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Thread: Another "which one?" question

  1. #46
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    WNY
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    9,647
    Quote Originally Posted by Gary Campbell View Post
    Guys...
    FYI.. I have owned/sold dozens of Chinese spindles from .8kw (1hp) to 3.7kw (5hp). I have been very fortunate, or lets say for the most part my customers have been, in that there has only been 1 failure that I am aware of.

    Chinese watercooled spindles got a bad rap for the most part due to cooling failures. One, because the pumps are cheap. And two, and much more prevalent, is that the customers used the stupid water buckets and then let them fill up with sawdust. The pump eventually plugs, overheating the spindle which then blows up. Use a closed system with a radiator and an anti corrosion additive (not antifreeze) and you may run for years.

    Are they as good as the US or Italian made spindle units? Maybe not. But any customer (or CNC mfgr) that would select a hand held router, made for occasional use instead of the lowest quality spindle is simply making a mistake.
    Time will tell. I have about 4 months on my little Makita router so far, with many 4+ hour carves on it. Budgets are a reality for many hobby level users. I'm happy 1F offered the option of a mount for a router or a spindle. I saved at least $500 and greatly simplified getting up and running by going with a router. Doesn't seem like a mistake to me.

    John

  2. #47
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Tucson, Arizona
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    1,204
    Chris - this is the one I am using. Purchased from Amazon several years ago. It is not really a flow meter, but does indicate that coolant is flowing thru the spindle.
    David

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HQ8JUJU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    flow indicator.jpg

  3. #48
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    Jul 2016
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    Lebanon, TN
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    1,719
    Thanks, that's exactly what i'm after.

  4. #49
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Cambridge Vermont
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    2,282
    I use a meter made by a company called Red Lion. They aren't cheap but they are industrial grade. They are two piece. The flow sensor, on my case, is down by the bucket out of sight. But it has an LED on it that is green when the flow is above where you set it, yellow if it's on the edge, and red when not. You can't see the impeller inside it. It has an output that goes to a panel mounted display. I just got the simple one but they have all sorts of styles including one that looks like a dial that has WiFi so it can send a signal so you know how much water is flowing. At some point I'll upgrade so I can watch the WiFi camera to make sure everything is working if I'm upstairs and I'll be able to see the water flow.


  5. #50
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
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    SE PA, Central Bucks County
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    323
    I have cut sheet brass C360 on my Shapeoko XL with good results; both lubricated and non-lubricated. For flat bottoms, there are at times shadows that can be seen depending on the area of the flat. Chip build-up on cutters is your enemy with all things CNC, but especially with non-ferrous metals. If you've a CAD design for a clock face, you might want to reach out to someone at one of the forums to see if they'd cut you a test so you can check the quality before you take the CNC leap. Buy them end mills as a gift, pay them a nominal fee and ship them the sheet brass and design. Here's a Carbide 3D video done about cutting sheet brass on a Nomad:

    #MaterialMonday on YouTube - Tutorials - Carbide 3D Community Site

    Their forum is here, and you can post your questions there about cutting sheet brass and possibly find someone to cut you a sample, if you'd like to go that route.

    Carbide 3D Community Site

  6. #51
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Cleveland, Ohio
    Posts
    83
    Thanks to a the many helpful replies here, I made the decision to buy a Onefinity “Journeyman”. Jim reminded me to think about more than the immediate project. John and David introduced me to the Onefinity. Avid was too expensive for my needs, and Carbide wasn’t quite large enough. There are other effective machines available, but “information overload” is a hazard.

    Several commenters convinced me to attach a spindle, and a fellow on an ‘all-CNC” forum introduced me to a German company, Mechatron.

    Now I’ve got 6-8 weeks to dedicate space and build a table. How much larger than a machine’s footprint should a satisfying table be?

  7. #52
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Lebanon, TN
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    The Onefinity Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/onefinitycn...06505730895571 is a great place for information and support. It's a very active group, like this forum, to get answer to techniques, software and hardware.

    I bought the Onefinity QCW (Quick Change Wasteboard) fasten from above method, along with my Journeyman. This provides an Aluminum frame that the CNC sits on. The frame, itself, does not bolt to a table. I think the idea is to not introduce a twist or bow that would mirror the mounting surface.

    I decided to make a sliding enclosure to minimize dust and noise. Dimensions are at the start.


  8. #53
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Cleveland, Ohio
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    That’s a very nicely engineered enclosure, and I see that you and I have the same hair-do.

    My ceilings are 79” and I’m 73”. A door that opens down would work, but would block drawers (unless they’re placed on the side). A sectional system, similar to a garage door would fit, but the track would be a wrinkle. I particularly like the fact that both cabinet sections move.

    I have no experience with aluminum, but wonder whether its use would reduce the required thickness of frames.

  9. #54
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,685
    Congrats on your decision, David! You'll enjoy adding CNC to your arsenal for sure!
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  10. #55
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Cambridge Vermont
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    I think you'll be happy with the OneFinity. The basic machine doesn't need to be upgraded to fix weaknesses of the design. At the same time you can do plenty of upgrades to make it fit to your workflow.

  11. #56
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    WNY
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    Congrats on deciding on a Journeyman. I'm sure you'll be happy with it. If you plan to put an enclosure over it you should make the table at least 54" deep by 60"? wide. With no enclosure, 48" is deep enough. 72" is a good width, even wider if you want to mount a larger monitor or laptop on the table. Join the 1F users' group on FB. Lots of good information and helpful, knowledgeable people. https://www.facebook.com/groups/onefinitycnc/

    1F machines do not have a frame so your table needs to be really rigid. There are several ways to go about it, but many opt to make a torsion box table top, as did I.

    John

  12. #57
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    Always be sure or have a plan that provides you the access you need for periodic maintenance, such as any greasing if required by the design/manufacturer. That means the ability to get to any and all sides required for said maintenance. This can affect table design if you are buying a benchtop machine.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  13. #58
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Iowa USA
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    Since you need to vacuum up anyway, simpler just to put a dust shoe and vacuum on the router or spindle. Owned several CNC routers... never an enclosure as it really slows down access to change bits and monitor the process.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  14. #59
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    Mar 2003
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    Bill, some folks like to build enclosures for noise control. What I mentioned about maintenance access still applies, of course.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  15. #60
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Iowa USA
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    4,441
    I wonder how many are still installed after a year? I can't imagine trying to get something done with it in the way all the time.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

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