Plumbing a water-cooled spindle.

[Kitwn]

Something else to consider, I'll look into it.

Having at long last got my machine into a state I'm hoping (with everything crossed) is going to prove workable and reliable for a reasonable period of time, I've finally tidied up, taken a photograph and given myself an avatar. The room is exactly 2 metres wide so the dust extractor is mounted high on the wall with the water tank underneath. Underneath that is a trolley with the controller (breakout board, stepper drivers and PSU in an old PC box) plus LinuxCNC computer. Cutting area is 940 x 640 mm.

Maybe we need a thread based on "what did you make with your CNC machine today?" There's no end of stuff on this website about the machines themselves but precious litle about what we all actually do with them!

Kit

[cropwell]

Just a word of caution - phenol may attack and embrittle any plastic or rubber it comes into contact with.

My central heating header tank had a pint of cheap engine oil floating on top of the water to exclude oxygen. It worked well as it just stayed in the tank. Any oxygen in the water was soon boiled out.

[routercnc]

Late to the thread but I’ve been using pc water cooling fluid for years and works fine. Lots on eBay such as EK-cryofuel.
Claim they are non toxic, don’t corrode wide range of metals, have anti fungicide etc.

[cropwell]

Late to the thread but I’ve been using pc water cooling fluid for years and works fine. Lots on eBay such as EK-cryofuel.
Claim they are non toxic, don’t corrode wide range of metals, have anti fungicide etc.

Of course ! Why did I not think of that, when most of the components I have for spindle cooling are out of a water cooled computer.

[Kitwn]

Of course ! Why did I not think of that, when most of the components I have for spindle cooling are out of a water cooled computer.

Of course ! Why did I not think of that... as well! Though I've never water cooled a computer and I'm not using anything as swanky as a radiator in my system. Good idea.

Kit

[Kitwn]

OK, so I was about to buy 'Mayhems Biocide Extreme' additive especially for PC cooling systems when I spotted a warning not to use it in aluminium systems. Since the body of my spindle is aluminium this is no good. I think it's time to just stick with the distilled water and nothing else!

Kit

[routercnc]

OK, so I was about to buy 'Mayhems Biocide Extreme' additive especially for PC cooling systems when I spotted a warning not to use it in aluminium systems. Since the body of my spindle is aluminium this is no good. I think it's time to just stick with the distilled water and nothing else!

Kit

The Chinese spindles look more like stainless steel to me. The end cap could be aluminium but the barbs go most of the way through up to the seal.

In any case the EK-Cryo fluid claims to be ok with SS Ali brass etc for corrosion and is not an additive. Just pour in neat.

I’ve used it for years without issues.
https://www.watercoolinguk.co.uk/p/E...SABEgLHY_D_BwE