COOLANT (what are you using?)

[carbidecraters]

We have used alot of coolant types over the years, synthetic, water soluble...ect. We have had coolant that burned the eyes, caused dematitis, caused boils and alot of other nasty stuff. We have currently started to use cimperial 1070 and made the switch from cimtech500. We found the synthetics have a alkaline ph and will etch aluminum parts before any kind of plating. cimperial 1070 gives us better tool life and even though we have to watch it closer (may grow bacteria) it seems to be more pleasant in odor and the nice blue color makes it alot funner to use....can you even mention fun and a machiner shop in the same sentence.....Hell yeah


What are you using and what is your story

[little bubba]

Coolant, fun stuff.

The story, we were a small shop with some crap CNC machines, we used the chevron soluable that we could get down the street, few problems, the biggest sump was probably 15 gallons. We moved, got some nice machines and with one of the machines acquired a drum of ZEP. Great synthetic stuff, it smelled good and was a pretty blue for about 10 minutes, then in the bigger sumps(120 gallons) it turned a nice diahrria brown, and smelled just about as good. Added all the biocides, plumbed in circulating pumps, still stunk. On monday morning, you could smell it on the street coming to work, NASTY.

We then bought another machine(used), and when it arrived, then inside smelt so nice, a little bit of sweet mixed with oil. I said right then, we need this stuff(Blaser). The wonderful thing was the local dealer we bought the machine through, was also a dealer of Blaser coolant, and the next day they brought us a free 5 gallon bucket to try out.

At first I just loved it because it didn't smell. Then a while back we had the opportunity to talk to one of the Blaser salesmen, and it took coolant to a whole new level for me. Amazing stuff, first off, in Blaser, no biocides, these kill all of the bacteria(even the good ones), but unfortunately, bacteria are tricky little buggers, they evolve rapidly, and pretty soon they find the biocide that is meant to kill them as a tasty food. Treat it like a fish tank, keep the crap and stagnant areas out, don't pee in it, and its fine.

Sitting through a seminar and then talking later to the Blaser rep taught me a lot. For instance, synthetic vs soluable. A full synthetic just lets all that stuff you just a paid a fortune for evaporate into the air, a soluable holds it in. Imulsions, you can either make a mayonaise or a salad dressing out of the same water and oil, from the alignment of the molecules, they have different heat distribution properties, affecting tool life. Chlorides and Sulfers, the way they lubricate, fascinating. Maintainance, really simple, decant every so often. This is sucking the coolant out of the machine, letting it sit in a tank, the tramp oils rise to the top, suck them off, the tiny little abrasive particles fall to the bottom, then drain if off a couple of inches from the bottom, clean crystal clear coolant(on the refractometer). Way lubes, designed to discourage metal to metal contact, coolant, designed to promote metal to metal contact to let the chlorides do their job. One reason to skim. Started using Blaser Waylube, designed not to mix with their coolant, no more oily parts, less crap stuck to the insides the machines.

Anyways, great stuff, its not like buying from a janitorial supplier. I was talking to one today that I had told her that her coolant smelled like urine after two days. She told me I didn't buy enough "stuff" to make it smell good. No, it shouldn't smell to begin with, and I shouldn't have to pay extra to make it not smell, stick to selling floor wax.

[NC Cams]

We use Valenite VNT700 in grinding and turning and it works great.

We played with some stuff sold by a friend's buddy and it was a true disappointment although much cheaper (you get what you pay for, seemingly). We have no problems with smell, rust or holding solution (water based synthetic).

We grind tool steel and stellite hard facing and it works fine. In a different solution, we do turning with it as well... We also use it for milling cutters

[Caprirs]

I typically mill aluminum on my two VMCs. Each machine has ~30 gallon sump. Previously, I used Castrol Clearedge (http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMAKA=05651484) which started out a nice clear blue and smelled good but after a month would turn grey and get funky. It was stable but the smell just kept inching towards rotten and after four months I had to change it out. Now, I'm using Astro Cut SYN (http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMAKA=97879860) which started as a clear green and nice smell and has remained that way for over three months now with no changes. It's still clear and smells the same as the day I put it in. And it's significantly less expensive than the Clearedge.

[ctate2000]

Any of the soluable oils are going to be funky after a little time in the sump. I have used synthetics on al with very good results. The synthetics last much longer and are cleaner in use. Only time I suggest soluable oils is when you have very difficult operations in al like deep boring with close tolerances or when you need exceptional finishes.

[Fudd]

I have a small machine shop as a second job. The CNC machine will go from daily use to setting for 2 weeks. I am currently using Mobilmet 122 and think it is a pretty good collant, but it gets to smelling and I have to add fresh collant at each use. Also my vises are rusting while setting. What collant do you guys recommend? I mostly do aluminum, with some carbon and stainless steel, and some brass. As for the Blaser, where is a distributor and what is the cost?

Thanks,

Scott

[NC Cams]

Prior posts by many give insight into good coolants to use.

Most "smell" issues relate to some impropriety in the way the coolant is being treated or maintained. One also has to look at the mineral content of the water being used in the solution.

Minerals and/or salt used in some water softeners can harm the coolants and/or the "good" bacteria. Developing a good relationship with a coolant salesman is a good idea.

Oh, and one more thing, "cheap coolant bought from a friend" rusted the heck out of everything. When we switched to VNT700, all our rusting problems went away. IF we start to see rust, it is time to change the coolant.

The advice of decanting and skimming the coolant works. Getting the cuttings/grit out of the sump does help a lot as does running the coolant a tad rich in our case - we grind a lot of iron, alloy tool steel and even some hardfaced parts.

[jeremyinnys]

used to valenite. now we use shell products. dascool 810, and 770. but the water evapoates alot sooner in these, than valcool.

[Steve@Reliance]

We have been using Castrol Syntilo 9902 with good results for several years. it is a semi syn. coolant and I'm not sure why, but we NEVER have to change the coolant because of smell. In fact, we never change it. We just top up and kep an eye on the dilution. Before I started my own shop the place I was at had to change coolant every 3-4 months. We have a couple of machines in here that are only used sporadicly and even they don't smell.

[metlcutr55]

started with coolmist, but if left sitting im my bijur mister it would jell. switched to tri-cool i buy thru msc, mists well, and now i use it in my lathe, 10 gal sump, and it stays good for over a year. have to replenish water once in a while due to evaporation. i add 1/4 of a biocide tab every couple months. and i watch the machine, a trace of rust and i add a cup or so of tri cool to the mix

[TR MFG]

Cimstar 60LF good sump life and works good, water evaporates fast but other than that we like it.

[REVCAM_Bob]

Blaser, cant go wrong, no smell no fuss. Lasts for long long time.
Have left in machines for over a year..... still good to go. Of coarse have to
add in some new due to evaporations etc.