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After upgrading my X-Carve with a VFD/Spindle I’m left with a DeWalt 611 only used for things like cleaning up the remains of tabs after a cut has finished which isn’t a whole lot…
Sooo… A moment ago I was wondering if I could turn that DeWalt 611 into some sort of dumb 4th Axis used for CNC Lathe work?
Like building a fixture for it and a tailstock parallel to the X-Axis and create a fixture for lathe specific tools that can be installed in or on the Spindle Mount.
Is this a concept that might work using the DeWalt 611 or am I looking into troubles due to its high speed at even the lowest setting?
Since the Dewalt has a 17K minimum speed well any router really, I would not attach any stock to this spindle. It is an order of magnitude faster than a lathe.
Since you have a cnc machine… you could make gears that would reduce the speed. maybe use the inspiration of Izzy Swan, he uses a drill to power just about anything.
I could 3D Print a nice set of planetary gears using my Form² for precision and then encase them in a CNCed piece of Delrin for structural integrity but 16’000rpm would - As shown in @xfredericox video - still require cooling I’m not exactly keen about… ( maybe redirect the DeWalts expelled air through the Gearbox? Mhh… ) A belt and pulley system might work but still… I guess I just have to accept that the DeWalt 611 will not find a lot more use other than occasionally cleaning up Tabs left from a CNCed operation.
Maybe I’ll pick this idea up using a bunch of cheap geared motors… a low speed 10rpm one acting like a dumb 4th axis I have to turn myself between different operations and a high speed one ( but a lot slower than the DeWalt 611 ) for lathe work.