Unicorn Coolant!

skillhoarder · Feb 25, 2017

I've just bought my first CNC mill, a Tormach 1100. Up to now, I've been proud to keep a shop that's pleasant for my wife, kids, friends, family, clients, etcetera to visit. The air actually smells good in my shop, and I want to keep it that way. I'm worried about picking a coolant that will either smell chemically or go rancid and be offensive to visitors.

What I'm looking for is something completely odorless. Does that even exist? Maybe I'm looking for a unicorn here, but is there a coolant out there that's both odorless, and good at things like not rusting and gumming up my machine? Bonus if it's clear as well, so I can be famous on instagram with my beautiful machining posts XD

I've also read through several threads on stinky coolant where people say a particular coolant smells "good" or "nice" or "doesn't stink". But it's hard to gage what people mean by those terms. Does that mean it doesn't smell eggy, or chlorine-y, or rancid, or oily, or does "smells good mean they smell like shampoo or rosebushes, or tacos?

If you don't know of a totally odorless coolant, could you recommend one that doesn't smell offensive, and describe what the smell is?

Thanks, and lets all keep chasing that unicorn!

RC Mech · Feb 25, 2017

It will have VOC's in it almost by definition. If it contains halogens it will typically smell of those as well. The synthetic coolants are simply absent of mineral oil (used to be tallow back in the day). Due to the varied environment in which the liquid runs, it'll have to contain constituents that will not bind to tramp oil, doesn't foam in high-pressure pumps (potentially causing damaging cavitation) and resists microbial growth. There's a reason coolant isn't colourless like water.

I personally like the smell of clean synth coolant and hydraulic oil, and so do most of the folks here. If I visited a machine shop that smelled like a lab I'd have to wonder if they did any work.

Edit- not sure why I bother. With that title this thread will be locked up tighter than a bull's butt in the middle of January.

skillhoarder · Feb 25, 2017

Thanks for the info! I guess I'll just have to decide which coolant smell best represents my brand image, and then train everyone else to love it

FWIW - I also like the smell of grease and oil and blood and tears and all that good stuff we put into making the things. But I'm a bit off, and still live in a world where folks pay good money to separate themselves from all that.. Keeps the shop rates high though!

Ziggy2 · Feb 25, 2017

You are looking for a unicorn.

The fact is that there will be some smells or odors. The task is to control the offensive odors and minimize the others.

Most offensive odors are caused by the coolant tank going septic. This is when the oxygen content gets too low and anaerobic bacteria start multiplying.

If you keep the coolant in the tank either moving or adding a small bubbler, i.e aquarium bubbler is often enough to keep the coolant fresh smelling.

The other big issue is to control tamp oil in the coolant tank, i.e. oil skimmer.

Another key part to odor control is not minimize atomizing the coolant and keeping the coolant contained. Most machining centers utilize a cabinet in which all machining takes place. The addition of a mist collector will do wonders to keeping the air clean, the shop clean, and minimize odors.

It isn't so much the coolant as the management of the coolant that is the key.

G00 Proto · Feb 25, 2017

The burnt coolant smell is the only thing that covers up the smell of blood, sweat and tears in my shop... it's like Fabreez for white trash, blue collar machinists trying to make a buck.

HuFlungDung · Feb 26, 2017

My current coolant batch is over a year old. It smells a bit sour (not enough use, been away for a month). I bought some Coolant Odor Control tablets from Travers Tool. I wasn't expecting a miracle to occur on an old batch of coolant, but I think they do help. Something to keep in mind. I'm using Hocut 795B synthetic.

Wsurfer · Feb 26, 2017

I have a machine in my garage and use coolmist 77. Not,as a mist, but for flood cooling. Doesn't have an odor good or bad. The vactra way oil is way more stinky. Coolmist sucks for drilling, so I peck a lot. I'm in texas, so the evaporation rate is so high, the coolant doesn't have time to go bad. Reading the MSDS, it's pretty benign.

skillhoarder · Feb 26, 2017

I've been hearing good things about qualichem 251c Anyone have thoughts on that?

iMillJoe · Feb 26, 2017

skillhoarder said:
snip
or does smells good mean they smell like shampoo or rosebushes, or tacos?
/snip

You think taco's smell good? They smell like dirty arm pits.

Atomkinder · Feb 26, 2017

skillhoarder said:
I've been hearing good things about qualichem 251c Anyone have thoughts on that?

We use it and like it quite a bit. It did go a bit rancid in the Amera Seiki lathe but after replacing is been fine so we don't really know what happened there. It taps well in aluminum and mild steel with the extra high pressure additives (the C designation) so if you're not doing a lot of steels the 250 or perhaps 251 would be worth taking a look at. It runs quite clean which is nice compared to the Hangsterfer's S500 it replaced and lasts longer to boot (fewer topoffs). It has a soapy smell though but I find it quite inoffensive.

skillhoarder · Feb 26, 2017

iMillJoe said:
You think taco's smell good? They smell like dirty arm pits.

Well, I occasionally think dirty armpits smell good too, so there's that...

2outof3 · Feb 26, 2017

MLQ

Minimum Quantity Lubrication - MQL - Metal Cutting Fluids | Unist

That and dry for ferrous metals.

Spencer in NH · Feb 26, 2017

skillhoarder said:
I've been hearing good things about qualichem 251c Anyone have thoughts on that?

It is awesome! And the smell is a non-issue. it tolerates infrequent use very well.

skillhoarder · Feb 26, 2017

2outof3 said:
MLQ

Minimum Quantity Lubrication - MQL - Metal Cutting Fluids | Unist

That and dry for ferrous metals.

Thanks! Looks a lot like the fogbuster system, though I couldn't tell from a quick read if its a mister/will create the dreaded fog.

That product also brings up the environmental piece. Are any of these coolants benign enough to pour down a drain when it's time to change them out? My system will only hold about 10gal, so it'll be easy enough to drive it to the hazardous waste facility, but I'd feel a lot better knowing I'm producing less toxic stuff.

2outof3 · Feb 26, 2017

skillhoarder said:
Thanks! Looks a lot like the fogbuster system, though I couldn't tell from a quick read if its a mister/will create the dreaded fog.

That product also brings up the environmental piece. Are any of these coolants benign enough to pour down a drain when it's time to change them out? My system will only hold about 10gal, so it'll be easy enough to drive it to the hazardous waste facility, but I'd feel a lot better knowing I'm producing less toxic stuff.

You don't use your coolant system. It is held in a small reservoir off to the side. It adds lubricity instead of food coolant. Little to no fog. You actually have little to no liquid waste. Most stays on the part and can be cleaned as if you were cleaning cooking oil because that is basically what you are doing.

Techguy · Feb 26, 2017

Here it is, Unicorn Coolant. No idea what it smells like or if it works.

Spencer in NH · Feb 26, 2017

skillhoarder said:
Thanks! Looks a lot like the fogbuster system, though I couldn't tell from a quick read if its a mister/will create the dreaded fog.

That product also brings up the environmental piece. Are any of these coolants benign enough to pour down a drain when it's time to change them out? My system will only hold about 10gal, so it'll be easy enough to drive it to the hazardous waste facility, but I'd feel a lot better knowing I'm producing less toxic stuff.

You CANNOT just dump water-soluble coolant down the drain. It needs to be properly disposed of. MQL is a very good approach if you are not prepared to deal with that.

skillhoarder · Feb 26, 2017

Techguy said:
View attachment 192102

Here it is, Unicorn Coolant. No idea what it smells like or if it works.

No way! Problem solved. Thanks for the help everyone. Goodnight

skillhoarder · Feb 26, 2017

Spencer in NH said:
You CANNOT just dump water-soluble coolant down the drain. It needs to be properly disposed of. MQL is a very good approach if you are not prepared to deal with that.

Noted. I'll go with recycling. Think it'll work as anti freeze when I'm done with it then?

Orange Vise · Feb 26, 2017

skillhoarder said:
I've been hearing good things about qualichem 251c Anyone have thoughts on that?

Excellent coolant but it isn't scent-free. The initial charge always carries the heaviest scent and it dies down over time. My experience is that it's more pungent then what we used to use, Master Chemical 585XT, but it has better sump life.

You can mask the scent of coolant by mopping your floors with Fabuloso.

Unicorn Coolant!

Plastic

Stainless

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Stainless

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Cast Iron

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Titanium

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Titanium

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Titanium

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