The CNC router at the program for mentally-handicapped people is enclosed in a large cabinet. There is a vacuum hose near the router motor where bits are installed and removed but the small dust collection unit can't remove all of the wood dust. It is hard for me to use a vacuum cleaner to remove wood dust from inside the cabinet. There is a ball screw and two guide tubes under the platform on which work pieces are clamped down. I can't get all of the wood dust out from under the platform. The woodshop has a large dust collector but it's noisy. Any suggestions?
The CNC router is mounted on a thick board below the front clear door. After someone removed a steel plate from the board to remove as much wood dust from the cabinet, I got an idea: mount a dust collection hood under the board. It was too hard for me to mount the hood under the board because working inside the cabinet is like working under a kitchen sink.
The spindle is Porter-Cable PC690 router that is 3-1/2" in diameter. Mounting the hood under the platform removed wood dust from inside the cabinet a little bit better that mounting the hood behind the router.
If you can get at the sides of the cabinet, don't discount the possibility of pushing, as well as pulling, air. A vacuum hood on one side and a couple high-flow axial fans on the other for a transverse flow would move a lot of sawdust. Ideally a high-pressure air blast at the tool as well, depending on your compressor situation and the sensory needs of the users (pitch and volume of 90-100psi air is awful).
The shop teacher got some stuff to connect the hood under the platform to one shop vac and connect a hose at the back of the machine to another shop vac. Now, both shop vacs removed wood dust better than before due to strong vacuum.
How often should I lube the ball screws and guide tubes? Is Dry Lube with Teflon good? DRY LUBE WITH TEFLON™ – Blastercorp
Ball screws tend to take an ISO 68 type oil, relatively thick and sticky but still a long way from being a grease. It can be injected through the ball nut port (eg. with an oiler system) or just periodically brushed onto the screw (if you tend to have downtimes 6-8 hours apart anyway, this method is fine). I'm not sure a dry lube would adequately coat or adhere to the rolling elements of the mechanism, especially at the relatively high pressures involved with the reduced contact area. Vactra #2 is typically the go-to for way oil. I'm using the same Grizzly branded way oil + moly-D that I've been using on the lathe for a few years, seems to work fine.
Will the Dry Lube with Teflon work on my modified LEAD Machine 1010? I think that thick oil will clog the screws and guides.
You asked about ball screws. Do you actually have ball screws, or do you have lead screws? If you have lead screws, then yes, on a light-duty machine like these, then dry lube is the way to go. If you have ball screws, then ISO 68 way oil. Feel free to look for others who have managed to use dry lube, but I haven't seen it and it's not manufacturer-recommended.
I have two machines. The one shown in the photo is at the program for mentally-handicapped people and the modified LEAD Machine 1010 at home.
