Spindle Question

[gerryv]

A while back I bought a machine with a bad spindle so replaced it with the same 4hp HSD. I'm wondering what the "standard" is for one of these in terms of the "whisper quiet" and "silky smooth" comments we sometimes read. It would help me decide what to do with the old one. So, for those with one of these spindles a couple of questions please, assuming a normal, relatively new spindle as the standard:

1. When the spindle is running but not cutting and the gantry is not moving, should you feel high frequency vibrations travelling through the machine when you grip the aluminum X extrusions and if you do is that when you would start to worry?

2. With all other shop equipment and dust extraction turned off, should the spindle at say 12,000-15,000 rpm be much louder than its fan, about the same or actually quieter? Another comparison would be as compared to a PC router at the same speed - 10%, 25% or maybe 50% as loud.

Thanks much.

[Bob Eustace]

I can take some actual HSD decibel readings for you Gerald if that would help.

[gerryv]

That would be great Bob, it would give me something to compare against as I'm assuming that there is a somewhat predictable curve between perfect and catastrophic failure and that noise level and vibration can be correlated to it.

[danhamm]

Is the new as just as loud as the old one ?

[Ajcoholic]

Gerald,
I too have the 4HP HSD spindle. When running but not cutting (like say, doing the warm up routine where it goes through 3 rpm ranges in 9 or 10 minutes) it is MUCH louder than the cooling fan.

I dont know about the whisper quiet thing, I mean, I have had a lot of various motors on all sorts of woodworking machinery through the years (most of it 3 phase) and the only thing I'd say was whisper quiet is the power feeder on my shapers, and maybe the drive on the wide belt sander. Low speed motors.

Anything running at 10,000 to 18,000 rpm is going to make a bit of a noise, no doubt. The spindle seems very smooth, yet it is not "vibration free" either.

I have the big Porter Cable router in my router table. On one of the higher RPM's I'd say it is much louder than the HSD spindle (both running but not cutting). But the spindle still makes noise - just not nearly as loud.

I too can take some Decibel readings of both, if you wish. I often check my noise levels to see what's what in the shop.

AJC

[gerryv]

That would be great Andrew.

I guess those comments we often see on the forum about spindles being so quite you can inadvertently cut up your hand thinking it's off may be what has me asking.

It's actually the vibration being transmitted through the machine I wonder about most being that it's a known bearing killer and not nice to electronics either. That's the main reason I'd not want to stick a bad one on for very long.

[gene]

I think you got bad info. my 4 hp spindle is much quieter than a ROUTER . when i turn on my vac hold down i can not hear the spindle (7.5 Roots Blower) . I know with just the spindle on i can tell that it is running by the sound it makes over the fan . You may have purchased a spindle for an extra.

[danhamm]

They are usually talking about the water cooled spindles being whisper quiet, not air cooled with fans, I know when I start my spindle it sounds loud until it starts cutting then all you here is the bit noise.

[MogulTx]

Having run a couple ShopBots with PC Routers and one with the 4HP HSD spindle, I can tell you that the Router is MUCH louder. It is not super quiet with my spindle, but it is MUCH quieter than either of the machines I ran before.

I also think the spindle is WAY quieter at 9000RPM. At 13K my spindle is a bit noisy. Above 13.5K - maybe 14K, mine seems to smooth out again and is quieter before I increase it into the higher speeds. I think 18K is pretty darn loud. Not as loud as my old PC router, but loud.

I would take it over my PC router ANY day.

Vibration: I can feel a bit at certain speeds. Nothing that has me concerned.

MGM

[chiloquinruss]

The comments about having an accident with a spindle is with other equipment running. I.E. with my pc table router running along with my dust collector I CAN hear the pc table router. With the DC running and my Bot spindle running I CANNOT hear the spindle running, therefore a possible accident. Both of these examples are running but NOT cutting. Hope that helps. Russ

[jerry_stanek]

my 2.2 hsd spindle is very quite if I disconnect the fan and stand 3 feet the away you don't hear it running. the fan is much louder than the spindle and it is just a large computer style fan.

[SomeSailor]

With my dust collector running you could not notice a lawn mower running in the room. :)

My 4HSD spindle is also not 'whisper quiet' by any means. I just was warming mine up and it sits pretty predictably at 80db and a bit lower at the high end. The lowest seems to be right at 16000 RPM.

The real noise comes when I turn on my dust collector. That bad boy holds at about 105db. Definitely time for ear plugs out there. :)

[gerryv]

Interesting range on the sound level. I'm still a little hesitant to use the old one either until it dies completely or as a backup so I guess I'll just run the new one. The old one cuts poorly compared to the replacement one anyway. I think I'll investigate the place in Toronto that specializes in spindle rebuilds. Depending on price and guarantee, it might be worth the gamble. If I go ahead with that I'll post the results.

Thanks everyone for the help and advise.