Which components normally wear out first?

[Davo]

I run a router, I would assume it will go out first - I've seen people say their machine runs for years with no issues.

But when stuff does go out, whats the typical items?

To sorta expand on the question.... when the stepper motors go out... what do those cost? Easy to replace?

[cowboy1296]

brushes in the router. I do primarily 3-d and have replaced mine several times. They are cheap enough to keep several on hand at the same time.

[Davo]

what symptoms do worn brushes give?

[Brady Watson]

what symptoms do worn brushes give?

Decreased power & sometimes intermittent starting. Most who do a lot of cutting have at least one spare router on the shelf. If it goes out in the middle of a run & it's critical (either for the customer or your pay check) - having a spare is well worth the investment.

Pinion gears are a consumable on the machine - and they need to be greased. The rails, if you have a model other than PRS, need to be dressed with a file *by hand* from time to time. Aside from this, just keeping the machine clean will avoid a lot of problems. Wiring should be inspected and make sure all is properly routed and strain relieved.

-B

[cowboy1296]

the bad side is you can start missing steps in the z which means that your cutter could literately plunge down and through your project destroying it. the router may fail to turn on or sound very sluggish. One way to diagnose it. If it is sluggish or wont turn on, tap it lightly with a hammer and if it cranks up replace the brushes. The brushes are just underneath the top cover plate on the router. They are roughly 1 inch long. Whenever i had destructive issues they were found to be worn down about .3 of an inch. After several hours of cutting i inspect them and replace them no matter how worn they are because they are cheap.

[Davo]

would it be good practice to spray all the rails with "dry" lube spray vs. a silicon based spray?

Do routers normally last a few hundred hours before the brushes go out?

[cowboy1296]

i have never timed it but i dont think mine will go that long

[Brady Watson]

would it be good practice to spray all the rails with "dry" lube spray vs. a silicon based spray?

Do routers normally last a few hundred hours before the brushes go out?

The only thing I recommend putting on the rails is WD40, just to 'quench' the top surface. It should be applied sparingly & with a rag. It works as a solvent to clean the rails when rubbed in (chips will get roll forged and stick causing bumps that telegraph to the cut) - and as a rust preventative. Think of it like you are waxing a car. Just a thin film is plenty.

The gear racks should be lubed with grease. It can be synthetic grease gun axle grease like SB ships with the machines or a spray grease (not oil...grease). You don't want to over do it. Just a pea-sized glob every 6" is fine - then work the machine through its entire travel - wiping the sides of the rack & face with a cloth to remove excess. There should not be grease slathered all over the I-beam on PRS tools or a wad of old grease flapping around the pinion. Old grease should be raked out with a brass or stainless brush. It isn't as bad as it sounds. removing the old & applying new should take no more than 45 min on a 4x8 tool.

Don't know about the brush lifespan. Some get years out of it...others do a complete tear-down every 30 days...which to me is nuts. If you are running the machine that hard, get yourself a spindle. If doing occasional cutting, then a router is fine. It just isn't made for production.

-B

[Davo]

awesome, thanks for the all the info

Currently I'm just part-timing the usage a few days a week for 2-3hrs a day.

If I get into it heavier I may consider a spindle.....just depends how hard the upgrade is for someone whos never done it.

[Brady Watson]

.....just depends how hard the upgrade is for someone whos never done it.

It's pretty much a bolt on deal. It is very easy.

-B

[Davo]

I think the only reason I passed up the spindle in the first place was the cost $2500....I can buy 7 routers for that price... so hopefully the spindle would last past 7 routers life times.

[MogulTx]

The spindle has many more settings than the router for speed. You can also tailor your HP or KW with spindles. Mine is a 4HP spindle. It has gone through a LOT before I got it. And I have put it through a fair amount since I bought it. It will go out on me some day... but when it starts sounding like the bearing is going out, I will have a new one on order.... The ability to get a fantastic tool that I can operate from about 8K RPM up to 18K RPM is awesome ( And it may be possible to program those stops higher or lower- but I understand you lose torque at lower speeds and higher speeds are just not necessary in the materials I cut...)

Wear items are bits, table top (spoil board) pinions as mentioned before... not a lot to go wrong. And a great support system for when things DO go wrong....

[bleeth]

Here's a handy maintenance schedule SB put out.
It doesn't go into router maintenance though but does give you good info for the mill itself

On the router vs spindle thing the spindle will not get bogged down, but run at constant RPM and the speed is infinitely adjustable within its operating limits so it can be adjusted for different bits and materials to get optimum bit usage and life. They also have very little runout in comparison to a router and are also a LOT quieter (you can hardly hear them run). So your 3d work will be cleaner as your bit is spinning more true than a router and 2-d work will be smoother finished.

[Davo]

my router is a 110 router, can the spindle be 110 also?

I'm curious how much upgrading I would need to do to get a spindle, I do not know if I need new control boards and all that jazz.

[dana_swift]

Just a comment on PC router reliability, I got a tip from Bill P to run the RPM at 15K and just leave it there. It makes a huge difference on their reliability! Thought I would pass it along-

D

[cowboy1296]

seems like my brushes wear out to fast and i have experimented with rpm and I dont see that it changes anything. 98% of what i do is 3-d so i am sure that i am pushing the router just a little hard

[bleeth]

Not sure about the little spindles used on the desktop, but for a full size bot my feeling is if getting a spindle get a 4HP and that requires 220 single pahse with a 8HP VFD minimum. The 2.2 smaller spindle SB offers for the larger tools is 220 1-ph according to their site.

[MogulTx]

I think the smaller spindles can run on 110-115V. (Desk top type units definitely use 110. But if you go over ???? 3HP ??? you would need a 220V 1 to 3 phase..... Mine is 220V single phase. My vacuum table is 3 phase. ( which I don't have...)

Most garages have 220 available, and most shops have a panel that brings power in in 220V, so it is usually not a real concern. The person may have to run a line from a power panel to a J-Box so they can hook up a system... but you get so much more in the way of HP, that it is a "no brainer"