Hey everyone! Thanks for posting your sign projects made on the LongMill/AltMill.
Last Week’s Winners
We are happy to announce that Socrates Garcia, Raffi Chris Balabanian, Dan Muill, Luc Orsali, Duane Cleveland, and Richard McMahon are the sign projects contest winners. A prize is on its way!
This Week’s Theme: Topographical Projects
This week’s theme is “Topographical Projects.” Share your best topographical carvings—lake, mountain, city, or state maps—created on your LongMill or AltMill. We’ll pick our favorites to send out some cool rewards!
Happy Friday! Thanks for sharing your tribute projects made on the LongMill/AltMill.
Last Week’s Winners
We are happy to announce that Dan Marier, Gord Waterman, Corey Daup, Brian Lister, Matthew Mead, and John Teskey are the tribute projects contest winners. Watch out for a prize!
This Week’s Theme: Sign Projects
Post your most creative sign projects made with your LongMill/AltMill for a chance to win this week’s contest and free prizes!
Hey everyone! Thanks for posting your toy projects made with the LongMill/AltMill.
Last Week’s Winners
We are happy to announce that BuiltSmart Woodworking, Grant Colbert, Tony Boon, Dean Goulet, Dave Bross, and Ken Maddle are the toy projects contest winners. A prize is on its way!
This Week’s Theme: Tribute Projects
This week’s theme is “tribute projects.” Share your beautiful tribute projects made on your LongMill/AltMill. We’ll pick our favorites and send the creators some awesome prizes.
Happy Friday! Thanks for sharing your most challenging projects made with the LongMill/AltMill.
Last Week’s Winners
We are happy to announce that Georges Côté, Emmanuel Mercado, Albert Tejera, Don Rideout, Walter Heck, and Brian Slevin are the most challenging projects contest winners. Watch out for a prize!
This Week’s Theme: Toy Projects
This week’s theme is ‘Toys!’ Share your dollhouses, trains, cars, figurines, or any toys made with your LongMill/AltMill. We’ll pick our favorites to send cool stuff for free!
Hey guys, another busy month here for Sienci Labs. Here’s some news to share.
AltMill
We continued to ship machines out in July and we are excited to see people putting their machines together. Our first 50 or so folks should have received their machines and we are expecting to start shipping another 50 units at the start of August. The remaining parts for another 100 units will arrive around the end of August so that we can wrap up the first batch in September. As we typically do in these situations, we are full bore on the assembly of subcomponents, and we will be able to ship things rapidly once everything arrives.
Parts waiting for tapping and coating for AltMill
While overall things went smoothly, there were a number of things we needed to improve on and change, or make adjustments to the manufacturing process as we continue to work towards starting shipping for the next 150 machines.
A number of shipments arrived damaged and we have continually improved the packaging for the AltMill to address these issues. Since we did anticipate some issues to come up when we first start shipping, we’ve staggered some of the shipments to allow us to make sure we are able to fix things as we go along.
We did also miss shipping the dust shields with the first 13 or so AltMills, which we’ve shipped out as soon as we found out.
There are a number of improvements to quality we’ve addressed, such as the height of the bearing blocks, threading on the extrusions, and surface finish of some of the parts. These issues were manually fixed for the first 50 machines, of course, but additional QA checks and instructions have been passed down to manufacturers to have taken care of in the future batches.
Besides some of the issues, we’re glad to start getting positive feedback on the ease of assembly and overall quality and construction of the AltMill, and we believe that we will continue to improve this product in all aspects. Thank you to the first group of people who have provided us feedback and support!
Additionally, Batch 2 AltMills are now starting production. We are in the process of ordering 200 sets of parts for large components like extrusions and plates, and 400 sets of parts for smaller components, such as fasteners, bearing blocks, brackets, and couplers.
In other news, are working on a few more things including:
Having replacement parts like bearings and linear guides up for sale on the store page
Additional documentation for accessories, such as the dust shoe and Vortex
Assembly video for the AltMill
LongMill MK2.5
LongMill MK2.5 pending orders have been caught up and new orders should ship within 1-2 weeks. We are now in Batch 9, with 1500 machines, which should keep us stocked for at least the next 4-6 months.
LongMill Spindle and Dust Shoe Kit
Due to the massive amount of interest from the LongMill community, we have now created a specific LongMill Spindle and Dust Shoe Kit! For those who might have already ordered one, the hardware is the same as the AltMill Spindle and Dust Shoe Kit, but with a 80mm router mount. You can find the kit on our store page.
These kits are coming with the AltMill Spindle and Dust Shoe Kits that are coming with Batch 1 and Batch 2 AltMills, and are expected to start shipping at the end of August or early September.
As with everything, we’ve done a lot of testing and research to make sure not only are we able to make sure that the kit is suitable for LongMill users but also to share testing data and our assessment. To read the full article, please check out our blog post.
Sprouter/Makita Router Clone/Spindles
We received another brushless DC motor sample to start another batch of testing. However, we have run into some minor issues and working on a few things such as:
Making a new batch of motor and bearing mounts
Improving the plastic sleeving for the motor
There still appear to be some speed-tuning issues we’re still trying to iron out. Development on the BLDC system continues to be a bit of a slow slog as we continue to work with and vet 2-3 different manufacturers.
We have some promising results with the Makita clone. Just for some context:
We wanted to explore the option of selling our own version of the brushed AC router that other companies currently sell, like the Carbide Compact Router or the Openbuilds RoutER, and started talking with some companies that make them.
We had done some testing on similar products in the past, as well as a deep dive into the construction of the Makita RT0701 and found some areas that we could improve.
We could add a few features, such as using an ER collet system, better bearings, and PWM control
We have found that the overall power and speed control performance is acceptable and on-par with the RT0701.
Our next steps from here include:
Creating a system for 5V input and a switch between manual and PWM control
Safety and regulatory certification
Panel computer
I’ve been using one of the new panel computers and to this point, they have been fantastic. With regards to the hardware, they are solid and easy to work with. We’ve also tested a number of monitor mounts and designs and have settled on a pretty stable set up that should work well for LongMill and AltMill users.
Our main problem continues to be with trying to sort of a way to get access to Windows 11 licenses. Here’s a few things we’ve learned:
There are a number of different types of Windows licenses. The one we want needs to allow us to install Windows on the customer’s behalf as a OEM or manufacturer. This means developing a relationship with Microsoft to set up an account. Even though we’ve tried, there doesn’t seem to be a straightforward way to make that happen since we’re way too small of a company it seems.
As another way to do this, we’re in the process of talking with some solutions providers that partner with companies like Microsoft to implement IT solutions.
Additionally, we’ve talked with some other, perhaps better known computer manufacturers that can sell us a similar type of touch screen computer.
There are also some secondary markets for licenses that sell online for a reasonable cost. However, based on our research, buying from these sources do create some risks, such as the licenses stopping working after a while or arbitraged from countries that might not allow the licenses to be used in certain markets or North America. It is still an option to use this, but we are aware that there may be some risks and we are considering our first options as there are less risk of licensing issues.
Vectric 2024 User Group Meeting
We are thrilled to announce our participation in Vectric’s 2024 User Group Meeting! Join us for an exciting weekend of learning and fun at the Embassy Suites Round Rock Hotel in Austin, Texas, on Friday, October 11th, and Saturday, October 12th, 2024. We’ll be showcasing the AltMill and Vortex, and Scott will be a guest speaker. If you can make it, we’d love to see you—stop by and say hello!
For those unfamiliar with Vectric, they create VCarve, an excellent design tool for CNC projects. You can purchase a copy on our website and enjoy the benefit of owning the software with no subscription fees.
To learn more about the Vectric 2024 User Group Meeting, visit Vectric’s event page.
Hi everyone! Thanks for posting your photo art projects made with the LongMill/AltMill/LaserBeam.
Last Week’s Winners
We are happy to announce that Edwin Spijker, Stéphane Lafrance, Max Crompton, Mike Wentink, Brian Jacobsen, and Vince Iannotta are the photo art projects contest winners. A prize is on its way!
For this week’s contest, share the most challenging project you’ve made on your LongMill/AltMill for a chance to win free prizes! Bonus points if you explain why it was so difficult.
Happy Friday, everyone! Thanks for sharing your summer-themed projects made with the LongMill/AltMill.
Last Week’s Winners
We are happy to announce that Chuck Lalonde, Georges Côté, Brian Slevin, and Tom Pulles are the summer-themed projects contest winners. Watch out for a prize!
Hi everyone! Thank you for posting your film-themed projects made on the LongMill/AltMill with us.
Last Week’s Winners
We are happy to announce that Georges Côté, Kenneth Key, Derick Bond, Adam M Lehman, Mike Wentink, and Ray Alires are the film-themed projects contest winners. A prize is on its way!
This week, embrace the Summertime theme! Share your LongMill creations that capture the season’s essence, from beach-themed artwork to outdoor furniture. Showcase your summer-inspired items for a chance to win cool prizes.
Happy Friday! Thanks for sharing your first projects made on the LongMill with us.
Last Week’s Winners
We are happy to announce that Barry Reesor, Barry Johns, Paul Aboueid, Donna Koster, Sam Klein, and Joel Lauterbach are the first projects contest winners. Watch out for a prize!
This week’s theme is “film-themed projects.” Share your best film-themed creations made with your LongMill, and we’ll choose our favorites to win prizes!
Hey guys, Johann here. Ever since we announced the Sienci spindle for the Altmill, there has been a tremendous amount of interest from the community in bringing a Sienci-supported spindle option to the LongMill platform. While it has always been our intention to do so, we were busy finishing up the AltMill and other projects, which prevented us from giving this project the due diligence that it deserves.
If you want to read about our previous thoughts, testing, and opinions about spindles for the LongMill, check out this blog post.
The LongMill Spindle and Dust Shoe Kit is now available in our store. First orders are expected to ship August/September 2024
Below is our analysis and additional info about ordering the kit.
TLDR Version
It’s about half as loud as a router
Easy to connect
Offers precise control over your spindle
New features and functionality when paired with the SuperLongBoard.
Offers gains in performance over 20,000 rpm
Orders are open now and will ship August/September 2024
Key benefits
Noise
In a previous survey of the LongMill community, most people placed “lower noise” as their second highest priority feature (only behind auto tool changing).
In our testing, a 1.5kW spindle is consistently 10dBA quieter than the Makita router at every speed, which makes it a drop-in upgrade that is easily half as loud (half the noise every 10dBA). While a water-cooled spindle would be even quieter, we believed that a small amount of extra noise was a reasonable tradeoff to the extra complexity of a water cooling system.
For some context, this air-cooled spindle produces less noise than the quietest of dust collectors/shop vacs in most use cases up to 23,000RPM.
Hear the difference in volume and the quality of sound for yourself
Plug and Play/Easy to Install
The Sienci spindle comes pre-wired, pre-programmed, and connects to your controller with a single RJ11 Cable (a telephone cable). As with all of our other accessories for the LongMill, come with excellent resources and support. We are currently finalizing the installation guide to upload to our resources site soon.
One wire to rule them all
Advanced Spindle Control
Another benefit of a spindle system is that you can control the start/stop and speed of the spindle directly from your g-code sender or gSender. With this digital interface, you:
Can precisely control the speed of your spindle down to the single RPM
Know when your spindle is at speed
Know if your spindle stalls
Communicate between the VFD and gSender to improve the chances for job recovery in the event of a failure
No guesswork speed control
Spindle error feedback
Caveats, Provisos, Warnings, and Disclaimers
Marginal Cutting Performance Gains
This is an area we spent a lot of time and effort digging into since there are varying performance claims floating around the Internet and we’d like to give you our conclusions with some hard numbers. This of course pertains to our product in general, but likely to any spindle kit on the market. We believe we have conducted the most thorough testing and investigation in the hobby space for spindles.
A single run of our cutting test, out of more than a hundred
Speed – Torque characteristics of the Makita vs Sienci spindle
Speed – Power characteristics of the Makita vs Sienci spindle
The key takeaway from our testing is that the spindle is not dramatically more powerful than the router. The spindle has more power and torque at higher speeds, while the opposite is true for speeds below 20000 RPM (despite a higher risk of overheating for the Makita).
For 0.25” (¼ inch) tooling, there is little practical difference in cutting performance when upgrading to a spindle since you are limited to 400-500W cutting with the rigidity of the bit. With surfacing, you can use the full power of the spindle, but it also means that you will need to run both the machine and the spindle fast.
Surfacing Hard Maple End Grain at 1.2mm depth and 5000 mm/min (800W-1000W)
SuperLongBoard as a requirement
To take full advantage of the spindle, including the advanced control features detailed above and the all-important partial holding current feature available only with grblHAL, we highly recommend that you upgrade to the SuperLongBoard.
While it is possible to adapt this spindle kit for use on the LongBoard (and we will release more information on how that can be accomplished), here are 6 key disadvantages that you should be aware of:
We will consider this a DIY configuration and support and resources will be limited
Start-stop control will be unavailable without a reflash of the firmware and additional components
The VFD will have to be re-programmed
Holding current must be applied in full which can overheat the drivers and motors
No stall detection or any other advanced features that are currently in development
High-speed machine movements (>4000mm/min) that suit the spindle are unavailable due to legacy driver stability issues.
Dust shoe hose size
The spindle is designed with dust collectors, not shop vacs in mind and as such fits 4” dust hoses by default. To use shop vacs with the dust shoe, you will need to purchase a commonly available 2.5” to 4” adapter (Example found here on Amazon). We are trying to see if we can offer an adapter at some point, but there are no commitments on this item just yet.
Additionally, the original dust shoe used on the LongMill is not compatible with the 80mm spindle. The kit comes with a larger dust shoe included.
The dust shoe performs well with a shop vac attachment
Spindle Mount
This spindle is 80mm in diameter and the mount will be included in the LongMill Spindle and Dust Shoe Kit.
The main difference between the AltMill Spindle and Dust Shoe Kit and the LongMill Spindle and Dust Shoe Kit is the addition of the 80mm mount. You can also purchase the mount separately from our store.
Additional Information and Insights
Cutting Volume and Accessories Compatibility
We’ve checked the spindle + dust shoe against every single LongMill configuration ever released (including the MK2 extension kits), and there is no loss to cutting volume to any configuration (the MK2 front feet can technically can collide with the dust shoe, but the overlap is only 2mm (1/16”) and only occurs when you are cutting below the wasteboard).
The story is a bit different with the Vortex which is a lot more height constrained. The additional length of the spindle collet eats into the cutting (and probing) height requirements of the Vortex, and for every machine configuration we recommend raising the feet of the machine up by 1.5” (2 sheets of 0.75” MDF) to restore the original cutting volume.
Insufficient clearance for the Vortex without raising the machine
Weight of Spindle and Mechanical Effects
The new spindle is 2.8kg (6lbs) heavier than the Makita RT0701C router’s 1.8kg (4lbs) which may seem a lot, but according to our calculations and testing, this has a negligible effect on the X and Y axis, requiring only an extra 1-2% of available torque from the steppers motors even accelerating to 5500mm/min. The remaining torque should also be sufficient in making the hypothetical 1.5kW cuts which typically require less than 100N in cutting force.
Force generated by the stepper motors at varying speeds
Force requirements for a 1.5kW cut
Jogging the machine at full speed
With regards to the Z-axis, the additional weight can consume up to 27% of total available torque of the motor. Having said that, since boring operations typically involve pushing the bit down into the material, the additional weight is not an issue in such a scenario.
Making a few holes in walnut
Lastly, it’s also worth mentioning that although the steppers can hold and push the spindle with an adequate amount of force, aggressive cutting can still result in significant deflection of the bit and cause your cuts to come out untrue, so after any aggressive cuts, you should always follow up with a skim/spring or finishing pass to make sure that the surface is accurate and smooth.
Conclusion
While the Makita RT0701 is an excellent option and recommended for most LongMill users, the Spindle Kit offers a high-quality, simple, and well-supported option for the community. To learn more and to order, make sure to check out the store page here.
Docs The lead time for this item is 3 days. The LongMill Spindle and Dust Shoe Kit is designed to unleash the capabilities of the LongMill as a plug-and-play replacement for the standard Makita RT0701 router. Each kit comes with: 80mm Dust Shoe 1.5KW 110V Air-Cooled Spindle 110V, 1.5KW, 3-Phase VFD…
