[Feeler_Gauge]

I'm in the process of designing a CNC mill, and I want my machine to use CAT 40 tool holders. My main question is what are my options for mounting a tool holder with a cat 40 taper to some combination of motor / spindle available as a standalone or universal part. I want it to be fairly powerful for cutting both wood and metal, but I also want it to be as precise as possible.

Was thinking about using a suitable motor to drive the tool shaft via a belt and pulley system, with the shaft and motor both mounted to a thick bracket side-by-side, something like this:

Metal Bracket (Motor ===> Pulley ===> Shaft ===>) ===> Cat 40 Drawbar (?) ===> Tool Holder ===> Cutting Tool

The problem I'm running into is a serious lack of information about the part that sits between the motor and the tool holder, which seems to be called the drawbar. I even tried finding some kind of retro-fitting options that I could cobble together and make work for my application but no dice. I don't need the drawbar to support automated tool changing for now and it doesn't need to be pneumatic, but something with a quick manual release would be nice.

[ger21]

The part between the motor and toolholder is the spindle. A CAT40 spindle will be quite expensive, and is way overkill for cutting wood.

[Feeler_Gauge]

The part between the motor and toolholder is the spindle. A CAT40 spindle will be quite expensive, and is way overkill for cutting wood.

If it wasn't overkill it wouldn't be worth doing.

Is there any store you can recommend that I check out for spindles? Any recommendations on which brands to consider?

[ger21]

No. I have no experience with CAT40 spindles, but I'd guess that they would be upwards of $10,000.

[Mat Mexico]

15.000 usd for a 12.000 rpm spindle. The guys from HIGH SPEED do a lot of repair and they will certainly get you a good spindle at a fair price 5.000 to 10.000