[Mountain_Hiker]

I do an old Citizen L20 machine that doesn't have a chip conveyor in it. So I let them sit in the bottom of the machine, then scoop them out whenever, then put them in a bucket. After that, I tilt the bucket over another bucket and let the coolant drain into that bottom bucket.

I might let it sit overnight or for however many hours, but theres my coolant. And then dump the chips in someone elses barrel accordingly.

I could tell there was a lot of coolant going with my chips when I used to not do it this way and put the chips straight in a barrel, and come in the next morning and a coolant puddle would be dripped from that barrel, haha.

I have personally been wondering about the options of using oil based coolant as compared to water based coolant in these machines. I've seen both and didn't know what circumstance permitted which option. I didn't even know if all these machines could flip flop from one to another either.

[SirDenisNayland]

I've heard of people running water based coolant but I would never.

Too many places where coolant can pool and puddle and evaporate and leave nasty sticky messes behind. It's bad enough when it comes time to do cleaning with the conventional lathes and mills.. I can only imagine how gunked up the gang slides and everything would get.

If I had it my way every machine would run on oil. I can't stand water based coolants.

[Mountain_Hiker]

With the older Citizen I run, we use a Castrol llogrind oil-based cutting fluid, but I am wondering if this is not a very safe/healthy oil to use. Does any know?

Also, I am wondering what are the thoughts for one to consider with this oil mist being in the air constantly and doing this work for years in time, also touching the parts out of the machine with oil on your hands all the time. Anyone have any thoughts on that for me? I'm very interested in knowing.