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5' x 5' CNC Router Build

I got to the local hardware store today to look for a few supplies. I was floored at the price of 10/3 w/ground wire, $179 for 50’! :eek:

I decided I would wait until I run into the city and get some at the borg instead. I checked online and they were the same price.

After some searching, I ended up finding a 100’ roll on Amazon of the same wire/brand for $180 (vs $280), so ordered it. I have a couple of other projects that I’ll need more for anyway.
 
I had noticed a white goo in my coolant flow indicator clogging it up, same on the pump reservoir. I was thinking it might be a bacteria, but on closer inspection it was gritty.
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I read the propylene glycol coolant bottle again and it says not to use with acetate. :doh:

The pump had what appeared to be a silicone or latex material coming loose in the bottom of it, so decided to order a new pump, as well as new lines
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Since it’s in a heated space now, I’ll switch it to using distilled water.
 
Darren Wright said:
I got to the local hardware store today to look for a few supplies. I was floored at the price of 10/3 w/ground wire, $179 for 50’! :eek:

I decided I would wait until I run into the city and get some at the borg instead. I checked online and they were the same price.

After some searching, I ended up finding a 100’ roll on Amazon of the same wire/brand for $180 (vs $280), so ordered it. I have a couple of other projects that I’ll need more for anyway.
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I see a lot of sources still selling copper wire at COVID prices. It really does pay to shop around.
 
I have been using ONLY distilled water for the past 4-5 years. I built a coolant tank with baffels to reduce as much as possible any debris from making a full circle. As trash enters the coolant tank it gets trapped in there. The industrial machines have baffles, so why not me. It has a tight fitting lid as well. I built it out of plywood and fiberglassed the inside with several layers of cloth and resin.
 
glenn bradley said:
I see a lot of sources still selling copper wire at COVID prices. It really does pay to shop around.
Click to expand...
Same thing was happening with the tubafors where they had bought lumber at inflated prices and then ended up with a backlog of stock they were selling out at cost plus until the newer stuff hit the pipeline. I suspect there will be a long ripple of this especially for less sold things at smaller shops where they do strict cost plus pricing.

I'm reminded of when I was buying a rototiller and decided to give the rebuild it guy a chance. He wanted $100 MORE than the exact same model was being sold for brand new at the big box. I told him that and he said "well I have to get paid for my parts and time" and I kind of shrugged and told him that I wasn't going to pay extra to fund his hobby (at which point he started yelling at me how it wasn't a hobby as I walked away..)
 
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Got the new pump and lines installed, the indicator is twirling again, so the spindle is getting circulation. I did a full flush also and refiled with distilled water with a drop of algicide for good measure.

Now it seems both cooling fans are dead, so ordered new ones. :doh: For that matter I have one ball screw main bearing block that is making noise, so have a set of them on order too.

It's been stored in the garage without heat, so expected some things to need attention. I found the rotary timing belt had a mud dauber nest last night, and even found a huge mud dauber nest right on the main controller board covering most of it. I got a lot of it off, but still have some components covered in mud. I may take a stiff nylon brush to it at some point, but seems to be working.
 
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