Spindle mount advice please

I don't have an answer for that ... web search time !

I meant to mention, regarding damping, many authorities claim that the joints in a structure damp as much vibration as the material itself. I have a recurring debate with a customer that comes up whenever we need to make a choice between cast iron and stress relieved mild steel for a large machine tool component. Google "machine tool damping" and you'll find lots of opinions and research papers. My gut feeling is aluminum would not be a problem.

Zinc alloys do creep, out of proportion to their strength (which can be surprisingly high), but not significantly for an application like this, except at elevated temperatures. Zamac is more resistant than many other zinc alloys.

Well, it all depends on your machine and cutting tool. Since I was going to machine the two plates AFTER they were mounted to a little spacer block, I needed a long-reach end mill. it left a slightly patterned surface that I would not have been happy with. but, my mill has some backlash in it, so the holes would not have been perfectly round, either. I then set up the boring head and bored them, so they came out very smooth and round, as well as bored to the right size, and made a really NICE fit onto the Bridgeport quill and the spindle motor.

I'd think so. The Westwind spindle is not meant for milling or side loads.

I have a Precise high speed spindle that needs a drive. yet another project for when I get around to it. But, I will build another mount similar to the one I linked to for that, whenever I do get the motor drive built.

Jon

Greetings Ned, Over the weekend I read a lot about machine tool damping. My first design for the clamp turns out to be pretty good except that using aluminum is fine. The screw location and screw length, my seat of the pants design, was correct. I must have seen enough proper machine design for it to have sunk in. I also confirmed a notion I had about vibration in one of my lathes. I guess over 40 years working in machine shops has taught me a lilttle. Thanks for your suggestion to google machine tool damping, it really paid off. Eric