Mini mill coolant

[tq60]

For a mini mill the level of heat is small due to lack or ability to create a lot.

So minimal effort required.

A simple spray bottle is fine.

If however you want to automate try this.

Windshield washer pump, look for automotive unit with pump built into tank.

There are programmable relays that can be programmed for pulsing output as option.

Use a relay with coil voltage same as mill motor to control pump that sprays water via a cooling mister nozzle.

The nozzles are 10-24 thread and about a buck each at amazon

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We gave ourselves an idea...

We ordered replacement mister nozzles for patio, 20 for not much on amazon.


Found a 12 volt pump for maybe 28 bucks that does 116 psi.

Already have a good container, old greased lightening jug so just need to build a couple parts.

We have a cool mist unit bit it requires air and makes a bit of a mess.

This will be interesting.

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[Boswell]

I would think you want to AVOID mist. That is what I like about the Mist Buster type systems. Little or no mist in the air that you breath. Let us know how it works out.

 

[tq60]

These misters have a very fine spray, placing it up close to work should allow point cooling.

These things use very little water so we will see how it does.

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[bollie7]

Hello everyone. Its been a while since I've posted on this (or any other) forum.
My take on flood cooling.
I'm a fitter and machinist by trade but I haven't worked seriously on the tools for 25+ years. I have a small 1980s Taiwanese lathe and a Bridgeport clone mill, but as I don't work in the industry anymore, and only use my machines infrequently, I class myself as a hobbyist.
However for me (due to my background), not having flood coolant is not an option. You just need a good drip tray to collect it and return it to the tank.
The mill has its own coolant pump built in but as I run the mill off a single to 3 phase VFD I can't run the pump. So two years or so ago I finished a project that I originally started about 35 years ago. That was a portable coolant tank with a single phase pump installed. I built the tank from 1mm sheet steel (luckily I had access to a good folder at the time) and it holds roughly 20 litres. I bought a cheap 240V single phase coolant pump from Aliexpress. (after spending some time trying to adapt an old dishwasher pump with no success)
The pump is mounted directly into the top of the tank and I've mounted the tank on a frame with wheels so It can be moved. I just move it between the lath and mill as required. I use some garden hose with a brass screw fitting and there is a valve and nozzle attached to each machine. I have a small RV sink waste set into the lathe chip tray and that just feeds to a hose back to the tank.
I have a drain hose on each end of the mill table which collects most of it and I usually just use a bucket to catch what ever runs off the front of the mill.
Doing this means I don't have to have a lot of coolant mixed up at any time. I had some old semi synthetic coolant that I wasn't really happy with ( Ithink it was just too old) so I took a punt and bought 5 litres of "Tool Mate Ultra Synthet 971" Wow - very happy with it. So far its been great. I get a bit of tramp oil which doesn't seem to effect it. I have had the same batch in the tank for 2 years and it still smells the same as when first made up. I just run the pump for 10 minutes or so every couple of months. (if I remember).
Yes, you always get a bit flung out from the lathe chuck or a mill cutter, but that's all part of machining. For me, the small inconvenience of a bit of coolant flung around is far outweighed by the advantages of having flood coolant.
In the picture the tank is beside the lathe. The drain hose is the black one.
regards Peter Marr

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