I have seen posts elsewhere on converting the DW611 over to precise bits Think and Tinker chuck and collets. This conversion looks great if you just want to use the same size collets with higher precision. I have not found much of anything on forums about up-converting the shank -- possibly because it does not ring as a great idea in terms of precision, but we will find out. Going through my router bits I had long before this CNC ( bits I already owned for my plunge router ) I came across a few I wouldn't mind using on the CNC but the shank is 1/2" diameter on some whereas the DW611 only accepts upto 1/4". Additionally I have some which are 15/64 which are problematic with this router as well. After some research I found there is a 1/4" shank adapter with ER-20 M chuck and collets for 1/4" and 1/2" shanks available. Being only $27 on scamazon I questioned the precision, but the price is low enough I was willing to make the purchase and give it a test. This Clockwise Tools DIBR-0105 is the tool I will be using to measure runout. First I will measure the router without the adapter in two spots across 25.4mm, then with the adapter using the same method. Has anyone attempted this?
Rather - not a great idea in terms of Horsepower. Bigger diameter shanks usually accompany bigger bits, and thus in turn the amount of power needed to work with them. Also, RPM. Bigger tooling needs lower RPMs
Read the reviews. Beyond the issue of excessive runout the comment about the shaft breaking on the first use is probably the most telling of what bad (and dangerous) idea this is.
This is definitely something I have considered. Worst case if the DWP611 burns up I will switch it over to my Makita that I kinda wish I was running anyway... or a mid-class router that accepts half-inch shanks by default if I can find one that fits in the mounting options and the machine can handle it. The bits I wanted to run wouldn't be used often and ultimately decrease run time with wider steps for certain projects. They are mainly larger high-end surfacing bits that would enable larger carving paths. I did see that review, but I was less skeptical of the shaft breaking than of the person who observes a terrible vibration then says "screw-it" and runs job for 30 minutes without addressing the vibration problem. And that is exactly why I am testing the runout which almost certainly caused their vibration.
The more I think about this thread, the more I am leaning towards just upgrading to a water-cooled spindle. I still want to test the runout on that adapter to satisfy my curiosity, as I try to never leave any project unfinished. Looks like I should have the adapter by Friday to report back, providing no delays in shipping. That said, any recommendations on a spindle upgrade? I see tons of them up and down ebay and amazon but Im curious which have been used by the community with the best success. I prefer to find something that runs on 110v ( though the breaker panel is not too far from the CNC so 220 is possible) that can run a half inch shank.
Can your machine resist the increased cutting forces too? How to calculate V-Slot® deflection High horsepower spindle, big tooling, but on a frame that deflects = just chatter, bad cutting. You have to be able to resist the cutting force, to make chips. On hobbyist machines, 1/4" tooling and HSM strategies are almost always faster than trying to cut fast, wide or deep with conventional strategies
I have not forgot about this thread but haven't had as much time to visit this matter as I anticipated. Received the adapter from scamazon and it is almost certainly the least precise shank i have in my collection by as much as a factor of 5, but to lend some credit I must say that this dwp611 is likely the least precise router I own as well. Should have tested it right out of the box in hindsight. Ive only ran a surface on the spoilboard and run maybe 10 small projects on it -- some basic pockets with only plywood and cast acrylic scrap (max 12×12), never with a feed rate over 2540 or cut depth of more than 2mm and the runout tolerance im seeing on the outside of the spindle is entirely unacceptable. So bad im having someone else test it with a different dial indicator to be sure there is nothing wrong with mine before I start posting numbers. Its a really busy weekend but when i have a chance im also going to test the inside of the spindle where it really matters the most in relation to the shanks, and likely throw this router in the trash where it belongs if those numbers maintain. Will post pics and or video another time. Regarding whether the cnc itself has the structural integrity to handle I do intend to research that in better detail. Waiting on a friend who happens to be a senior associate for wje to meet up with me but hes a bit busy with that miami disaster right now. If i must stick with a 1/4 hp router it will definitely not be the dwp611.
The OEM style collet is usually the culprit, take it out and you'll see why (mass production). The taper in the shaft is usually not too bad. Thus why Precision Dewalt 611 Collet Kits and Elaire Corporation - Dewalt Router Collets exists
Inside of spindle was much better. Collet was not great. Inside spindle ended up being 0.004" after testing it about 10 times to be sure. With the 1/4 collet it was 3x that.
No sir. Im taking baby steps with this rig, making sure i fully understand the right tooling for each material and appropriate speeds for spindle and feed rate. That is one more reason i was looking at other routers. Im very restricted with this compact router.
I've found the factory collets often need a debur.. some 400grit takes care of that. The "dewalt precision collet" set it a good add on. Gary
I have the precision 1/8" reducer. Where can I purchase a full set of spring collets for this rig? Only on precise bits? I have some bits with 15/64 shank too. Not sure if 6mm is close enough or if it would fall out like on a 1/4" collet. If i were to hazard a guess id say i have over 350 router bits collectively. Id like to maximize my options on this cnc to make use of as many as possible when applicable.
Sorry about the delay following up on this post. I do have pictures and videos of my measurements but im not going to upload them at this time, mostly because they are low quality anyway. Cleaned up the inside of the spindle really well and brought it down to 0.0015". I ordered both metric and standard sets of Elaire collets and tested the 1/4" stock dewalt collet against the Elaire with the Sharkbits double flute endmill sold in the openbuilds parts store. The stock dewalt measured at 0.0065 while Elaire collet measured at 0.0025". I cannot say for sure how precise the shank is, but it is clear that the Elaire collet is 4x more precise. Getting back to the 1/4 to 1/2 adapter, i could not measure with the same 1/4 shank so i used a frued TM1465 which i presume to be pretty **** accurate for what they cost. And of course i used the Elaire 1/4 collet. Runout measured at 0.0120. Nearly 10x over the spindle measurement and far more than I would like to see spinning a 1/2" shank bit at 20krpm. No regrets on the 29 dollars spent on the adapter because I am now informed, plus these Elaire collets i ended up buying are super nice.
