Milling waterblocks with a wood router

Pierre Trudeau · Jun 3, 2002

I wonder if it's possible to mill your own waterblocks with a standard 2Hp router, and a carbide metal bit (straight cut carbide?).

Copper is relatively soft, and as long as you cooled the bit properly with lubricant, and cut the channels in stages (each stage going progressively lower), I wonder if this has been attempted?

Something to try for me today I guess...

Iron Hawk · Jun 3, 2002

Yes, It should work, but keep in mind that it will be hard to controll, read your manual for your router to see if there are any recomendations on working with metal.

hawkdude · Jun 3, 2002

sure that will work. i would recommend you to start out by simply drilling holes, with a cheapo drill. that way you will save your good carbite bis for the final adjustments. drilling/ milling copper can be done with any drill, but of course a drill press is easier and goes faster. and you are right: layer by layer.

What design did you choose? any ideas yet?? share!!!

c ya

Iron Hawk · Jun 3, 2002

Good tips there hawkdude, pre drilling the paths with a drill will make the whole process quicker and easier.

Pierre Trudeau · Jun 3, 2002

Well. That worked great. I just tried it on a small piece of 2 inch copper block, and it went through it like butter. I didn't get a chance to read hawkdudes post first, but I anticipated the pilot holes and drilled some rough cuts first on my drill press, and then added machining oil. Next I dropped on my plunge router with a carbide 1/2 bit, and zoommmm. No problem. A little at a time, and I'll have produced a proffesional piece of work for a fraction of the cost. Now for the design.
Gotta fire up cad and try a few orginal ideas.

I'll keep you posted with some pics soon.

Iron Hawk · Jun 3, 2002

Hey, could you post your cad drawings? I use AutoCad 2002 so i should have no problems opening them.

Pierre Trudeau · Jun 3, 2002

I'd be glad to share with everyone.

I've roughed out 8 designs, that I think will work. I'm going to do the cad portion of it later tonight (EST) and it should take me a day or two to finish. I'll let you know.

Bender · Jun 3, 2002

I would love it if you could post pics of the finished product. I was thinking about using a router but I had no idea it would work so well.

DKYoda · Jun 3, 2002

Hmmm ...

Setting one up with a table to allow x and y movement ...

The mind wanders ...
Ive been looking at getting a good used vertical mill ..
Maybe this will be a cheaper way to do what I wanna do ...

Make Mo' Blocks !!!

gone_fishin · Jun 3, 2002

Routers are turning at upwards of 10,000 rpm, what diameter bits did you try so far and how deep were you eventually able to go? Was there burning going on by bumping the sidewalls of the channels when you got deeper into the copper?

Pierre Trudeau · Jun 3, 2002

gone_fishin said:
Routers are turning at upwards of 10,000 rpm, what diameter bits did you try so far and how deep were you eventually able to go? Was there burning going on by bumping the sidewalls of the channels when you got deeper into the copper?

1) Started small, and I ended on 1/2" inch carbide.
2) Set depth for maximum of 1/8" for now. This was just a first run.
3) No, I didn't cut that deep yet.
4) Using "Hydroclear Multi-Way Machine Synthetic Lubricant" so the bit stayed relatively cool and the cutting smooth with little pitting or gouging.

Again, I'll try and finish a milled block over the weekend with an original design (template) and post some pics of it.

Just a short edit.

I'm also going to try some experiments with gold>copper electroplating to see what kind of results I get in heat transfer. (I have over 80 1 meg sims and various gold plated pieces that I'm using as the cathode)

hawkdude · Jun 4, 2002

now that will be new. i am sure, that a copper coating will work better than ordinary lapping.

could you test the block before, and than compare? that would be great.

or what do you think?

JFettig · Jun 4, 2002

yes it MITE work gone fishin is rite, the router spins somewere around 10000rpms, and i milled my waterblocks at 2000maximum, and how you gonna controll the thing???

Milling waterblocks with a wood router

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