What spindle or router?

Mostly Printed CNC - MPCNC Advice
1

I am thinking about building a mpcnc but I don’t know much about cnc machines. I want a versatile machine, one that can easily handle aluminum (I would assume that it would then also do fine on other, softer, materials (wood, plastic, carbon fiber)). I would like something that is fairly quiet and also below $150 (including power supply and any controller).

So my question is what spindle or router should I get?

Do I need to be able to control the rpm with software, just use something like a potentiometer (like some spindles off ebay), or does it not need variable speed at all?

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If you have no specific reason not too I highly suggest you use the recommended tools.

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With the Dewalt I wouldn’t be able to adjust the rpm of the router. Is that a problem for aluminum? Is it important to be able to adjust feeds and speeds in the software?

If I went with the recommended 500W spindle instead, would that be better for aluminum?

Sorry if these are obvious questions and thanks for the help.

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Until maybe the last 6 months, none of us could adjust spindle speed in hardware. Most still don’t.

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You can use an external speed controller if you really need to, there are other options now that Barry is hinting at but they are pretty advanced.