Shapeoko 3 Gravity Feed Coolant Dripper for Aluminum Cutting

thingiverse

I've been working on my Shapeoko 3 and wanted a method to drip coolant on the piece during the process. I was initially intrigued by the YouTube video of a WD40 can being used as the basis for this system, but it required a lot of brazing and added weight to the tool head. So instead, I made my own, and since I have a 3D printer, it was actually much easier. This project will require: * Two 1/4" bolts (1" long) and two each nuts and washers. * A brass 1/16" inner diameter tube with an outside diameter of 0.091", like the one found on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/5125-Round-Brass-Tube-Peggable/dp/B0009ILF6G). * A medical IV set, like the one found on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Baxter-IV-Set-Extra-Port/dp/B003VP2MR0). * A 4oz bottle of 3in1 oil with a telescoping tip, like the one found on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/3-ONE-100703WD4-Multi-Purpose-Telescoping/dp/B01LRH9B04). * Sealant for the joint between the brass tube and the IV tube. To set this up, you'll need something above your printer to hang things from. Screw the bottle holder to that surface. On the Shapeoko, the base mount is a tight fit and doesn't require adhesive or anything. Depending on your nuts, they may be tight or may need some epoxy to hold in place. This adds very little weight to the tool head because the liquid is kept secured above the machine rather than on it. To bend the brass tube, make a cone out of paper and tape it to one end. Tape the other end closed. Fill the paper cone with salt and shake and tap until the tube is filled with salt. You can then bend into the shape you need. Once it's bent, insert it into the printed end piece. You may need to drill this out if you print it flat, but it should be a stronger piece printed flat. Cut enough of the IV tube to suit your setup, keeping the roller shutoff mechanism. Attach one end to the extendable tip of the 3in1 bottle. For the end that goes on the brass tube, apply some sealant and then push down what seems an appropriate amount of tubing over that. I secured it in place with some zip ties. Lastly, take a needle and poke a tiny hole in the bottom of the oil bottle to prevent vacuum from interfering with flow. When you don't want the oiler in place, you can remove it at one of the joints and hang it up by your bottle. I made a little holder for a magnet I had laying around – the steel bolt provides plenty for it to grab on. With the spout up at the bottle height, it won't drip. I have included the source files, made with FreeCAD (https://www.freecadweb.org/), so you can easily make any changes you want to this. A sort of printed Z adjustment would be nice because sliding the tube up or down in the end piece is a bit fiddly. The roller shutoff valve will allow you to regulate the rate of flow coolant. Once the 3in1 oil is gone, I'll try refilling it with real aluminum cutting fluid, but as it is, it seems to work fine – nice finish, hasn't caught fire, and haven't had any aluminum weld to the mill end since I started doing this.