Avoiding Leaks on Thru-Tool Lathe Tooling with Flats

Hey guys, I'm sure this issue has been discussed before, but I wasn't able to find the right keywords to get any search results...

We have two Haas lathes, an TL30 and ST30, and both use tooling blocks that get internally pressurized with coolant. All our tooling is sandvik with thru-tool coolant, and of course they all have flats on them for the set screws in the tool holder.

What is the best way to block coolant from going through the flats in the tool, and forcing it to only come out of the thru-tool hole? I'm considering welding on something like a woodruff key and turning it down to match the tool OD for a flange at the business end of the tool. I've also considered drilling and NPT tapping the back of the tool and fabricating a hard line.

I'm sure both of these would work but I'd rather not take a production machine down and spend time modifying a tool if there's some solution I can just buy and install.

Thanks.

All our boring bars are capto or cylindrical shank in sealed collets now to avoid exactly this kind of dicking about.

However, what I used to do was throw the bar in the manual lathe and cut a groove on the outside of it for an o ring.

You won't completely eliminate all leakage, but will greatly reduce it if you machine an oval key ( brass or AL ) to fit inside the slot
of the toolholder bushing, and clamp the screws onto it rather than on the bar directly.

As a side benefit, it will also dampen any some chatter as well.

I am sure sandvik have b/bar with t/coolant that have no flats

You could weld the bar into the holder..........well, it would work ya know.

jdaisy said:

I am sure sandvik have b/bar with t/coolant that have no flats

Click to expand...

That would be idea but I really doubt my boss is going to be onboard with retooling two lathes because I don't like the coolant plumbing :-)

I built a gun drill fixture for a lathe, and stuck a fat o-ring in the bottom of the mounting bore, just give a push in to the tool and tighten the set screw. if your coolant comes in the side just make a spacer with a fat o-ring that bears well against the tool.

Buy a chip-blaster? Then even the flats will send the coolant where it needs to be, nor will it matter if it leaks, coolant will get there!

Our anti vibe bars are Sandvik, they don't have a flat, they have special sleeve with two little BBs that catch little grooves on the shank for alignment.

Tell your boss it probably cost more (in time) for you to dick around plumbing, than it does to buy the right damn tool for the job already.