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Small shop coolant options...

Dave K2

Stainless
Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Location
Hertfordshire, England
Hi all,

I have a converted Bridgeport mill, i do a fair bit of aluminium on it but only every other week or two so it's intermittent use.

I currently run a FogBuster MQL system with a vegetable based oil (Aerolube) but due to my intermittent nature of use, the mill is now getting covered in a thick sticky gunk when the oil dries out. This gunk is a bugger to shift, it needs hot soapy water which is clearly no good for a mill table etc.

I can't run flood coolant as the mill is fully open and with the rate of use it would be rancid very quickly.

Is there ANY other option that i can use for CNC milling of aluminium with HSS tooling and intermittent use???

Obviously it must be lung-safe although there is very little over-spray when in use.


Thanks
Dave
 
Not sure if you can get Tri-cool in the UK. We have been using their MD-7 for several years in one of their TRICO micro-drop applicators. The MD-7 says it is synthetic, hypoallergenic and non flammable.
We keep the air volume down and apply at a rate of about 4 drops a minute so it does not make a fog.
Vegetable oils are supposed to be good for cutting but I have seen real messes on any machine they are used on. I would never use one.
 
I've used wd-40 for years, don't know what it's made of. But then, I also don't do what could be considered "heavy" milling, so I'm guessing I'll be corrected shortly... :)
 
Thanks guys, i used WD before but from an aerosol which was £££ after a while, so if i got this...
wd.jpg

and filled the fog buster up, it would work?

I keep the air volume reasonably high to clear chips as no flood to wash them away, hopefully that won't matter?
 
+1 on the Trico MD7. It does not dry and any residue can be easily wiped up. I use it in my open Fadal which will sit unused for a week or two at a time.

I do like Hangsterfer's coolant which was also mentioned. I use S-506CF I which I was told is the best formulation for my area's water chemistry. This stays in my CNC lathe with an aquarium bubbler and routine skimming to keep it fresh.
 
Look at the Oemeta products. Their products are very health-conscious, and the company has a large presence in Europe.
 
Good thing about the MD-7 is it will last for years. The gallon container I have is probably 10 years old and still 3/4 full.
 
Look at the Oemeta products. Their products are very health-conscious, and the company has a large presence in Europe.

Thanks,

got a reply today, smallest qty they do in their recommended product (MicroTol Fa20) is an 18kg can at £250 + £40 delivery + VAT so only £396 LOL

I'll give up and try WD40 I think, I did email Hench/FogBuster and they did have customers running WD so it won't harm the unit it seems, just a mild concern about aerosolising WD40 in a small shop for hours on end.
 
So years ago I worked with a crazy machinist[He's not the Messiah he's just a very naughty boy] and about the only thing he taught me was this

No oil

So, Wd40 and kerosene work so so nice on aluminum....oh beautiful

just imagine how slick the inside of your lungs look

nice and shiny and smooth


yeah, aerosolized oils are a really, really bad idea

that nagging cough that won't go away, so very attractive

you can use flood coolant, use an aquarium pump, guards to keep coolant on the table, probably run the pump regularly


sure wd40 to drill a random hole in aluminum, but not as a plan
 








 
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