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As with others, I too am looking to move away from my current cans of WD40 cooling method. The only metal I machine is aluminum and roughly just 3-4 hours per week, usually all at once, but tool changes take up a good bit of that time. I don't want flood or cold-air blast, so that leaves me with...
(A) Handheld spray bottle with some other coolant (Kool Mist 77, 78, etc). Should work better than WD40, and cost is next to nothing, but it's still manual
(B) Mist. There are tank and tankless units, but I am not clear of the differences/pros/cons between these types. Apparently requires a significant compressor also.
(C) Fogbuster. Apparently the compressor requirements are much smaller, so I called the fogbuster folks and they had no clue how much CFM I'd need, but then had the audacity to suggest that "when I buy one", to call them back and let them know how much it requires. Really?! Don't these folks sell essentially just this one product?
(D) DIY fogbuster, with the info that Karl T and others posted.
At this point I'm going to do (A) anyway, as I probably have a spray bottle laying around, and I'd need to buy coolant anyway, no matter what other system I choose. So with minimal machining, should I still get a coolant system? I would be nice to walk away from the machine now and then, though I am not thrilled about the noise of a compressor. Sure I can build a sound-attenuating enclosure, but that's more space and cost.
From what I read on these forums, I was really thinking I'd just sink the money into a fogbuster and get it over with, but not anymore. So that leaves me with (B) or (D). I've read about the fog that mist systems develop, but wondering if it's still fine for my minimal usage? I'm in a warehouse-type unit, 40ft x 15ft with high (maybe 15ft to 18ft) ceilings, so not sure if I would be affected by the fog that apparently develops.
I would do a DIY fogbuster, but I think it will take some experimentation, and if I can avoid another project at this point that would be great. But the cost savings seems very appealing, and from what I read, the net result would be a very workable system with no side-effects.
Thoughts anyone?
Cheers,
-Neil.
I should also mention that I have an automotive compressor with 2-ish gallon tank, which I setup as a pressure-tesing device. It should be able to deliver about 0.5CFM, and it will generate over 100PSI (though I'm not sure of the CFM at that pressure). One of the cooling systems I had looked at is the Flexi-Mist system shown here, which claims that it only needs 0.3CFM at 90PSI. Not having to buy another compressor is a definite plus.
Thanks,
-Neil.
The air pressure requirement for the fogbuster isn't much from my experience, I generally run my 1/2 gl model at 5-10psi tops. This produces plenty of air pressure to clear away chips from even the most aggressive cuts I have made with my x3 mill.
I would stay clear of a mist unit... they are very messy and hazardous to your health. The result will be a film of sticky sh*t all over your machine and surrounding area.
You might try Kerosene. Cheap, local and works well with Al. Not sure if it's really any better than WD40, but 1/10th the price.Originally Posted by cnczoner
I have a Noga system similar to the one pictured above the flexi mist at enco - it was this one from Wholesale Tool. I used to run it off a 5 gallon or so compressor which was OK although the compressor would kick in too often if I used too much PSI. It does let you control both air and fluid which is kind of nice. I like it because I can mix up a gallon of kool-mist and just drop the pickup line in the bottle.
+1 for the Noga system. But it is going to require more air compressor than you have.
Cheers,
BW
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I think I need to understand mist systems better then... yes, I've read that they can be harmful, but I thought that was due to the specific coolant. Kool Mist says on their website "The Kool Mist unique formula of coolant is safe for people, ...", and I'd think they'd be too large to blindly make claims about that. I've also read about the film they can leave, but thought it was a few isolated cases (and I assumed it would be for those who machine quite a bit). I do have 2 niceish cars taking up the rest of the warehouse space, so I will not go for mist if it will indeed leave a film on everything.
The Noga system sounds very convenient, but isn't it still a basic mist system?
I'd like some clarification on the diffs between mist and fogbuster -- (a) mist actually atomizes the coolant but the fog buster does not; (b) mist runs at higher pressure, but the fogbuster does not; (c) mist picks up unpressurized coolant with the venturi effect, but fogbuster actually forces the coolant through by pressurizing the coolant.... is this correct?
knudsen, I also heard that ATF works well, but I tried that in a spray bottle and can't say it did anything different than WD40. I never did calculate the cost of that though.
Thanks,
-Neil.
just setup a airline to your table and flood coolant and you have yourself a very effective cheap way of getting rid of chips and cooling.
You don't say what kind of machine you have, but I'm assuming it's a benchtop, which means you really don't need anything more than a Fogbuster, and a home-made one will work just great. A Fogbuster will give you all the cooling you'll ever need on a benchtop machine. I've been using several home-made Fogbusters for years on my machines, including a knee mill, with no problems whatsoever. And, I've been slowly working my way through the same gallon of KoolMist for years as well, so the coolant cost is near zero. A $79 compressor will work just fine. It'll run a lot, but it can do that for years on end. When it finally dies, you buy another $79 compressor. FogBusters do not require high pressure, normally operating around 10-15 PSI. You will want to get a good "relieving" low-pressure regulator to maintain constant pressure, or the flow will vary all over the place. This one will work well:
https://www.surpluscenter.com/item.a...29&catname=air
Regards,
Ray L.
I really don't have space for an enclosure, so don't want to futz with coolant.
But I also have a G0602 lathe. I've not set it up yet even though I purchased it several months ago, but I do intend to eventually, and would like to use the cooling system on that too.
I checked the specs on my compressor -- it's 1.35CFM at 0PSI, 150PSI max, and has a 2.4 gal tank. So it *may* work for my low-duty use.
Himy, are you using the same design as Karl T posted? Sounds like you've got it down to a no-brainer, so I'd love to know what your mixer/nozzle design looks like, if it's shareable.
Cheers,
-Neil.
Mine is based on the Fogbuster patent. The construction is completely different, but the important dimensions are the same. I've posted pictures of mine, and the link to the patent several times here, so you should be able to find it by searching.
Regards,
Ray L.
Here are a few pics I posted of the FB Clone I made. It was one of my first projects. It can easily be adjusted to anything from all air to to a nice spray of coolant. It works great, definitely worth the effort.
Coolant, Flood, Mist, WD-40, etc
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