This would be a “pro” mod. It costs money to change tools automatically.
We saw this at RMRRF 2026, the Millennium Machines](https://www.millennium-machines.com/) team is or has released their tool changer. The impact style combined with the lower cost VFD spindles makes this pretty feasble these days. ~$400 for a tool changer isn’t too bad. We say the LR4 is about $800 all up, doing it this way should be under $1100 (or $400 to add it)
Spindle ideas? We need reverse, can’t do this with a trim router.
Please share your experiences and links if you link them. This looks pretty decent, Amazon.com
The impact style is what we are going for here, the spindle drive the nut into a socket, fully engages the collet nut then spins it up and presses down into an impact driver style mechanism.
That would be and amazing add, way out of my depth in my stage though (not even an enthusiast, let alone a pro yet).
Doing my Hydra head project I read up on the FluidNC take on IDEX and ATC, and they said to make sure you have placed a large donation before asking any questions…
Would that mean a custom FluidNC package at that point or just a ton of YAML?
The problem is: Estlcam can’t do this either, at least not in the CNC portion, that’s why Rapidchange does not support Estlcam.
You’d have to program the toolchange routine into the Jackpot. I am in the process of setting up a “real” ATC now and there’s a toggle for Estlcam that enables it to change tools with a set routine.
As @Tylas has pointed out it seems to work already
This would maybe have to be streamlined for the non-absolutely-nerd audience.
There are also some threads on the PrintNC discord about self-sourcing and building those contraptions that seem to work very well.
I am 99% sure that it’s not going to work. The nut needs to get spun in the opposite direction to unscrew it. There’s no space for a Nema (and I doubt it’d have the power needed).
Hahaha, you finally got me. Christian only set it up for a real, straight tool changer, no rotating magazines etc. and no going backwards with the spindle. Otherwise I might have taken that route, but now I decided to skip the upgrade to the “normal” spindle.
What I think is also really important for a toolchanger is that it has a database where it notes down the measured length of the tools in the magazines so it does not need to reprobe on every change.
Rapidchangeatc have a very good community and support: they now have the solo atc and soon a dual pocket atc. Their 4 pocket cost around 400. You can use any spindle with reverse. (Please HY vfd because of support (hassle free) with fluidnc
I bought A 220 usd 800w spindle with its vfd and the er collets kit never installed it but its a good option.
It is true that FluidNC seems to have the best support for Huangyang VFDs.
ATCs are fascinating to me. My main hold up is dealing with a spindle/VFD. I know they can be challenging from a noise perspective and it means I have to run wires for it. I start to question if it still makes sense to mount the Jackpot in the beam. Rapidchange feels expensive. If I can do an ATC for the cost of VFD/spindle plus another $100, I’m in.
This also could lead to a Jackpot 4 with ESP32 S3 and 0-10v and RS485 and USB CDC?
Set a tool setter off offset with the initial material surface probe, and every tool after that uses the tool setter.
I really wanna make some hardware for a while. I am pretty burnt out of EE. That is so far out of my wheelhouse everything takes a long time and sucks the soul out of my body. 3 jackpots in a row and no hardware… we I need hardware for a while.
RMRRF conversations have lead me down to some minor LR4 build tweaks (I hope they are minor), but this tool changer could be a fun slower paced project for some of us to work on in the mean time for a few months. I am assuming, it is actually pretty easy at this point, and we just need to dial in macros and choose a collet impact system. Mainly just make sure the collet nut torque is high enough for the loads the LR can handle.
Yes, but it loses time if you have to reprobe on every change. Though that might not be bad considered we are talking entry level toolchanger.
I was pretty scared about that as well, but the seller of mine told me the correct settings. For the HY there are so many instructions… it’s really a 3-minute job.
With a “real” spindle, maybe the core needs to be altered a bit? Get the mass closer to the rails? Dunno, just throwing it out without knowing if it really matters.
The solo is just 100 and really easy to do. I have some nuts/collet holders in my cnc cart i just chave them as i need (mostly using only 2 bits. I dont usually change)
The HY instructions are pretty clear, they tell you what programming to use, even the rs485 instructions/examples are in the configs (for the jackpot the io pins should change but thats an easy task)
ATC mod sounds fun. Curious how many people do jobs that require more than two bits?
Asking because am wondering whether a well documented Idex/dual core setup like Ty’s, might be good enough bang for buck upgrade for most people wanting to incrementally add an additional core and gcode supporting router like sienci’s, or laser, or something else(s), rather than pay for the more pro spindle/vfd/atc/etc…
I use 2 pretty often, most the time, but I would use a 3rd chamfer bit all the time if I did not have to do the tool change manually. I might even rough with a 1/4, finish with a 1/8" for tighter corners and smaller dog bones and then chamfer.
You lose a ton of room on both sides of the table. So you have to increase the table footprint, and reduce the overall rigidity with a extra long beam, and pay for a second router. That to me is a 3xlose. A little more cost for the spindle and vfd and s substantially smaller machine that is more rigid. Tool change costs the width of the tool rack that you can add to the y axis and not lose beam rigidity. (or maybe we have swing in tool holders who knows).
Project scope intentionally limiting to focused on just end-mill changing, or, are you open to changing entire tool, e.g. switch to laser module, or tangential knife contraption, or some other subtractive/depositing/burning thing(s) ?
I might even rough with a 1/4, finish with a 1/8" for tighter corners and smaller dog bones and then chamfer.