Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 9481
Location: Where you least expect
lathe / mill coolant setup
Heyo,
just spending the last few months getting familiar with the lathe and mill and getting there now.
But i need to get a proper coolant setup because my steel parts keep coming out with a really glazed coating and terrible finish even with a slow feed and really small cut size. not to mention the parts get extremely hot (100c + )
so i was gunna set up my own coolant system and wondered if any one has some ideas or hints on it. thought at the moment is to drill a hole or two (or three or four ) around the perimeter and center of the table with some fly screen to keep out the large pieces of swarf - then have an inline filter or two going into a large tank. the table is flat but with a fuel holes i think that wont be a problem.
and perhaps also put some neodynium magnets around the inlet to catch any stray steel shavings.
now for the tank what capacity would you think to be acceptable. id imagine that the coolant would take some time to trickle back through the holes and filters so youd need a fairly large capacity to keep the coolant flowing. i was thinking maybe 5 liters?? and what do you think i could use for a tank. trying to keep things cheap at the moment. something plastic preferably.
pump also. wouldnt need to be a rediculously high flow one. the pump i use on my hydroponics would be plenty flow wise so i was thinking of just using a submerged pump in the tank.
and lastly of all the coolant. i dont want to be paying some epic amount for proper stuff. just want something homebrew thatll get the job done. i remember hearing about water and dish washing liquid or oil or something like that..??
Joined: 18 Jun 2004
Posts: 3842
Location: Queensland near Brisbane
Windscreen washer pumps are quite cheap. All of your ideas to remove the steel sound like they would work well. You can get a plastic 10 litre bucket for about a dollars for a sump. How would cutting liquid go for cooling? _________________ So even the rain that falls isn't actually going to fill our dams and our river systems
Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:38 pm
Glen Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 9481
Location: Where you least expect
cool, ive seen some fairly large tubs at big w with a lid on them that would probably work fine. im just worried about it evapourating as my setup is outside.
ive tried just pouring the cut with non stop wd40 and it definitely improves the quality of the cut and speed and depth which the tool can go. but i cant afford 10 cans of wd a week _________________ www.demon50s.com - Minimoto parts
http://www.youtube.com/user/HyzerGlen - Videoooozzz
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 11802
Location: Sydney, NSW
"Hydroponics"??? I'll swap you a coolant setup for some of your "produce"
I would find a way to tilt the tray a few degrees so the coolant runs into one corner. Having a mesh filter in the tray doesn't work so well, it gets clogged very quickly and you end up with a lake of coolant in the tray (or floor) and none over the work - I tried it.
I suggest a large plastic plumbing fitting and 1" pipe with no bends from the bottom of the tray to the reservoir so swarf washes straight down. A few magnets in the reservoir will help trap the swarf and stop it sucking up into the pump. The pump should be something with a motor that will run all day and is able to lift liquid from the floor to the lathe at more then a dribble - a wiper pump sounds OK, but I wonder if the motor will last.
Draw the coolant from fairly high up in the reservoir so swarf doesn't get sucked into the pump.
Don't use straight water, or detergent etc, you will rust out the lathe in a week! Coolant is made by adding soluble oil to water at around 1:20, so the oil goes a long way. Hare & Forbes sells generic stuff quite cheaply. Also check out their coolant systems, they are not really that expensive. _________________ Australian 2015 Featherweight champion
UK 2016 Gladiator champion
Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:49 pm
Valen Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Posts: 4436
Location: Sydney
the easy way is to have 2 buckets / jerry can things
put one bucket at the bottom where all your stuff drains into, lift the other up onto a shelf above your lathe. turn the tap on and the fluid starts to flow.
when the top jug is empty swap them around.
QED _________________ Mechanical engineers build weapons, civil engineers build targets
Windscreen wiper pump will last for a few months doing like 8 hours a day but not a permanent solution. They are pretty cheap IIRC I think its like $10 from Dick Smith. A fountain pump is probably the way to go as they are meant to run for long times and usually have a bit of a filter. However for a decent amount of head you would prolly be looking @ $100.
Just remember if you buy the cheap windscreen wiper pump it will fail at an inconvenient time. The swapping jery cans is a good idea but I'm putting my money one you being too lazy to do that.
Steve
Also the fountain pumps are easy to clean they are usually just a brushless impellor so if the pump gets clogged you just take off the front and remote the impellor and crap. I dont know if u can get to the impellor of the windscreen pump so that might be something to consider.
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 11802
Location: Sydney, NSW
I just checked; the H&F cutting oil is $39 for 5 litres - that much last me about a year. A proper pump is $129 and a complete kit is $299. _________________ Australian 2015 Featherweight champion
UK 2016 Gladiator champion
Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:33 am
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) around the perimeter and center of the table with some fly screen to keep out the large pieces of swarf - then have an inline filter or two going into a large tank. the table is flat but with a fuel holes i think that wont be a problem.
