A few metal bandsaw questions

[ozzie34231]

I'm graduating from a Grizzly 4X6 to a nearly new MSC 7X12.
The Msc is a wet machine and I'm wondering if I should use oil or a water soluble coolant. I'm a hobbyist and cut HRS, CRS, 303 304 stainless and 6061. If the answer is oil, can I use motor oil? I hate paying the freight for a thing like oil.
My other question concerns the hydraulic cylinder; how do I use it, how do I set it; and in concert with that how should I set the counter balance spring?

Thanks
Ozzie

[Geof]

Motor oil is totally unsuitable as a cutting oil.

A water mixed coolant is probably going to be the best, you should be able to find several suppliers for something that is okay for your whole range of materials.

I am not sure the setting of the counterbalance spring is too critical except when cutting stainless. If the spring is too tight the cutting pressure is reduced and with stainless you should take a good cut or you will create a work hardened surface and dull the blade quickly. You may have to experiment a bit because if the spring is not tight enough you may stall the blade and cause it to slip off the drive wheels if the cut is too fast.

Similarly with the hydraulic cylinder you will need to do some experimenting. The cylinder controls how fast the blade is going to drop when there is no, or very little, back force from the cut; such as when the blade is approaching the work, when cutting tube or when just breaking through the last bit. Adjust it so the blade starts the cut slowly and most times you can leave it like that but again with stainless too slow is not good so maybe in this case once the cut has started open the hydraulic valve a bit to make sure the blade can cut strongly and then slow down as the blade is near the end of the cut.

[chrisryn]

I cut plenty of different types of metals from alum,to steel, stainless, tool steel. We just use the same coolant/lubricant for everything. CNC, Saw, Drill, Surface Grinders. The only machine that uses a special fluid is our tap disentigrator which uses a deinoized coolant.

[ozzie34231]

Okay, thanks for the info.
I'll go with Tri-cool which I use on my other machines. I use 6oz per gallon of water and no rust or corrosion problem that I've seen so far. Not true of some others that advertise no rust.
I'm not sure yet if it eats paint, many do. I just noticed a bit of wrinkling on a grinder I just painted; just one tiny spot, but we'll see.
Thanks again,
Ozzie