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Cool down a mini-mill motor.

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Johan Crous14/01/2013 18:38:00
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41 forum posts
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I have listened to several replies, also to one that said that the motor can still burn out if it gets too hot inside while you may get the external cool. I have decided on a fan and shrowd, but I am too lazy to make a big project yet, as I would like to evaluate first before I do the mod permanently, and only if it works.

I bought a 115 mm extracter fan tha can deliver 76 cubic meters of air per hour and that can run for a very long time. I have set it up to run permanently, as long as the mill is plugged in and the plug switched on, although the machine may be off.

The mill before anything done.

At the bottom of the motor there are four narrow grooves to circulate the air.

On top is a cover that needs to be removed. The little round holes on top is just for show and only air the bearing.

Below the cover there are 8 vetilation holes, but no fan. I guess the rotation of the armature will circulate some air, but very littllow speed, or almost nothing.

Don't laugh. A plumbing coupling fitting for toilet pipes, with a hole cut to allow for the motor's wiring. This fitting is made of white rubber and is flexible. Added to it is a hose clamp. One side ring on the narrow part (nearest to my hand) is cut away to make space for the hose clamp. The ridge is still visable.

Added to the motor with the hose clamp. The motor's wire can be seen extruding through the cut gap.

Air blowing in from the top will be forced through the motor's vetilation holes. None can get past the motor. The fitting will be a tight fir und the extracter fan. No air can escape and the fit is tight enough to keep the fan in place.

The fan in place. The fact that it is white is not so bad in appearance.

The fan's specs.

The current job. Quite a lot of steel to be removed. This will be a parting tool holder for a QCTP. I am cutting the dovetail here. Firt the innitial removal of lots of steel.

AND:

It works! It works! It works!

It did not get hot tonight. Just comfortable warm to the tough. I guess about 40 degrees of C. The fan is kept running in between stops so that the cooling effect may last. The sound is a very soft hum, like a running PC. The air is blown from the top downwards and can observed if you keep your hand close to the motor. Currently I am not interested in colouring it black. White is fine. Now I am not worried anymore.

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement.

Johan

Stub Mandrel14/01/2013 19:40:52
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4318 forum posts
291 photos
1 articles

Well done Johan,

I think I shall follow your example, as with the belt drive conversion I'm working my X2 much harder.

For the record, the built in fan is at the opposite end to thebrushes, in the equivalent space at the other end, but it is crude and does little at anything less than high speeds.

Neil

Michael Gilligan14/01/2013 19:47:23
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23121 forum posts
1360 photos

Nice work Johan

MichaelG.

Jeff Dayman14/01/2013 20:28:30
2356 forum posts
47 photos

Good job Johan, well done.

Remember though - if you ever have plumbers working in your home or shop, put a cover over the mill or they may connect that fitting to a "working" pipe!

JD

(Seriously, the white parts look fine on the motor)

Nicholas Farr14/01/2013 20:42:11
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3988 forum posts
1799 photos

Hi Johan, pretty neat job I reckon.

Regards Nick.

Michael Cox 115/01/2013 12:05:45
555 forum posts
27 photos

Hi Johan,

That is a very neat solution and an ingenious repurposing of a WC connector.

Mike

Thor 🇳🇴15/01/2013 18:09:07
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1766 forum posts
46 photos

Hi Johan,

Your solution to the cooling problem of the mini-mill is very nice. Is the extracter fan very noisy?

Regards

Thor

Johan Crous15/01/2013 21:18:10
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41 forum posts
1 photos

Ultra quiet. As soft as the sound of a notebook / PC.

Johan Crous25/01/2013 16:44:16
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41 forum posts
1 photos

I have run a long dovetail cut with my homemade dovetail cutter with a single carbide tip. The motor is not getting hot, only moderately warm.

Andyf25/01/2013 17:04:05
392 forum posts

Johan,

You said earlier "I am too lazy to make a big project yet, as I would like to evaluate first before I do the mod permanently, and only if it works." It seems to work very well, so don't fix it unless it falls off!

Thanks for showing such an ingenious adaptation of hardware store items..

Andy

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