Has anyone else had problems with the dewalt router DWP611 the comes standard with the x-carve? I have had my x-carve since Dec 2018 and have already replaced the router with a new one while the Original was being fixed by Dewalt. And now the new one just stopped working. I have done probably 100 carves since new. Seems to me I shouldn’t have to replace the router twice for 100 carves.
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What speed are you running it on?
There are many threads here and on other forum on defective Dewalt 611 router but maybe you just need to change the brushes. I have not seen any threads on the Makita RT701 having significant issues, even those cutting aluminum on a daily basis. Maybe you should consider getting yourself a Makita as it fits the XCarve mount with a standard bushing and as a bonus, it also provides a larger speed range.
I know I ran mine on 6 speed for about six months. I had to replace the brushes. Now I run it between 2 and 4 speed depending on the project and keep extra brushes on hand. Haven’t had any significant issues that would make me send it back to the manufacturer yet.
Speed is always at 6. I figured the Faster it is going the smoother the cut will be.
I run my Dewalt 611 on 1 and it has lasted 2 years
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For very small diameter end mills or specialized machining may require fast RPM.
For generic wood / aluminium carving slower RPM is generally more suited.
Going too fast (RPM) dont allow for a slice thick enough to form at the cutter edge and your bit will rub => generate heat => wood will turn harder / aluminium softer which wear down the bit faster (aluminium would build up on the cutter gumming it down)
Wood generally allow a wide range of RPM/chip thickness so its not black/white.
Metals are less forgiving.
Max RPM also increase load on router bearings / increase brush wear - both are cheap to replace though.
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That’s your problem. Set it at 1 and leave it. 95% of carves will be perfectly fine. And the other 5% will still work.
You risk so many problems running at speed 6 that it’s not worth doing.
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Guess I’ll turn it down. I have seen others said same thing.
Speed and feeds are both art and science. Learning what is the best speed for the material, the bit, the rigidity of the CNC needs a bit of research. If you are always using the same 2 or 3 bits and the same 2 or 3 materials, you can probably calculate a recipe and put it in a table without having to resort to calculations every time you are caving. One thing for sure is that top speed is seldom required for most carve and as stated above, it will wear bits and router faster as well as provide less than ideal cuts and make way too much noise for nothing so slow down the router you will get better results.
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Dewalt is a good brand. Did you receive a defective router? I would say no, you didn’t. Routers are not designed to work like spindles. Spindles are designed to handle the side forces, the up and down forces etc that are placed on them. Routers on the other hand are not designed to take on the amount of side load stress that cnc machines place on them, they are also not designed for plunging and other processes that cnc machines put them through. They will fail if precautions are not taken. If you are using a router as a spindle then you need to make sure that you ramp your cuts in such a way that you reduce the load. If you research how a router works, you will find that it does most of its cutting on the side of the bit and at a very slow IPM speed allowing the bit to cut either at half depth or full depth of cut with the router speed set between 10,000 to 25,000 rpms depending on the bit type, wood type, thickness of wood etc. If I have confused you sorry but you can contact me if you need more info