CT Spindle Temperature ?? It's HOT !!

[Brad Wardman]

Have about 5 hours on my new machine. The CT spindle/truck is very hot to the touch...Ive seen other threads, but no difinitive answer. What temp should the spindle be at after a short carve ?? My flexshaft is cool and everything is running fine, but the spindle is too hot to touch more than 4 or 5 seconds after a 30 minute carve. Is this normal or do I have a bearing issue ??
Brad

[lynnfrwd]

Hi Brad and welcome to the forum...the land of Carvoholics.

All new CT spindles will run hotter at first while the bearings get broken in. Please continue to monitor it as it should start to run cooler by about 10 carving hours or so.

ANYTIME you start to hear strange noises, the flex appears it may melt or you start to smell it melting, STOP the machine immediately. Lifting the lid or hitting stop once will pause your project. Hitting STOP twice will cancel it.

NEVER leave your machine unattended.

If you feel it may be getting worse, please do not hesitate to call us. We can do some troubleshooting to see if it is not the normal "breaking in period".

Connie

[LittleRedWoodshop]

Welcome Brad and thank you to Connie for your response.

[Brad Wardman]

Thanks all...its all been running smoothly, just was suprised at the heat when I went to change the bit. Flexshaft is barely warm...so that is great !!! Will pick up a little infrared thermo when I get to HF so I can monitor everything closely. Im a handful of projects in on "practice" wood (pine) and after 1 more trial run I am going to throw in a chunk of something good !!
Thanks Again,
Brad

[lynnfrwd]

Brad:

Check your CarveTight Spindle inside the z-truck and make sure there is no wobble or movement of it within the z-truck. Grab it at the bottom and try to move it. It should be solid in the z-truck and not move at all. Let me know.

Glad it's running smoother, but check that.

Connie

[fwharris]

Welcome Brad!

Just keep an eye on the temp and watch for any sudden changes. Happy carving!!

[Digitalwoodshop]

I had my Flex Melt one hot summer day a few years ago after I kinked the spring doing maintenance in the hot sun. I had a Smoke Detector above my machine and I was just outside the shop on the deck working. I highly recommend everyone have a Smoke Detector above the machine. Even smoke from a loose V 60 bit set off the detector one time saving me machine damage...

I am guilty of leaving my machine cut un attended while I work on the Laser Shop next door, a few steps away from the Wood Shop. I do listen on a wireless Intercomm.... IN a Future World.... I will have 2 video cameras on each machine and audio and video in the Laser Shop and Kitchen of the House as I am the Head Cook and Bottle Washer. I have in the past listened to the machine cut from the kitchen as I made a meal. I have been lucky... The 2 times there was a problem, I was in the Wood Shop steps away... In a future world, I will also have a relay on the machine that when activated from next to my computer in the Laser Shop OR the Kitchen will open the cover switch circuit stopping the machine remotely. In a future world I will have my machine plugged into a iSocket. It is designed to turn on a Vacuum Cleaner when you turn on your Router that is plugged into it. I will have the Vacuum outlet activated by the CW Cut Motor starting power a 24 volt transformer and that power a relay for my 220 volt Dust Collector. So when the Cut Motor is on the Dust Collector is ON... Cut Motor Stops the Dust Collector shuts off 10 seconds later. I have tested it, and it works GREAT... Measuring a Board no Dust Collector.... Start Cut Motor... Start Dust Collector... IF ever there was a FIRE in the MACHINE.... The Dust Collector Running would act like a Supper Charger on a Engine.... The iSocket can be found by doing a search. About $40.00.

The weakness of the ISocket is the Transistor on the big metal heat sink to draw heat away from the switch. IF you use the iSocket to run a small transformer and that run a Relay the iSocket will last YEARS... If you run a Vacuum Cleaner or Dust Collector direct from the iSwitch it will fail at some time due to heat....

OK... Off my soap box....

AL

[Brad Wardman]

nice and tight in the truck, bearing seem solid....Im probably being overly cautious. Will keep monitoring the temp as I go.
Brad