Machine flood coolant

[NineThumbs]

I'm setting up a flood coolant system for my mill, and I'm interested as to the prefered coolant. I've found everything from mineral oil based stuff to vegetable oil base to synthetic base (all big bucks).... which got me to thinking.

Anyone know of a formula out there for a home brew flood coolant? Ethylene glycol would be a hell of a good lubricant and coolant, but probably not the best choice for the environment (my floor and my hands).

Any other ideas?

[CajunRider]

Have you checked out propylene glycol? If you use proper inhibitors, it could be effective as machine flood coolant. Its downside is that it could degrade to acids in high heat. That's why you need a good additive package.

[TDHofstetter]

Heck, just use soluble oil like most of the big boys do - it's deadly cheap & does a BANG-UP job.

-- Tim --

Member of the
Robert "Limey" Bolton Memorial
International
Volunteer Mentorship and Assistance
Programme

[arcticfox46]

Blaser Cut 4000 - is the best there is

That is what the Big Boys use

If oil is what you prefer - Hangsterfers is the one.

[NineThumbs]

All good ideas. I'll not use high budget stuff- I'm still a little boy. I'm even looking at misters now. Looked in our machine shop at work this morning, and the mister sure seems to be a lot less 'messy', as well as frugal with the coolant. Maybe flood isn't the way to go for my little mill and shallow passes. Will learn much more with observation, and through you guys.

Thanks group.

[brburns]

Keeping coolant from going rancid may be a challenge if you don't use it verry often. Personally, I wouldn't have coolant in my shop. The smell reminds me of work.

A mister would avoid this altogether, but is not as effective at keeping the heat down.

[TDHofstetter]

Far's "frugal with coolant" goes... DO PLAN ON collecting your drippings back into a catch bucket & recycling it, huh? My mill-drill has a driphole in the right-hand chitcatcher just for that purpose.

Heck, no reason to just throw it AWAY unless it's gone clear bad! Let it filter in a bucket - it should be good for a LONG time to come.

Yeah, though... flood is hard to contain. Me, most of the time I use an oilcan - I've got several, each with diff'rent stuff in it.

-- Tim --

Member of the
Robert "Limey" Bolton Memorial
International
Volunteer Mentorship and Assistance
Programme

[arcticfox46]

Yeah - ya cannot do the flood coolant thing.

First - the coolant manufacturer does not recommend adding water as the water vabor evaporates. At the initial mix there is a chemical reaction that takes place when the coolant concentration and water is mixed.

After the initial reaction - that's it. Adding more water after that is where the deterioation begins and bacteria starts to grow. Airation helps but is limited help. The water will evaporate - and the coolant contration will rise. Maintenance of the coolant in a small home shop would be difficult and very costly.

Misters are great - but can be messy. The whole ides is twofold. One - is to cool the cutting edge of the tool - and second is to get some lubrication into the cutting action.

Setting up a mister is pretty easy. You need a nozzel, attached to an air line. You can make that. You need a plastic tube to stick into the mist fluid, "cool tool", or "tap magic" or anything like that. Solder or epoxy the tube to near but behind the nozzel so that the air flow will siphon or suck the coolant fluid out of the fluid container and into the nozzel.

Now - you need two petcocks in those two lines. One to adjust the airflow - and one to adjust the fluid flow.

You want a decent but not hard blast of air flow - and just a TINY little very very light mist of fuild.

MSC had some really nice mist coolant.

Let me go look - I will me right back.

edit
OK - here is some nice stuff

I guess it was the kool mist that I used. A gallon should last a lifetime.

http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/GSDRVS...00000079965027

Some nice accessories in there too

Be careful about your dust collection - you don't want to suck that goowy stuff into you DC. It will make a huge mess.

[dcarter636]

Seems like I remember that you need to watch the ph with most reusable eco-friendly coolants too. We once had annoying corrosion on aluminum castings that was traced back to unbalanced old coolant used on a mill.

[arcticfox46]

PH is very inportant as well as concentration.

Corrosion is always a problem - it usually means water was added to thin it down - or the mix is wrong.

Different operations take different mixes too.

Grinding is a really low mix, like 2-5 %
Machining can be 5-10 %
Tapping should be high - like 12-15%

Can you imaging corrosion after a grinding operation? But a grinding wheel will not cut right if the concentration is too high(over 5%). Lubricity is bad in a grinding operation - but really good in a tapping operation (concentration 15%).

But that's all production stuff.

Small shop or home shop would do well with a mister. Or for that matter - just a pint can next to the machine that you drip onto the cutter from time to time.