How Would You Upgrade An Old Ox CNC Build Into A Serious Machine?

[NeoMorph]

You didn't read what I said about my machine carefully enough.! . . . .My PERSONAL machine doesn't even have a water pump it's feed straight from the tap and out into the drain. Wasteful YES but I don't cut long jobs on it often so rarely turn on the water. It runs fine for 30-40 mins without water.
It's been this way for over 2yrs and the spindle is over 6yrs old so it's not doing any significant harm to it. I've got woodworking machines out in the field that are 10yrs + old used 8-10hrs daily and still using the same spindle. They are robust spindles for woodworking.

My comments regards 20Ltr containers are for the machines I build. These need to be capable of long periods of use which are unknown to me so that's why I use 20ltrs of water. Also the containers are simple and easy to empty or find if need replacing.

However, if don't believe what I'm telling you then crack on and build an overly complex system so you can sleep easy.!! . . . . I don't give a Stuff.

LOL. Don’t take it to heart son.

I take it you don’t know thermal effects on magnets. Heat breaks down the magnetic properties meaning that the motor is having to work harder to produce the same number of rpms. Outwardly it may appear to be unaffected by the heat but I can assure you, motors that exceed their thermal capacity are going to get damaged.

The Electronics course I was on actually showed this in a practical demonstration. They tested the motor, showing the amps needed to drive the motor at a specific RPM. Then they disassembled the motor and shoved the magnets into an oven. I can’t remember how hot or how long it was because this was back in 1985.

Anyhoo, they air cooled the magnets (because artificially cooling magnets actually strengthens them) and put them back in the motor and then run the motor back up to the same RPM.

The motor did it but it struggled. It was drawing a higher voltage and amperage to run at the same speed. It was pointed out that this would eventually cause a domino effect downstream by stressing the power supply and control circuits... and ironically at that point the smoothing capacitor on the demo blew the top off and left a hole through the ceiling, scaring the crap out of us because we were sitting bunched up around the desk.

You may be an expert at CNC stuff but I’ve been playing and working with electronics and electro mechanical stuff since the 70’s. Just because it doesn’t seem damaged doesn’t mean damage isn’t occurring.

[JAZZCNC]

LOL. Don’t take it to heart son.

I take it you don’t know thermal effects on magnets.

You may be an expert at CNC stuff but I’ve been playing and working with electronics and electro mechanical stuff since the 70’s. Just because it doesn’t seem damaged doesn’t mean damage isn’t occurring.

Yes, I do know the effects but I also know that these effects are not taking anything away from the motor in terms of performance or longevity that is of any concern. I know this through the experience of using them not through doing the maths.! . . I'm 99% of the time hogging aluminum which would quickly show any power loss and it's been doing this for a long time now so I'm not concerned about longevity because if it died tomorrow it's paid for it's self many times over.

But like I say Crack on and build something overly complex if it makes you feel better.!

[NeoMorph]

I forgot to say, heat is also the reason why your hand drill can be awesome when new and yet limp as a dishrag when 10 years old. Replace the magnets though and the power goes back up.

A lot of diy repairers replace the windings of weak power tools and are confused when it is still just as weak. “I mean, it can’t be the magnets. They are ‘solid state’ parts after all”.

This is why you confuse me Jazz. You profess to knowing what you are doing and then are making noob errors like that. I’m not saying this to be an ass, I’m saying it to educate, like you educated me regarding water cooled spindles.

Take the info in the way it was meant, as I took yours and actually acted on it. Don’t know exactly when I will get my spindle though as all flights out of China appear to have be stopped at present.

[NeoMorph]

Well it looks like this is the wrong year to upgrade my CNC with parts from China (or at least until the Coronavirus burns out). I ended up getting a refund for my spindle order.

Maybe once China starts their factories up we will be able to resume. I wouldn’t order anything of Aliexpress at the moment and I’m limiting my order on eBay to Europe only. Even that is affecting my orders for my Warthog cockpit project. A bunch of parts on Farnell are warning about long lead times. All because the 21st Century version of Spanish Flu hit the centre of Chinese manufacturing in Wuhan.

This just goes to show how the world is dependent on China for a bunch of things.