Choosing a New Coolant.

ArturoMeltri · Dec 17, 2019

Hello!

I'm using a coolant which is Hangsterfer's S-500CF which I didn't like because it's very difficult to get my machines clean and to clean the components we make.

We only cut steels as A36, 4140PH, D2, M2 and M4.

My provider is offering me a different coolant from the same brand but the R-100 version which as far as I know is clear without color and he says that is almost as Blaser Synergy 735.

Do anyone has experience with the Hangsterfer's R-100. The price of this coolant is around $ 170 each 5 gallons.

Can you recommend me another coolant that might work for me.

Thanks

Ianagos · Dec 18, 2019

I have no experience with that coolant but I listened to everyone talking about qualichem 251c and it has been great so far. Sump life of over a year. At one point I drained a machine I was selling and then filtered it and put it back in another machine of mine and that coolant was good for over a year even through all that. In my opinion a very clean and easy to maintain coolant compared to the rustlick I had before.

Triaged · Dec 18, 2019

R-100 is full synthetic. I think you would want to stick with some oil so look for a semi-synthetic.

13engines · Dec 18, 2019

I've been using the Qualchem 251C for a couple years now. Recently I did a bunch of pre-painted (fine wrinkle type) electrical control box covers. I'd done them in the past without coolant because the customer wanted them delivered clean as new with no residue etc. etc. This last time I used coolant and was surprised that a simple rinse in warm water was enough to get them clean. Was there microscopic residue left over and detectable only by laboratory analysis? Who knows. They did look and feel as clean as could be which was good enough for me.

Your machine will never rust with this stuff. Shallow pools of coolant will turn into what seems like pure oil. I have pallets that I leave vises mounted on for months at a time and am always amazed that they're as good as new when I pull them off for different setups.

Today and tomorrow I'm finally changing out the last of my Master Chemical Trim E206 machines to the Qualchem. So I guess that says I'm sold.

Dave

ArturoMeltri · Dec 18, 2019

Triaged said:
R-100 is full synthetic. I think you would want to stick with some oil so look for a semi-synthetic.

I'm not really an expert in coolant, why should I stick with semi-synthethic, what are the pros and cons of a full synthetic?

Thanks

D.D.Machine · Dec 18, 2019

my local sales guy turned me onto Qualchem 250C ( not 251C ) about 5 years ago and I am a vary happy camper... I pump my sumps every 3 or 4 months and filter it with old blue jeans ,, wire the legs shut and hand them up and catch the drips in a clean trash can ,, clean the sump and pump it right back into the tank ,, been doing that for 5 years and the coolant is still going good,, nice thing about 250C is there is vary little carry off so the makeup coolant is normaly only like a 2% mix ..

I have tried lots of filter bags and filter cloth over the years and old blue jeans with the legs wired shut and hung from the forklift seem to do the best job . Its slow to filter the fines out ,, but it works great.

AARONT · Dec 18, 2019

We tried Hangsterfers 500 as a general purpose coolant and I wasn't a fan. So we went back to Trim Microsol 685. We've been running it for at least 8 years now and I really have no complaints. We machine everything under the sun(but mostly cast aluminum, 6061, 4140, and DC53) and it does a good job.

Surprisingly enough, I get it cheapest from MSC in 5 gallon buckets(approx. $165). Any of my other suppliers are around $190.

ArturoMeltri · Dec 18, 2019

13engines said:
I've been using the Qualchem 251C for a couple years now. Recently I did a bunch of pre-painted (fine wrinkle type) electrical control box covers. I'd done them in the past without coolant because the customer wanted them delivered clean as new with no residue etc. etc. This last time I used coolant and was surprised that a simple rinse in warm water was enough to get them clean. Was there microscopic residue left over and detectable only by laboratory analysis? Who knows. They did look and feel as clean as could be which was good enough for me.

Your machine will never rust with this stuff. Shallow pools of coolant will turn into what seems like pure oil. I have pallets that I leave vises mounted on for months at a time and am always amazed that they're as good as new when I pull them off for different setups.

Today and tomorrow I'm finally changing out the last of my Master Chemical Trim E206 machines to the Qualchem. So I guess that says I'm sold.

Dave

I've heard many good reviews about Qualchem 250C and 251C coolant, the only problem I find is that I live in Mexico and I don't find any seller from that brand in the city I live. The positive side is that I live just 2 hours away from US Border, so I'm going to consider buying it in Texas.

ricardo_gt · Dec 18, 2019

I have changed from petronas to Hougthon recently and i have just good things to say about hougthon lube.
Castrol is also very good for steel but not for aluminium.
I try to have the best product to the best price and that gives some trouble to achieve because of trial and error, however, in the end the results are allways good.
Ask for trial on that new option, if it works you pay for it and use it, if not, do not even pay, that is what i do.

Gobo · Dec 18, 2019

There are many,many past threads about coolant on this site. Search them and you will learn a great deal.

Triaged · Dec 18, 2019

ArturoMeltri said:
I'm not really an expert in coolant, why should I stick with semi-synthethic, what are the pros and cons of a full synthetic?

Thanks

As others said there is lots of info here if you search. Oil is a good lubricant and keeps steel from rusting but doesn't transfer heat well. Full synthetic can cause machines and parts to rust and not lubricate well but transfers heat and doesn't grow funky quickly. Semi can be the best of both worlds.

aarongough · Dec 18, 2019

This may be a dumb question, but given that you're only machining steels is there a reason to use coolant at all? Cutting dry with AITiN coated carbide tools works very well for me machining both hard and soft tool steels. You need an air blast to clear chips, but it makes cleaning the machine easy, and parts need zero cleaning this way... Plus no sump to go bad and no coolant fog...

repairguy923 · Dec 19, 2019

ArturoMeltri said:
I'm not really an expert in coolant, why should I stick with semi-synthethic, what are the pros and cons of a full synthetic?

Thanks

We used Castrol syntillo for some time in our machines, it's also a full synthetic. It lubricates well and has an excellent sump life. The down side is a full synthetic is very harsh on the machine. It pulls the oils out of plastics/ polys and makes them very brittle. If you plan on putting this is fully enclosed machines than it may not be an issue. It shortened the life of any air lines in our tool changers and energy chains.

We recently switched most of our machines over to a semi-synthetic (hysol MB50) and we are very pleased, you just have to make sure your skimming off tramp oil.

ryanbcnc · Dec 19, 2019

I recently switched to Hangsterfers 5040. So far it has been great, no issues with heavy residue and zero rust, which was the reason for switching.(I was using cimcool before) I mostly cut 4140, A36, and A514. The 5040 is a semi-synthetic and is vegetable oil based. It is not clear but is close. I quoted the Hangsterfers and Blaser's equivalent, the Blaser was almost double the price.

RJT · Dec 20, 2019

Been using Qualichem Xtreme Cut 251C for several years in several machines and very happy with it. Tried several competiors and have stuck with Qualichem. We made our own coalacers after seeing the advantage of buying one. Skimmers only do half the job.

tome9999 · Dec 21, 2019

RJT said:
Been using Qualichem Xtreme Cut 251C for several years in several machines and very happy with it. Tried several competiors and have stuck with Qualichem. We made our own coalacers after seeing the advantage of buying one. Skimmers only do half the job.

Care to share your diy coalescer build....?
-Tom

empower · Dec 21, 2019

In for this also

DouglasJRizzo · Dec 22, 2019

I had no luck with Hangsterfers but then, it may have been the water in the shop as most coolants gave me trouble. New shop, I have better tap water and Trim seems to work well.

ArturoMeltri · Dec 23, 2019

aarongough said:
This may be a dumb question, but given that you're only machining steels is there a reason to use coolant at all? Cutting dry with AITiN coated carbide tools works very well for me machining both hard and soft tool steels. You need an air blast to clear chips, but it makes cleaning the machine easy, and parts need zero cleaning this way... Plus no sump to go bad and no coolant fog...

I'm not that sure to machine without any coolant. I do dry machine, but only when I'm cutting in dynamic milling/HSM because otherwise I think that my pieces get to hot, not only the tool but the material. That's why I use coolant, because I don't feel confident of using everything in dry machining.

Do your materials still get hot but you keep cutting in dry machining or what do you do?

ArturoMeltri · Dec 23, 2019

DouglasJRizzo said:
I had no luck with Hangsterfers but then, it may have been the water in the shop as most coolants gave me trouble. New shop, I have better tap water and Trim seems to work well.

I think I will try Trim Microsol 585XT, that the coolant that seems to be the adequate for me, but the problem is the sellers! They are not that efficient in Mexico.

Which Trim do you use and which materials do you cut?

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