I am finding that the water flows through only at a trickle. It was better than that when new.
I have cleaned with CLR, blown out with air and even disassembled top of spindle to clean out passages.
I am suspect of the pump, loosing it's newness.
Has anyone run into this situation and how did you solve the issue.
Water Cooled Spindle - Water Pump
- Leo
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Water Cooled Spindle - Water Pump
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Re: Water Cooled Spindle - Water Pump
Leo,
If it is similar to an aquarium pump, you might want to take the front of pump apart and check that the body that is attached to the rotating vanes are clean. I have to take mine apart and clean out that area with a small round brush and be sure that the vanes are clean too.
Joe
If it is similar to an aquarium pump, you might want to take the front of pump apart and check that the body that is attached to the rotating vanes are clean. I have to take mine apart and clean out that area with a small round brush and be sure that the vanes are clean too.
Joe
Re: Water Cooled Spindle - Water Pump
On one of the machines I bought, they forgot to send it with a pump. I first tried the 264 GPH submersible pump from Harbor Freight, and all I got was a trickle. I changed it to the 620 GPH one and it worked good. The pump is 120 volt and my cnc is 220 volt, so I wired the pump to one of it's legs, so it turns on when the machine is turned on.
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Re: Water Cooled Spindle - Water Pump
I did take the pump apart and pulled the magnet shaft out. I cleaned inside the pocket that the magnet shaft fits into and I cleaned the vanes. I also lubed the shaft ends.
Gary, yes like an pond pump. I went to Home Depot and got a couple of small pumps, but they were too small. The bigger one was around 450. I could try a bigger one, but I am hoping to find an impeller pump or a much better centrifugal pump.
I don't think anything is blocked or clogged, just need a little pump pressure.
Gary, yes like an pond pump. I went to Home Depot and got a couple of small pumps, but they were too small. The bigger one was around 450. I could try a bigger one, but I am hoping to find an impeller pump or a much better centrifugal pump.
I don't think anything is blocked or clogged, just need a little pump pressure.
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Re: Water Cooled Spindle - Water Pump
How have you got things set up Leo ? Don't forget as well as a decent flow rate you will need a pump that is capable of a decent lift if your set up is anything like mine. I have a 25 litre container that sits on the ground so I need at least a 4 foot lift from the pump to the actual spindle
I just bought a pond pump that supported a water feature to ensure I had sufficient lift.
I don't actually get a huge flow rate from my system but temperatures here are not generally that great anyway so it hasn't been a problem, even on a very long job the spindle has never really got hot regardless of the speed it has been running at.
I just bought a pond pump that supported a water feature to ensure I had sufficient lift.
I don't actually get a huge flow rate from my system but temperatures here are not generally that great anyway so it hasn't been a problem, even on a very long job the spindle has never really got hot regardless of the speed it has been running at.
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Re: Water Cooled Spindle - Water Pump
Perhaps a decent pond pump would be sufficient. I am just a little perplexed that I had some relatively flow in the beginning but not now.
If I put air pressure in the lines to blow out the water is blasts out.
I found a diaphragm pump on Amazon that cane pump 100PSI
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0166UVLKU/_e ... K6C5BK5JZQ
It's NOT a lot of money and if I am going to get a pump anyway it seems to be a good direction to go.
There was one occasion where my spindle got a little warm, certainly not hot, but I was in a many many hours long run.
Maybe the diaphragm pump will lot stand the longevity of time, but it's a worthy test.
If I put air pressure in the lines to blow out the water is blasts out.
I found a diaphragm pump on Amazon that cane pump 100PSI
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0166UVLKU/_e ... K6C5BK5JZQ
It's NOT a lot of money and if I am going to get a pump anyway it seems to be a good direction to go.
There was one occasion where my spindle got a little warm, certainly not hot, but I was in a many many hours long run.
Maybe the diaphragm pump will lot stand the longevity of time, but it's a worthy test.
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Re: Water Cooled Spindle - Water Pump
How did this pump work?
- Leo
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Re: Water Cooled Spindle - Water Pump
At the end of the day I decided that the pump was not the issue. Well now I have a few pond pumps for when I make a pond.
The problem was that the water passages in the spindle were plugged up and restricting flow.
I ended up taking the spindle apart. It was NOT an easy task - not at all. There were 2 tiny "O" rings that got distorted and blocked flow. I replaced the "O" rings and the flow returned to normal. The spindle works but it's not as quiet as when new. I may have damaged the bearings a little. I don't really have the "right" equipment to disassemble and reassemble.
I also bought a new spindle. I now have the new spindle on the machine and the original spindle as a backup.
I am still using the original Chinese pump - it's actually a pretty good pump.
Moral of story and a couple of take aways
1) KEEP THE WATER ABSOLUTELY CLEAN - even filter it.
2) DO NOT use caustics - CLR - Drain cleaner - Draino - anything like that. The spindle is aluminum and those things are not good for aluminum.
3) a little automotive antifreeze is a good thing
4) Use distilled water
5) KEEP THE WATER ABSOLUTELY CLEAN - even filter it.
6) KEEP THE WATER ABSOLUTELY CLEAN - even filter it.
The problem was that the water passages in the spindle were plugged up and restricting flow.
I ended up taking the spindle apart. It was NOT an easy task - not at all. There were 2 tiny "O" rings that got distorted and blocked flow. I replaced the "O" rings and the flow returned to normal. The spindle works but it's not as quiet as when new. I may have damaged the bearings a little. I don't really have the "right" equipment to disassemble and reassemble.
I also bought a new spindle. I now have the new spindle on the machine and the original spindle as a backup.
I am still using the original Chinese pump - it's actually a pretty good pump.
Moral of story and a couple of take aways
1) KEEP THE WATER ABSOLUTELY CLEAN - even filter it.
2) DO NOT use caustics - CLR - Drain cleaner - Draino - anything like that. The spindle is aluminum and those things are not good for aluminum.
3) a little automotive antifreeze is a good thing
4) Use distilled water
5) KEEP THE WATER ABSOLUTELY CLEAN - even filter it.
6) KEEP THE WATER ABSOLUTELY CLEAN - even filter it.
Imagine the Possibilities of a Creative mind, combined with the functionality of CNC