Enclosure - Keeping the coolant in


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Thread: Enclosure - Keeping the coolant in

  1. #1
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    Default Enclosure - Keeping the coolant in

    For those of you with a full enclosure, how do you keep the coolant in? It drips off the door onto the floor when you open the door, and I'm also getting coolant between the collet draw tube and spindle, dripping out near the belt cover, over the electronics enclosure. Have you done any improvements to your enclosure to keep more of the coolant in?

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    Gold Member MichaelHenry's Avatar
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    Default Re: Enclosure - Keeping the coolant in

    I try to avoid opening the front door all the way and place a cafeteria tray on the floor to catch what drips off the door bottom when I do fully open it.

    I sometimes get coolant running through the spindle which then drips onto the control cabinet (as you mentioned) and, worse, spins off the collet closer onto the wall, ceiling, and floor. I put a small plastic food tray on top of the cabinets to catch the drips off the closer and made this magnetically mounted shield to direct the spin-off toward the food tray.

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Enclosure - Keeping the coolant in-3d-printed-spindle-shield-jpg  


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    Default Re: Enclosure - Keeping the coolant in

    I'm also having this problem (as MichaelHenry warned me about) I was thinking of making a squeegee inside to scrape that bottom channel on the door to take out the chips/coolant. It's been dripping into my monitor arm and finding its way onto my USB wires and into the controller cabinet!

    MichaelHenry, I don't suppose you have another shield you want to sell me?!


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    Gold Member MichaelHenry's Avatar
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    Default Re: Enclosure - Keeping the coolant in

    Quote Originally Posted by Sareks2k View Post
    MichaelHenry, I don't suppose you have another shield you want to sell me?!
    My 3D printer is busy right now, but I'll PM you with a estimated ship date and cost.

    Mike



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    Default Re: Enclosure - Keeping the coolant in

    I filled the curved area at the bottom of the sliding door with silicon and formed it so the coolant would run back into the machine. I get a little drip from time to time but not bad.

    If the part I am running is not too long I put a shop towel in the collet tube and I have a rubber freeze plug stopper stuffed in the end of it also. That gets most of the coolant.

    Chris



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    Default Enclosure - Keeping the coolant in

    I finally have a fix that works for me. The problem is not just the coolant. (I also put silicone at the corner of the door-this should have come already sealed but has a gap)

    It's the chips that accumulate on the bottom of the door. As the chips hang over when the door is open, coolant spills out every time I close the door. Dripping coolant right onto my wires connecting to my controller. I've even found coolant residue/gunk INSIDE the controller compartment!

    So I figure to stop the problem at the source. For me, that was keeping the chips out along with the coolant.

    I decided to try shielding the bottom door rail. I drilled and tapped holes onto the aluminum rail and used thumb screws so I can get into it to clean when needed.

    So far I've put in about 6 total hours of run time without a single drop on the floor. While I was at it I added some coolant shields on the tank to prevent splashing. I don't want go through cleaning all that gunk below the machine again. So far so good. Below are some pics. Hope it helps!




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    Default Enclosure - Keeping the coolant in

    There's no light coming though the bottom of the rail.







    -------------------------------------------
    Views from the inside







    The one attached to the gray colored panel is held with 3M double sided tape.



    I added the side door shield (vertical)a few months into ownership (last year) to prevent splashing out of the gap between the door and enclosure while closed.



    I was surprised how easy the bottom rail came out without removing the whole door. Just unbolt and slide out. I was also dreading having to adjust the door after putting it back. No further adjustments were needed.

    Last edited by Sareks2k; 02-11-2017 at 04:28 AM.


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    Default Enclosure - Keeping the coolant in

    Rdsi, That return line is a great idea! I would be very interested in something like that.


    On another note:
    I was inspecting (bent down to pickup an Allen wrench) and noticed coolant on the floor below left/motor side of the machine. It's definitely not coming from the tank, door, or spindle.

    I'm not sure if it's been there before. It's only now that it's dry under my machine after the door/tank coolant shields that I'm able to notice.

    I'll chase it down and post any findings. Unless someone already knows where it could be coming from?


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    Registered WLyon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Enclosure - Keeping the coolant in

    Thread necro, I know but it seems relevant. I designed these door gutters to solve the problem of the extruded rail being too long (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2396744) and this funnel to catch the coolant that makes it all the way out of the drawbar (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2539775). I haven't had any problems with coolant coming out from the belt guard area that would require a shield like the one mentioned earlier. Maybe they made some minor changes to the machine? We got ours in January 2017.



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    Default Re: Enclosure - Keeping the coolant in

    Some people have turned a plug to put into the open end of the collet closer to prevent coolant leaking out there.



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Enclosure - Keeping the coolant in

Enclosure - Keeping the coolant in