Kool Mist coolant, opinions

[phantomcow2]

Has anybody here used the Kool Mist coolant that little machine shop sells?
http://www.littlemachineshop.com/pro...ProductID=2235
What are you opinions on it?

[widgitmaster]

That is a standard item, there are many manufacturers too!
Try this out, it is as good as any I have tried! and its only $10.65 /gal
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...&PARTPG=INLMK3

[nervis1]

I've used it. PITA IMO. Takes 100 psi for a decent shot and has my 3hp compressor running off and on. It's pretty loud too (both the compressor and kool mist unit pppssssssssssssssssss at 120 db gets on my last nerve pretty quick).

I was using it on a manual lathe, gave up on it the first day. I'd rather cut dry.

If you have a good solid shop air supply and no compressor sitting 10 feet away then by all means give it a try. I think you will have less hassle with a small flood unit if you must have coolant.

[gpk9]

Previous machine shop I worked at had "misters" on the mills, using a water-soluble coolant with light-blue color. Not sure what brand. I loved them.

I believe in full-flow cooling of cutting tools to keep them cool and sharp. Surface finishes are so much better with a cool sharp tool than an overheated tool that is slowly loosing its cutting edge as it runs.

Many machinist don't realize that a cutting tool, like an endmill, that is running dry and may feel only warm to the touch, actually experiences high tempratures right at the cutting edge that will quickly break down the temper along the edge.

Liquid cooling is the only way I know of to prevent high edge-temps and keep the tool sharp. I like a mister because it lubricates, cools, and blows chips away simultaneously. Using a water-soluble coolant has an extra advantage of less cleanup than oil. After a few hours it simply evaporates and leaves the mill table dry. Most water-soluble coolants also contain rust and corrosion inhibitors.

The hard part of using misters is selling the shop owner on buying and installing them. The shop I work in now has no cooling/lubricating aparatus on any of the machines... and a drawer full of dull endmills... but we can't sell the plant manager on the benefits of misters.

[Unabiker]

I use Kool Mist on a daily basis on my router cutting aluminum and am happy with the product.
I scored my setup off of ebay. It's about as simple as it gets. Basicly a plastic jug that rides on the router, an aluminum block to merge the air supply and coolant, and a plastic loc-line to shoot the juice. The bottle is higher than the loc-line, so gravity is supplying the fluid instead of suction. I generaly use very air pressure...just enough to turn the dribble coming out of the line into mist. My compressor doesn't even notice.
With the mister running, I get nice clean cuts in my aluminum. With out, I get lots of chip re-welding an premature cutter death.

[jkeyser14]

I've used misters w/ limited success before. They will cool the tools, but not by much.

If you have a setup that allows for flood coolant instead, the difference is night and day. Cuts that would normally leave surfaces w/ chip welding will now instead have bright shiny surfaces, the tools with last much longer, and machining time will drop.

[Scott_bob]

To all,

Best spray system I have used...
Minimal fog, non toxic, reasonable cost lube.
This low priced system out performs the most expensive systems.

http://www.newtechcuttingtools.com/page50.htm