Ok... I know some are going to say its just the wrong tool for the job, but
I get a lot of use out of the little Bosch Colt routers as a high speed
spindle for detail cutters on aluminum. I've got one that is due for new
bearings, and overall I am not unhappy with the stock bearings. I get
hundreds of hours out of them. I have found there are lots of possible
replacement bearings. The stock ones are only a few dollars and I may go
that way, but if a hybrid or ceramic might last longer it might be worth
paying a little more. They have to be able to handle continuous speed upto
about 35000 RPM. Actually free spin at max according to my tach is a little
higher, but I always back it off just slightly from max. My brushes last
2-3 times as long when I do that. They have to handle both axial and radial
load. Most of the time they are shaving thousands at high feed rates with
little side load, but once in a while on an aggressive cut/plunge with a
bigger cutter I can actually hear the motor slow down for a moment. I don't
want to spend more on bearings than the whole spindle is worth only to have
them turn to ceramic powder the first time I push them a little too hard.
Suggestions? Ideas?

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
Ok... I know some are going to say its just the wrong tool for the job,
but I get a lot of use out of the little Bosch Colt routers as a high
speed spindle for detail cutters on aluminum. I've got one that is due
for new bearings, and overall I am not unhappy with the stock bearings. I
get hundreds of hours out of them. I have found there are lots of
possible replacement bearings. The stock ones are only a few dollars and
I may go that way, but if a hybrid or ceramic might last longer it might
be worth paying a little more. They have to be able to handle continuous
speed upto about 35000 RPM. Actually free spin at max according to my
tach is a little higher, but I always back it off just slightly from max.
My brushes last 2-3 times as long when I do that. They have to handle
both axial and radial load. Most of the time they are shaving thousands
at high feed rates with little side load, but once in a while on an
aggressive cut/plunge with a bigger cutter I can actually hear the motor
slow down for a moment. I don't want to spend more on bearings than the
whole spindle is worth only to have them turn to ceramic powder the first
time I push them a little too hard. Suggestions? Ideas?

P.S. I know. They are cheap spindles. I should just replace them and to
some degree I do, but think about this. I have two of them with close to a
thousand hours on them. Not sure exactly since I only recently realized my
software stores life and usage information. Pretty hard to beat for a
C-note.

On 06/29/2011 11:13 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:
Ok... I know some are going to say its just the wrong tool for the job,
but I get a lot of use out of the little Bosch Colt routers as a high
speed spindle for detail cutters on aluminum. I've got one that is due
for new bearings, and overall I am not unhappy with the stock bearings.
I get hundreds of hours out of them. I have found there are lots of
possible replacement bearings. The stock ones are only a few dollars and
I may go that way, but if a hybrid or ceramic might last longer it might
be worth paying a little more. They have to be able to handle continuous
speed upto about 35000 RPM. Actually free spin at max according to my
tach is a little higher, but I always back it off just slightly from
max. My brushes last 2-3 times as long when I do that. They have to
handle both axial and radial load. Most of the time they are shaving
thousands at high feed rates with little side load, but once in a while
on an aggressive cut/plunge with a bigger cutter I can actually hear the
motor slow down for a moment. I don't want to spend more on bearings
than the whole spindle is worth only to have them turn to ceramic powder
the first time I push them a little too hard. Suggestions? Ideas?

Some of these things: http://www.gs.flir.com/products/airborne/ use
ceramic bearings to hang the ball from the outer azimuth yoke. Then
they get bolted onto helicopters (which, as true systems designers know
actually fly by vibrating Really Hard).

So -- ceramic bearings can take some load.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

On 6/29/2011 2:13 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
Ok... I know some are going to say its just the wrong tool for the job,
but I get a lot of use out of the little Bosch Colt routers as a high
speed spindle for detail cutters on aluminum. I've got one that is due
for new bearings, and overall I am not unhappy with the stock bearings.
I get hundreds of hours out of them. I have found there are lots of
possible replacement bearings. The stock ones are only a few dollars and
I may go that way, but if a hybrid or ceramic might last longer it might
be worth paying a little more. They have to be able to handle continuous
speed upto about 35000 RPM. Actually free spin at max according to my
tach is a little higher, but I always back it off just slightly from
max. My brushes last 2-3 times as long when I do that. They have to
handle both axial and radial load. Most of the time they are shaving
thousands at high feed rates with little side load, but once in a while
on an aggressive cut/plunge with a bigger cutter I can actually hear the
motor slow down for a moment. I don't want to spend more on bearings
than the whole spindle is worth only to have them turn to ceramic powder
the first time I push them a little too hard. Suggestions? Ideas?






I would contact someone at miller or applied and ask them..

http://www.applied.com/

http://www.millerbearings.com/

On 6/29/2011 2:13 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
Ok... I know some are going to say its just the wrong tool for the job,
but I get a lot of use out of the little Bosch Colt routers as a high
speed spindle for detail cutters on aluminum. I've got one that is due
for new bearings, and overall I am not unhappy with the stock bearings.
I get hundreds of hours out of them. I have found there are lots of
possible replacement bearings. The stock ones are only a few dollars and
I may go that way, but if a hybrid or ceramic might last longer it might
be worth paying a little more. They have to be able to handle continuous
speed upto about 35000 RPM. Actually free spin at max according to my
tach is a little higher, but I always back it off just slightly from
max. My brushes last 2-3 times as long when I do that. They have to
handle both axial and radial load. Most of the time they are shaving
thousands at high feed rates with little side load, but once in a while
on an aggressive cut/plunge with a bigger cutter I can actually hear the
motor slow down for a moment. I don't want to spend more on bearings
than the whole spindle is worth only to have them turn to ceramic powder
the first time I push them a little too hard. Suggestions? Ideas?


We use a bunch of Hitachi 1/2" VS routers...probably very similar. We
get about 250 hrs on a set of bearings, but we beat the crap out of
them. We use the stock replacement bearings and usually have to pitch
the router at 750 hours. For me, better bearings probably isn't worth
the cost.

"Tom Gardner" Mars@tacks wrote in message
...
On 6/29/2011 2:13 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
Ok... I know some are going to say its just the wrong tool for the job,
but I get a lot of use out of the little Bosch Colt routers as a high
speed spindle for detail cutters on aluminum. I've got one that is due
for new bearings, and overall I am not unhappy with the stock bearings.
I get hundreds of hours out of them. I have found there are lots of
possible replacement bearings. The stock ones are only a few dollars and
I may go that way, but if a hybrid or ceramic might last longer it might
be worth paying a little more. They have to be able to handle continuous
speed upto about 35000 RPM. Actually free spin at max according to my
tach is a little higher, but I always back it off just slightly from
max. My brushes last 2-3 times as long when I do that. They have to
handle both axial and radial load. Most of the time they are shaving
thousands at high feed rates with little side load, but once in a while
on an aggressive cut/plunge with a bigger cutter I can actually hear the
motor slow down for a moment. I don't want to spend more on bearings
than the whole spindle is worth only to have them turn to ceramic powder
the first time I push them a little too hard. Suggestions? Ideas?


We use a bunch of Hitachi 1/2" VS routers...probably very similar. We get
about 250 hrs on a set of bearings, but we beat the crap out of them. We
use the stock replacement bearings and usually have to pitch the router at
750 hours. For me, better bearings probably isn't worth the cost.

Thanks Tom. I was hoping somebody who beats on routers the way I do would
answer. After posting I realized I had about answered my own question. The
stock bearings are satisfactory and dirt cheap. If I find a good
replacement interval for bearings and brushes its pretty cheap to keep them
going. I have a question though. Why are you pitching them at 750 hours?
What is wearing out that isn't easily replaceable? Not that $99 for a whole
new router (today's price for the 20 series Colt at The Box) is a lot of
money to just replace them. I bought one today so I would have a spare to
use while rebuilding others. At that price if they'd had more than one I
would have probably bought three or four of them.

On Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:13:00 -0700, "Bob La Londe"
wrote:

Ok... I know some are going to say its just the wrong tool for the job, but
I get a lot of use out of the little Bosch Colt routers as a high speed
spindle for detail cutters on aluminum. I've got one that is due for new
bearings, and overall I am not unhappy with the stock bearings. I get
hundreds of hours out of them. I have found there are lots of possible
replacement bearings. The stock ones are only a few dollars and I may go
that way, but if a hybrid or ceramic might last longer it might be worth
paying a little more. They have to be able to handle continuous speed upto
about 35000 RPM. Actually free spin at max according to my tach is a little
higher, but I always back it off just slightly from max. My brushes last
2-3 times as long when I do that. They have to handle both axial and radial
load. Most of the time they are shaving thousands at high feed rates with
little side load, but once in a while on an aggressive cut/plunge with a
bigger cutter I can actually hear the motor slow down for a moment. I don't
want to spend more on bearings than the whole spindle is worth only to have
them turn to ceramic powder the first time I push them a little too hard.
Suggestions? Ideas?

My partner and I have been using the bigger Bosch routers for
slotting/perfing/notching plastic pipe for the past 18 months. Many
thousands and thousands of feet of cuts. And we pull bearings about
every 5 months and replace them. Bosch has a service center about a mile
away..and we let them do it. Cheap..often times free (warranty). And we
have discussed it with the service manager. Seems Bosch has tried all
the various bearing types..and they keep going back to a high quality
steel bearing as their choice.

Gunner

--
Maxim 12: A soft answer turneth away wrath.
Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head.

"Gunner Asch" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:13:00 -0700, "Bob La Londe"
wrote:

Ok... I know some are going to say its just the wrong tool for the job,
but
I get a lot of use out of the little Bosch Colt routers as a high speed
spindle for detail cutters on aluminum. I've got one that is due for new
bearings, and overall I am not unhappy with the stock bearings. I get
hundreds of hours out of them. I have found there are lots of possible
replacement bearings. The stock ones are only a few dollars and I may go
that way, but if a hybrid or ceramic might last longer it might be worth
paying a little more. They have to be able to handle continuous speed
upto
about 35000 RPM. Actually free spin at max according to my tach is a
little
higher, but I always back it off just slightly from max. My brushes last
2-3 times as long when I do that. They have to handle both axial and
radial
load. Most of the time they are shaving thousands at high feed rates with
little side load, but once in a while on an aggressive cut/plunge with a
bigger cutter I can actually hear the motor slow down for a moment. I
don't
want to spend more on bearings than the whole spindle is worth only to
have
them turn to ceramic powder the first time I push them a little too hard.
Suggestions? Ideas?

My partner and I have been using the bigger Bosch routers for
slotting/perfing/notching plastic pipe for the past 18 months. Many
thousands and thousands of feet of cuts. And we pull bearings about
every 5 months and replace them. Bosch has a service center about a mile
away..and we let them do it. Cheap..often times free (warranty). And we
have discussed it with the service manager. Seems Bosch has tried all
the various bearing types..and they keep going back to a high quality
steel bearing as their choice.

Gunner

Thanks Gunner. Like I said, I've been pretty happy with the stock bearings.
I just want to see if I there was something better.