X2 Flood Enclosure

[mrcodewiz]

I have been using a mister on my X2 but would like to be able to do flood as I think it will improve my cutter life and finish. I am only partially done but here is what I have so far. I have no experience with flood cooling so if you have any suggestions, I would like to hear them.

Here is the main setup. I have 3 sections on the left, right, and front of the mill that angle down into a little trough in the front with a drain. Everything is caulked - the boards to each other and the boards to the mill base.


This is the 'bracket' I made for the nozzle. I drilled 2 holes and plugged one. I would like to add a second nozzle later so I can have one on either side of the cutting tool. It mounts into the threaded holes that were originally there for the fine downfeed - too bad the lower one was stripped from the factory.


This is the drain under the trough.


The coolant tank and filter are all one unit in this 5 gallon bucket.


This is the filter - it's just a PVC tube with window screen around it. I didn't glue the PVC on one end so I can disassemble it to remove chips every once in a while.


This is the little pond filter I picked up at the tool store.


The only downside I can see so far is that I didn't cover the rear of the mill. I used it a little with the mister tonight and I can already tell that chips (and probably coolant) will get swung back there. I need to come up with some sort of cover.

[ataxy]

nice little enclosure

[HimyKabibble]

I think you're going to be disappointed..... I use mist coolant on my knee mill, using DOCs and feed rates you couldn't even dream of on an X2 (3-4 cu. in. per minute removal rate), and my tools last practically forever. I typically run with large tools (1/2-3/4") running very close to the power limit of the 3HP spindle motor. Mist is VERY effective, when properly used. I see little advantage to flood. What's more likely killing your tools, assuming you're not abusing them, is the inherent lack of rigidity of the X2. That is VERY hard on tools, as the vibrations hammer the cutting edges, causing them to fracture. When I retired my X2 for the knee mill, I was amazed to find how much longer the tools lasted, despite the fact that they are now working FAR harder. I even took used tools that had become virtually unusable on the X2, and used them with very good results on the knee mill. I can't think of a single tool I've "worn out". The ones I've tossed have been killed through abuse (like running them at 150 IPM into a clamp, or while buried 3/4" into the workpiece....), not "used up" due to wear.

Regards,
Ray L.

[hoss2006]

Nice setup!
You'll probably see little difference in tool life from mist to flood, both do the same job.
I preferred flood because it's whisper quiet, no compressor constantly running(so irritating),
and the chips don't get blasted everywhere.
If you aim the nozzle at the part and not the spinning bit, it just washes the chips away.
You have to have the enclosure leak proof but you seem to have that taken care of.
I tried using a second hose but one does more than well enough.

[mrcodewiz]

Ah, well - the tool life thing is a little disappointing but it is what it is, I guess. My other complaints with the mister were the compressor constantly kicking in and sometimes the chips would really pile up - like for example if I was cutting a channel around a part and the nozzle was aimed at the part from the left, chips would pile up when it was going left to right since the cutter was blocking the mist path.

I would like to upgrade to an X3 one of these days and convert it to CNC - hopefully that machine is more rigid than the X2.

Thanks for the feedback.

-Kevin

[ataxy]

for sure a x3 is way more rigid then a x2 as much as a rf45 is more rigid then a x3/sx3

[mrcodewiz]

Oh boy, just looked up RF45. That sucker is big. Maybe I'll save my pennies a little longer.

[ataxy]

yes well that one option but ounce you reach that goal then think of a knee mill and soon you will realize you could then save you money and go for a 17 tons vmc

[mrcodewiz]

That's true. It doesn't look like a huge price difference between the x3 and rf45 though - maybe $300 ? Would there be much of a price difference in converting the two to cnc? Obviously the 45 would require longer screws, bigger motors,etc - I'm just not sure what those sizes are and what the cost might be.

[sansbury]

I'm about halfway through my X2 flood setup. I mostly do aluminum and haven't had so much trouble with tool life but I do some stuff that involves profiling so clearing chips is important. I also liked the idea of containing the mess inside an enclosure as much as possible. My finishes are OK but I'm hoping to see some improvement with this. I'd rather deal with the mess that flood creates than the compressor and mist overspray.

As for the conversion costs, Bridgeport > RF45 > X3 > X2 > X1. It seems like the cost of the electromechanicals is what really blows up on you. Larger mills require larger motors which require more power which require larger supplies and drivers. Some of this also seems to be that as people go to larger machines they upgrade to higher-spec screws, servos, etc. These are not really necessary but it's natural.

The other thing to bear in mind is that by the time you get to an RF45 I'll bet you're getting close to the price of a Syil or Sieg turnkey machine. Slightly smaller but nice to have someone else build the thing for you.