Manual turret lathe coolant splashing

Greg Menke · Nov 16, 2017

A while back I set up a common sump filtered coolant system (Habcool 318 diluted with spindle oil), and run it as flood on all the machines. I really like the effects on every op I've tried it- though cleanup takes longer. Splash control and drainage is generally straightforward, but high rpm work on the turret lathe tends to fling it if the work is near the collet (eg forming and parting ops)- and thats where flood really helps.

The lathe (Wade 7) has a sort-of cone which goes over the spindle but doesn't extend beyond the collet nose. My ATW lathe has a pivoting guard that can be lowered over the chuck, and if augmented with a non-porous length of material draped over & down to the ways spray off the chuck isn't a problem- but an analog would be clumsy for the little Wade.

I was wondering if anyone might have clever ideas for small, removable shields for this kind of thing. I was thinking of a sheet of aluminum flashing secured to the little cone with a hose clamp- formed as needed- but thats kind of hacky and the cone tends to interfere with the sight-line to the collet and gets in the way of collet ops. Perhaps a movable shield on a Noga system w/ mag base?

Rick Hand · Nov 21, 2017

I have rectangular magnet with a piece of clear plastic fastened at ninety degrees that helps but is not perfect. I built it for a chip shield but it (or something similar) might work for coolant. The turret lathe at work uses oil and we don't do any high rpm turning so I can't say I have experienced the same thing you're dealing with. I'm not home right now and don't have any photos on my computer.
Rick

Monarchist · Nov 21, 2017

Greg Menke said:
an analog would be clumsy for the little Wade.

Easier, actually. Small diameter means no need to rob Peterbilt or Hogly-Davidson fenders.

Take a stroll through the nearest "Goodwill" store or Asian market's cookware section. Eyeball steamer pots and such with saw or tin snips in mind, and the curvey bit - a section of the bottom as well as sidewall, so attaching is easier - is cheap, quick, and needn't shout out its DIY origins all that loudly.

Plexiglass (Acrylic) if you need see-thru at least when powered OFF, is easily bent with incandescent lamps for heat, else hot water, stovetop. Lexan (polycarbonate), not so easily bent.

I once travelled with squares of Plexiglass screwed to a series of CPVC plastic pipe fittings. Each size was saw-split to spring-action grip the upper section of a lantern TP or one of the projecting bolts on a large 4-Way. Aim it for deflection, still see the tooltip and chip-forming, avoid red welts and slickery coolant on the carriage-wheel arm. And the safety glasses, of course!

Primitive, but effective, and a new slice of Plexi was cheap when each got too grubby from hot chip & scratches.

Jim Christie · Nov 21, 2017

Greg,
As a trial if you have one , maybe a piece of 1/2”or larger Loc-Line flex type type coolant hose attached to the machine with a fitting attached to the machine or one of their magnetic bases holding a cut to fit a piece clear plastic kitchen ware as suggested by Monarchist .
A piece of a large clear plastic pop or similar bottle neck or plastic jar came to my mind but may be too small or not sturdy enough for all work but they are certainly easy to cut available with only your time lost if it is not satisfactory .
Make several shields to suit various jobs if needed.
You could just snap off the end joint to change for another one and they are easy to swing out of the way .
example from Google images.
http://www.loc-line.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Banner3-4.png
loc line magnetic base shield - Google Search
Using some of the available fittings maybe you could combine your coolant nozzle line with or under the shield some how.
A circular or semicircular group of small nozzles around the end ?
Regards,
Jim

Monarchist · Nov 22, 2017

Jim Christie said:
a cut to fit a piece clear plastic kitchen ware as suggested by Monarchist

Uh, noo.. Not much in the way of clear plastic kitchen - or any other "residential" - goods that could stand the odd impact from a part-off, etc. That's why I mentioned bending yer own out of heavier and stouter Plexi.

Stainless or shiney-wood pots, OTOH, can go all the way up to the heavy-wall of a salvaged pressure-cooker, which WILL deflect a spat-out part rather better than most commercially-sold lathe guards.

While coolant is being flung about, and the operation is repeating to preset stops, a view window isn't much use anyway.

macgyver · Nov 22, 2017

If I recall you can brake bend polycarb (Lexan) if that would help.

Can you just add an extension to you current guard with some lexan? Acrylic is more scratch resistant, but it will break/shatter where lexan will not break but is prone to scratching.

Monarchist · Nov 22, 2017

macgyver said:
If I recall you can brake bend polycarb (Lexan) if that would help.

Can you just add an extension to you current guard with some lexan? Acrylic is more scratch resistant, but it will break/shatter where lexan will not break but is prone to scratching.

They'll both break if pushed to their limits. And both can scratch.

But they can be dirt-cheap to replace, whereas CURVED Borosilicate-tribe glass & cousins is seriously COSTLY, and even so, not proof against all challenges anyway.

Fair decent life in flat panes, elastomer mounted, of course.

JST · Nov 22, 2017

macgyver said:
If I recall you can brake bend polycarb (Lexan) if that would help.
.....

Yes, you can, although transparency can be affected.

One thing about Lexan that few realize is that if it gets hit with certain solvents, it becomes very breakable. Wipe the window with one of those solvents, wait a little bit, and you can put your fist through. That could be an issue in a shop where many sorts of "stuff" can get on it.

DDoug · Nov 23, 2017

I used a 1 liter bottle bottom.

I slit it, and it snaps over the collet nose nicely.

Monarchist · Nov 24, 2017

digger doug said:
I used a 1 liter bottle bottom.

I slit it, and it snaps over the collet nose nicely.

Hmmm... if it is that small... there are MUCH stronger "transitions" made to go from one size of DWV schedule 40 to a larger/smaller size (or more than one size, per), that one might look at.

Small end fitted - bored or bushed - to the OD of the nose-art. Built-in taper section to larger diameter, and just mebbe.. about the right O/A length?

Cheap and fast enough, anyway.

Greg Menke · Nov 24, 2017

I found a relatively cheap used flexbar lathe guard for the ATW so freed up the old one to experiment with. Its way too big in one sense, sized for a 12" chuck OTOH there are a couple orientations where it can be placed to stop the splashing but still be far enough away from the spindle to not interfere with the tooling. Might work.

I tried the OEM nose shield on the current job- it sort-of works, containing spray coming off the nose itself but will need some tooling changes on the parting slide and my box tools are too big to reach inside the shielded area. I'm going to experiment more with the flexbar guard on a mag base. Given the reach of the long tooling eg reamers as they sweep around it seems like a shield has to be really big or really small.

Most of the work I do on the Wade is 1/2" to 3/4" round bar, recently its been aluminum so rpms are higher and spray is more

Monarchist · Nov 24, 2017

Greg Menke said:
Most of the work I do on the Wade is 1/2" to 3/4" round bar, recently its been aluminum so rpms are higher and spray is more

That just MIGHT.. be a low-enough workload that a stout wet-vac could suck most of the spray out the left-rear of a well-shaped shield as Stage One of a recycling/separation process.

Similar to combat rotary-wing aircraft turbine inlets meant to avoid ingesting dirt and dust, (if not also bullets..) it would need a sort of "cup" like an inside-out baker's Bundt-cake pan to centrifugally trap the spray before it was flung out TS-ward at the operator. Collet system and work itself provide the central "spray flinger" function.

World as it is, such gadgets just HAVE to have been made and in-use already for something. Somewhere.

The challenge is to find an example worth partial copy. Or improving upon. Or at least doing on the fast-and-cheap but good-enough. An ignorant Big Box shop wet-vac might manage that?

So long as... the "coolant" isn't FLAMMABLE, and tries to emulate "fuel-air munitions" when it hits the vac motor's brush sparks, anyway!

Mike C. · Nov 24, 2017

" Lexan (polycarbonate), not so easily bent."

Sure it is. Bends identical to plexi, but it has lots of water vapor in it, so it will form bubbles when heated. Either form easily with a thrift store radiant heater that has the tip switch bypassed so you can lay it horizontally over the work. To form Lexan, you have to pre heat it in the oven for an hour or so to evaporate the water, then it bends just like plexi. I did a lot of vacuum forming at the museum out of both plexi and Lexan.

DDoug · Nov 24, 2017

Monarchist said:
Hmmm... if it is that small... there are MUCH stronger "transitions" made to go from one size of DWV schedule 40 to a larger/smaller size (or more than one size, per), that one might look at.

Small end fitted - bored or bushed - to the OD of the nose-art. Built-in taper section to larger diameter, and just mebbe.. about the right O/A length?

Cheap and fast enough, anyway.

Strong is bad here.

Strong don't allow me to spring it over the headstock,
and the springback retains it in place.

Strong allows it to stay in one piece if it gets launched towards me. That and it's much heavier and sharp.

Monarchist · Nov 24, 2017

digger doug said:
Strong is bad here.

Strong don't allow me to spring it over the headstock,
and the springback retains it in place.

Strong allows it to stay in one piece if it gets launched towards me. That and it's much heavier and sharp.

Hush, now. Next thing you know, you'll convince OSHA to allow makers to utilize one-mil Saran wrap for CNC machining-center windows so injuries are blamed on operator-error and truant workpieces rather than shattered safety-armoured glass...

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