Mod for Hoot Chute

[rossd]

I implemented Hoot's great idea for cooling a system with a 12V blower. Works great, but I wanted to reduce the noise some more.

If you've ever heard the difference between a direct-drive table saw and a belt-drive table saw, you'll know what a difference a flexible coupling makes.

So I separated the motor from the rest of the blower, added a bearing and an axle for the blower fan, and I used a piece of rubber gas hose for the flexible coupling between the motor and the blower. I also wrapped the motor in carpet underpadding and duct tape. I mounted the blower on the chassis using grommets. The motor is mounted in a somewhat flexible metal harness.

This all but eliminated the mechanical noise from the motor. The airflow noise from the fan is of course still present, but I only run the blower at half speed anyway so it's not too bad. Anyway, it's significantly quieter than the fan was on my MC462.

This system keeps my XP1700 running like an XP2000 at 30C with a reasonable level of noise. If I wanted it quieter, I'd probably go to water cooling.

http://photos.yahoo.com/michellemaree1972 for some low-quality photos

[Dissolved]

looks really cool, i have a 300cfm blower like that, but i desided to go with watcooling instead..

[Hoot]

Watch your motor temps. They run hot, as it is, in the open. That insulation may make it overheat and shorten brush life.

73, Hoot