Step 4 Router and Brass

[Trispectiv]

Proxxon will engrave brass, but sooner or later the bearings will give up. It also tends to get rather hot at high RPM if you run a long gcode. However it is a cheap solution for a tiny spindle situation.

Kress will engrave brass without any problems at the extra price and weight.

[Leadhead]

Thanks for reply. Have experimented a little without problems, except as you suggest, the spindle gets quite warm. Since the process time is not important. I will interrupt the program every 20 mins or so to cool. Additionally I will air cool it with comp. air and some cardboard ducting to both cool and blow swarf.. So still working round it.
Going to finish mount for the Kress today.Will see what the little servo`s think of it.
Hopefully I can get some more use from the machine in future

[Trispectiv]

Could you post a link about the router you are going to mount the Kress on?

[Leadhead]

It is a small Step 4 540 Basic. Do you want further info? I have first part of Kress bracket. Need to make an adapter plate to complete.

[Trispectiv]

Well, according to the photo I found after searching the name of the router, the manufacturer shows it with a Kress mounted on it already. So I expect it should handle the weight of the Kress just fine.
(en.step-four.at/hp2/index.php?action=1482)

[Leadhead]

Aha! I have never noticed that! I even have that sheet pinned on the workshop wall! So need no more reassurance. Thank you!

Mine is an older machine and was fitted with the small Proxxon as standard. I bought this machine a while back and have not given it much attention until now.

[Trispectiv]

For the current version on their website, I see no spec about the stepper motors. They are also covered by a case, so I can't roughly estimate their capabilities upon their size either. However, it doesn't take a lot of torque to move the Kress around, I would rather worry about the deflection of the 16mm hanged rods instead. Since you already have Kress mount in production, the only way is forward :)