[shred]

I've done a lot of looking around online and can't find any reasoning behind it . I know I'm not alone in this but no one has a solution . It could possibly be the fact that I still run older versions v2.16 and 2.15 . What I need to do in the near future is set the computers to boot into the os and open pathpilot from there , at least then I can be sure to recover my files and setting

I think there are some magic hotkeys that will get you a Linux prompt at boot time... might be possible to catch one of the frozen systems and see what's going on and/or investigate the log files. Linux can be pretty verbose about what it's doing at boot up and that might show something. Btw, have you tried leaving one of the 'stuck' systems on the splash page for ~30 minutes to be sure it's not doing something dumb like a filesystem check that takes a while? I had that happen once on a headless system.

[popspipes]

I think maybe one reason I dont have the problem is that I leave the computer powered up all the time, it only goes down on power outage or if I am going to be gone for a period of time. I do use the later versions of pathpilot as well.

[metalmayhem]

I have tried to leave it on the splash screen for long periods of time with the hopes it would come out of that but it's never worked .

I rarely shut down the mills or computers , and for the most part the only times they get shut down is for maintenance , power outages or vacation . 2 reasons for this is that the y limit switches are unreliable and the other is this boot problem , I don't like delays when starting my work day .

I have pathpilot setup in vmware on my house computer , and last night as a test I set it up so it boots straight into the operating system , then open pathpilot from there . I saw the instructions on the forums quite some time back and been meaning to get everything set that way . It's easy to set up and hopefully it will resolve any sort of future issues . I get why tormach set the controller to boot straight into pathpilot and it is sort of slick , but I think booting into the os has it's advantages .

[metalmayhem]

I figured out why the y wasn't moving as mentioned previously . The the db25 ribbon cable has been losing connection . I had the same problem again with the y not moving , I opened the cabinet and a wiggle of the ribbon along with some pressure on the connector has it working again . It still doesn't explain the weirdness I was getting out of pathpilot the last time , but at least I know that the strip needs to be replaced

That pc is now set to boot straight into the os now and I hope this prevents any future lockups on the splash screen . The splash screen still pops up before the os kicks in , so I need to figure out how to stop it from having any splash screen what so ever

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
on Windows PC's the splash screen is displayed or not and the setting is in the BIOS, and that you can access by <ESC>, or something???.....can't remember..... while the PC is booting.

Craig

[metalmayhem]

I read somewhere about the ability to change my splash screen while in linux . I'm thinking there must be a way to do away with it in linux and I think I saw something about that somewhere . I'm pretty distracted these days so I haven't put much time into it .

Most of my research has been finding tool supplies (as your already know lol ) which I think I now have covered . My new research adventure is finding a decent source for coolant . My main supply is going to stop selling what I've been using which is hocut 795b . It's an aerospace coolant that won't stain my parts , and the stuff is fantastic .
For the longest time I had problems with stains which would leave brownish to black marks on my parts . Even so called aluminum safe has given me some issues . Now I won't buy anything that isn't boeing approved . I thought it may have been a water issue but I've moved and went from soft water to hard and the bad coolants then are still bad now , so it wasn't a water issue and they just aren't aluminum safe . Once I got onto hocut I haven't looked back but with high price increases my supplier is ditching coolant altogether .
I'm looking at blaser for the next time I buy , I found a supplier and if shipping is reasonable then I'll go with that . I've used it in the past and they make good coolant , nothing earth shattering but it is decent . I've always leaned more towards cimcool but once again finding a decent supplier who will ship to me is a pita

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
I'm no computer guru, but I believe the splash screen is displayed before the OS, so either Windows OR Linux. The splash screen is displayed as the BIOS is loading.
If I'm not mistaken that occurs whether Linux or Windows is eventually loaded and run as OS.

I use TOTAL LACTUCA LT3000, its a French brand I believe and is quite well represented in NZ and its proven fine. I'm currently using ROCOL Longlife Soluble Oil,
and it too is fine. It was given to me...so the price was right!. It has proven to be long lasting and free from spoilage, but I notice its picked up a blue/green tinge, I presume
from the copper and brass swarf, but is otherwise fine.

There was a time when many water soluble oils were inclined to smell and otherwise degrade, but most brands are much better at longevity than they once were.
As for which brand has better lubricity, I cannot say, I never push it that hard anyway. The coolant is really about flushing chips out of the cutzone rather than cooling
or lubricity, in fact water would probably be as good as anything most times.

Craig.

[metalmayhem]

Coolant most definitely acts as a lubricant and some are far better than others . In aluminum for example - faster , heavier cutting as well as tapping benefit from higher concentrate levels , and there is much less chance of a meltdown . Surface finishes benefit to .
Water in the mix works to keep things cool but otherwise has no other value , aside from thinning out the oil .

A lot of them still go rancid if they aren't synthetic or semi , even the semi can stink a bit if left sitting . The one I'm using now stinks if sitting in the heat for a number of days but the stink seems to go away after a few hours of running . I tried one coolant a while back that was so bad it smelled like soured milk when it turned rancid , that only took 2 weeks from a fresh batch .
I don't mind most veggy oil based coolants , any of the decent ones only need a few drops of bleach to eliminate the bacteria and they are back to normal quickly after that . They don't last as long as synthetic but they still have their place . I know guys cringe at the thought of bleach but we used to add a cap to the big machines back in the day and it was never a problem , now a cup of it would probably pose a problem but a cap in those big tanks was fine

With the hocut 795b which is a semi synthetic I often just add water once the tanks are low (buckets in the tormachs case) , it has a good staying power . I can pretty much gauge the concentration level when its pumping into the machines . It's initial cost is high but a bucket goes a surprising long way for me . I'd love to run straight oil but I always remind myself of the mess that was involved when I ran screw machines which used straight oil . It works great but oil is everywhere .

Unless I can find an alternative then blaser seems to be the right choice moving forward .

[metalmayhem]

I found another semi-local place that sells the hocut but they can't be bothered to answer emails so screw em

Hysol MB50 might be the alternative I've been looking for . It's not boeing approved but it seems to be popular . It's been around for a long time and everything I've read looks positive , especially for aluminum . The blazer I was looking at is over 400 a bucket vs this which is 270 . With shipping and sales tax it's $340 which makes it worth giving a trial run on one mill . At least this would put me back to the price I was paying before all the covid price hike bs . It sounds to have good finish on the machined parts , doesn't eat the paint off the machine (least of my worries) and lasts

I'm a seeing is believing sort of guy so I'm not overly optimistic but I have hopes that it works out ok . If it doesn't work then the horizontal saw will have another bucket of coolant which should result in more than a lifetime supply of saw coolant

[popspipes]

I have mainly worked in stainless steel (dairy industry) and used ridgid cutting oil in the lathe and saw at the dairy, here in the shop which isnt temperature controlled I use a #2 diesel and oil mix until I retired, I still use the diesel/oil mix on aluminum and it works fine, better finishes, no evaporation, and cheap. there are other benefits as well. the detrimits are it does have a flashpoint and it will eat up the shower hose and works on the paint somewhat. the sump hasnt been cleaned since and no special care is needed to use it. I use my machine intermittently these days and it works for me and nothing rusts in between uses.........

[metalmayhem]

That type of stuff has it's benefits but as you mention they have their downfalls . I've tried to get away from any flammable liquids in the shop because of the fire risk and also the stink . I had varsol in my parts cleaner for a fair while but I now fill it with water and a heavy amount of simply green extreme aircraft cleaner which does a great job and is safe to dispose of . It also has corrosion protection and my parts cleaner isn't too bad with rust , there is a bit though

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
I was reading up on some of the specs of the water soluble oils and they seem to have one thing in common, they are a deadly and persistent aquatic poison.
I don't flush or discard any that I use, but then I use 4l of oil in about a year, so small quantities....but still I'd rather not use ANY product that has such devastating
effect on our aquatic environment. I live 25m from a river that flows into a lake another 100m away and anything which (further) degrades that environment is
an anathema to me.

Craig

[metalmayhem]

Much of my pass time is spent fishing so I am always conscious of my impact on the environment
Coolants , oils etc need to be disposed of properly . I wouldn't trust dumping the so called "green" coolants down the drain , even though they claim it safe to do so . I've had arguments about that crap and challenged guys to drop goldfish in their tanks if it's so f#*^ safe

I'm fortunate enough than my tormachs are setup with small reservoirs ( which sounds better than buckets) and the novakon has a small tank . If there comes a chance I need to dispose of coolant then my saw will use it up . Nothing goes to waste !

[popspipes]

That type of stuff has it's benefits but as you mention they have their downfalls . I've tried to get away from any flammable liquids in the shop because of the fire risk and also the stink . I had varsol in my parts cleaner for a fair while but I now fill it with water and a heavy amount of simply green extreme aircraft cleaner which does a great job and is safe to dispose of . It also has corrosion protection and my parts cleaner isn't too bad with rust , there is a bit though

I think its more what one gets used too, I have used this concoction for over 50 years now and I am just comfortable with it.

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
a quote in a Fishing Magazine....'Three quarters of the earths surface is covered with water....Gods intention is clear...'

Craig

[metalmayhem]

I think its more what one gets used too, I have used this concoction for over 50 years now and I am just comfortable with it.

for sure .
If I was doing short runs here and there then I'd probably use a mix that is similar . It would be a toxic shop if I ran anything other than coolant and even that is toxic enough . I spend a lot of hours in there with them machines running .


speaking of toxic
I changed my heatpump filter a few weeks ago and a 6 month old filter was absolutely nasty , and I come to realize I need to change it much sooner . A new filter sure helped the blower for the ac but the coolant in the air and my deburring mess is worse than I thought .
I use scotchbrite wheels on a bench grinder and a belt sand which has surfacing belts , so , the filter had oil along with scotchbrite and belt fibres and aluminum from the deburring room . Next project will be to build a downdraft table under the grinder and belt sander . I'm not going to use the water method that is used on the professional deburring tables but I plan to have a couple layers of furnace filters which should collect most of the crap

[metalmayhem]

old school method for disposal of oil , out of sight out of mind
I was scrolling facebook and this came up . I swear fb and google are always listening .

[popspipes]

I am a kind of unorthadox guy, always trying something new etc. sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt ha. one thing I did was to split the pdb nut and cross drill the split side for a screw to squeeze tighten it on the spindle to get rid of that setscrew with the brass insert, as it was coming loose on a kind of regular basis, with the clamp style it hasnt come loose in the last two years. I use a backsplash with the table shield from tormach to keep all the swarf on the table, sure makes cleanup easier and it keeps it off the Y bellows as well. this works for me but may not be good in a continious production setting??

I actually has a bit of work today, engrave one cooling cap and bellmouth a Zenoah carbruetor! Retirement kind of sucks for me as I like to work on something every day..... It is good to see some things on the forum again, lots of good ideas on here in earlier days.

[popspipes]

old school method for disposal of oil , out of sight out of mind
I was scrolling facebook and this came up . I swear fb and google are always listening .

I really dont dispose of my oil coolant just add to it as it gets low, no evaporation to speak of but I do throw some away in swarf.

I use old engine oil to get the fire going in the burn barrel and to spray my shed doors and wood fence ever so often, keeps them from rotting and the carpenter bees under control.

edit: my coolant concoction kills every bug that gets into the shop over night, thats a plus too, I leave the table led lights on 24 - 7 bugs go to the light an when they land on the table the show's over .

[metalmayhem]

agree , there used to be a lot of great content in the early 2000's . There were a lot of pro's and hobbyists . I always enjoyed the old mdf builds with the various slide and screw ideas , and I made a few myself . We sort of gotten spoiled with the flood of cnc building products from China but at the same time it's reduced a lot of head scratching . There is still great content but it's different from what it once was

At 55 I like to consider myself as semi-retired . I work a lot and will til I can't but at least it's my own thing and I can decide my own hours . I like to tinker to , always have , and I have a tendency to go full on butchery when it's reasonable and justifiable , win a few lose a few sometimes though lol . Aside from a couple recent lathe conversions I don't tinker with my cnc's anymore , by the time I am done running them I am tired of looking at them . I've been putting off my maintenance which I know is going to bite me .