[outsider787]

Doing some machining tonight I am realizing the importance of clearing chips away especially when doing deeper cuts through aluminum.
I ended up scrapping several parts before making a good one. I guess I'll chalk those up to a learning experience.
The problem was that chips were not being cleared (be my) and the cutter would get gummed up with aluminum and stall the machine.

I was using feeds and speeds calculated by FSwizard so I'm pretty sure the values I was using were correct.

I guess the values given by FSWizard also assume proper cooling/lubrication/chip removal.


So, what components have people been using to provide coolant/air to the tool/workpiece interface to lubricate and clear chips?

I don't even know where to start looking for this.

[Analias]

The CNC'd X3 I purchased recently came with a FogBuster. Although good for delivering coolant to the part, I suspect the 20 to 30 PSI used by the FogBuster can't move chips out of the way.

I haven't had a chance to experience my first cut on my "new" X3 since I have been waiting for cash reserves to rise for tooling. With the annual profit sharing bonus now come (and gone ), I have ordered tools and hope to make my first cuts within the next week. I'll let you know how it works out.

One thing I did do when purchasing my air compressor was get a three way breakout to the mill. One goes to the power draw bar, the other to the FogBuster, the last to a hand nozzle. I suspect that will be the way I clear most chips while I baby-sit part runs. That's what I have seen most folks do to clear chips, unless they are using flood.

[WOTDesigns]

I use all carbide cutters and never felt like dealing with flood at home so I use air for cutting and a kool mist portable I turn on for drilling. Carbide doesn't like mist. flood or air.

For the air I plumbed a 6" brass tube with a split on one end. Each end has 12" loc-line with an in lime shut off and an 1/8" nozzle. The split brings in the air.

I also wired a solenoid valve to my spindle relay and have individual needle valves going to air only and kool mist only. When the spindle turns on the air is given to the needle valves, if either are on they blast air or mist depending on what im doing.

I wired a switch next to my e stop box to kill the relay so I don't have to mess with the needle valves when warming up the spindle. I slot .75" deep with .25" data flute ARF and over 1" with a 3 flute "ultra duty" carbide .125" for my production parts and haven't clogged a cutter in 8 or 9 months.

Flood is nice for production (only) but even though I run my x3 20-40 hours a week I have no despite to mess with it. Moderate air through one our two 1/8" loc-line nozzles sends al chips 8' out of the way if I levee the enclosure curtain open... thats far enough.

[Analias]

What kind of pressure are you running on those air lines? How far off am I on my assumption that 20 or 30 PSI isn't enough to clear a deep cut that you may be making? If your running mist, I suspect you will go through coolant pretty quickly at 20 or 30 PSI. You are suppose to run those so you can't see the coolant in the stream. How's your millage been?

[SCzEngrgGroup]

A FogBuster does a FAR better job of chip removal than most flood systems, despite the low pressure, because the air is VERY directed. I used a FogBuster for years, and it was an order of magnitude better than the dual-nozzle flood system I have now, unless I turn the flood up high enough that it splashes over the (24" high) enclosure, and goes all over the shop.

Regards,
Ray L.

[TiagoSantos]

Air at 20psi coming out of a nozzle as small as the Fog Buster's actually packs quite a punch if it's aimed right (which can be a challenge, or it is for me anyway!) it'll be pretty darn good at spraying the chips out of the way!

[WOTDesigns]

I ran the mist unit off a 2 hp horizontal compressor for a year before I bought a 5hp. I ran it at 30 psi and it was pretty effective, but it doesn't clear as well as just air since the moist chips stick to the pocket walls. Coolant cost is null. Mixed 3 x recommended strength it lasts forever.

I just added the separate double air line a few months ago. it runs off the same pressure but its knocked down by the needle valve so I don't know how low it actually is.

I would really like a fogbuster... but first I need to see one with a loc-line on it as I just cant see using a solid tube and getting it adjusted easily. I had enough challenge aiming one lock line that I added another... even cutting a deep slot if the nozzle is on the right of the cutter even the cutter is on the left of the part there is no air moving chips. perhaps the two head fogbuster would work, but it would be nice to have the adjustment of a lock line on the fogbuster.

I planned on buying one which is why I got the portable version of the kool mist (so I can leave it on the lathe when I get a fogbuster.I'm stuck now that I have have run for this long... a lot of other things will make me more money for 500

[MRM RCModels]

The CNC'd X3 I purchased recently came with a FogBuster. Although good for delivering coolant to the part, I suspect the 20 to 30 PSI used by the FogBuster can't move chips out of the way.

I haven't had a chance to experience my first cut on my "new" X3 since I have been waiting for cash reserves to rise for tooling. With the annual profit sharing bonus now come (and gone ), I have ordered tools and hope to make my first cuts within the next week. I'll let you know how it works out.

One thing I did do when purchasing my air compressor was get a three way breakout to the mill. One goes to the power draw bar, the other to the FogBuster, the last to a hand nozzle. I suspect that will be the way I clear most chips while I baby-sit part runs. That's what I have seen most folks do to clear chips, unless they are using flood.

You'll only need to shoot at 15psi with the tri-head system you have. Chip will move pretty quick.

[691175002]

I will echo that even 15psi will be more than enough to completely remove the chips.

Mister/fogbuster systems are generally much better than flood at clearing chips. Moving enough liquid to match a blast of compressed air is very difficult.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

I would really like a fogbuster... but first I need to see one with a loc-line on it as I just cant see using a solid tube and getting it adjusted easily.

Putting LocLine on a FogBuster completely invalidates the entire FogBuster concept, and would make it into nothing more than a standard mister. Read the FogBuster patent.

Regards,
Ray L.

[mhackney]

I use a Noga Mini Cool for most milling. It directs the blast and does not use a lot of coolant and usually no enclosure is needed. I use primarily HSS tooling in aluminum and brass. I also cut a lot of parts with small decorative cutouts on my reels (see my avatar photo for an example).

I use flood when cutting these because the stream will remove the little center part of the cutout so I don't have to manually clear them for the finish pass. These are cut with 3/32" and 1/8" end mills and before clearing the cut out piece I would break the occasional end mill when it smashed into it. Keep in mind that there may be 20 to 30 of these cutouts on each reel plate and I am doing 5 or so of them at a time on my fixture, so I am trying to optimize for decreasing time. When I slowed the finish pass plunge down enough to prevent endmill breakage, it added a lot of time to cutting the parts. Using flood allows me to clear all the bits out of the cutouts and plunge quickly for the finish pass.

One comment here, when I first started CNC I thought that I should be able to take a rough pass and then, without extracting the bit, take the finish pass on these cutouts. None of the CAM programs I've tried and currently use do this. Creating an individual toolpath for each cutout and then manually optimizing the finish pass was painful and error prone. I'd be curious if anyone has a similar situation and has a solution - you can post in my G0704 build thread so as not to hijack this one!

cheers,
Michael

[zero_divide]

Doing some machining tonight I am realizing the importance of clearing chips away especially when doing deeper cuts through aluminum.
I ended up scrapping several parts before making a good one. I guess I'll chalk those up to a learning experience.
The problem was that chips were not being cleared (be my) and the cutter would get gummed up with aluminum and stall the machine.

I was using feeds and speeds calculated by FSwizard so I'm pretty sure the values I was using were correct.

I guess the values given by FSWizard also assume proper cooling/lubrication/chip removal.


So, what components have people been using to provide coolant/air to the tool/workpiece interface to lubricate and clear chips?

I don't even know where to start looking for this.

Yes, FSWizard does assume you are taking necessary steps to clear the chips.
I find that you need some sort of lube when taking heavy cuts on Aluminum.
If you insist on running dry i would recommend going 70% in sfm.
And reducing doc by 50% from recommended.
Imho for heavy cuts on aluminum strong flood is best. For uncoated carbide strong mist works the best.
And if you are using zrn or similar coating then simple airblast will do.
Chips are less likely to get stuck to aluminum- specific coating

[nateman_doo]

Perhaps adjust your depth of cut higher? Also, I use an industrial aquarium air pump. Clears everything out of the immediate area, and sometimes use it with flood. I don't want a noisey air compressor going on every minute, so i tried out the aquarium pump and it worked like a charm

[outsider787]

Nate, I really like the aquarium pump idea. I too am not fond of an air compressor going off every few minutes.

Can you post a link or some specs as to how much air it can move at what pressure? Just so I have a benchmark to know how other pumps may perform.

Thanks,

[outsider787]

Anyone else using aquarium pumps?

Looking for details an what size pump used and how well it's worked for you.

adrian.

[ChrisAttebery]

I'm using a piece of 3/32" brass tubing with a 1/16" ID mounted to the head of the mill with a magnet and standoff. It's plumbed to a small regulator from an HVLP paint gun. I'm running 3-4psi through it and as long as it's pointed at the tip of the tool it will blow the chips 3-4" out of the way. If I'm doing alot of hogging I will crank it up to 5-10psi and it will blow the chips off the table. I can run it for ~2 hours off of my 60 gallon 125psi compressor before the tank is empty. That's just about perfect for the evenings while the kids are asleep right above the garage.