CNC Router

[jeffss]

How many hours should I expect to get out of my Mikita CNC Router? What would be the first sign its failing?  thanks

[jteneyck]

How many hours should I expect to get out of my Mikita CNC Router? What would be the first sign its failing?  thanks

You mean the Makita palm router on your CNC?  I don't know, depends upon how old it is and how many hours you've run it, what rpm you run it at, and what kind of work it's doing.  The new ones seem to have bearing problems and subject to early failure according to lots of folks on the forum I participate on.  The one on my machine is about 18 months old, probably has at least 200 hours on it, and is still on the first set of brushes.  I rarely run it above 3 on the dial.  It has run all day long, several days in a row, and never gets hot doing long 3D carves.  But if you were to put a 1/4" bit in and try to take 1/4" deep passes at 200 ipm I suspect it would have a much-reduced life.  

John

[APZ]

I've had the same experience.  Light passes and it's been fine running hours at a time.  I'm on a 5 hour job right now wishing the dust collector was more quiet.

[jteneyck]

I've had the same experience.  Light passes and it's been fine running hours at a time.  I'm on a 5 hour job right now wishing the dust collector was more quiet.

I use a Fein Turbo I and Dust Deputy cyclone in front of it.  It's only 66 dB.  The Makita dust extractor is even quieter, 60 dB.  With a HEPA filter installed, they are quiet, cost little to run, and return as clean air as possible.  I haven't had to clean/change the filter in the 6 months I've used it.  

John

[APZ]

I use a Fein Turbo I and Dust Deputy cyclone in front of it.  It's only 66 dB.  The Makita dust extractor is even quieter, 60 dB.  With a HEPA filter installed, they are quiet, cost little to run, and return as clean air as possible.  I haven't had to clean/change the filter in the 6 months I've used it.  

John

And you get enough suction?  I hate the idea of spending so much for dust collection just for the CNC when I have my dust collector piped throughout my basement.  

Is your Fein more quiet than the router?  I can't even hear my router over the dust collector.

Is this the Fein you are using?
https://www.amazon.com/Turbo-Vacuum-Clea...r=8-5&th=1

[fixtureman]

I'm cutting aome intrcate patterns in 48 3/4 MDF light for divider screens and the dust is terrible.  I ended up putting a 4 foot fan to bloe the dust outside.  I have been using my cordless leaf blower to clean the table off.  each cut is taking 3.5 hours running a .125 bit at 2.5 IPS but the cuts are so small that it never gets that fast.

[jteneyck]

And you get enough suction?  I hate the idea of spending so much for dust collection just for the CNC when I have my dust collector piped throughout my basement.  

Is your Fein more quiet than the router?  I can't even hear my router over the dust collector.

Is this the Fein you are using?
https://www.amazon.com/Turbo-Vacuum-Clea...r=8-5&th=1

The Fein has more than enough suction for the Makita router with a good dust boot.  I use the stock Suckit Pro that I bought with my 1F machine.  The dust collection is excellent in any cut where the brushes are almost touching the surface all around.  Cuts where a portion of the wood gets milled away so there's a large gap below the brushes, then there's some dust that gets blown out.  Longer brushes would help reduce that, I've just been too lazy to try them.  And I shouldn't say dust, I should say chips because if you are running the tooling correctly it creates chips which are much less of a problem if they aren't captured than dust.  Of course, that won't hold with MDF, you only get dust, which is why it's such a difficult material to deal with.  I don't cut a lot of MDF, but for what I have cut it has not been a problem.  

The Fein seems about the same noise level as the Makita on speed setting 2, though less annoying.  With just the Fein running you can work w/o earplugs and hold a normal conversation.  At higher speed settings the router is definitely noisier than the Fein.  And with both running, I wear earplugs.  I have the Fein right next to my machine, so the noise is undamped.  I built an alcove in the back of the CNC bench to put the Fein to make it quieter.  One of these days I will do that.  

The Fein is far quieter than my central DC system, 66 dB vs. well over 80.  And far cheaper to run.  And the air quality is HEPA.  

John

[APZ]

Thank you. I’ve been eyeballing Feins for years and this might push me over the edge. The makita is crazy expensive.

[fixtureman]

I used to runn 2 Feins to hold my material down and with both running you could still talk normally.  I have a spindle and the fan on it is louder than the spindle.  but when you start cutting it does grt a littke loud.

[jteneyck]

I used to runn 2 Feins to hold my material down and with both running you could still talk normally.  I have a spindle and the fan on it is louder than the spindle.  but when you start cutting it does grt a littke loud.

Interesting.  Do you have any photos or drawings of that setup?  Or a description at least?  Thanks.

John