MDF and alu sandwich router

**Tom** · 22-05-2009

OK, a bit more progress this week... And the result is a rolling X axis!! wooo hoooo!!

My Y gantry was ready to go, so this week I drilled the X rails (8mm dia), clamped them to the router bed and adjusted to get things roughly symmetrical. When happy, I put 8mm holes through the router bed itself.

Next I removed the rails and opened the holes out to 12mm dia - this is part of my 'cunning plan' to allow things to be set up just right when it comes to final assembly. The oversize holes allow up to 2mm adjustment in each direction (there's a similar arrangement in the carriages, but only 1mm each way).

I also had to do a bit of 'fine tuning' with a newly ordered 16mm dia bit to counterbore for the hex screwheads. I thought modelling the fasteners in sketchup would be going a bit too far - I was wrong!!

Getting it all fitted up and adjusted was a little fiddly, but not as bad as it could have been! :clap:

And it rolls fairly smoothly.... A bit of a relief!

Pics:
1) Fitting the first X rail
2) Counterbore for screwhead clearance (oops)
3) Looking along one of the rails
4) The whole machine, with Y rails drilled ready to do the whole thing all over again on another 2 axes

Right, I'm off camping for the weekend,
Tom

**michael** · 30-05-2009

Builds lookin good mate,

As for your spindle, I'm now qualified to say get a Kress!, I know you were going to come over the other week to here my Trend T3, Since then the bearings gave way and I'm now the proud owner of a Kress 1050 thanks to a little trade with Steve.Hilton

It makes half the noise and has twice the power, Soon as I picked it up I knew it was a qaulity item (pretty heavy though).

Michael.

**michael** · 31-05-2009

Originally Posted by Kip

I had one to wire into another machine...I didn't believe it was spinning at 30.000RPM it was so quiet!...applied tacho....30.100RPM Are you considering water-cooling the router mounting?

I did notice the 43mm collar felt rather hot after a short period of time, Is it the bearings that are getting so hot or just the motor it self.

Water cooling the mounting? Sounds interesting have you any examples on how this can be acheived:question:

Michael.

**John S** · 31-05-2009

Well you could pi..............no we won't go down that route

.

**michael** · 31-05-2009

So that wasn't suds you were using on your Bridgeport then John?

**michael** · 31-05-2009

Originally Posted by Kip

Well you could live dangerously like John suggests :naughty: If your pee is pure you won't be electrocuted!....take a chance :D

I was thinking just a piece of square bar bolted to the mounting with a hole down the centre and pass water through...voilà kiss principle cooler :idea: I have one drawn up in cad somewhere that got a little fancy.

I'm not sure of the internals of the Kress ie whether it's like a lot of routers and has the bearings mounted in rubber cups or if they're in metal for heat transfer....Bearings get hot and the comm takes a pounding (I have a router that I ran for 5 minutes and the comm is messed up...cheap crap) Way too much plastic in use on electric tools these days!

Would like to see a pic if you find your cad drawing:wave:

**John S** · 31-05-2009

Possible to simplify a design I don't split my brackets.

I drill the side hole first and put a bolt and nut thru and tighten it up, then bore the 43mm hole.
Lastly I cut the head off the bolt so the stud with cutaway can move and clamp.
Just like a tailstock barrel clamp.

Saves a slitting or sawing operation, did I mention I was idle ?

Not noticed mine getting hot but it's only the 800w model, never run more that 6mm cutters so couldn't see the reason to go bigger

**michael** · 31-05-2009

Nice clamp John, not seen any made this way before.

Michael.

**John S** · 31-05-2009

Yes it's a .cad format that will only open if someone has got Bobcad.
took the liberty of getting a jpg from it.

I presume the small circles are for a top mounting plate ?

.