# The Difference Between Water-cooling Spindle and Air-cooling Spindle Mini CNC Router



## china-cncrouter (May 20, 2015)

In mini CNC router field, the mostly used spindle is water-cooling spindle and air-cooling spindle. But do you know the differences between them? 
1.	Using life, since water-cooling spindle keeps water circulating when mini CNC router engraver working; it can effectively reduce the temperature. This is a good way to lengthen using lift, but air-cooling spindle only depends air, its using life is less than water-cooling spindle. 

2.	Precision, when engrave something; the precision is very important for the fineness. Generally speaking, water-cooling spindle’s precision can be controlled within 0.003mm in both axial and radial direction, but air-cooling spindle cann’t reach that precision. 

3.	Just as its name implies, water-cooling refers to reducing temperature by water circulating, the temperature can be controlled less than 40 degrees. But air-cooling depends fan, the effect cann’t compare with water-cooling. 

4.	Noise, when the mini cnc machine work, the sound of one with air-cooling spindle will be louder than the one with water-cooling spindle.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Well I learned something new . I assumed the water cooler would be quieter and have a longer life , but has no idea it would be more accurate to ?

I known an air cooled spindle would be quieter than a PC75182 running all day


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

water cooling is fine except on wood, a lot of porous materials and it would be disastrous to the MDF family of materials...
accuracy to .003 in wood...
what for???
it'll move all on it's own further than that w/o adding water...
@RainMan1...
don't you recognize a set up for spam when you see one???
WTB china has product to sell...


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Stick486 said:


> don't you recognize a set up for spam when you see one???
> WTB china has product to sell...


My bad . Dang , I'm talking to a robot


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## 4DThinker (Feb 16, 2014)

Wait.... aren't we all robots? If water is good, wouldn't freon be better? We want to draw heat away from the router, right? Of course then ice may form around it if the room is humid. hmmmmm


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Stick486 said:


> don't you recognize a set up for spam when you see one???
> WTB china has product to sell...


I'm pretty sure this same guy posted before. It sounds to similar not to be him. Last time he included links to his website where he could sell you something to solve your CNC problems. This doesn't break any rules so I see no reason to do anything yet and the information may be of use to someone.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> I'm pretty sure this same guy posted before. It sounds to similar not to be him. Last time he included links to his website where he could sell you something to solve your CNC problems. This doesn't break any rules so I see no reason to do anything yet and the information may be of use to someone.


look to his 1st post and compare it to his next two..
ghost writer???

can he skirt the rules if he gets somebody to ask for his website????


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Only if done through a PM and if China CNC doesn't have enough posts to PM back then the sender would have to include a personal email. If he posts it on the forum and he isn't a registered vendor then it becomes unauthorized advertising which we delete. Depending on the individual threads they may get banned at the same time, eg when it is apparent they are only here for free advertising or the ads don't even have anything to do with woodworking. This guy has a little information to pass along that might be of interest so I might delete the ad and let him know what we don't allow and see what happens next. If Bernie gets there first the chances are he's gone.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

what is the real deal if a member posts a link to one of their vendors that they are thrilled w/ or use the link w/ the intent of product information...


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

I don't think he has that good of information. I use an air cooled spindle and it seems to run just fine - even for long periods of time.

For $800 it should flip pancakes after it mixes the dough.

HJ

Something seems fishy about this post.


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## 4DThinker (Feb 16, 2014)

Could just be a cultural difference and someone "trying" to offer useful info. Answers to questions no one has asked yet.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Stick if you have an Acme wood stretcher and you want to post a link to it so everyone else can have a look we don't have a problem with that. That kind of thing can be useful information to a lot of members and you aren't here just to advertise it. You're here to participate and that factors in. If we were too strict with that sort of thing you'd never be able to say that you like Bosch routers and Freud bits. If someone is just here to promote themself and shows no interest in participating then they won't be here for very long.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Stick if you have an Acme wood stretcher and you want to post a link to it so everyone else can have a look we don't have a problem with that. That kind of thing can be useful information to a lot of members and you aren't here just to advertise it. You're here to participate and that factors in. If we were too strict with that sort of thing you'd never be able to say that you like Bosch routers and Freud bits. If someone is just here to promote themself and shows no interest in participating then they won't be here for very long.


got it...
what you said got me thinkin'...


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## 4DThinker (Feb 16, 2014)

When I worked at K-mart (eons ago) we would occasionally send new stock boys to the basement (or attic) to find the shelf stretcher. Those were metal shelves though. As for stretching boards I can do it width-wise, but not by very much. Doesn't work with plywood or most sheet goods.


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## fixtureman (Jul 5, 2012)

4. Noise, when the mini cnc machine work, the sound of one with air-cooling spindle will be louder than the one with water-cooling spindle.


I have to disagree with that comment. I have a air cooled spindle and the fan is the same as a csse fan in a computer. My water cooled laser the pump is louder than the spindle fan


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

fixtureman said:


> 4. Noise, when the mini cnc machine work, the sound of one with air-cooling spindle will be louder than the one with water-cooling spindle.
> 
> 
> I have to disagree with that comment. I have a air cooled spindle and the fan is the same as a csse fan in a computer. My water cooled laser the pump is louder than the spindle fan


That's good to know . I guess there would be longer life with water cooling , but what a bearing or two ?


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

fixtureman said:


> 4. Noise, when the mini cnc machine work, the sound of one with air-cooling spindle will be louder than the one with water-cooling spindle.
> 
> 
> I have to disagree with that comment. I have a air cooled spindle and the fan is the same as a csse fan in a computer. My water cooled laser the pump is louder than the spindle fan


Wondering what size laser you are running. I have a Chinese 80watt tube and either it's faulty or it's the PS . Won't engrave anymore , only cut . But the cutting is not as clean as it should be , almost like its sputtering intermittently


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

My air cooled spindle is quieter than a router - - can also adjust the rpm from 0-20000 with the twist of a knob. Has a separate control box with that and on/off switch.

HJ

Helps to remember to turn it on- cuts smoother and uses fewer bits


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

honesttjohn said:


> HJ
> 
> Helps to remember to turn it on- cuts smoother and uses fewer bits


Spoken from experience I assume lol


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## 4DThinker (Feb 16, 2014)

Hopefully Probotix will come up with a cheap way to add both ON/OFF and speed control for spindle motors in the near future. A 110 to 220 relay of some sorts. I'm wondering if the spindle control box has an input for a signal from the PC.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

RainMan
Yes - from experience. More than once.

4D -- The spindle has a speed control box and on/off switch - it's just a separate box off to the side. I'd like to see one that turned on when you touch off the cut. It's hard to pray with both hands and turn the spindle on at the same time.

HJ

Memory is the second thing to go


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## 4DThinker (Feb 16, 2014)

You can still pray with just one hand. One handed folks do it often.


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## fixtureman (Jul 5, 2012)

My spindle uses the file to start it and also the air cooled spindle that I have runs cool. there is a lot less trouble with an air cooled unit as you don't need hoses and a pump also you don't have to worry about the unit freezing in the winter.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

honesttjohn said:


> RainMan
> Yes - from experience. More than once.
> 
> 4D -- The spindle has a speed control box and on/off switch - it's just a separate box off to the side. I'd like to see one that turned on when you touch off the cut. It's hard to pray with both hands and turn the spindle on at the same time.
> ...


John my favorited thing to forget is to turn my fan on when the laser starts cutting . You'd think after a few times I'd get it , but no . Could have it power up when the lasers on but the noise is a nuisance


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Stick486 said:


> got it...
> what you said _got me thinkin'_...


Oh, Oh.....


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

RainMan1 said:


> My bad . Dang , I'm talking to a robot


How did she sound? ROTFLAO.....


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

jw2170 said:


> How did she sound? ROTFLAO.....


Not to bad James as I'm kinda lethargic anyways lol


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

honesttjohn said:


> RainMan
> Yes - from experience. More than once.
> 
> 4D -- The spindle has a speed control box and on/off switch - it's just a separate box off to the side. I'd like to see one that turned on when you touch off the cut. It's hard to pray with both hands and turn the spindle on at the same time.
> ...


Harrysin posted a thread a little while back about a power sensor that would turn his shop vac on when he powered up his router as they had to run on separate circuits. I don't remember much about it and Harry was an electronics repair expert which I took into account when he said it wasn't that hard to do. When you click on someone's username you get a menu. If you click on Statistics you have a choice of looking at all the threads that a member has posted on or all the threads that he has started and I'm pretty sure he started this one but I could be wrong.


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## SteveMI (May 29, 2011)

honesttjohn said:


> Helps to remember to turn it on- cuts smoother and uses fewer bits


+++++ Also, the smaller the bit diameter, the more probable you will forget.

I finally got a "tool on" shop vac and the spindle is connected to it. I haven't forgot since.

My spindle doesn't come up to speed anywhere near as fast as a router, so when I used the software to start it I was able to still wreck a bit when the g-code started trying to cut before the spindle was ready. 

Steve.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Steve,

I can see that happening. When I hit touch off Nebbie gets right down to business. The spindle takes a few seconds to work up to the set speed, no matter what it is.

What'd it cost to set up the tool on vac? Probotix wants $400 for their set up which includes a two bag vac.

Mike says we're supposed hook up sometime.

HJ

Found out you can never have too many bits on hand


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## 4DThinker (Feb 16, 2014)

Hitting Pause after you've hit Play (run) the router/spindle will keep spinning up. When up to full speed hit pause again to resume.


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## SteveMI (May 29, 2011)

honesttjohn said:


> What'd it cost to set up the tool on vac?


John, I bought a single speed Porter Cable shop vac with the tool on outlet built in at a flea market several years ago. Much quieter than my older Craftsman shopvac. PC looks like it used to be owned by a person who did drywall. Last year I bought a non-hepa Fien Turbo II during a sale for I think $300. It has an outlet plus adjustable suction. For both, I use them with a dust deputy.

Steve.


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