Haas VF-5SS Table Stain/Marks

Hi all,

I'm just looking for some guidance here about an issue with our new Haas VF-5SS. There are a number of stains that have penetrated the table. We've tried cleaning the stains with a Alkaline cleaner from Oemeta and softly grinding the surface down with an oil stone but that doesn't improve the look or remove the stains as it looks deep within the table.


I've had a suggestion that the % BRIX of our coolant was a potential cause. Our coolant is Oemeta Novamet 910 and currently sitting at 8% BRIX although it was at 6% for a since the install. This coolants recommended spec is between 6-8% so we were at the low end of the spec. We also use air pumps and plastic bubble tubes to keep things moving in the 95 gallon tank. Everything that has gone on the table has had a coating of Boeshield-T9 to help prevent rusting so we are struggling for ideas.

There is a water like drip pattern to the stains so I'm wondering maybe some other fluid from inside the machine that is leaking and causing a problem?

Does anyone else have any suggestions? Here are some photos showing the stains.



Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Have you calibrated your refractometer to the same water you use in your sump? Your coolant looks mighty lean and Oemeta says nothing about this being a synthetic.

That's not your staining issue, just a thought looking at your pictures.

Pictures look like blood, sweat or some other fluid dripped on the table. My course of action would be to ignore it and use it like any other tool in the shop... Like a read headed step child.

Thanks Matt for the suggestion.

We bumped up the coolant mix with the Oemeta guy to 8% this week so we are going to keep tracking it and see if it spreads to other parts. Novamet 910 is a semi synthetic so I would probably ask in the coolant forum if anyone has experience with the 910 seeing as its a newish product.

I had same problem with my Vf4. Switched to Zurn Dx1000 and havent had any problems since. I mix between 3-5%. When I did have the issue I used scotchbrite on the stain.

Get some ph test strips and check your coolant for excess acidity/alkalinity. I don't know if this is likely, but if you're heavily aerating the coolant with bubblers some of the excess oxygen may be increasing corrosion of the cast iron. More speculation - watch for "drip stalactites" on the upper sheetmetal and doors. Coolant that's splashed up can collect and concentrate on the underside of the upper sheetmetal, and potentially the changed chemistry can breed bacteria which might then cause staining when the drip finally falls and lands on the table, where it can stay for hours depending on drip time.

And yeah, don't sweat or bleed or allow other bodily fluids to land on the bare cast iron. Can stain really quickly...

MaxParie, thanks for the post. Were you using Oemeta Novamet 910 as well before you switched?

Milland, thanks for the feedback as well. We've tried to be careful with the other fluids getting into the machine. Will make sure we are doubly careful as we go through this process. One thought on the aerators, we've got 3x currently in the 95 gallon tank so I'll see if I can get a dissolved oxygen meter to see how much oxygen we are pushing into the coolant.

I'm just about to use a ph tester to validate the current chemistry so will report back as I've used testing strips before but they went off the scale at 8.1 ph so I will get an accurate reading. BRIX is holding steady at 8%.

Ryan,

We were using a different product but had real similar issues. Since we switched to zurn I have done nothing other than add more when needed. No aerator, mix it with well water. I have been very happy with their coolant.

Just a small update for those following, I checked the ph levels yesterday. Bang on ph 9. So it doesn't look like too much alkaline is affecting it.

I've got a report for Oemeta coming in today after they took a sample of the coolant when it was at 6% prior to our increasing the concentrate to 8%. So I'll keep trying to figure this out :-)

Almost looks like drops drying up and staining. Coolant too light, not mixed right and separating? Your adding oil to the water and not the other way around, correct? Been told Oil In Last or it will never mix correctly...not sure why...but seems to be consistent advice.

Sweat...
Someone dripping water, coffee...soda.

Hot jobs, evaporating vapor steaming up and laying on enclosure...cooling and dripping.

Water in the air lines used to be a big issue for me before the dryer was installed...blow off parts and machine with a spray of water at times if lines not constantly drained.

Still waiting on the Oemeta report but thanks for taking the time to look SIM. I'm currently thinking it could be a light coolant mix as I haven't had anything since we bumped it up a week ago.

We've got a Kaeser Airtower 5C which has a dryer being piped to a secondary air filter before going to the machine so I would hope there would be no water in the air lines. My understanding of the Haas air system, *if* there was water, it would drop down into the hand air gun and be discharges that way like you mentioned.

Maybe I should put some shop pics together in a different thread!

Like most mills the table isn't hardened or polished, it's going to wear, stain, and probably get cut into in its lifetime... most Haas mill tables stain pretty easy so I usually just yank the vises from time to time and spray it down with WD, then scrub with red scotchbrite on a sanding handle... then run a good stone over the whole thing to take out any high spots from setter/operator wear and tear. Looks good after that!

Far as those spots go, as others mentioned it's probably an external contaminant, not the coolant itself. Rich coolant is great for extra corrosion protection but then everything tends to get more greasy and stronger odor etc... I prefer to keep it leaner (and fresh), within reason (depends if you run lots of stainless, you don't want light coolant for that)

Hey, just try maintaining the tables on a 1996 and a 1997!

I think this coolant sux, its good for somethings but bad for other.
We have ran it in a machine for a year, then just switched the whole shop, bad mistake.
Its temper mental,slightly too low coolant level rusts machine, as you see in yours.
makes half the employees arms itch.
Foams easily.
We will not get another barrel.
We had Extreme Cut 250C, we will be going back to it.