Flexible coolant/air hose? What's it called?

Pcmaker

Pcmaker

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I've seen it many times before, but I don't know what it's called. It's blue in color with a different color tip. Usually some type of coolant is flowing out of it to cool down workpiece and it has flexible ball joints. I think they're made out of plastic. I plan on teeing off my air hose line I have run around my garage and and hooking it up to one of these and have it blow a small amount of air towards where the end mill is making contact to help cool instead of using a lot of cutting fluid. Also to clear out the chips.

Is this a good idea or bad?
 
Try searcing for Loc-Line. It has a few names, but I think that's what you are after. I think your idea will work, but air won't take away heat quite like mist will.
 
It won't nearly be as effective as liquid, but I think it'll help a little bit, it's mostly to blow off the chips so I can see better and to keep the end mill clean.
 
Yup Loc-Line, that's the original, lots of knock offs available now.

The air will be good for clearing out chips (on the mill) but not that great for cooling as an alternative to cutting fluid or flood coolant.

I have an Exair cold air gun that I use in addition with cutting fluid. It works ok but it's still just air & it's air hungry, no where near an alternative to coolant. I use it only for drilling Ti. Crazy how expensive these things are, I would never purchase one new, got it on ebay years ago.

I don't use the cold gun that much anymore. I have since switched to just spraying on coolant with a spray bottle when I need the cooling. I won't consider running flood coolant in my home shop.

20130614_192235.jpg
 
Just bought a Noga mini cool. Really well made. I like that all parts are available for repair or replacement. $85
 

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To correctly adjust the air pressure you need a bit more than a ball valve but it's a good start, adding an air regulator would make a bigger improvement.
 
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