ok next question - spindle

[mat_au]

ok so i will eventually get a water cooled spindle but for the moment i have a dremel 3000 and a makita trim router. I am going to use the trim router for the spindle, unless anyone tells me otherwise

[snowyskiesau]

Both the spindle and the router are good options.
I have an 800W, water cooled spindle and VFD in my 6040 router and I bought a Makita RT0700CX trimmer router for my soon to be XYZ-Carve.
The mount is the same for both (65mm diameter) so I may try swapping them about.

[Peda]

Hi, regarding "water cooled spindles" I would like to comment that I use car radiator coolant from Supercheap Auto or similar, and not water. A fellow I know uses tap water and complains that algie keeps growing in the clear plastic pipe he used and he cant clean it out. Also, the inside of the spindle body where the water jacket is, is aluminium and water could be corrosive eventually. I know the spindle body claims to be stainless steel but that is just a sleeve that encloses the aluminuim inner jacket. At least that is the case for a 1.2Kw spindle that I had that died and I pulled it apart to rewind the coils. I use a garden water feature pump and a large plastic storage box to hold the pump and coolant and when the power is turned on to the machine, the pump runs even if the spindle isn't. I have run jobs that took eight hours and the coolant tank only got luke warm.
Just my two bobs worth.
cheers
Peter

[Malibu]

I use a garden water feature pump and a large plastic storage box to hold the pump and coolant and when the power is turned on to the machine, the pump runs even if the spindle isn't. I have run jobs that took eight hours and the coolant tank only got luke warm.

Same for me, but the pump only runs when the spindle runs - the spindle/tank hardly even gets warm, even with the piddly water flow from the garden pump
My tank is a 20 ltr bucket, half full of water with some radiator coolant tossed in with a 2.2kw spindle.

[elanjacobs]

Any particular reason you want to go water cooled? A proper (not a router) air cooled spindle will perform exactly the same without the extra hassle of running coolant lines, not to mention the extra potential for failure.

[mat_au]

i was just told that water cooled was better. but will look in to it as well

[elanjacobs]

Have a look here: https://www.woodworkforums.com/f170/difference-water-cooling-spindle-air-cooling-spindle-mini-cnc-router-195648
Thread was started by someone trying to sell stuff, but it's worth a read.

Spoiler alert: You probably won't get a water cooled spindle after reading it

[snowyskiesau]

I have a water cooled spindle as that was what was supplied with my 6040 router. Probably, as someone in the linked thread said, it's the cheaper option for them.
If I upgrade to a 1.5kW or 2.2kW spindle, I'd probably go air cooled. (Just had a quick browse of eBay and the water cooled are definitely cheaper)

[DavidG]

Problem with aircooled is that you suck all that fine dust through the motor unless you have very good dust extraction.
I use 800w water cooled with a 3ltr tank and antifreeze, rust prevention additive.
The coolant system needs to be sealed from the dust.

[elanjacobs]

I thought all proper spindles (not trimmers/routers), both air and water cooled, were fully sealed and that water/air was pushed through a sleeve around the housing.

[malb]

I thought all proper spindles (not trimmers/routers), both air and water cooled, were fully sealed and that water/air was pushed through a sleeve around the housing.

The larger air cooled are a sealed motor assembled within a heatsink extrusion with a substantial independent fan pushing or sucking air through passages in the heatsink. Very minimal buildup of dust in the heatsink passages, motor always runs cool regardless of spindle speed or load. The one I used to operate had 10 yrs of running 70% duty cycle 12-16 hrs per day, 6 days a week and the spindle had never had an issue.

Water cooled tend to have a water jacket around a supposedly sealed motor unit, but share common endcaps, implying that isolation between waterjacket and motor is dependant on seals at the top and bottom of the unit. Any issues during assembly or with seal meeting specification and the system is a leak waiting to happen. I am not a fan of mixing liquids and mains level voltages, they have a tendency to interact unfavourably.