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IndustryArena Forum > MetalWorking Machines > Benchtop Machines > Coolant, Flood, Mist, WD-40, etc
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    242

    Coolant, Flood, Mist, WD-40, etc

    Ok so i'm tied of standing (actually sitting) over the mill while it runs for hours either spraying WD-40 on it or drops of A-9 Aluminum Cutting Fluid in front of the tool path. So the options are below.


    Cutting Dry until the final pass
    Continue dripping wd-40 or A-9 infront of tool path
    Fogg Buster Low Air pressure and super fine mist
    Mist High Air pressure and mist
    Flood

    Dry cutting, welding aluminum to the cutter bad
    Dripping, boring and time consuming, cheap
    Fogg Buster $310.00 ouch, super fine mist, Low air pressure and no Fogg = good
    Mist - about $100.00 heavy mist, could cause clouding issues,
    Flood - ENCO has a 10 Gallon unit for $100.00, Plumbing and chip issues, splash hazard

    I don't know enough to make an informed decision, I have a partial enclosure made from Corian Counter Top stuff, so it's water proof, I'd need to seal the edges and cut a drain for flood. Right now I just scoop the chips.

    Any suggestions are welcomed.

    Smitty

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Posts
    1738
    I'm finishing a coolant system on my Taig mill. I bought a pump from ebay at 45.00, got some plumbing sullpies from Lowes and have a really nice coolant system, have yet too cut anything yet. Waiting for new Break out board. I get coolant from my Gf's father (machinist)

    I use a vacuum to get chips that lie around.


    -Speed

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    214
    I use a micro drip system, but I'm using small cutters.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails coolant1.jpg   coolant2.jpg  

  4. #4
    I use the fogbuster - well worth the investment IMO. It is easy to install, works terrific and has a wide range of adjustment(can blow air only or very little coolant all the way up to near flood coolant and everywhere in between air and coolant are adjusted seperately). It isn't cheap, but it works great.
    www.rc-monster.com

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    861
    Have you considered air-only? I have just bought a 70 litre/min aquarium aeration pump to try this out. I don't want to use flood and I figured I could always convert the air only system into a mister if needed. I got the pump from Ebay and locline will be from a UK supplier, total cost £40 ($80 US).

  6. #6
    Is this going to be used on a CNC mill or conventional. Flood works pretty good but if you have to stand there and crank the wheels then you may have to wear a rainsuit. For conventional operation I like to mist and fogg stuff.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    242

    It's for CNC use

    After looking at some other people setups cost, Clouds of vapor from mist, Drain issues.

    I just ordered the Fog Buster, more expensive than flood, air, and mist, but I work in Fiber Optics and can't afford to mist $100,000 test equipment. That would be bad.

    I got the good guy deal $5.00 off, plus tax, plus shipping. Looks like I need to be a gooder guy, for better deals.

    It will be here Monday and than the fun will commence.

    Thanks for the suggestions.

    Smitty

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Posts
    3
    I have a Fog Buster that I use with my Taig. Worth every penny, IMO. Well built, easy to install, easy to use, no problems at all. And I didn't even get the "good guy" deal. I just use brown paper towels to sop up what minimal coolant builds up on the stock / table. None at all gets into the air, from what I can tell. I use KoolMist formula #78, which appears totally inert and harmless (stains a little if you let it dry, though).

    My only complaint is they didn't have any good requirements for air supply, so I bought a compressor that was too small and had to upgrade. I now use an 8 gallon, 2HP, 4cfm@90psi oilless compressor from Harbor Freight, which is located about 40 feet away in a separate room for noise suppression and so it's on a separate circuit from the mill (prevents browning out the mill circuit and causing missed steps). Works great when I keep the supply pressure at about 35psi...above that and the FB oscillates when it first starts up. As I said, worth every penny, IMO.

    One caveat: be sure to align the FB each time you change cutters. I broke about 3 of my 1/32nd cutters before I realized the FB was pointed too low. It appeared to be working (saw coolant flowing) but it was cooling / blowing on stock rather than the contact point. I now use an inspection mirror and sight up the FB's nozzle tube from below the cutter to make sure it's pointing at the cutter contact point.

    mTp

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    224
    Imho, MonroePoteet has the right/best approach.

    Flood coolant is a messy pita for everything except high production using ALREADY checked out programs and tooling.

    Most of the hobbyists and small lot producers are hindered by not being able to see actual tool motion and cutter contact with the part to ensure they will not make (more) scrapped parts.

    Pres

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    242

    Thanks for the tip

    Quote Originally Posted by MonroePoteet View Post
    I have a Fog Buster that I use with my Taig. Worth every penny, IMO. Well built, easy to install, easy to use, no problems at all. And I didn't even get the "good guy" deal. I just use brown paper towels to sop up what minimal coolant builds up on the stock / table. None at all gets into the air, from what I can tell. I use KoolMist formula #78, which appears totally inert and harmless (stains a little if you let it dry, though).

    My only complaint is they didn't have any good requirements for air supply, so I bought a compressor that was too small and had to upgrade. I now use an 8 gallon, 2HP, 4cfm@90psi oilless compressor from Harbor Freight, which is located about 40 feet away in a separate room for noise suppression and so it's on a separate circuit from the mill (prevents browning out the mill circuit and causing missed steps). Works great when I keep the supply pressure at about 35psi...above that and the FB oscillates when it first starts up. As I said, worth every penny, IMO.

    One caveat: be sure to align the FB each time you change cutters. I broke about 3 of my 1/32nd cutters before I realized the FB was pointed too low. It appeared to be working (saw coolant flowing) but it was cooling / blowing on stock rather than the contact point. I now use an inspection mirror and sight up the FB's nozzle tube from below the cutter to make sure it's pointing at the cutter contact point.

    mTp
    I have my X-2 set up at work right now so I'll have shop air, if that 200 Gallon 120 PSI tank runs out of air, I won't be the only one screaming.

    How bad do the chips blow around? You can see a picture of my mill in another post. Will I still be chasing chips all over, my side walls are about 10" high around 3 sides, I have the front, but have not put it on yet.

    Sounds like I made a good decision, although more expensive. Kinda like the Geckos over some other stepper drives. LOL

    I arrives Monday, can't wait.

    Smitty

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Posts
    1542
    I made my own hench fog buster a few years back.
    http://tinyurl.com/3aando

    Many many folks have copied (and improved) this design. Look in practical machinist and here for more articles.

    Karl

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Posts
    3
    Karl_T: Since I'm a total novice at mill work, making my own wasn't really an option for me. Bootstrapping my ability to mill brass and aluminum at all was my priority, and "store bought" solution was definitely right for me.

    Smitty911: There's an adjustment on the pressure for the FB, so how much the chips blow around will depend on that. Having said that, though, I keep mine at about 12-13 psi for all work, and the chips blow quite a bit downwind. That may be a little high, but it works fine and I have a full-box home-made enclosure, so it's not a problem for me.

    mTp

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    242

    Thanks Karl

    I attempted to follow the links but recieved a Pager Not Found error.

    I'll be reading the rest of your other post later.

    Thanks again.

    Smitty

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    616
    WD-40 as a cutting fluid? Sometimes good lubricating oils have an opposite effect when used as a cutting fluid, causing the cutter to rub the surface instead of cutting into it (especially if the end mill is a bit on the dull side, or the material is tough). A good penetrating oil would probably work better. Not sure if WD-40 falls under the lubricant or penetrant category, but it seems to me it would be a lubricant. Anyone else have any feedback on using WD-40? Anyone use something similar?

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    6
    I have a pretty super idea where we add a current sensor to the motor's power wire and use that to trigger the mist. So it'll shut off when the part's done or is just being shuttled around because there's very little current when the cutting motor's not getting loaded down. Also it can pulse the flow when cutter's experiencing less that full load because it's just doing a light shavedown pass.

    That should keep it cool when it needs to be cool while minimizing the drips and slung water. Fog will still be fog of course, fog always results when the coolant does its job.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    242
    Quote Originally Posted by MonroePoteet View Post
    I have a Fog Buster that I use with my Taig. Worth every penny, IMO. Well built, easy to install, easy to use, no problems at all. And I didn't even get the "good guy" deal. I just use brown paper towels to sop up what minimal coolant builds up on the stock / table. None at all gets into the air, from what I can tell. I use KoolMist formula #78, which appears totally inert and harmless (stains a little if you let it dry, though).

    My only complaint is they didn't have any good requirements for air supply, so I bought a compressor that was too small and had to upgrade. I now use an 8 gallon, 2HP, 4cfm@90psi oilless compressor from Harbor Freight, which is located about 40 feet away in a separate room for noise suppression and so it's on a separate circuit from the mill (prevents browning out the mill circuit and causing missed steps). Works great when I keep the supply pressure at about 35psi...above that and the FB oscillates when it first starts up. As I said, worth every penny, IMO.

    One caveat: be sure to align the FB each time you change cutters. I broke about 3 of my 1/32nd cutters before I realized the FB was pointed too low. It appeared to be working (saw coolant flowing) but it was cooling / blowing on stock rather than the contact point. I now use an inspection mirror and sight up the FB's nozzle tube from below the cutter to make sure it's pointing at the cutter contact point.

    mTp
    I recieved the Fog Buster and Picked up a Gallon on Kool Mist #78 is it supposed to be deluted?

    Thanks

    Smitty

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Posts
    1738
    I built my own Coolant system, I'll post a video in a bit. Need to make an Enclosure, but you'll see.


    -Speed

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Posts
    218
    I use a sweet spray bottle armed with Kool Mist 77! It's really alot better than WD-40 is, it also doesn't have the fumes WD-40 does.

    Yes Smitty, there should be directions on the bottle to dilute it. I dilute to the tune of 4oz Kool Mist 77/gallon of water. It works gangbusters on my mill and on my bandsaw. It won't rust either!

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Posts
    6618
    I like the Koolmist 77 as well. No smell, no rust. I use a little 3.5 gallon solvent tank that I converted to a coolant container. The pump and nozzle work well. I did add a little air valve inline to turn coolant down to basically a couple drips every few seconds in the low range or full flood when on high. The sides of my enclosure were only about 14" high and I just added another 8. It was fine while cutting, but when I would blow the vise off for the next part, I was getting too much spatter around the keyboard. The extra height really stopped all that. I need to put a regulator on that air line as well. No need to be clearing chips with 120 PSI. I think 50 or 60 would do just fine.
    Lee

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    224
    Quote Originally Posted by dang View Post
    "I use a sweet spray bottle" .....
    I don't mean to be a smart a$$, but what is a "sweet spray bottle" vs, say, a sour bottle
    or unflavored bottle?

    Or perhaps, you got it at a sweet price?

    or, or ??

    Pres

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