably suit him and his workpieces such as they are. As has been already pointed out, he offers ideas and possiblities.

The site has a pronounced 'down' on Steve Jordans videos, but virtually all of the many sneering detractors don't appear to have posted any videos themselves!....indeed many of them don't even make anything!!?

I did have a quick look for videos on youtube by 'not done it yet' & 'john baron'...I did'nt find anything so perhaps they could direct everybody the their vids please.

Hi Bob, Guys,

You won't find any videos of mine because I've never done one, other than by accident the other day when taking pictures of my chuck jaws. And I don't know how I did that...

Nor do I intend making videos for you tube. Handling radioisotopes or separating Silver, Gold and Platinum from scrap are likely better done by the UKAEA or Johnson Matthey (as appropriate). Aromatic oils production, dispensing and such like is likewise not too interesting for most - who simply buy the little bottles of same. Along with a load of other abilities, as well, accrued over a life of practicality.

I am sharp enough to recognise most poor practices on poor you tube videos, which a lot of people would just lap up and follow on, perpetuating the bad practices as normal procedure.

I will never aspire to the abilities of several of the you tube channel providers, but at least I don't lap up the appalling practices undertaken/demonstrated by the likes of some out there. One hopes that Mark B simply took on board the idea and not any of the dodgy practices - and ignored the blatant advertising for one particular chinese supplier of likely rubbish or reject items.

I followed the link to see what the idea was, then watched the rest to see how it progressed (from bad to worse?). His presentation was clearly that of an amateurish salesman, not a professional machinist.

Later this, or next, week, I will likely be rebuilding a Simms diesel injection pump, but I would not be putting up a you tube video of that either. Nor will I be using my lathe or mills for that little job! We all make mistakes, but I sure don’t want to learn them from you tube.

. Great comment. I think there box brownie is broken.

Steve.

I just had a look for his profile - he doesn’t even have one! Also looked for his videos but couldn’t decide which bob she was!🙂

No box brownie, but I still have my developing and printing photographic kit, although not used for twenty years or more (and only B&W because of my partial colour blindness precluded me getting colours and balance anywhere near right - I do know my limitations).

Off now to balance the charge levels of the solar power battery (no BMS) and clean the roof-top solar panels, then later to remove the diesel pump, for repair/rebuild to get the lorry back to operational condition. Might go machining later as the steering lock bracket needs replacement. Ho hum, more to life than just making models (or videos).